Old Records Of The Lodge Of Peebles.

Ritchie , and John Jamieson a Committee to visit and inspect said closs , and if they find it in the state represented , the Lodge authorise said Committee to apply to the Dean of Guild and his Court for their authority to get said Nuisance removed . The following is the letter from the Grand Lodge enclosing the resolutions

above-mentioned : — Grand Lodge of Scotland , Edinbro ' , 12 th August , 1799 . Right Worshipful Brother , —You are requested by the Grand Lodge of Scotland to pay immediate and particular attention to the enclosed extracts from their Minutes at last Quarterly Communication of 5 th Instant . And I am desired to intimate the suspension of Brother Sommers from his

functions as Grand Clerk , and the interim appointment of Brother Bartram to that office . Any Communications or Remittances may be addressed to me here . I remain , Right Worship ful Brother , yours & c , Signed WM . GUTHRIE , Grand Secretary . Then

follows—Extracts from Minute at a meeting of the Grand Lodge of Scotland : — August 5 th , 1799 . It was stated from the chair that by an Act passed in the last Session of Parliament , Cap . 79 , entitled " An Act for . the more Effective Suppression of Societies Established for Seditious and Treasonable Purposes , " it was inter alia declared illegal for any body of men to require an oath , test , or declaration

from their members not authorised by law , but that an express exception was contained therein in favour of Freemasons , under certain provisions of the following tenor : — SECTION 5 TH OF THE STATUTE . —And whereas certain Societies have been long accustomed to he holden in this Kingdom under the denomination of Lodges of Freemasons , the meetings wheieof have been in great measure directed to charitable purposes , be it therefore enacted that nothing in this Act shall extend to the meetings of any such Societies or Lodges ivhich shall before the passing of this Act have been usually holden under the said denomition and in conformity to the rules prevailing among the said Societies of Freemasons .

SECTION 6 TH OP THE STATUTE . —Provided always that this exemption shall not extend to any such Society unless two of the members composing the same shall certify upon oath ( which oath any Justice of the Peace or Magistrate is hereby empowered to administer ) that such Society or Lodge has before the passing of this Act been usually held under the denomination of a Lodge of Freemasons , and in conformity to the rules prevailing among the Societies or Lodges of Freemasons in this Kingdom , ivhich certificate duly attested by the magistrate before whom the same shall be sworn , and subscribed by the person so certify , ing , shallwithin two callender months after the passing of this Actbe deposited with the

, , Clerk of the Peace for the County , Stewartry , Hiding , Devision , Shire , or Place where such Society or Lodge has been usually held . Provided also that this exemption shall not extend to any such Society or Lodge unless the name and denomination thereof , and the usual place or places , and the time or times of its meetings , and the names and diseriptions of all and every the Members thereof be Begistered with such Clerk of the Peace as aforesaid within two months after the passing of this Act , and also on or before the 25 th day of March in every succeeding year .

SECTION 7 rn or THE STATUTE . —And be it enacted that the Clerk of the Peace or the pecson acting in his behalf in any such County , Stewartry , Hiding , Devision , Shire , or Place is hereby authorised and required to receive such Certificate , and make such Registry as aforesaid , and to enroll the same among the records of snoh County , Stewartry , Riding , Division , Shire or Place , and to lay the same once in every year before the General Session of the Justices for such County , Stewartry , Hiding , Division , Shire , or Place , and that it shall and may be lawful for the said Justices or for the major part of them at any of their General Sessions if they shall so think fit laint made to them oath b one or more creditable

upon comp upon y any persons , that the continuance of the meetings of any such Lodge or Society is likely to be injurious to tho public peace and good order , to direct that the meetings of any such Society or Lod ge within such County , Stewartry , Riding , Division , Shii-o , or Place , shall from thenceforth be discontinued . And any such meetings held notwithstanding such order of discontinuance , and before the same shall hy the like authority ho revoked , shall be deemed an unlawful combination and confederacy under the provisions of this Act .