Freemasonry In Ireland.

FREEMASONRY in IRELAND .

BY BRO WILLIAM J AMES HUGHAN . { Continuedfrom page 181 . J The arrangements made with the Royal Arch Chapters and K . T . Encampments , dated 5 th September , 1805 , are thus clearly expressed , and it is evident these degrees were sanctioned by the Grand

Lodge , although as to regulations and management , they were to be kept distinct . The communication for 3 rd July , 1807 , however , shows that the Grand Treasurer presented the whole of the fee ' s received from all the degrees in one and the same account . It is stated therein that

the Grand Lodge excluded " Alexander Seton , late Deputy Grand Secretary , from the rights of Masonry " on the 2 nd April , 1807 . The following notice is also appended : — " It is necessary to caution brethren against publications issued by

some persons from the Taylors' Hall , Backlane , affecting ( without any right or authority , and in direct violation of the laws and constitutions of Masonry ) to call themselves a Grand Lodge . And to assure the Craft that no Grand Lodge has been

held at that place for these twelve months past . The brethren are further cautioned not to receive or sanction certificates signed G . D . Irvine and A . Seton , dated since the ist May , 1806 , as they have not held any office under the Grand Lodge of Ireland

from that period . " Then follows a list of " 174 cancelled lodges " / or lodges erased from the books of the Grand Lodge of Ireland . The Grand Lodge lost no time in forwarding to the "Ancients " at London ( with whom they held regular correspondence ) particulars of the struggle on which they had entered ,

and the following is the report that Body made on the subject . It is somewhat amusing to read the resolutions of the " Ancients " on such a subject , seeing that they had initiated a similar secession some fifty years before , and had actually done their utmost to destroy the influence of the regular Grand Lodge of England : —

Grand Lodge " Ancients , " London , 2 nd September , 1 S 07 . In consequence of certain representations and official documents have been transmitted by the R . W . Grand Lodge of Ireland to our R . W . Deputy Grand Master , and by him laid before the Grand

Lodge on the 4 th March last ; thc same were referred to a special committee , consisting of all present and past Grand Officers to examine into and consider the same , and report thereon ; and thc said committee having fully investigated those communications , presented a report thereon ,

whereby it appears"That for some time past a riotous and turbulent faction has existed amongst the Fraternity in Ireland , but which more particularly manifested itself on the 5 th June , 1806 , when a number of persons , at that time unknown to the Grand Lodge , through

claiming to be Freemasons from the North of that kingdom , did assemble and obtrude themselves into the Grand Lodge , and there attempted , by force of numbers alone , to pass certain resolutions subversive of the true principles and usages of Masonry ; and the said persons , after the Grand

Lodge had been duly closed by thc Deputy Grand Master and Grand Wardens , at a late hour , and after the Grand Officers and most of the Representatives of the Dublin lodges had retired , did affect to reopen the Grand Lodge , to rescind several of its solemn and deliberate Acts , to remove from

their situations two of the most respectable and zealous officers of the Grand Lodge , and to substitute other persons in their places , contrary to the established laws and usages of thc Craft . "And that Alexander Seton , late Deputy Grand Secretary , appears to have been at the head of , and acting , aiding , and assisting in said illegal faction ;

and when called upon to deliver up the muniments and property in his hands belonging to thc Grand Lodge , refused to comply therewith , whereupon the Grand Lodge of Ireland , upon the 2 nd April last , expelled the said Alexander Seton from all his Masonic rights and privileges . " The foregoing report having been presented by said committee at thc Quarterly Communication on

Freemasonry In Ireland.

the 3 rd Juue last , the Grand Lodge unanimously adopted the following resolution , which was at this meeting unanimously confirmed , viz .: — " That this R . W . Lodge shall not , upon any account , receive or acknowledge any certificate issued by and under the hand of said Alexander

Seton , bearing date at any time subsequent to the 5 th day of June , 1806 ; neither shall any person , by virtue of such certificate , be thereby received into any lodge under the sanction of this R . W . Lodge , nor shall any such person receive the honours of Masonry amongst us . "

The next reference to the " differences " of importance is contained in the report of the monthly meeting held 7 th day of April , 1808 , when Bro . Alexander Seton was again accepted as a member of the Grand

Lodge . From the " Communication " one would fancy that all opposition was over , and that harmony generally prevailed . Such , however , was not the case , as the

Grand Lodge of the Seceders flourished most actively several years afterwards , and this same Bro . Seton was Deputy Grand Secretary even as late as 3 rd June , 1812 , and probably still longer .

Grand Lodge Of Ireland.

GRAND LODGE OF IRELAND .

At the Monthly Meeting of the Grand Lodge of Ireland , held at the Taylors' Hall in the City of Dublin , on Thursday , the jth day of April , 1808 , THE Earl of Donoughmore , Grand Master of Ireland , in the chair—his lordship having by circular letters to the different lodges signified his intention

of presiding in person on that clay . Present Alexander Jaffray , Esq ., Deputy Grand Master ; Francis Fctherstone , Esq ., Acting Senior Grand Warden ; Henry Bunbuiy , Esq ., Acting Ji-nior Grand Warden ; John Boardman , Esq ., Grand Treasurer ; John Leech , Esq . ; the Honourable

Francis Hcly Hutchinson , the Honourable Abraham Hely Hutchinson , the Honourable and Reverend Lorenzo Hely Hutchinson , and several other members of the Grand Master ' s Lodgetogether with a most numerous attendance of the Masters and Wardens of the several lodges of Ireland .

The Grand Master having called upon John Cuthbert , Esq ., of the Grand Master ' s Lodge , to act as Secretary for the day , in order that the proceedings might be signed by a person who had not taken any part in the differences that had unhappily subsisted , and that nothing might be done that

should call in question the rights of the parties who had appealed at a court of justice . He took his place at the table accordingly . The Grand Master having desired to be informed whether the several books , papers , seals , and other muniments of the Order had been laid upon the

table of thc Grand Lodge , pursuant to the orders he had caused to be served for that purpose , and thc same having been presented to his lordship , and laid upon the table accordingly : His Lordship caused lo be read a communication from thc Provincial Grand Lodge of Munster , and

numerous communications from the several lodges in thc other provinces , in reply to his circular letter ofthe 26 th ultimo . cxpressive of their full confidence in the interest his lordship has always shown for thc welfare ofthe Order—calling upon him to interpose his authority to put an end to the existing

differences , and assuring him of their full concurrence in such measures as he should think proper to adopt for that desirable purpose . His Lordship , from the chair , proceeded to deliver his sentiments at considerable length upon the various subjects by which thc harmony of the Order

had been so much disturbed , and having animadverted upon the conduct of the different parties , and explicitly delivered hisopinion as totheirrcspective rights—And having stated to the Grand Lodge the only grounds on which , as he conceived , any just hope could be entertained of an amicable and

permanent adjustment of these contentions which had so unhappily interrupted thc harmony of Masonry—by mutual sacrifices on the part of those whose contests had nearly severed the Order into two opposite interests—armed against each other with a spirit of thc most direct and avowed

hostil ' . y—and above . all things , by placing the offices of Grand Secretary and Deputy Grand Secretary in such hands , as to avoid the giving of a victory either to one party or to thc other . — And his lordship , for the accomplishment of tbis object , looking only to the general meeting of the Grand Lodge at

the regular and accustomed period for thc annual election of Grand Officers—which period now so nearly approached—and having communicated his intention of selecting for thc purpose of presiding at thatelection as Deputy Grand Master a member of the Grand Master ' s Lodge , most near to himself in blood , in feelings , and affection—who had been

Grand Lodge Of Ireland.

unmixed in any of the late differences—and around whom , therefore , all the brethren of the Order , however they may heretofore have differed in opinion , might assemble with the surest confidence and the certainty of meeting from him the most cordial efforts for a general and complete accommodation .

His Lordship declared his brother , the Honourable Abraham Hely Hutchinson , his Deputy Grand Master accordingly—distinctly stating , at the same time , that such appointment was not to be understood as conveying , in the remotest degree , any imputation upon the conduct of his late respectable

Deputy , or as the withdrawing from him of that confidence and regard to which his zealous intentions towards the honour and interest of the Craft had at all times so fully entitled him . And the Grand Master , not thinking that any good would be likely to result at the present moment

from any attempt on his part to bring the subject of the existing differences ofthe Grand Lodge , in the shape of any substantive resolutions affirming or denying the rights of parties , which were at issue in a court of justice—although , by the unanimous resolution of one entire province , and by those of

many other and most respectable lodges , his lordship had been armed with full power to decide finally thereupon for them and in their name . His lordship concluded with proposing the following resolution , which being seconded by Alexander Jaffray , Esq ., late Deputy Grand Master— received

the cordial approbation of every member present , and was unanimously adopted : — " Resolved , —That it be strongly recommended to the members who compose the Grand Lodge , when they assemble together on Thursday , the 5 th day of May ncxt , for the election of Grand Officers for

the ensuing year , to bring with them to this place , that spirit of mutual conciliation , friendship , and brotherly love , which alone can heal those wounds by the late unhappy contentions so deeply inflicted on the Order of I'Veemasonry in Ireland . " The Grand Master having called the attention of

the Grand Lodge to a proceeding of theirs at a former meeting respecting an expulsion voted against Bro . Alexander Seton , under circumstances on which the Grand Master thought it his duty to animadvert , but which had now ceased to exist—all the muniments of the Order , of what kind soever ,

having been produced and delivered over to his lordship ' s custody as the head of the Order . His lordship proposed the following resolution , which being seconded by Brother John Williams , who avowed himself the mover of the expulsion , stated the circumstances under which he had then acted

as well as those which influenced his present conduct . The same was adopted without a dissentient voice . On a re-consideration of all the circumstances which led to the resolution of the Grand Lodge for thc expulsion of Brother Alexander Seton , and from

thc discussions which have taken place this dayand all the books and muniments of the Order having been now committed to the hands of the Grand Master—and thc Grand Lodge being desirous to give an earnest of their cordial disposition to concur in those sentiments of conciliation so

stronglyrecomniended and impressed upon them by his lordship , "Resolved , —That the said resolution be rescinded and expunged . " " Resolved , —That the proceedings of this day be printed , and transmitted to all the lodges of

Ireland . " The Grand Master having commnnicated several applications from military brothers and others for new warrants and reviving old ones , the same were approved and ordered to be issued accordingly , on payment of the usual fees . Ordered , —That the several petitions laid on the

tabic this . day bc referred to the Committee of Charity . And then the Grand Master closed the lodge till Thursday , the 5 th day of May next , then to be here held for the election of Grand Officers and other business , at twelve o ' clock at noon . Signed bv Order , J CUTHBERT , Acting Secretary .

We notice that the right of the Grand Lodge to issue a list of expulsions was disputed in 1808 . The " item " of £ 32 $ 2 s . iod . " was paid on account of costs incurred in an action brought against the Deputy Grand Secretary for having published the expulsion of the person above alluded to

from Masonry . In this action a verdict was given for the defendant and affirmed by the Court of Common Pleas , whereby the right of the Grand Lodge to publish the names of persons expelled is established . " " N . B . — An execution and attachment have been issued in these causes