United Orders Of The Temple And Hospital.

UNITED ORDERS OF THE TEMPLE AND HOSPITAL .

[ Memorials against the New Statutes having appeared in our columns from time to time , we think it only fair to publish the following paper issued from the Chancery , and which at the present time cannot fail to interest such of our readers as are Knights Templar . ]

Sundry Memorials addressed to the Great Prior having been circulated , and as these Memorials contain variouscrrors , both as to facts and the effect of the Statutes , thc following Commentary on these Documents is designed io correct thc

erroneous impression created by such statements . By the treaties with Scotland and Ireland of the Sth October , 1867 , aud 2 'jth November , 186 S , it was provided that a joint committee of the three kingdoms should be appointed to draw

up Articles of Union . The Irish and English members met , and ultimately , in 1 S 72 , completed statutes framed to meet the emergency of the case . The committee consisted of the following

gentlemen : — On the part of England : —Sir P . Colquhoun , the Rev . J . D . Huyshe ,. R . Woof , Captain N . G . Phillips , and J . Tepper . On thc part of Ireland : —The Hon . Judge Townshend , the Earl of Limerick , Colonel Francis Burdett ,

Captain N . G . Philips , and W . E . Gumblcton . This committee drew up a unanimous report , which , having been submitted to Grand enclave in December , 1872 , was , after discussion , accepted . A similar course was pursued in Ireland .

Thus these statutes were under consideration between four and five years , and Grand Conclave , if it had confidence in the men it appointed , could not but accept the result so carefully prepared how can it then with truth be

said , " that by reason of the hurried manner in which the new statutes were brought forward , no consideration could be given to their probable effect , and the expediency of their enactment ?"

Material alterations were requisite , not so much in the existing national Governing Bodies , the names alone of which were altered , as in the creation and constitution of a new Supreme Body , The Grand Conclave of England became the Great Priory of England , and a similar

change was made in Ireland , both being bodies subordinated to the Convent General , of which H . R . H . the Prince of Wales was to assume the Headship . The internal government of the two component bodies was not interfered with except in the election of the Great Priors , who are now appointed by the Grand Master .

Il is , however , more than probable that many who neither attended Grand Conclave , nor troubled themselves to read the Biennial Reports , knew little or nothing ofthe matter , otherwise their ignorance of the facts could not have been thus used to mislead them .

The first grievance in the Dorsetshire Memorial , of which the others are for the most part mere transcripts , is a general and unsupported assertion , viz ., that "the experience since acquired of the effect and working of these new

statutes convinces the memorialists that they are detrimental to the best interests of the Order , and must inevitably in the course of time thin its ranks and weaken its influence . " After this general and sweeping assertion the memorial enters into detail .

First , it states it is undesirable to drop the title " Masonic . " Let it now be seen how this matter stands . It is acknowledged that the Order is a Christian Society . That the Masonic qualification is

indispensable is granted ; but , on the other hand , it may be alleged that the word " Masonic " is the exclusive right of Craft Masonry , and is an assumption on the part of any other Secret

Society , for in Templary there is no Masonic allegory . The Irish designate themselves as High Templars . The Scotch do not assume it . The American branch repudiates it as inappropriate , and as the assumption of the title of an-

United Orders Of The Temple And Hospital.

other degree . As this prefix was an ii reduction of modern date and changed nothing in the substance , the committee had no difficulty in acceding to its omission , but strengthened the bond by adding the condition that a candidate

must not only be a R . A ., but also a M . M . of two years' standing . As the old Order of the Temple was abolished 562 years ago , there is no other body which assumes this title the military virtues of the old

Knights are supposed to be represented as to thc moral part by the new Order . Thc Articles of Union of the Craft of 1813 acknowledge it as a chivalric degree attached to , but not incorporated with Masonry , and the clause is purely

permissive . The body therefore , be it called what it may , is as much under the protection of 39 Geo . III ., c . 79 , and 57 Geo . III ., c . 19 , as Craft Masonry , for all members are Craft Masons , but few know that these statutes only

apply to Lodges existent at that time . These Acts therefore do not protect even Craft Lodges established since that date ( 1799 ; , and those preceptories only which were existent before that date .

With respect to the nomenclature of the Order , it is strange to find men persistently advocating the perpetuation of an historical error .

The Masters of Temple houses were called House Preceptors the Masters of Provinces , Great Preceptors . The head of the Order was originally termed simply Master , or later Magnus Magister , or Great Master . The word " grand "

was merely the French for great . Tlie equivalent designation of the Hospitalers was Commander , and their estates were called commanderies , whereas those of the Templars were termed

Preceptories . Tlie question of Past Rank has , too , been misrepresented , and it is almost impossible to conceive such ignorance of the statutes as that alleged in the memorial .

Tormcrly he who had passed "thc Chair- " was designated a Past Commander , that is a retired Commander . The new statutes make him an actual Preceptor for life , with the right of voting in the Great Body , or Parliament of the

Order , so long as he continues to subscribe to some Preceptory—nay , he may cease to do so for any length of time—but so soon as he places his name on the roll of any Preceptory his right and franchise revive but in Craft

Masonry , if lie cease to subscribe for a year , his right lapses , and he becomes a mere Master Mason , nor can lie recover his position and franchise without again serving as Master of a Lodge . The position of the present Preceptor is

therefore improved : the office once given to him is lasting . Should , however , those who have served the office before the last statutes prefer the title of " Past" Preceptor they are at liberty to adopt it , for all existing rights are reserved .

Hie dignities of Grand Cross and Commander are superadded : they take nothing from the members , but give something in addition , and it was considered by the joint committees it was due to his Royal Highness , when he

condescended to assume the Headship of the Order , that he should have the rights belonging to all Crowned Heads , for in that light the Prince of Wales must be considered in relation to the Order ; the more so since he had induced her

Majesty as head of the State , to take the Ordei under her patronage and protection . No new dignities or titles have been created in thc Order ; they all existed in England , Scotland , or Ireland .

With regard to the Past Grand Rank , the number of those who obtained it yearly were twice as many as those who obtained the same rank in the Craft , yet thc Temple only counts 2 , 500 active members , while the Craft numbers as many thousands .

1 he Provinces complain they cannot induce the members to pay fees for Grand Rank except it be permanent ; they could provide for their necessary expenses by a small Capitation Tax , which would not press heavily , and so dispense with the fees of office .

United Orders Of The Temple And Hospital.

At present , cv . ry member pays to the Central Authority an annual contribution of 3 s . 6 d . ; London Craft Lodgea pay 4 s ., and Country Lodges 2 S .. yet the class which belong to the latter are less able to pay these quarterages than the members of the Temple , who , in fact ,

contribute no more than Craft Masons . But as all existing rights are reserved , those who held this Past Grand Rank before the late statutes still enjoy it , while those who have obtained Grand Rank since have done so with the full knowledge that it was an annual oflice .

To meet , however , any objection , the following motion was passed at the Great Prior's Council , and incorporated in its report to the Great Priory in May , 1875 , and l -- Great Prior has given effect to it by giving notice of amendments for the next Convent General : —

" That a limited restoration of Past Rank is desirable . That such Past Rank should only be given to Great Officers , National Great Officers , and Provincial Great Officers , and also to the Great , and National , and Provincial Vice-Chancellors and Sub-Marshals ,

provided these latter Officers have served two years in their respective ranks . " Some offices , indeed the majority of them , are purely nominal , others are permanent , and it would be unreasonable to suppose that such as have real duties to perform could be changed

annually ; under such a system , the Order would fall into hopeless confusion . Lastly , many members will be surprised to learn that the changes now made were in substance advocated 13 years ago , as thc following memorial shows ;—

Copy Memorial front the Province of Worcester ) laid before Committee , 1863 . THE ORDER OF KNIGHTS TEMPLAR , MALTA , & c . To the Very High and Eminent the Deputy Grand Master , the Very Eminent the Grand Chan * cellor , the Provincial Grand Commander for

Kent , the Grand Treasurer , and the Grand Registrar : — The Knights of the Ancient Order of the Temple and of Malta , in the Province of Worcester , assembled in Provincial Grand Conclave on the 2 nd day of October , 1862 , having ascertained that a

committee has been appointed by the Grand Conclave of England to revise the statutes of the Order , desire to offer a few suggestions , which they trust may not be deemed unworthy of consideration . They are induced to venture these suggestions from a sincere desire to advance and exalt thc Order ,

and from a wish to see it more closely assimilated with the brilliant and picturesque model presented by the early chivalrous constitution from which it is supposed to be descended . The suggestions which are respectfully offered for the consideration of the committee

are—1 . That thc title of the Order be " Thc Royal Exalted Order of Knights Templar and Knights of St . John of Jerusalem . "—{ Burnes' Hist ., p . 63 . ) It is conceived that the additions , " Religious and Military " and " Masonic " arc unnecessary , as being qualities of the Order and qualifications for

it which form no essential part of its name or title . 2 . That resting upon traditional belief it may be declared hy thc statutes lhat the Order of the Temple is descended and perpetuated from tlie ancient Constitution , and that on the suppression of the Templars by the Statute " dc terris

Tcmplariorum , " 17 Edward II ., Stat . 3 , A . D . 1324 , they were probably incorporated with the Knights Hospitallers of St . John of Jerusalem , now commonly known as Knights of Malta . —( Burnes' Hist ., p . 73 . ) It appears a reasonable supposition that an incorporation of the Order may have obtained in this

country , as well as in Scotland , where it cannot be disputed , and this appears to have been the belief of the present constitution of the Order-prior to the edition of statutes now in force . —( Burnes' Hist ., P- 63 . ) 3 . That every Initiate be received into both Orders as one .

4 . That the dignities of the Order as distinguished from the titles of its Officers , be Knights Grand Cross , Knights Commander , and Knights Companion . — ( Statutes of the Scoth . Templars , p . 9 . Vertot ' s Knights of Malta , small edition , v . 5 , p . 241 , and thc present Order in Portugal and Italy . )

5 . I hat each country holding under the Grand Conclave be constituted a Grand Priory , and be governed by a Grand Prior . 6 . That each country or such other district as may be assigned ( now called a "Province" ) he constituted and called a " Preceptory . "— . ( Sec Letter herewith , Mar . 28 , 1863 . R . W ,