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Article Untitled ← Page 2 of 2 Article Untitled Page 2 of 2 Article PROVINCIAL GRAND CHAPTER OF OXFORDSHIRE. Page 1 of 1 Article PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF SHROPSHIRE. Page 1 of 2 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
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authorities . We shall , of course , be very glad lo learn from Bro . DRUMMOND that our surmise is incorrect , and that he does not consider our English Masonic laxv affords any justification xvhatever for that most objectionable of all the many innovations upon the laxvs and usages of Masonry
which hax'e found so much favour of late years in the jurisdiction of some of the United States Grand Lodges , —the public installation of ofiicers . But xx'hether xve are right or xvrong in our assumption , the law and usage of Masonry in this country are dead against every kind of publicity as regards both the working of ceremonies and the wearing of Masonic clothing .
* * * IT is xve'l to be cautious about accepting unreservedly statements made by interested persons as to the regu ' ar or occasional prostitution of Freemasonry to political purposes . People are not in the habit of speaking xvell of an institution against xvhich they have conceived a prejudice , and
least of all in a part of the country xvhere party political feeling even at the best of times runs high . There may , of course , be a grain of truth in these allegations against our Fraternity , or they may be truth itself from the beginning to the end . There may be much in them , or there may be nothing ; but , in any case , it is no more than an act of common prudence
to investigate them as far as the circumstances at our disposal will permit , and then the judgment that may be formed xvill have some claim to be respected by an impartial public . Txvo cases of the kind xve refer to have just been brought under our notice . One of them appeared in the Belfast Morning ; News of the 3 rd inst ., in a letter headed " Sectarian Persecution
in the Constabulary , " and signed by "A County Doxvn Constable , " and the other figured txvo days later in the columns of the Northern Whig , of the same toxvn , as an item of current news . The txvo differ materially from each other , the Constable ' s letter in the earlier case , xvhen carefully sifted , presenting only a series of statements xvhich xx'ould certainly strike the
xvriter—who is not a Freemason—as being of a suggestive or suspicious character , but which need have no foundation in fact ; xvhile the news given in the second case is definite , xvith chapter and verse in support of its statement . As regards the former , the circumstances of xvhich , as we have -raid , are almost only of a suggestive and suspicious character , the " County
Down Constable " alleges that the conduct 01 a certain sergeant in the county is " the gossip in every day-room from Belfast to Newry . " This officer , it seems , is a Freemason , and " although this county force abounds xvith men of that Craft striving to grasp its every advantage , he has derived more benefit , and is more secure in his tyrannies , than an \ ' other
policeman in the service . " the charge is , no doubt , a serious one ; but when xve come to examine the evidence on xvhich it is based , xve find absolutely nothing to lay hold of . Thus xve find it alleged against the sergeant in question that , being a Freemason , he" attends the meetings of the Masons ' Lodge , " when he is " accompanied generally by a favourite constable of
the same Order . " There is , nothing remarkable in this , or in the next charge—that he ( the sergeant ) " very often attends the meetings of the local Orange Lodge , and is a conspicuous figure at Orange balls , Orange suppers , " & c . It is clear the man is an Orangeman , as xvell as a Freemason , and that he attends , as he is entitled to attend , the local meetings
of the txvo Fraternities , just as a Conservative attends his local Conservative Club and a Liberal his local Liberal Club . But , says the writer further , " as a natural consequence , Orange rowdies can commit offences xvith safety , xvhile poor Catholics are prosecuted for the most minor offences , and the Bench , composed entirely of Freemasons and Orangemen , not only justify ,
but often commend his actions . " There is much else of the same kind , xvhich the public is invited to believe is part of the •' natural consequence " of a certain sergeant in the Belfast County Police being a Freemason and an Orangeman , and attending the meetings of the local Masons and Orange Lodges . It is added , too , that a constable once had the temerity to
report this superior officer ; that the latter " virtually admitted the Constable ' s statement , " wilh the result that inquiries xvere instituted "from the sergeant himself and a brother Mason , " not a single Catholic constable xvho could have borne out the charge being questioned ; and that the complaining constable was given to understand he xvas " too independent for
one of his grade . " The letter concludes by the xvriter asking " xvhether it xvill be the xvork of Dublin Castle or the Irish Party to stem the iniquity wrought by the legalised boycotting machine known as Freemasonry . " Of course , this is only a repetition of a very old story , and , like its predecessors , the fault lies in the person xvho has compiled it jumping to a
conclusion xvithout any evidence to justify him beyond his oxvn personal opinion . There is nothing to connect the sergeant ' s tyranny , in the event of his having played the tyrant , xvith his Masonry and his Orangeism . Let " A County Down Constable " set forth chapter and verse for his allegation and we shall be in a position to judge of its value .
* * * THE second case as described in the Belfast Northern Whig of the 5 th inst . is of a serious character , and , though we cannot accept unsupported the statements it contains , there is so much of circumstantiality about them lhat it is deiirable , in the interests of Freemasonry , that some inquiry
should be instituted by the Grand Lodge of Ireland . It seems " the regular weekly meeting of Masonic Lodge 414 xvas held in the Masonic Hall , Bushmills , " under the presidency of Bro . W . A . TRAILL , W . M ., on Tuesday , the 3 rd inst . When the appointed business xvas over , " an extempore meeting of the brethren of the lodge , together with a number of brethren of
other lodges in the Bushmills district , was held , when it was unanimously resolved , on the motion of Bro . HILL M'NEILL , seconded by Bro . CAMPBELL , as fo lows to wit : — " That we , the brethren of Lodge 414 , and other brethren ot the Bushmills district , having read with satisfaction the address of Bro . W . A . TRAILL to the electors of North Antrim , do most
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heartily approve of the same , and pledge ourselves to use every exertion for the return of Bro . W . A . TRAILL , W . M . of Lodge 414 , and King-elect of the Royal Arch Chapter , to represent this district in the Imperial Parliament , and that xve do also commend Bro . TRAILL to the support of all brother Masons in the election division . " . We cannot , x \ 'e repeat , accept these
statements xvithout corroborative evidence ; but should it , on lurther inquiry , turn out that the " extempore meeting" xvas held , and the resolution agreed to as described , in that case x \ 'e can have no hesitation in denouncing the conduct of the lodge in question , and their associate brethren from the other lodges of the Bushmills district , as being in direct contravention of both the letter
and the spirit of the Constitutions of Freemasonry , and xvorthy of condign punishment by the Grand Lodge of Ireland . The pre-eminent characteristic of Masonry as heretofore understood in the United Kingdom generally is that it recognises no distinctions of creed , either in religion or politics . It has alxvays been emphatically a non-political body , and in religion
nonsectarian , and xve respect our ancient Society far too highly to think of allowing so flagrant a violation of its fundamental principles to pass uncondemned . We sincerely hope that it will turn out that our Belfast contemporary has been misinformed or has , unintentionally , exaggerated the circumstances ; but if it should prove otherxvise , then xve say some steps
should be taken by the Grand Lodge of Ireland summarily to put a stop to all such proceedings , and make it clearly to be understood that any attempt on the part of brethren or lodges to use our non-political organisation for political purposes xvill be followed by some such punishment as suspension or exclusion , in the one case , and the withdraxval of the xvarrant , in the other .
Provincial Grand Chapter Of Oxfordshire.
PROVINCIAL GRAND CHAPTER OF OXFORDSHIRE .
As a continuation of the supplementary account last xveek of the recent occurrences in this province , we publish the following list of the Provincial Grand Officers appointed by M . E . Comp . the Rev . H . A . Pickard , Prov . Grand Superintendent , after his installation : —
Comp . E . G . Bruton , P . Z . 340 and M . E . Z . 1399 ... Prov . G . H . „ H . O . Wakeman , P . Z . 357 ... ... Prov . G . J . „ E . L . Haxvkins , P . Z . 357 ... ... Prov . G . S . E . „ F . Ryman Hall , P . Z . 340 ... ... Prov . G . S . N .
„ W . XV . Harrison , P . Z . 340 and 357 ... Prov . G . P . S . „ E . Prescott , 1399 ... ... ... Prov . G . ist A . S . „ H . Plumridge , J . 1399 ... ... ... Prov . G . 2 nd A . S . „ W . Emberlin , Treas . 340 ... ... Prow G . Treas . „ T . Lucas , 340 ,,, ... ... Prov . G . Sxvd . B .
„ H . Robbins , 1399 ... ... ... Prov . G . Std . B . „ J . Potts , 340 and 1399 ... ... ... Prov . G . D . C . „ W . R . Boxvden , 340 ... ... ... Prov . G . Org . „ G . Norwood ... ... ... ... Prov . G . Janitor .
Provincial Grand Lodge Of Shropshire.
PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF SHROPSHIRE .
We publish the following list of brethren appointed as officers of the newly-formed Provincial Grand Lodge of Shropshire by R . W . Bro . Sir Offley Wakeman , after his installation by Bro . Col . Shadwell H . Clerke , G . Secretary , as Prov . G . Master .
Bro . Roxvland George Venables ... ... Prov . Dep . G . M . „ E . J . Brookes ... ... ... ... Prox * . G . S . W . „ W . E . Harding ... ... ... Prov . G . J . W . „ Rev . Walter Humphreys ... ... ...- ) „ „ ~ . r > 1 13 -x * i-. V i Prov * G . Chaps . „ Rev . J . B . Meredith ... ... ... J r
„ Joshua P . White ... ... :.. Prov . G . Treas . „ V . C . L . Crump ... ... ... Prov . G . Reg . „ W . H . Spaull ... ... ... Prov . G . Sec . „ John Maclardy ... ... ... Prov . G . S . D . „ W . Lascelles Southwell ... ... ... Prov . G . J . D .
„ Thos . James ... ... ... ... Prov . G . S . of W . „ T . Warren Thompson ... ... ... Prov . G . D . C . „ E . J . Webb ... ... ... ... Prov . G . A . D . C . „ T . C . Royle ... ... ... ... Prov . G . S . B . " ?' ^\ / gf " •"' - - ? . Prov . G . Std Brs . „ G . J . Morgan ... ... ... ... )
„ John Sexvell ... ... ... ... Prov . G . Org . „ R . Braync ... ... ... ... Prov . G . A . Sec . „ Louis E . Wollstein ... ... ... Prov . G . Purst . „ John Machin ... ... ... ... Prov . G . A . Purst . „ John Brockley ... ... ... ~ \
„ Thomas Whitefoot , jun . ... ... ... I „ John Smith ... ... ... ... ' „ . J , .. .,,. „ . ^ Prov . G . Stxvds . „ J . H . Williams ,,. ... ... j „ John Cinders ... ... ... ... J ,, Charles Drew ... ... ... ... J
„ J . B . Hide ... ... ... ... Prov . G . Tyler . Bros . W . Spraggon and John Bodenham xvere appointed as Auditors . The following address of congratulation xvas presented by the brethren
to their Provincial Grand Master : It having pleased the Most Worshipful Grand Master to divide the old province ° » North Wales and Shropshire , xve , the members of the lodges in the new Province of
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
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authorities . We shall , of course , be very glad lo learn from Bro . DRUMMOND that our surmise is incorrect , and that he does not consider our English Masonic laxv affords any justification xvhatever for that most objectionable of all the many innovations upon the laxvs and usages of Masonry
which hax'e found so much favour of late years in the jurisdiction of some of the United States Grand Lodges , —the public installation of ofiicers . But xx'hether xve are right or xvrong in our assumption , the law and usage of Masonry in this country are dead against every kind of publicity as regards both the working of ceremonies and the wearing of Masonic clothing .
* * * IT is xve'l to be cautious about accepting unreservedly statements made by interested persons as to the regu ' ar or occasional prostitution of Freemasonry to political purposes . People are not in the habit of speaking xvell of an institution against xvhich they have conceived a prejudice , and
least of all in a part of the country xvhere party political feeling even at the best of times runs high . There may , of course , be a grain of truth in these allegations against our Fraternity , or they may be truth itself from the beginning to the end . There may be much in them , or there may be nothing ; but , in any case , it is no more than an act of common prudence
to investigate them as far as the circumstances at our disposal will permit , and then the judgment that may be formed xvill have some claim to be respected by an impartial public . Txvo cases of the kind xve refer to have just been brought under our notice . One of them appeared in the Belfast Morning ; News of the 3 rd inst ., in a letter headed " Sectarian Persecution
in the Constabulary , " and signed by "A County Doxvn Constable , " and the other figured txvo days later in the columns of the Northern Whig , of the same toxvn , as an item of current news . The txvo differ materially from each other , the Constable ' s letter in the earlier case , xvhen carefully sifted , presenting only a series of statements xvhich xx'ould certainly strike the
xvriter—who is not a Freemason—as being of a suggestive or suspicious character , but which need have no foundation in fact ; xvhile the news given in the second case is definite , xvith chapter and verse in support of its statement . As regards the former , the circumstances of xvhich , as we have -raid , are almost only of a suggestive and suspicious character , the " County
Down Constable " alleges that the conduct 01 a certain sergeant in the county is " the gossip in every day-room from Belfast to Newry . " This officer , it seems , is a Freemason , and " although this county force abounds xvith men of that Craft striving to grasp its every advantage , he has derived more benefit , and is more secure in his tyrannies , than an \ ' other
policeman in the service . " the charge is , no doubt , a serious one ; but when xve come to examine the evidence on xvhich it is based , xve find absolutely nothing to lay hold of . Thus xve find it alleged against the sergeant in question that , being a Freemason , he" attends the meetings of the Masons ' Lodge , " when he is " accompanied generally by a favourite constable of
the same Order . " There is , nothing remarkable in this , or in the next charge—that he ( the sergeant ) " very often attends the meetings of the local Orange Lodge , and is a conspicuous figure at Orange balls , Orange suppers , " & c . It is clear the man is an Orangeman , as xvell as a Freemason , and that he attends , as he is entitled to attend , the local meetings
of the txvo Fraternities , just as a Conservative attends his local Conservative Club and a Liberal his local Liberal Club . But , says the writer further , " as a natural consequence , Orange rowdies can commit offences xvith safety , xvhile poor Catholics are prosecuted for the most minor offences , and the Bench , composed entirely of Freemasons and Orangemen , not only justify ,
but often commend his actions . " There is much else of the same kind , xvhich the public is invited to believe is part of the •' natural consequence " of a certain sergeant in the Belfast County Police being a Freemason and an Orangeman , and attending the meetings of the local Masons and Orange Lodges . It is added , too , that a constable once had the temerity to
report this superior officer ; that the latter " virtually admitted the Constable ' s statement , " wilh the result that inquiries xvere instituted "from the sergeant himself and a brother Mason , " not a single Catholic constable xvho could have borne out the charge being questioned ; and that the complaining constable was given to understand he xvas " too independent for
one of his grade . " The letter concludes by the xvriter asking " xvhether it xvill be the xvork of Dublin Castle or the Irish Party to stem the iniquity wrought by the legalised boycotting machine known as Freemasonry . " Of course , this is only a repetition of a very old story , and , like its predecessors , the fault lies in the person xvho has compiled it jumping to a
conclusion xvithout any evidence to justify him beyond his oxvn personal opinion . There is nothing to connect the sergeant ' s tyranny , in the event of his having played the tyrant , xvith his Masonry and his Orangeism . Let " A County Down Constable " set forth chapter and verse for his allegation and we shall be in a position to judge of its value .
* * * THE second case as described in the Belfast Northern Whig of the 5 th inst . is of a serious character , and , though we cannot accept unsupported the statements it contains , there is so much of circumstantiality about them lhat it is deiirable , in the interests of Freemasonry , that some inquiry
should be instituted by the Grand Lodge of Ireland . It seems " the regular weekly meeting of Masonic Lodge 414 xvas held in the Masonic Hall , Bushmills , " under the presidency of Bro . W . A . TRAILL , W . M ., on Tuesday , the 3 rd inst . When the appointed business xvas over , " an extempore meeting of the brethren of the lodge , together with a number of brethren of
other lodges in the Bushmills district , was held , when it was unanimously resolved , on the motion of Bro . HILL M'NEILL , seconded by Bro . CAMPBELL , as fo lows to wit : — " That we , the brethren of Lodge 414 , and other brethren ot the Bushmills district , having read with satisfaction the address of Bro . W . A . TRAILL to the electors of North Antrim , do most
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heartily approve of the same , and pledge ourselves to use every exertion for the return of Bro . W . A . TRAILL , W . M . of Lodge 414 , and King-elect of the Royal Arch Chapter , to represent this district in the Imperial Parliament , and that xve do also commend Bro . TRAILL to the support of all brother Masons in the election division . " . We cannot , x \ 'e repeat , accept these
statements xvithout corroborative evidence ; but should it , on lurther inquiry , turn out that the " extempore meeting" xvas held , and the resolution agreed to as described , in that case x \ 'e can have no hesitation in denouncing the conduct of the lodge in question , and their associate brethren from the other lodges of the Bushmills district , as being in direct contravention of both the letter
and the spirit of the Constitutions of Freemasonry , and xvorthy of condign punishment by the Grand Lodge of Ireland . The pre-eminent characteristic of Masonry as heretofore understood in the United Kingdom generally is that it recognises no distinctions of creed , either in religion or politics . It has alxvays been emphatically a non-political body , and in religion
nonsectarian , and xve respect our ancient Society far too highly to think of allowing so flagrant a violation of its fundamental principles to pass uncondemned . We sincerely hope that it will turn out that our Belfast contemporary has been misinformed or has , unintentionally , exaggerated the circumstances ; but if it should prove otherxvise , then xve say some steps
should be taken by the Grand Lodge of Ireland summarily to put a stop to all such proceedings , and make it clearly to be understood that any attempt on the part of brethren or lodges to use our non-political organisation for political purposes xvill be followed by some such punishment as suspension or exclusion , in the one case , and the withdraxval of the xvarrant , in the other .
Provincial Grand Chapter Of Oxfordshire.
PROVINCIAL GRAND CHAPTER OF OXFORDSHIRE .
As a continuation of the supplementary account last xveek of the recent occurrences in this province , we publish the following list of the Provincial Grand Officers appointed by M . E . Comp . the Rev . H . A . Pickard , Prov . Grand Superintendent , after his installation : —
Comp . E . G . Bruton , P . Z . 340 and M . E . Z . 1399 ... Prov . G . H . „ H . O . Wakeman , P . Z . 357 ... ... Prov . G . J . „ E . L . Haxvkins , P . Z . 357 ... ... Prov . G . S . E . „ F . Ryman Hall , P . Z . 340 ... ... Prov . G . S . N .
„ W . XV . Harrison , P . Z . 340 and 357 ... Prov . G . P . S . „ E . Prescott , 1399 ... ... ... Prov . G . ist A . S . „ H . Plumridge , J . 1399 ... ... ... Prov . G . 2 nd A . S . „ W . Emberlin , Treas . 340 ... ... Prow G . Treas . „ T . Lucas , 340 ,,, ... ... Prov . G . Sxvd . B .
„ H . Robbins , 1399 ... ... ... Prov . G . Std . B . „ J . Potts , 340 and 1399 ... ... ... Prov . G . D . C . „ W . R . Boxvden , 340 ... ... ... Prov . G . Org . „ G . Norwood ... ... ... ... Prov . G . Janitor .
Provincial Grand Lodge Of Shropshire.
PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGE OF SHROPSHIRE .
We publish the following list of brethren appointed as officers of the newly-formed Provincial Grand Lodge of Shropshire by R . W . Bro . Sir Offley Wakeman , after his installation by Bro . Col . Shadwell H . Clerke , G . Secretary , as Prov . G . Master .
Bro . Roxvland George Venables ... ... Prov . Dep . G . M . „ E . J . Brookes ... ... ... ... Prox * . G . S . W . „ W . E . Harding ... ... ... Prov . G . J . W . „ Rev . Walter Humphreys ... ... ...- ) „ „ ~ . r > 1 13 -x * i-. V i Prov * G . Chaps . „ Rev . J . B . Meredith ... ... ... J r
„ Joshua P . White ... ... :.. Prov . G . Treas . „ V . C . L . Crump ... ... ... Prov . G . Reg . „ W . H . Spaull ... ... ... Prov . G . Sec . „ John Maclardy ... ... ... Prov . G . S . D . „ W . Lascelles Southwell ... ... ... Prov . G . J . D .
„ Thos . James ... ... ... ... Prov . G . S . of W . „ T . Warren Thompson ... ... ... Prov . G . D . C . „ E . J . Webb ... ... ... ... Prov . G . A . D . C . „ T . C . Royle ... ... ... ... Prov . G . S . B . " ?' ^\ / gf " •"' - - ? . Prov . G . Std Brs . „ G . J . Morgan ... ... ... ... )
„ John Sexvell ... ... ... ... Prov . G . Org . „ R . Braync ... ... ... ... Prov . G . A . Sec . „ Louis E . Wollstein ... ... ... Prov . G . Purst . „ John Machin ... ... ... ... Prov . G . A . Purst . „ John Brockley ... ... ... ~ \
„ Thomas Whitefoot , jun . ... ... ... I „ John Smith ... ... ... ... ' „ . J , .. .,,. „ . ^ Prov . G . Stxvds . „ J . H . Williams ,,. ... ... j „ John Cinders ... ... ... ... J ,, Charles Drew ... ... ... ... J
„ J . B . Hide ... ... ... ... Prov . G . Tyler . Bros . W . Spraggon and John Bodenham xvere appointed as Auditors . The following address of congratulation xvas presented by the brethren
to their Provincial Grand Master : It having pleased the Most Worshipful Grand Master to divide the old province ° » North Wales and Shropshire , xve , the members of the lodges in the new Province of