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Article THE RIGHTS OF VISITING BRETHREN. Page 1 of 1 Article THE RIGHTS OF VISITING BRETHREN. Page 1 of 1 Article WEEKLY SUMMARY. Page 1 of 2 Article WEEKLY SUMMARY. Page 1 of 2 →
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The Rights Of Visiting Brethren.
THE RIGHTS OF VISITING BRETHREN .
The question involved in this discussion is undoubtedly a very large one indeed , and a very important one for the Craft at large , but , the matter can hardly be disposed of in the
offhand way propounded by Bro . Thomas Stratford in our impression before last . We observe , that he signs himself R . W . M . of Lodge of Glasgow Melrose St . John ' s & c , but
we find that he has been expelled from Lodge Glasgow , 441 . The question , however , is not one of sentiment , but simply of constitutional law , and has
necessarily to be treated and decided in a dispassionate spirit , and according to Masonic precedent alone . It is now quite clear , we think , tha :, the view we recently submitted to our readers in the pages of
The Freemason , as regards the stringent regulation of the English Book of Constitutions on the subject , is the only correct view . It may not be a popular view , and the practical working of the
law may be somewhat difficult in days when lodges are many , and visitors are as abounding , but we can quite see that at times such a law will be a great help and safeguard to many a
lodge . Indeed , much may be said in support of the position laid down so clearly in our English Book of Constitutions . For instance
in the new edition of the " Masonic Jurisprudence , " by our late learned Bro . Dr . Oliver , which has been republished quite recently , with a preface by Bro . Walter Spencer , the
subject is so lucidly handled , and the law on the subject is so clearly set forth , that we prefer to quote the words of our learned and lamented brother to any which we could ourselves
employ . At page 113 , sec . 11 r , he thus deals with the laws relating to visiting brethren : — " The laws respecting visitors are rather stringent in their
operation , and it is frequently found expedient to relax from their severity , for no visitor can be admitted into a lodge , unless he be personall y known , recommended , or well vouched for , after
due examination by one of the brethren present . " At page 115 , Brother Dr . Oliver says , "No visitor can be admitted unless he be known , or vouched for b y some member of the Lodge , or
if he be a perfect stranger , produce his Grand Lodge certificate , and submit to the usual examination , of which no specific form has been prescribed , as it is commonly left to the discretion
of the proper officers . " Dr . Oliver therefore leans evidently to the view , that , the vouching " by one of the present
brethren , spoken of in the Book of Constitutions , is covered by the voucher of the examining brother , be he who he may .
If we do not so understand the law , it would require a particular voucher in addition to a general examination , which in some cases , would prevent a visiting brother obtaining admittance at all .
In the famous and recent Middlesex Lodge case , the W . M . ought , it appears to us , to have said to Bro . Biggs , " I cannot allow you to
remain in the lodge , as you are not personally known to me or any of the brethren present , until you have submitted to a proper examination , and produced your Grand Lodge certificate . " But
The Rights Of Visiting Brethren.
the W . M ., it seems , preferred lo accept the " ¦ voucher " of a brother of the lodge , no doubt reading the law as requiring that , as well as an examination , or in fact dispensing with the
examination . Dr . Oliver , at page 1 * 7 , mentions the " declaration of a late Grand Master" whose name
he does not give , " that a Mason s Lodge is a Mason ' s Church , and that no qualified brethren could be legally refused admittance under any circumstances . "
And the Doctor goes on to say , " there will be no difficulty in the admission of a visitor , provided he has a friend or acquaintance in the lodge who will vouch for him : but many brethren who are
desinous of visiting are strangers and sojoumerSj without either friends or acquaintances amongst the members to become their vouchers in which case they may still be admitted by " certificate , " and " examination . "
The Doctor goes on to suggest , in a case of necessity , a special declaration to be made by the visitor , much used in America , and sometimes used in Ireland , yet hardly ever practised in this
country . It appears , that at a quarterly communication in 1819 , a report was made by the Board of General Purposes ., to the effect , that a complaint
had been peiferred against a London lodge for having refused admission to some brethren , well known to them , on the plea , that , as the lodge was about to begin work , no visitors could
be admitted till the ceremony was over . The Board therefore decided that it is the undoubted right of every Mason " who is well known or properly vouched " to visit any lodge
during the time it is open for general business , observing the proper forms to be attended to on such occasions , so that the Master be not interrupted in the performance of his duty . "
This decision appears to settle the question , generally , and il it be the correct interpretation of the law , that the voucher of the summoning brother or brethren is the voucher alluded to by
the Book of Constitutions , the difficulty is at once got over , and that law may be most surely upheld , as a wise and salutary provision for the true interests and orderly work of all English lodges .
Weekly Summary.
WEEKLY SUMMARY .
Her Majesty continues at Osborne . Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales , are , we believe , soon starting homewards , and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh are expected at Gravesend , March 7 th . A very hearty and loyal reception awaits them in this
good old country of ours . The Dean of Westminster ' s allusion to the marriage of Vladamir Monomachus with the daughter of our King Harold , has brought out another interesting correspondence which passed between Ivan the Terrible , and our " good
Qtieen Bess , who declined the offer of his hand and heart , but sent him a silver ship , which appeared at the recent festivities at Moscow , in honour of the newly-married and august couple . The elections are now complete , and the result is a House of Commons of 653 members , including a double return for Athlone , in which
35 * 1 members may be reckoned as Conservatives and 302 , including the Home Rulers , as Liberals . The full number of thc House is wanting by six members , as the six seats for the disfranchised boroughs—Beverley , Bridgewater , Sligo , and Cashel—have never yet been redistributed . Out of the 653 members returned , 187 obtained
Weekly Summary.
their seats unopposed , so that there were 266 contested elections—that is to say , not seats contested , but members who had to fi ght for their seats , against about 360 competitors who were unsuccessful . The aggregate number of votes polled throughout the United Kingdom was
2 , 485 , 183 , of which the unsuccessful candidates received 8 97 , 836 , and the House of Commons , therefore , as it stands at present , has been elected ° y > 593 > 347 votes . This shows an increase of about a quarter of a million on the polling in 1868 . _ An enumeration of the votes polled of
course gives no idea of the number of electors who exercised the franchise . It would be impossible to get at this , or the numbers who actually voted on each side , without an elaborate analysis of the polls , and a comparison of " plumpers , " " straight splits , " " cross splits , "
and other complications for which the materials at present are not forthcoming . According to a Parliamentary return published in February , 1873 , the number of registered electors in the United Kingdom was 2 , 645 , 5154—2 , 157 , 295 in England and Wales * 262 , 768 in Scotland :
and 225 , 511 in Ireland . The aggregate polls in England and Wales were . 2 , 053 , 511 in Scotland , 212 , 330- and in Ireland , ' 219 , 343 . So that , taking into account the uncontested seats—¦ viz ., 147 in Engknd , 14 in Scotland , and 20 in Ireland—there must have been large numbers
who abstained from voting in all the three kingdoms . The 346 members who had to stand a contest in England and Wales received 1 , 306 , 405 votes , of which 718 , 545 were given to 188 Conservative members , and 587 , 880 to 158 Liberal members . In Scotland there were 36 contests , and
in which 24 Liberals polled 102 , 160 votes , as against 30 , 218 polled by 12 Conservatives ; and in Ireland , where 83 seats were fought , 83 , 970 votes were given to 50 Liberal candidates , and 54 , 696 to 33 Conservatives . The Castro trial is not concluded . The Lord
Chief Justice continues his summing-up , dedie in diem , and will . probably close this week . We withhold all comments on this most extraordinary case until next week , when we shall have before us , let us hope , the verdict of the patient jury .
A very great disaster has fallen , upon many persons , in the destruction of the well-known Pantechnicon by fire , a disaster , which to Sir R . Wallace , as regards his treasures of art , must be irreparable . As usual there was a difficultv in
procuring water . Surely somebody must be in fault for such defective arrangements ? Beyond this there seems but little of novelty to notice or record , except this most unpalatable fact , that , the Roman Catholics of England contrary to their wont , are imitating
the folly and recklessness , and perversity of some of their ecclesiastics in foreign countries . The refusal of a military Roman Catholic Chaplain ( R . W . Cuffe , is the gentleman ' s name ) to bury a Roman Catholic soldier , because he was a Freemason , is not only a very irregular step
in itself , but very unwise in the interests of Roman Catholicism in the army . English Roman Catholic Soldiers are not likely to regard with approval the disrespect shown to a good comrade on such childish grounds , and Mr . Cuffe ' s letter to the Times , is a piece of unmitigated " cheek , "
to say nothing stronger . That such an excuse is likely to be " satisfactory , " as he says , to the military authorities , we doubt very much , and though we know The Papal " Allocutions , " and " Pastoral Letters" on the subject , we cannot find that , they
support Mr . Cuffe ' s wonderful declaration that a Roman Catholic Ficimason ceases to be a Roman Catholic . It has always been asserted , that in his young days , the present excellent Pope Pius IX ., was a member of " Giovene Italia , " and a Freemason . If so , according to
the doctrine of the Rev . Mr . Cuffe , he ceased to be a Roman Catholic . Some years ago , high Roman Catholic ecclesiastics were members of our Order . What was their condition ? In short , Mr . Cuffe ' s position is equall y unsound and untenable .
Up to Saturday evening the public subscription now being raised at the Mansion-house , under the immediate auspices ^ f the Lord Mayor and a committee of gentlemen in the City , in anticipation and towards the relief of those suffering
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Rights Of Visiting Brethren.
THE RIGHTS OF VISITING BRETHREN .
The question involved in this discussion is undoubtedly a very large one indeed , and a very important one for the Craft at large , but , the matter can hardly be disposed of in the
offhand way propounded by Bro . Thomas Stratford in our impression before last . We observe , that he signs himself R . W . M . of Lodge of Glasgow Melrose St . John ' s & c , but
we find that he has been expelled from Lodge Glasgow , 441 . The question , however , is not one of sentiment , but simply of constitutional law , and has
necessarily to be treated and decided in a dispassionate spirit , and according to Masonic precedent alone . It is now quite clear , we think , tha :, the view we recently submitted to our readers in the pages of
The Freemason , as regards the stringent regulation of the English Book of Constitutions on the subject , is the only correct view . It may not be a popular view , and the practical working of the
law may be somewhat difficult in days when lodges are many , and visitors are as abounding , but we can quite see that at times such a law will be a great help and safeguard to many a
lodge . Indeed , much may be said in support of the position laid down so clearly in our English Book of Constitutions . For instance
in the new edition of the " Masonic Jurisprudence , " by our late learned Bro . Dr . Oliver , which has been republished quite recently , with a preface by Bro . Walter Spencer , the
subject is so lucidly handled , and the law on the subject is so clearly set forth , that we prefer to quote the words of our learned and lamented brother to any which we could ourselves
employ . At page 113 , sec . 11 r , he thus deals with the laws relating to visiting brethren : — " The laws respecting visitors are rather stringent in their
operation , and it is frequently found expedient to relax from their severity , for no visitor can be admitted into a lodge , unless he be personall y known , recommended , or well vouched for , after
due examination by one of the brethren present . " At page 115 , Brother Dr . Oliver says , "No visitor can be admitted unless he be known , or vouched for b y some member of the Lodge , or
if he be a perfect stranger , produce his Grand Lodge certificate , and submit to the usual examination , of which no specific form has been prescribed , as it is commonly left to the discretion
of the proper officers . " Dr . Oliver therefore leans evidently to the view , that , the vouching " by one of the present
brethren , spoken of in the Book of Constitutions , is covered by the voucher of the examining brother , be he who he may .
If we do not so understand the law , it would require a particular voucher in addition to a general examination , which in some cases , would prevent a visiting brother obtaining admittance at all .
In the famous and recent Middlesex Lodge case , the W . M . ought , it appears to us , to have said to Bro . Biggs , " I cannot allow you to
remain in the lodge , as you are not personally known to me or any of the brethren present , until you have submitted to a proper examination , and produced your Grand Lodge certificate . " But
The Rights Of Visiting Brethren.
the W . M ., it seems , preferred lo accept the " ¦ voucher " of a brother of the lodge , no doubt reading the law as requiring that , as well as an examination , or in fact dispensing with the
examination . Dr . Oliver , at page 1 * 7 , mentions the " declaration of a late Grand Master" whose name
he does not give , " that a Mason s Lodge is a Mason ' s Church , and that no qualified brethren could be legally refused admittance under any circumstances . "
And the Doctor goes on to say , " there will be no difficulty in the admission of a visitor , provided he has a friend or acquaintance in the lodge who will vouch for him : but many brethren who are
desinous of visiting are strangers and sojoumerSj without either friends or acquaintances amongst the members to become their vouchers in which case they may still be admitted by " certificate , " and " examination . "
The Doctor goes on to suggest , in a case of necessity , a special declaration to be made by the visitor , much used in America , and sometimes used in Ireland , yet hardly ever practised in this
country . It appears , that at a quarterly communication in 1819 , a report was made by the Board of General Purposes ., to the effect , that a complaint
had been peiferred against a London lodge for having refused admission to some brethren , well known to them , on the plea , that , as the lodge was about to begin work , no visitors could
be admitted till the ceremony was over . The Board therefore decided that it is the undoubted right of every Mason " who is well known or properly vouched " to visit any lodge
during the time it is open for general business , observing the proper forms to be attended to on such occasions , so that the Master be not interrupted in the performance of his duty . "
This decision appears to settle the question , generally , and il it be the correct interpretation of the law , that the voucher of the summoning brother or brethren is the voucher alluded to by
the Book of Constitutions , the difficulty is at once got over , and that law may be most surely upheld , as a wise and salutary provision for the true interests and orderly work of all English lodges .
Weekly Summary.
WEEKLY SUMMARY .
Her Majesty continues at Osborne . Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales , are , we believe , soon starting homewards , and the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh are expected at Gravesend , March 7 th . A very hearty and loyal reception awaits them in this
good old country of ours . The Dean of Westminster ' s allusion to the marriage of Vladamir Monomachus with the daughter of our King Harold , has brought out another interesting correspondence which passed between Ivan the Terrible , and our " good
Qtieen Bess , who declined the offer of his hand and heart , but sent him a silver ship , which appeared at the recent festivities at Moscow , in honour of the newly-married and august couple . The elections are now complete , and the result is a House of Commons of 653 members , including a double return for Athlone , in which
35 * 1 members may be reckoned as Conservatives and 302 , including the Home Rulers , as Liberals . The full number of thc House is wanting by six members , as the six seats for the disfranchised boroughs—Beverley , Bridgewater , Sligo , and Cashel—have never yet been redistributed . Out of the 653 members returned , 187 obtained
Weekly Summary.
their seats unopposed , so that there were 266 contested elections—that is to say , not seats contested , but members who had to fi ght for their seats , against about 360 competitors who were unsuccessful . The aggregate number of votes polled throughout the United Kingdom was
2 , 485 , 183 , of which the unsuccessful candidates received 8 97 , 836 , and the House of Commons , therefore , as it stands at present , has been elected ° y > 593 > 347 votes . This shows an increase of about a quarter of a million on the polling in 1868 . _ An enumeration of the votes polled of
course gives no idea of the number of electors who exercised the franchise . It would be impossible to get at this , or the numbers who actually voted on each side , without an elaborate analysis of the polls , and a comparison of " plumpers , " " straight splits , " " cross splits , "
and other complications for which the materials at present are not forthcoming . According to a Parliamentary return published in February , 1873 , the number of registered electors in the United Kingdom was 2 , 645 , 5154—2 , 157 , 295 in England and Wales * 262 , 768 in Scotland :
and 225 , 511 in Ireland . The aggregate polls in England and Wales were . 2 , 053 , 511 in Scotland , 212 , 330- and in Ireland , ' 219 , 343 . So that , taking into account the uncontested seats—¦ viz ., 147 in Engknd , 14 in Scotland , and 20 in Ireland—there must have been large numbers
who abstained from voting in all the three kingdoms . The 346 members who had to stand a contest in England and Wales received 1 , 306 , 405 votes , of which 718 , 545 were given to 188 Conservative members , and 587 , 880 to 158 Liberal members . In Scotland there were 36 contests , and
in which 24 Liberals polled 102 , 160 votes , as against 30 , 218 polled by 12 Conservatives ; and in Ireland , where 83 seats were fought , 83 , 970 votes were given to 50 Liberal candidates , and 54 , 696 to 33 Conservatives . The Castro trial is not concluded . The Lord
Chief Justice continues his summing-up , dedie in diem , and will . probably close this week . We withhold all comments on this most extraordinary case until next week , when we shall have before us , let us hope , the verdict of the patient jury .
A very great disaster has fallen , upon many persons , in the destruction of the well-known Pantechnicon by fire , a disaster , which to Sir R . Wallace , as regards his treasures of art , must be irreparable . As usual there was a difficultv in
procuring water . Surely somebody must be in fault for such defective arrangements ? Beyond this there seems but little of novelty to notice or record , except this most unpalatable fact , that , the Roman Catholics of England contrary to their wont , are imitating
the folly and recklessness , and perversity of some of their ecclesiastics in foreign countries . The refusal of a military Roman Catholic Chaplain ( R . W . Cuffe , is the gentleman ' s name ) to bury a Roman Catholic soldier , because he was a Freemason , is not only a very irregular step
in itself , but very unwise in the interests of Roman Catholicism in the army . English Roman Catholic Soldiers are not likely to regard with approval the disrespect shown to a good comrade on such childish grounds , and Mr . Cuffe ' s letter to the Times , is a piece of unmitigated " cheek , "
to say nothing stronger . That such an excuse is likely to be " satisfactory , " as he says , to the military authorities , we doubt very much , and though we know The Papal " Allocutions , " and " Pastoral Letters" on the subject , we cannot find that , they
support Mr . Cuffe ' s wonderful declaration that a Roman Catholic Ficimason ceases to be a Roman Catholic . It has always been asserted , that in his young days , the present excellent Pope Pius IX ., was a member of " Giovene Italia , " and a Freemason . If so , according to
the doctrine of the Rev . Mr . Cuffe , he ceased to be a Roman Catholic . Some years ago , high Roman Catholic ecclesiastics were members of our Order . What was their condition ? In short , Mr . Cuffe ' s position is equall y unsound and untenable .
Up to Saturday evening the public subscription now being raised at the Mansion-house , under the immediate auspices ^ f the Lord Mayor and a committee of gentlemen in the City , in anticipation and towards the relief of those suffering