Proxy Commissions To The Grand Lodge Of Scotland Must Bear An Adhesive Stamp.

PROXY COMMISSIONS to the GRAND LODGE of SCOTLAND MUST BEAR an ADHESIVE STAMP .

BY A PAST MASTER . Some discussion has arisen on the question whether or not it is requisite that Proxy Commissions ' to the Grand Lodge of Scotland should bear an adhesive stamp . The question is one of law , to be settled by reference to Acts of

Parliament . It will not be disputed that it is the duty of Freemasons to obey the law of the land on this as on every other point , alid the Grand Lodge of Scotland may certainly be expected to set a good example in this respect . The first duty of every Freemason , according to

the oath which he takes at the very threshold of the Order on his entrance into it , is to be " a peaceable subject , " and " cheerfully to conform to all the laws of the land . " Deviation from the law , or wilful disregard of it in any particular , is a violation of the obligation under which

every brother has placed himself by his oath , and it would be a disgraceful and lamentable thing if in the Grand Lodge of Scotland disregard were shown of the law by the receiving of unstamped Proxy Commissions , if the law really requires that they should bear a stamp . To determine this point , we must refer to two

Acts of Parliament , 27 Vict ., chap . 18 , and 33 and 34 Vict ., chap . 97 . In the first of these , Schedule C , we find the following clauses , declaring what kind of commissions and other papers conveying authority to any person to act or vote on behalf of another party must bear an adhesive stamp , and what the value of the stamp must be : —

Letter or power ofAttorney , Commission , Factory , Mandate , or other Instrument in the nature thereof for the sole purpose of appointing , nominating , or authorising any person to vote as a Proxy or otherwise at one Meeting of the Proprietors or Shareholders of any Joint Stock or other Company ,

or of the members of any Society or Institution , or of the Contributors to the Funds thereof or at one Meeting of any Body exercising a public Trust in the United Kingdom , or to vote at one Parish Meeting of Heritors or Proprietors ] of Real

or Heritable Property in Scotland—one penny . Voting Paper ( that is to say ) : Any Instrument for the purpose of voting by any Person entitled to vote at any such Meeting , as aforesaid , in any part of the United Kingdom—one penny .

Tlie following clauses of the Act 33 and 34 Vict ., chap . 97 , section 102 , bear also on this subject : — ( 1 ) Every letter or power of Attorney , for the purpose of appointing a Proxy to vote at a Meeting , and every voting paper hereby respectively charged

with the duty of one penny is to specify the day upon which the Meeting at which it is intended to be used is to be held , and is to be available only at the meeting so specified , or any adjournment thereof . ( 2 ) The said duty of one penny may be denoted

by an adhesive stamp , which is to be cancelled by the person by whom the instrument is executed . ( 3 ) Every person who makes-or executes , or votes or attempts to vote under or by means of any such letter or power of attorney or voting paper , not being duly stamped , shall forfeit the sum of fifty pounds .

( 4 ) Every vote given or tendered under the authority or by means of any such letter or power of attorney or voting paper , not being duly stamped , shall be absolutely null and void . ( 5 ) And no such letter or power of attorney or voting paper shall on any pretence whatever be stamped after the execution thereof by any person .

The language of both these Acts of Parliament seems to be sufficiently clear , and the conclusion irresistible , that every Proxy Commission to the Grand Lodge of Scotland must bear an adhesive stamp of the value of one penny , and that to present or use an unstamped Proxy Commission would render the brother

doing so liable to to the penalty of fifty pounds . To remove all possibility of doubt on this subject , however , a brother who is desirous not only always to obey the law of the land himself , but to secure to the utmost of his power safety on the part of his brethren , caused the following letter to be sent to the Chancellor of the Exchequer : —

Proxy Commissions To The Grand Lodge Of Scotland Must Bear An Adhesive Stamp.

[ COPY ] . To the Right Honourable Robert Lowe , Chancellor of the Exchequer , Downing-street , London . 20 th January , 1871 . Sir , —We shall be obliged if you will inform

us whether section 102 of the Stamp Duties' Act of last year applies to votes by proxy at Masonic meetings ? We have little doubt ourselves that it does , but have been requested by the Right Worshipful Master of one of the Lodges to write to you before acting on our own opinion .

We have the honour to be , Sir , Your most obedient servants , ( Signed ) SMILLIE & KEITH . To this letter the following reply was received from the Secretary to the Board of Excise , to the chairman of which Mr . Lowe had sent it : —

[ COPY . ] Somerset House , 26 th January , 1871 . Gentlemen , —The Chancellor of the Exchequer having forwarded your letter of the 20 th inst . to the Chairman of this Board , I am desired to acquaint you that the 102 nd section of the Stamp Act , 1870 , is applicable to Letters of Attorney for the purpose of appointing proxies to vote at a Masonic meeting .

I am , Gentlemen , your obedient servant , ( Signed ) WALTER C . GRIFFITHS . Messrs . Smillie and Keith . The Act of Parliament 33 and 34 Victoria , chap . 97 , "The Stamp Duties Act , " was passed in 1870 , and came into force at the 1 st of

January , 18 71 . It seems evident , indeed , from the Act 27 Vic , chap . 18 , that Proxy Commissions to the Grand Lodge of Scotland ought to have borne a stamp in years that are past , as it requires every commission or other instrument to bear a stamp , which authorizes any person to

vote as a proxy at a meeting of " the members of any society or institution . " On this , however , it is not necessary to insist . The transgression of the law , if it was transgressed , was certainly not intentional , but took place through inadvertence . This can no longer be the case , as no

brother , however learned he may pretend to be , can venture to dispute the import of the words above quoted , and it concerns the honour of the Masonic Institution that the law shall henceforth be obeyed . It will be observed that the Act of 1870

expressly declares every vote given or tendered under the authority of a commission not duly stamped , to be absolutely null and void . It will be observed also that , according to the Act , a Proxy Commission can be used only at one meeting , or an adjournment of it , and must

specify the date of the meeting at which it is to be used . Words cannot be plainer than the words of this Act on these points ; and such being the law of the land , obligatory on every subject of our gracious Queen , whatever position he may occupy , it behoves Freemasons to

comply with it , and the proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Scotland must be regulated accordingly . There are many brethren who expect that this will be done , and any attempt to use an unstamped proxy commission , or one not specifying the date of the particular meeting at which

the brother who has it presented is to take his place as a member of the Grand Lodge , will certainly be protested against . If , unhappily , the Grand Lodge should decide to receive such Proxy Commissions , very serious consequences may be expected to arise . Let us hope that ,

at next meeting of the Grand Lodge of Scotland the upholders of the law will prevail , and that all danger may thus be averted . We cannot but regard witli great satisfaction that clause of the Stamp Duties' Act of last year , which makes it necessary that every Proxy

Commission shall specify the date of the meeting at which it is to be used , and makes it available for use at that meeting only , or at an adjournment of it . The Grand Lodge of Scotland will no longer reckon among its members brethren holding Proxy Commissions for a long period , and lodges throughout the country will probably

be induced to take a greater interest in its proceedings , when the question of granting a new Proxy Commission comes frequently before them ; so that they will really be better represented , for the holders of these commissions have hitherto rather acted for themseves than for the lodges on whose behalf they appeared in the

Proxy Commissions To The Grand Lodge Of Scotland Must Bear An Adhesive Stamp.

Grand Lodge . The sentiments of Masons in general throughout the country will thus , it is to be hoped , be more fully expressed in the Grands Lodge than heretofore , and have greater influence

in its proceedings . It would be still better that Proxy Commissions should be abolished altogether . The Grand Lodge of England does not receive them , and there is no good reason why the Grand Lodge of Scotland should do so .

" The Relation Of St. John The Evangelist To Freemasonry.''

" THE RELATION of St . JOHN THE EVANGELIST to FREEMASONRY . ''

( A REPLY AND FURTHER REVIEW . ) By Bro . SAMUEL EVANS , Boston , U . S . Bro . Chalmers I . Paton , in THE FREEMASON of January 28 , has furnished the first instalment

of an " Answer " to my criticism , which appeared in that journal for December 10 , of his paper on " The Relation of St . John the Evangelist to Freemasonry , " which saw light in THE FREEMASON for October 29 .

In reference to Bro . Paton ' s first paper I wrote : " I find myself unable to discover anything in the whole four columns that is new or true on the relationship of the Evangelist to Freemasonry . " I will now add that throughout

the entire length of the nearly two columns of such part of his " answer " as has yet reached me , there is not a single sentence , or even word , of light upon the relationship of the Evangelist to Freemasonry , unless it may be where Bro .

Paton says : " But the question remains as to the existence of connection between any ' saint * and the Masonic Body during his life upon the earth ; and if such connection could be shown to have existed , an important relation must be

deemed still to exist . " Here we have not only a hint of Bro . Paton ' s idea of " saint ' s patronage " — namely , of the perpetuation of an influence through the memories which other individuals may have of them—but we have also

an " if , " thus , " // such connection could be shown to have existed . " Now , in the original paper of Bro . Paton , he asserted that " such connection " did exist , and he asserted that it was " related by ancient and

eminent Masonic authority , " and so-forth . Why is this "if" now introduced ? I had previously challenged Bro . Paton to name that " ancient " authority , that " eminent" authority , that "Masonic" authority . And it would also be

required of him to prove , not only the antiquity ( in the general sense , not the Masonic ) , but also the eminence and reliability of that authority , and of the reliability of the source or sources whence that authority obtained the information which

he " related . " What is wanted are the facts of the case—such facts , I must say , are extremely slow in coming . Bro . Paton has distinctly asserted that he has ancient and eminent authority which " related " thus and so . I deny that he

has any such authority . If he has , let him out with it , and at once overwhelm me with shame at having presumed to doubt the simple asser tion of Bro . Paton . Why not make short work of me in the way I suggest ? But , perhaps , he

would prefer to play with me , as the expert fisherman does with the trout , and then , when he himself is tired of playing , skilfully draw me to the landing and his net . Were he merely a member of the literati , this might be supposed ,

but as he disclaimed "literary relationship , which I had innocently attached to him , but is simply an archaeologist , " etc ., etc ., " my wonder is great that he does not , more in accordance with the sober and severe rules of archaeology ,

treat the readers of THE FREEMASON to the simple facts . Those facts once adduced would settle all disputes concerning " the relation of St . John the Evangelist to Freemasonry . " Let him remember , too , that time is short , and should therefore be treated as of some value .

According to Bro . Paton , " there are many St . Johns in the Roman Calendar ; no fewer than thirty are noticed . " Now , if any other brother or brothers should be disposed to follow the example of Bro . Paton , by sending papers to THE FREEMASON to try to establish the relation of those thirty St . Johns to Freemasonry , it