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Article THE MASONIC MIRROR. ← Page 7 of 9 →
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The Masonic Mirror.
tution , No . 666 , and No . 257 under the Irish Constitution , not to recognize and acknowledge the said St . Andrew ' s Lodge , till they had written authority in answer to a communication sent to the Grand Lodge of Scotland respecting the same , as to their application for a warrant , which was generally supposed to have been signed by unauthorized parties not recognized by any other Lodge . In due course an answer was received by the Prov . Grand Master from the Grand Lodge
of Scotland , the particulars of which , however , were never disclosed . Eight months have elapsed , during which period we have made repeated applications to the Prov . Grand Master and his Lodge for the letter alluded to , or a copy thereof ; but we have received no answer whatever . Surely , in common courtesy , if not by right , we were entitled to expect a reply ? We had been made a party to the affair , and we have as much respect for the judgment and discernment in our Lodge , as in any of the English Lodges . This conduct on their part is not , in our opinion , at all according to Masonic usage . Eight months having elapsed , and
no answer having been returned , our Lodge passed a resolution appointing a deputation of its members to inspect the documents of the aforesaid St . Andrew ' s Lodge , and if found correct , to acknowledge and fraternize with them ; and the Lodge proving properly constituted , this was accordingly done . The English Prov . Grand Master now laid hold of this proceeding , to debar any and all persons , under the Scotch and Irish Constitutions ( except No . 267 ) , from visiting their Lodges , and refused all communication with us : and further , they passed a resolution , that any Brother visiting us should be suspended by them . The
St . Andrew ' s Lodge has recently made an application to this Prov . Grand Lodge to form a Committee to inspect its documents , which th ® Prov . Grand Lodge declined to do , on the plea that it has written home and could not interfere till an answer is received . Such is a plain unvarnished statement of facts which we wish to lay before the Board of General Purposes , in order that they may make a communication to the Grand Lodges of England and Scotland , and ask their
advice and assistance . We may as well state , that some of our Brethren have been told verbally that the answer of the Grand Lodge of Scotland was no answer , " & c . ( Signed by the Worshipful Master and Wardens . )
Bro . Dohie said this was entirely a question of colonial jurisdiction , and as such , should be referred to the Colonial Board to discuss and report upon . As to the general principle , he was of opinion that the Worshipful Master of a Lodge had power to refuse a visitor if he thought proper . It was monstrous to suppose that a convict , for instance , or other known bad character , could claim admission into a Lodge of gentlemen . ( Hear , hear . ) As he believed the Worshipful Master and Wardens had a right to admit whom they would , he should , to save the time of the Lodge , move a resolution affirming that principle , which he concluded by doing .
Bro . Aria objected , and referred to the Prussian Grand Lodge , which excluded certain Brethren upon other grounds than those which had been referred to by the Grand Registrar . If such powers of exclusion were to be allowed there was no telling what abuses might creep in . As Masonry was universal nothing but certain known facts against his character should exclude any Brother ; nothing should exclude a Brother from a Freemasons' Lodge which would not exclude him from any society of gentlemen . He trusted that this communication would receive due attention at the hands of Grand Lodge .
Bro . Williams , D . Prov . G . M . for Sydney , was not very audible in his observations , but we understood him to say , that the Lodge referred to had received Brethren suspended by the Prov . Grand Lodge for un-Masonic conduct , and he thought that was sufficient reason why they should hold no communication with * t . Besides which , men guilty of certain offences were admitted into these Lod ges , which complained of being cut off from communication with the others . ( Hear , hear . )
The Rev . Bro . Portal : "As Grand Lodge is still very imperfectly informed as to the details of this case , let it be referred to the Colonial Board . " ( Hear , hear . ) Bros . Dohie and Aria assented to this proposition . VOL . Hi . E
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Masonic Mirror.
tution , No . 666 , and No . 257 under the Irish Constitution , not to recognize and acknowledge the said St . Andrew ' s Lodge , till they had written authority in answer to a communication sent to the Grand Lodge of Scotland respecting the same , as to their application for a warrant , which was generally supposed to have been signed by unauthorized parties not recognized by any other Lodge . In due course an answer was received by the Prov . Grand Master from the Grand Lodge
of Scotland , the particulars of which , however , were never disclosed . Eight months have elapsed , during which period we have made repeated applications to the Prov . Grand Master and his Lodge for the letter alluded to , or a copy thereof ; but we have received no answer whatever . Surely , in common courtesy , if not by right , we were entitled to expect a reply ? We had been made a party to the affair , and we have as much respect for the judgment and discernment in our Lodge , as in any of the English Lodges . This conduct on their part is not , in our opinion , at all according to Masonic usage . Eight months having elapsed , and
no answer having been returned , our Lodge passed a resolution appointing a deputation of its members to inspect the documents of the aforesaid St . Andrew ' s Lodge , and if found correct , to acknowledge and fraternize with them ; and the Lodge proving properly constituted , this was accordingly done . The English Prov . Grand Master now laid hold of this proceeding , to debar any and all persons , under the Scotch and Irish Constitutions ( except No . 267 ) , from visiting their Lodges , and refused all communication with us : and further , they passed a resolution , that any Brother visiting us should be suspended by them . The
St . Andrew ' s Lodge has recently made an application to this Prov . Grand Lodge to form a Committee to inspect its documents , which th ® Prov . Grand Lodge declined to do , on the plea that it has written home and could not interfere till an answer is received . Such is a plain unvarnished statement of facts which we wish to lay before the Board of General Purposes , in order that they may make a communication to the Grand Lodges of England and Scotland , and ask their
advice and assistance . We may as well state , that some of our Brethren have been told verbally that the answer of the Grand Lodge of Scotland was no answer , " & c . ( Signed by the Worshipful Master and Wardens . )
Bro . Dohie said this was entirely a question of colonial jurisdiction , and as such , should be referred to the Colonial Board to discuss and report upon . As to the general principle , he was of opinion that the Worshipful Master of a Lodge had power to refuse a visitor if he thought proper . It was monstrous to suppose that a convict , for instance , or other known bad character , could claim admission into a Lodge of gentlemen . ( Hear , hear . ) As he believed the Worshipful Master and Wardens had a right to admit whom they would , he should , to save the time of the Lodge , move a resolution affirming that principle , which he concluded by doing .
Bro . Aria objected , and referred to the Prussian Grand Lodge , which excluded certain Brethren upon other grounds than those which had been referred to by the Grand Registrar . If such powers of exclusion were to be allowed there was no telling what abuses might creep in . As Masonry was universal nothing but certain known facts against his character should exclude any Brother ; nothing should exclude a Brother from a Freemasons' Lodge which would not exclude him from any society of gentlemen . He trusted that this communication would receive due attention at the hands of Grand Lodge .
Bro . Williams , D . Prov . G . M . for Sydney , was not very audible in his observations , but we understood him to say , that the Lodge referred to had received Brethren suspended by the Prov . Grand Lodge for un-Masonic conduct , and he thought that was sufficient reason why they should hold no communication with * t . Besides which , men guilty of certain offences were admitted into these Lod ges , which complained of being cut off from communication with the others . ( Hear , hear . )
The Rev . Bro . Portal : "As Grand Lodge is still very imperfectly informed as to the details of this case , let it be referred to the Colonial Board . " ( Hear , hear . ) Bros . Dohie and Aria assented to this proposition . VOL . Hi . E