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Article UNITED GRAND LODGE. ← Page 2 of 3 Article UNITED GRAND LODGE. Page 2 of 3 →
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United Grand Lodge.
xx'as proposed to make , and xvhich xvas submitted to the Board of Masters , ran in these words : That it xvas proposed that the Grand Lodge should respectfully represent to H . R . H . the M . W . G . M ., & c , the division of the Metropolis into four District Grand Lodges . Noxv , this xx'as obviously a very serious question . It touched the prerogative of the Grand Master . Rightly or wrongly , the sub-division of the
Metropolis into four Grand Lodges raised a constitutional question in the Craft as serious as any that could be conceived , and , therefore , it became , as he apprehended , a matter of absolute necessity that any motion for that purpose should be expressed in language to which no possible objection , technically , or on larger grounds , could be taken . But those words were absolutely unintelligible ; there could be no such thing as four District
Grand Lodges in London . It xvas absolutely xvithout sen se or meaning . A District Grand Lodge was a totally different thing to a Provincial Grand Lodge , and , therefore , in a motion that xvas as serious as this , it became necessary to contrast every word with the greatest care , and to require that a motion that goes to affect the highest and most constitutional interests of
the Craft should be couched in the most apt and precise language ; and on that ground , though it xvas upon a narrow ground , he conceived that the Board of Masters xvere right in refusing to submit such a motion to the Grand Lodge ; and he thought that he , in lhat chair , and the Grand Lodge , should give their support to the Board of Masters , and he had , consequently , no doubt or hesitation in ruling that such a motion xvas out of order .
The GRAND S ECRETARY hax'ing read the report of the Lodgeof Bene \* olence for the last quarter , the following recommendations of grants were confirmed r—£ s . d . Abrotherof the Restoration Lodge , No . in , Darlington ... 50 o o
A brother of the Sydney Lodge , No . S 29 , Sidcup ... ... 50 o o The widoxv of a brother of the Ranelagh Lodge No . S 34 , London 50 o o A brother of the Lodge of Faith , 141 , London ... ... ... 50 o o The xvidoxv of a brother of Lodge Confidence , No . 193 , London ... 50 o o The xvidoxv of a brother of the William of VVykeham Lodge , No .
1 SS 3 , Winchester ... ... ... ... ... 75 o o A brother of the Lodge of Unanimity and Sincerity , No . 261 , Taunton ••¦ •••••¦ ••¦ ••••••50 o o A brother of the Whittington Lodge , No . S 62 , London ... 75 o 0 The xvidoxv of a brother of the Fitz Roy Lodge , No . 569 , London 75 o o The xvidoxv of a brother of the De-la-Pole Lodge , No . 1605 , Hull 75 o o The xvidoxv of a brother of the Saint Cuthberga Lodge , No . 623 ,
Wimborne ... ... •••... 150 o o A brother of the Amphibious Lodge , No . 258 , Heckmondwike ... 50 o o A brother of the St . John the Baptist Lodge , No . 39 , Exeter . ... 50 o o A brother of Lodge Semper Fidelis , No . 1254 , Exeter ... ... 100 o o A brother of the Lodge of Love and Honour , No . 75 , Falmouth ... 50 o o The report of the Board of General Purposes , which xvas as follows , xvas then taken as read and ordered to be entered on the minutes : —
" " To the United Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of England . " r . The Board have to report that it having been represented to them that a lodge had recently elected and installed a Master xvho had served onl y eleven months as a Warden , the Master and Wardens were summoned to
appear before the Board , and the facts being admitted , with the explanation that they occurred through inadvertence , the lodge was duly admonished for its inattention to the Constitutions , and it was declared that the election was null and void , that the late W . M . xvas still the Master , and ' must continue so to act until the next regular period of election , and until a successor shall have been duly elected and installed in his stead .
" 2 . The Board have also to report that the groxving practice of Secretaries of lodges styling and signing themselves Honorary Secretaries has been from time to time brought under their notice , and they think it desirable in this manner to draw attention to the fact that the title of Honorary Secretary is not authorised by the Constitutions .
" 3 . Lastly , the Board desire to lay before the Grand Lodge the revision of the Book of Constitutions , on which much thought and attention have been bestowed , and they recommend that the Most Worshipful Grand Master be asked to convene a special Grand Lodge at a convenient time to
consider the same . " ( Signed ) J B . MONCKTON . " Freemasons' Hall , London , W . C . President . " 16 th May , 1882 . " Bro . Sir J MONCKTON , Chairman of the Board , moved that the report of the Board of General Purposes be taken as read ; next lhat it be
entered on the minutes ; and , thirdly , that it be agreed to . In supporting the motion , he said that the Board had for some time had the consideration of the Book of Constitutions before them . It was well known lhat it had been altered , amended , and added to from time to time , until it had become a sort of patchxvork legislation . A great deal of care had been taken to
prepare what the Board thought a complete and consistent Book of Constitutions ; and the report—which xvas now on the Secretary ' s table—recommended that the M . W . G . M . be asked to convene a Special Grand Lodge , at a convenient time , to consider the same . He also suggested that a copy , or copies , should be in the Grand Secretary ' : ? office for inspection , and that a copy should be sent to each Provincial Grand Secretary .
The proposals of Bro . Sir John Monckton xvere then put to the vote , and carried . The GRAND REGISTRAR moved that this Grand Lodge unanimously desire to express their sense of the ability and courtesy uniformly displayed
on all occasions by the V . W . Bro . Sir John B . Monckton , as President of the Board of General Purposes , which , on being put to the vote , was carried unanimousl y j and Bro . MONCKTON briefly acknowledged the compliment . On the motion of Bro . General BROWNRIGG , which was duly seconded , the report of the Committee appointed by Grand Lodge on the ist
United Grand Lodge.
March last , to investigate and report on the finances and present income cf Grand Lodge , xvas adopted . That the Committee having met on the 16 th of May , proceeded to enquire into and examine the various sources of income of Grand Lodge , as xvell as its current expenditure for the last three years , and they noiv beg to report , as the result of their investigations , that at the present timeGrand Lodge is in receipt of an average nett income of
about ^ 4000 per annum , which ts , however , liable to considerable fluctuations , in proportion to the number of admissions of members into the Order and from various other causes . ( Signed ) J . S . BROWNRIGG , Provincial Grand Master for Surrey , Freemasons' Hall , London , W . C . Chairman . 16 th May , 1882 .
The annual report of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution for Aged Freemasons and Widoxvs of Freemasons , dated the 19 th Ma }' , 1882 , as laid before Grand Lodge , was submitted . The appeal of Bro . Thomas Mountain , of the New Zealand Pacific Lodge , No . 517 , Wellington , Nexv Zealand , was dismissed , and the appeal of Bro . Alex . Dimant of the same lodge was allowed .
Bro . Baron DE FERRIERES , M . P ., P . M . No . 82 , moved the following resolution :
That the counting of votes on a division in Grand Lodge be conducted in future on the folloxving system : ist . That there shall be eight tellers from the body of the hall , namely—the four Grand Deacons acting for Grand Lodge , and the proposer and seconder of the motion , xvith txvo brethren nominated by them , for the resolution . 2 nd . That there shall be two tellers for the Grand Officers on the dais , namely—the Assistant Director of Ceremonies for Grand Lodge and a brother nominated by the proposer for the
resolution . 3 rd . That on a division being called for , a pair of tellers shall be placed opposite each of the four divisions of Grand Lodge and the dais , xxho shall request the brethren of their division to hold up their hands—first for " Ayes " and then for " Noes " —the tellers audibly counting the numbers each time , ivhich shall be at once noted on paper , initialed by both tellers , and handed up to the Grand Secretary , xvho shall announce the result after receiving and adding up all the scores .
He said in viexv of the amount of business before the Grand Lodge he xvould say very fexv words upon this motion . It was a very inconvenient practice to call upon the brethren , upon taking a division , to move from side to side . He thought that the practice of dividing the members into blocks and the tellers standing in front of each block counting the votes for and
against , and putting the result upon paper would be found to be a great improvement . There was one point on which the proceedings of the House of Commons might be adopted . In the House of Commons if tellers did not come forward the motion was not put . Four tellers would be required for the body of the lodge , and one for the dais , making five . If five tellers did not volunteer the motion would not be put .
The motion was seconded by Bro . PERCEVAL , ancl was carried upon a shoxv of hands .
Bro . J M . CLABON , P . G . D . —moved That , for the purpose of maintaining and extending the Fund of Benevolence , all the members of the lodges in the London district ( except military lodges ) , shall pay quarterly one shilling and sixpence each to the Fund , instead of one shilling as fixed by the Grand Lodge held on the 2 nd March , 1 S 14 . And that all members of lodges not within the London district ( except military , Colonial , and foreign lodges ) , shall pay quarterly ninepence each to the Fund , instead of sixpence , as fixed by the said Grand Lodge .
That no sale be made of all or any part of the Capital Funds of Benevolence xvithout the express order of a Grand Lodge , confirmed by a subsequent Grand Lodge .
In support of his motion , Bro . CLABON said that the increase of expense to the members of the Craft would be so small that it would not be felt , as it did not amount to a halfpenny a-xveek for each member . On the other hand , it would add materially to the spending power of the Lodge of Benevolence , as it xvould add some ^ 4000 to their annual income . He xvished to make it difficult to sell out any of the accumulated funds , as they had been
doing of late . During the ten years that he was President of the Lodge of Benevolence there had been one or txvo occasions upon which he had ventured to differ from the Lodge , ' but his difference had been not that the grant to a poor Mason had been too large , but that it was more than the funds of the Lodge could afford . Without troubling Grand Lodge too much , he would remind them that the quarterage of one shilling and sixpence xvere
fixed at the time of the Union in 1814 , and Grand Lodge then thought right to exclude colonial lodges , so that they pay nothing . If they were required to pay , this xvould happen : that as the Lodge of Benevolence requires txvo years' payments to have been made to the fund before granting relief , it xvould , in regard to colonial cases , depend very much upon the regularity of their returns , whether evidence as to txvo years' payments could be obtained . As
regards the state of the Fund he would say that in 1873 it amounted to £ 25 , ooo . In 1874 the receipts xvere £ 5449 , and the expenditure £ 4133 . In 1875 , receipts £ 5953 , expenditure £ 403 6 . In 1876 , receipts £ 6496 , expenditure £ 5203 . In 1877 , receipts £ 5725 , expenditure £ 5849- 1 " 1878 , receipts £ 7913 , expenditure £ 4934- In 1879 , receipts jfc'Si 17 , expenditure ^ 7606 . So that up to that time the receipts had annually exceeded the payments
and the savings had raised the fund , £ 25 . , to £ 45 , 000 . In 1880 a change occurs , receipts . £ 8470 , expenditure £ 9307 ; and in 1881 , receipts , £ 8161 ; expenditure £ 9915 . This was a state of things that he hoped Grand Lodge would agree with him in saying ought not to go on ; by spending their capital they were parting with their provision for old age . What must be the ultimate consequence if that £ 45 , 000 disappears ? Why , the
expenditure must come down , to the great distress of many people . As regards the complaints that the money was distributed improperly , he did not remember any one grant that was given improperly j he believed very much more good was done by the large grants . If £ 50 xvas given it went to pay a few debts , and there was no permanent benefit ; but if you gave ; £ ioo , or £ 150 , it might be of vast service to the
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
United Grand Lodge.
xx'as proposed to make , and xvhich xvas submitted to the Board of Masters , ran in these words : That it xvas proposed that the Grand Lodge should respectfully represent to H . R . H . the M . W . G . M ., & c , the division of the Metropolis into four District Grand Lodges . Noxv , this xx'as obviously a very serious question . It touched the prerogative of the Grand Master . Rightly or wrongly , the sub-division of the
Metropolis into four Grand Lodges raised a constitutional question in the Craft as serious as any that could be conceived , and , therefore , it became , as he apprehended , a matter of absolute necessity that any motion for that purpose should be expressed in language to which no possible objection , technically , or on larger grounds , could be taken . But those words were absolutely unintelligible ; there could be no such thing as four District
Grand Lodges in London . It xvas absolutely xvithout sen se or meaning . A District Grand Lodge was a totally different thing to a Provincial Grand Lodge , and , therefore , in a motion that xvas as serious as this , it became necessary to contrast every word with the greatest care , and to require that a motion that goes to affect the highest and most constitutional interests of
the Craft should be couched in the most apt and precise language ; and on that ground , though it xvas upon a narrow ground , he conceived that the Board of Masters xvere right in refusing to submit such a motion to the Grand Lodge ; and he thought that he , in lhat chair , and the Grand Lodge , should give their support to the Board of Masters , and he had , consequently , no doubt or hesitation in ruling that such a motion xvas out of order .
The GRAND S ECRETARY hax'ing read the report of the Lodgeof Bene \* olence for the last quarter , the following recommendations of grants were confirmed r—£ s . d . Abrotherof the Restoration Lodge , No . in , Darlington ... 50 o o
A brother of the Sydney Lodge , No . S 29 , Sidcup ... ... 50 o o The widoxv of a brother of the Ranelagh Lodge No . S 34 , London 50 o o A brother of the Lodge of Faith , 141 , London ... ... ... 50 o o The xvidoxv of a brother of Lodge Confidence , No . 193 , London ... 50 o o The xvidoxv of a brother of the William of VVykeham Lodge , No .
1 SS 3 , Winchester ... ... ... ... ... 75 o o A brother of the Lodge of Unanimity and Sincerity , No . 261 , Taunton ••¦ •••••¦ ••¦ ••••••50 o o A brother of the Whittington Lodge , No . S 62 , London ... 75 o 0 The xvidoxv of a brother of the Fitz Roy Lodge , No . 569 , London 75 o o The xvidoxv of a brother of the De-la-Pole Lodge , No . 1605 , Hull 75 o o The xvidoxv of a brother of the Saint Cuthberga Lodge , No . 623 ,
Wimborne ... ... •••... 150 o o A brother of the Amphibious Lodge , No . 258 , Heckmondwike ... 50 o o A brother of the St . John the Baptist Lodge , No . 39 , Exeter . ... 50 o o A brother of Lodge Semper Fidelis , No . 1254 , Exeter ... ... 100 o o A brother of the Lodge of Love and Honour , No . 75 , Falmouth ... 50 o o The report of the Board of General Purposes , which xvas as follows , xvas then taken as read and ordered to be entered on the minutes : —
" " To the United Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of England . " r . The Board have to report that it having been represented to them that a lodge had recently elected and installed a Master xvho had served onl y eleven months as a Warden , the Master and Wardens were summoned to
appear before the Board , and the facts being admitted , with the explanation that they occurred through inadvertence , the lodge was duly admonished for its inattention to the Constitutions , and it was declared that the election was null and void , that the late W . M . xvas still the Master , and ' must continue so to act until the next regular period of election , and until a successor shall have been duly elected and installed in his stead .
" 2 . The Board have also to report that the groxving practice of Secretaries of lodges styling and signing themselves Honorary Secretaries has been from time to time brought under their notice , and they think it desirable in this manner to draw attention to the fact that the title of Honorary Secretary is not authorised by the Constitutions .
" 3 . Lastly , the Board desire to lay before the Grand Lodge the revision of the Book of Constitutions , on which much thought and attention have been bestowed , and they recommend that the Most Worshipful Grand Master be asked to convene a special Grand Lodge at a convenient time to
consider the same . " ( Signed ) J B . MONCKTON . " Freemasons' Hall , London , W . C . President . " 16 th May , 1882 . " Bro . Sir J MONCKTON , Chairman of the Board , moved that the report of the Board of General Purposes be taken as read ; next lhat it be
entered on the minutes ; and , thirdly , that it be agreed to . In supporting the motion , he said that the Board had for some time had the consideration of the Book of Constitutions before them . It was well known lhat it had been altered , amended , and added to from time to time , until it had become a sort of patchxvork legislation . A great deal of care had been taken to
prepare what the Board thought a complete and consistent Book of Constitutions ; and the report—which xvas now on the Secretary ' s table—recommended that the M . W . G . M . be asked to convene a Special Grand Lodge , at a convenient time , to consider the same . He also suggested that a copy , or copies , should be in the Grand Secretary ' : ? office for inspection , and that a copy should be sent to each Provincial Grand Secretary .
The proposals of Bro . Sir John Monckton xvere then put to the vote , and carried . The GRAND REGISTRAR moved that this Grand Lodge unanimously desire to express their sense of the ability and courtesy uniformly displayed
on all occasions by the V . W . Bro . Sir John B . Monckton , as President of the Board of General Purposes , which , on being put to the vote , was carried unanimousl y j and Bro . MONCKTON briefly acknowledged the compliment . On the motion of Bro . General BROWNRIGG , which was duly seconded , the report of the Committee appointed by Grand Lodge on the ist
United Grand Lodge.
March last , to investigate and report on the finances and present income cf Grand Lodge , xvas adopted . That the Committee having met on the 16 th of May , proceeded to enquire into and examine the various sources of income of Grand Lodge , as xvell as its current expenditure for the last three years , and they noiv beg to report , as the result of their investigations , that at the present timeGrand Lodge is in receipt of an average nett income of
about ^ 4000 per annum , which ts , however , liable to considerable fluctuations , in proportion to the number of admissions of members into the Order and from various other causes . ( Signed ) J . S . BROWNRIGG , Provincial Grand Master for Surrey , Freemasons' Hall , London , W . C . Chairman . 16 th May , 1882 .
The annual report of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution for Aged Freemasons and Widoxvs of Freemasons , dated the 19 th Ma }' , 1882 , as laid before Grand Lodge , was submitted . The appeal of Bro . Thomas Mountain , of the New Zealand Pacific Lodge , No . 517 , Wellington , Nexv Zealand , was dismissed , and the appeal of Bro . Alex . Dimant of the same lodge was allowed .
Bro . Baron DE FERRIERES , M . P ., P . M . No . 82 , moved the following resolution :
That the counting of votes on a division in Grand Lodge be conducted in future on the folloxving system : ist . That there shall be eight tellers from the body of the hall , namely—the four Grand Deacons acting for Grand Lodge , and the proposer and seconder of the motion , xvith txvo brethren nominated by them , for the resolution . 2 nd . That there shall be two tellers for the Grand Officers on the dais , namely—the Assistant Director of Ceremonies for Grand Lodge and a brother nominated by the proposer for the
resolution . 3 rd . That on a division being called for , a pair of tellers shall be placed opposite each of the four divisions of Grand Lodge and the dais , xxho shall request the brethren of their division to hold up their hands—first for " Ayes " and then for " Noes " —the tellers audibly counting the numbers each time , ivhich shall be at once noted on paper , initialed by both tellers , and handed up to the Grand Secretary , xvho shall announce the result after receiving and adding up all the scores .
He said in viexv of the amount of business before the Grand Lodge he xvould say very fexv words upon this motion . It was a very inconvenient practice to call upon the brethren , upon taking a division , to move from side to side . He thought that the practice of dividing the members into blocks and the tellers standing in front of each block counting the votes for and
against , and putting the result upon paper would be found to be a great improvement . There was one point on which the proceedings of the House of Commons might be adopted . In the House of Commons if tellers did not come forward the motion was not put . Four tellers would be required for the body of the lodge , and one for the dais , making five . If five tellers did not volunteer the motion would not be put .
The motion was seconded by Bro . PERCEVAL , ancl was carried upon a shoxv of hands .
Bro . J M . CLABON , P . G . D . —moved That , for the purpose of maintaining and extending the Fund of Benevolence , all the members of the lodges in the London district ( except military lodges ) , shall pay quarterly one shilling and sixpence each to the Fund , instead of one shilling as fixed by the Grand Lodge held on the 2 nd March , 1 S 14 . And that all members of lodges not within the London district ( except military , Colonial , and foreign lodges ) , shall pay quarterly ninepence each to the Fund , instead of sixpence , as fixed by the said Grand Lodge .
That no sale be made of all or any part of the Capital Funds of Benevolence xvithout the express order of a Grand Lodge , confirmed by a subsequent Grand Lodge .
In support of his motion , Bro . CLABON said that the increase of expense to the members of the Craft would be so small that it would not be felt , as it did not amount to a halfpenny a-xveek for each member . On the other hand , it would add materially to the spending power of the Lodge of Benevolence , as it xvould add some ^ 4000 to their annual income . He xvished to make it difficult to sell out any of the accumulated funds , as they had been
doing of late . During the ten years that he was President of the Lodge of Benevolence there had been one or txvo occasions upon which he had ventured to differ from the Lodge , ' but his difference had been not that the grant to a poor Mason had been too large , but that it was more than the funds of the Lodge could afford . Without troubling Grand Lodge too much , he would remind them that the quarterage of one shilling and sixpence xvere
fixed at the time of the Union in 1814 , and Grand Lodge then thought right to exclude colonial lodges , so that they pay nothing . If they were required to pay , this xvould happen : that as the Lodge of Benevolence requires txvo years' payments to have been made to the fund before granting relief , it xvould , in regard to colonial cases , depend very much upon the regularity of their returns , whether evidence as to txvo years' payments could be obtained . As
regards the state of the Fund he would say that in 1873 it amounted to £ 25 , ooo . In 1874 the receipts xvere £ 5449 , and the expenditure £ 4133 . In 1875 , receipts £ 5953 , expenditure £ 403 6 . In 1876 , receipts £ 6496 , expenditure £ 5203 . In 1877 , receipts £ 5725 , expenditure £ 5849- 1 " 1878 , receipts £ 7913 , expenditure £ 4934- In 1879 , receipts jfc'Si 17 , expenditure ^ 7606 . So that up to that time the receipts had annually exceeded the payments
and the savings had raised the fund , £ 25 . , to £ 45 , 000 . In 1880 a change occurs , receipts . £ 8470 , expenditure £ 9307 ; and in 1881 , receipts , £ 8161 ; expenditure £ 9915 . This was a state of things that he hoped Grand Lodge would agree with him in saying ought not to go on ; by spending their capital they were parting with their provision for old age . What must be the ultimate consequence if that £ 45 , 000 disappears ? Why , the
expenditure must come down , to the great distress of many people . As regards the complaints that the money was distributed improperly , he did not remember any one grant that was given improperly j he believed very much more good was done by the large grants . If £ 50 xvas given it went to pay a few debts , and there was no permanent benefit ; but if you gave ; £ ioo , or £ 150 , it might be of vast service to the