Thomas Harper.

be forwarded to his Grace the Duke of Atholl , and " his sentiments thereon respectfully requested , " and also that one should be forwarded to the Earl of Moira , Acting Grand Master of the " Moderns , " accompanied by " a declaration of our readiness to concur in such measures as mav seem to conduce to that most

desirable end . ' At fhe meeting on 28 th February following lire letters to thc Duke of Atholl and thc Earl of Moira were read and approved , and a vote of thanks was unanimously passed to the Dep . G . Mastcr " for his able , upright , and impartial conduct in the Chair of the Committee , that if be inscribed in the minutes

of the Committee and reported accordingly to the Grand Lodge . " At the meeting of Grand Lodge on the 7 th March , the resolution of the Committee re a Masonic Union , was adopted with such verbal changes as were necessary , and so , also was the letter to the Earl of Moira , but with some slight

modification . On the ioth April the Committee held a further meeting , at which the reply of thc Earl of Moira was read , in which his lordship announced to Bro . Harper that the Grand Lodge (" Moderns" ) had met at Freemasons' Hall , on the nth of the month , and had "Resolved Unanimously . That this Grand

Lodge meets wilh unfeigned cordiality thc Desire enpressed by the Grand Lodge under His Grace the Duke of Atholl for a reunion . " The Deputy further reported that lre had had several interviews with the Duke of Atholl ou the subject . The Committee thereupon adopted the following series of resolutions , namely :

Ist . —As the Grand Lodges of the United Kingdom , viz ., 'I he Grand Lodge of England under the Most Noble the Duke of Atholl , the Grand Lodge of Scotland , and the Grand Lodge of Ireland are all bound by the same Obligations and all work by uniform rules , it is necessary to be

informed whether the Grand Lodge under His Royl Highness the Prince of Wales , in order to accomplish the object of a perfect Union will consent to take the Obligation under which the other three Grand Lodges are bound , and that they will consent to work in the same forms .

, . 2 nd . —As it is considered essential to the preservation of the true and Ancient Land Marks that the Grand Lodge shall be a perfect representation of the Lodges , and that to this end It shall be comprised of the Present and Past Grand Oliicers , Masters and Wardens of each Lodge , together with the Past Masters of all Lodge ? , is it understood that the Grand Lodge

under His Royl Highness the Prince of Wales will agree that upon the Union the Grand Lodge of England shall in all times to come ba composed of the present and Past Grand Oflicers , Masters , Wardens , and Past Masters of the regular Warranted Lodges under the two Constitutions ,

the Lodges to sit under their respective banners according to seniority of number , every brother present to have the right to speak and vote , and that the Grand Lodge shall be convened and held on a given day in each quarter for Communication with the Craft , besides the Anniversary Meetings of St . John the Evangelist and St . John the Baptist ?

3 rd . — It is also understood to be essential that the Masonic Benevolence shall be distributed by a Lodge specially summoned for that purpose , consisting of a Deputation from thc resident Lodges in rotation . The foregoing resolutions were submitted to a Grand Lodge of Emergency , which was held on the ist May , and al which the

Duke of Atholl , k . W . Grand Master , presided in person , with the result that they were unanimously adopted as the conditions upon whicli the "Ancient" ( Jrand Lodge was prepared to enter into negotiations for a Union with the other Society , but that they should , in the first instance , be submitted to the

consideration of the Grand Lodges of Scotland and Ireland for tlieir opinion upon the same , and that a Committee , to consist of the Present and Past ( irand Officers , with Bros . Dewsnap , Cranilekl , McCann , Herron , and Ronalds , be appointed to transmit them to the bodies , and also an intimation to ' the Earl of Moira

to the effect lhat they had received the resolution of the ( Jrand Lodge under his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales , and had taken "the necessary preparatory steps thereon" Before separating . Grand Lodge passed a resolution of thanks lo the Duke of Atholl , not only for his attendance on the occasion , but also " for his steady attachment to the best Interest of this

Right Worshipful Grand Lodge , and for his Grace s firm and determined resolution strictl y to adhere to and preserve the Ancient Land Marks of the Order and the immunities of the Grand Lodge . " That the " Ancients , " while ready enough lo negotiate for a

Union , if possible , with their " Moderns , " were , al lhe same time , determined to abide by the Old Institutions on which their Grand Lodge had , from the \ -e-ry outset of its career , been based , will be manifest to everyone who carefull } - studies tlieir records . Not only is this made clear by the language in which

their consent to enter into negotiations is expressed , and also by lli . it employed in their resolution ol thanks to the Duke of . Atholl , but in the coveringletters , in which copies of their three resolutions were forwarded to the ( irand Lodges of Scotland and Ireland , the same determination is likewise apparent . They are therein

spoken of as " wilh concurrence lo be the basis of negotiation , " and the Grand Lodges of Scotland and Ireland are invited both " lo consider and signify their opinion thereon , " and—in the event , I presume , of such opinion being favourable—to authorise any of their Present or Past ( . irand Oflicers at the time in London , or who might be specially nominated , " to co-operate

Thomas Harper.

with the Grand Officer ' s of England in the further progress and final settlement of this important work . " Again , at the regular meeting of Grand Lodge on Gth June , it was resolved that the

said Resolutions " should be submitted to the Committee appointed by the Grand Lodge under His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales as an indispensable preliminary to any negotiation for an Union of the two Societies . " At the meetino- of

the Grand Lodge Committee , on thc 5 th July , the replies from Scotland and Ireland , which in the meantime had been received , were submitted . As may be expected , both communications were couched in thc most guarded language . In their answering resolutions both Grand Lodges expressed thc sincere pleasure

with which they had heard of the contemplated Union , and while thai of Ireland authorised those of its G . Oliicers then in London to assist in the negotiations , that of Scotland specially nominated the Hon . William Maule of Panmure , M . P ., the Earl of Rosslyn , and the Earl of Moira , to do so either singly or

collectively . I he Irish resolution came nearest to thc point of approval in declaring that the ) - ( the aforesaid three resolutions ) " ought to form the basis upon which the re-Union of the two Grand Lodges should be founded , " but Ihey were careful to qualify this assent by restricting its application to tbe " general

principles " upon which the Union should be based . leaving it to the "Grand Oflicers of thc respective Grand Lodges" to arrange the details . On hearing thc communications from the ( Jrand Lodges of Scotland and Ireland read , the Committee forthwith resolved that the Resolutions should be sent to the Earl of Moira under cover of the following letter :

Grand Lodge of Ancient Masons , Crown and Anchor Tavern , 5 th July , 1810 . My Lord , I have the Honor to inform your Lordship that the Committee appointed to consider of the propriety and practicability of accomplishing

a Masonic Union with the Society of Masons under His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales are now prepared to meet your Lordship and the other members of your Committee . They think it , at the same time , their duty to apprise your lordship that they have received three Resolutions passed unanimously by the Grand Lodge , with directions to submit them to your

Committee , as preliminary to the proposed negotiations , and which for your Lordship's information and that of your Committee they transmit to you before our meeting . It is that your Committee may have time to take these resolutions into consideration that we beg leave to refer to your

Lordship to appoint a day and middle place for the meeting of the two Committees . —I have , & c , ( Signed ) THOMAS HARI ' . To the Right HonWe . the Earl of Moira .

The answer lo this took the form of an invitation to the members of the "Ancient" Committee lo dine at Freemasons ' Tavern , at 5 p . m ., on the 31 st July , "for the purpose of conferring on the subject of the said Letter and Resolutions . " This , as the minutes record , was " not the Answer this

Committee expected , ' but being sincerely desirous to " expedite the business and meet their Committee , " it was arranged that they should go to Freemasons' Tavern at 3 p . m ., and having discussed the matter , then proceed lo dinner wilh such appetites as the discussion may have provided for the occasion .

However , the meeting fell through , owing to lhc unavoidable absence of Lord Moira and other members of his Committee , and it is not till the ( Jrand Lodge Committee met , on the 9 th February , 1811 , that we learn what answer was furnished tothe "Ancient " resolutions by Lord Moira ' s Committee . However , it forms no

part of my intention in writing Ibis sketch of Bro . Thomas Harper ' s Masonic career lo introduce into il a History of the Union of the two Societies . But il will , perhaps , serve lo illustrate the trying nature of the task which devolved upon Bro . Harper as the acting G . Master of the " Ancients" both towards

his superior ollicer , the Duke of Atholl , andthe Grand Lod <> e over which he ( Bro . Harper ) so generally presided , and whose counsels , therefore , he so greatly influenced , if 1 quote in full a letter from the Duke lo his Deputy . 'Ihe belief has very generally prevailed lhat his Grace was opposed to the Union , and that the differences between the two Societies were , in fhe

nature of mailers of form rather than matters of principle . This letter makes it clear that the Duke was sincerely anxious for a Union of the two Grand Lodges , provided thai such Union could be effected with a due regard to the preservation inviolate ol the principles of " Ancient" Masonry . The letter reads as follows :

R . W . Deputy Grand Mailer of Ancient Masons . Dunkeld , Febry . j 51 . l 1 , 1 S 11 . I only received yours of the u-. h communicating the information that a Conference between the Grand Lodge of Alisons under His Roy 1

Highness the Prince of Wales and that of the Grand Lodge over which I have the Honor to preside , has , in consequence of a letter from the Grand Secretary , been resumed , and the meeting took place , which I am very sorry to learn Lord Moira was prevented from attending on account of business .

It appears by your letter that at that meeting the Resolutions of our Grand Lodge on the ist May last ( made preliminary for further discu . sion ) have been in a considerable degree acceded to , whether sufficiently so as to enable us to proceed with minor objects will be for the Grand Lodge to judge of at their next Quarterly meeting .