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Article THE MASONIC MIIROR, ← Page 2 of 13 →
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The Masonic Miiror,
The G . M .: This is a Grand Lodge which has been held for the purpose of taking up the business which could not be brought forward on the last occasion . I do not think we should take up any other business than that which is down upon the notice-paper . The W . Bro . Rev . G . R . Portal , P . M . Nos . 460 and 10 , then moved , ^ T hat a return be forthwith ordered from the G . Sec . of Canada West , stating the number of Prov . Grand Lodges held during the Mastership of the present P ' rov . G . M ., and specifying those at which he presided in person , " and said ; One of
the complaints made by the Canadian . Brethren was , that their Prov . G . M . neglected , ' to a considerable extent , the business of his province . I therefore think that it is important , in order that we may be rightly informed concerning such a state of things as that which exists in Canada , that we should know whether the Prov . G . M . has held Prov , Grand Lodges in that province , and whether he has been present at those Lodges . ( Hear , hear . ) His high position must prevent him from attending so much to his Prov , Grand Lodge as he ought to do , because he is the first Minister of the Crown in the colony , ( Hear , hear . ) But his being the first Minister of the Crown in that province does not
do away with the necessity for holding Prov . Grand Lodges * at which , of coursey his Deputy could attend . In the month of June last remarks fell in this Lodge from the M . W . the G . M ., which have been received as a matter of great offence in Canada ; and I cannot but hope that those remarks are capable of explanation —( hear , hear )—and I hope they have been merely misunderstood . ( Hear , hear . ) The Prov . Grand Lodge of Canada West agreed on the 23 rd of October to ^ resolution expressing dissatisfaction with the statement . A great deal will turn upon the question as to whether the Prov . G . M . has or has not been present in his Prov . Grand Lodges . If he has been unavoidably absent , it would devolve
on his Deputy to conduct the business . I am anxious , therefore , that v ^ e should know whether the Prov . G . M . of Canada has or has not regularly held his Lodges , or whether he has been unable to attend in person ; I therefore hope that there will be no opposition , and that Grand Lodge will grant me the return I ask for . Bro . the Earl of Carnarvon seconded the motion . Bro . Dobie : No doubt Bro . Portal wants to get a correct return ; but he will not get what he wants if he uses the words he has just read from the notice paper . If you refer to the Book of Constitutions you will find that the Prov . G . M . is an . officer under the immediate control of the M . W . the G . M ., and that Grand Lodge has no power over him at all . He is appointed by the G . M ., and he is removable
at his pleasure . You cannot ask for the interference of Grand Lodge with respect to the return you want from Canada ; and I would suggest that you should alter the language , so as to request the M . W . the G . M . to direct the G . Sec . to make this request of the G . Sec . of the province . By that means you may get the return you want ) but with the present phraseology you will never get it . ( Hear . )
Bro . Portal : The motion orders the return from the Prov . G . Sec . and not from the Prov . G . M . Bro . Dobie : Yes , but the Prov . G . Sec . is only an Officer of the Prov . G . M . — [ A voice : No ! no !]—I think you will find that he is . The G . M . : Of course it is my duty to put this motion as it stands , and therefore — Bro . Portal : May I just say a word or two in reply ? The G . M . : Cei ^ tainly .
Bro . Portal : I cannot amend the motion as the G . R . suggests , because it seems to me that the power and authority of the Grand Lodge of England over its provincial and subordinate Lodges is involved in my motion . The Book of Constitutions , page 56 , sec . 6 , says : — " A book shall be kept in every Lodge in which shall be entered the names of its members and of all persons admitted therein , with the dates of their proposal , admission , or initiation , passing and raising ; their ages , titles , professions , or trades ; together with such other transactions of the Lodge as are proper to be written . The Master is responsible for the observance of this law . " I don't think we should forego this authority , or ask indirectly that which we have a right to demand in . our own name . ( Hear , hear . )
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Masonic Miiror,
The G . M .: This is a Grand Lodge which has been held for the purpose of taking up the business which could not be brought forward on the last occasion . I do not think we should take up any other business than that which is down upon the notice-paper . The W . Bro . Rev . G . R . Portal , P . M . Nos . 460 and 10 , then moved , ^ T hat a return be forthwith ordered from the G . Sec . of Canada West , stating the number of Prov . Grand Lodges held during the Mastership of the present P ' rov . G . M ., and specifying those at which he presided in person , " and said ; One of
the complaints made by the Canadian . Brethren was , that their Prov . G . M . neglected , ' to a considerable extent , the business of his province . I therefore think that it is important , in order that we may be rightly informed concerning such a state of things as that which exists in Canada , that we should know whether the Prov . G . M . has held Prov , Grand Lodges in that province , and whether he has been present at those Lodges . ( Hear , hear . ) His high position must prevent him from attending so much to his Prov , Grand Lodge as he ought to do , because he is the first Minister of the Crown in the colony , ( Hear , hear . ) But his being the first Minister of the Crown in that province does not
do away with the necessity for holding Prov . Grand Lodges * at which , of coursey his Deputy could attend . In the month of June last remarks fell in this Lodge from the M . W . the G . M ., which have been received as a matter of great offence in Canada ; and I cannot but hope that those remarks are capable of explanation —( hear , hear )—and I hope they have been merely misunderstood . ( Hear , hear . ) The Prov . Grand Lodge of Canada West agreed on the 23 rd of October to ^ resolution expressing dissatisfaction with the statement . A great deal will turn upon the question as to whether the Prov . G . M . has or has not been present in his Prov . Grand Lodges . If he has been unavoidably absent , it would devolve
on his Deputy to conduct the business . I am anxious , therefore , that v ^ e should know whether the Prov . G . M . of Canada has or has not regularly held his Lodges , or whether he has been unable to attend in person ; I therefore hope that there will be no opposition , and that Grand Lodge will grant me the return I ask for . Bro . the Earl of Carnarvon seconded the motion . Bro . Dobie : No doubt Bro . Portal wants to get a correct return ; but he will not get what he wants if he uses the words he has just read from the notice paper . If you refer to the Book of Constitutions you will find that the Prov . G . M . is an . officer under the immediate control of the M . W . the G . M ., and that Grand Lodge has no power over him at all . He is appointed by the G . M ., and he is removable
at his pleasure . You cannot ask for the interference of Grand Lodge with respect to the return you want from Canada ; and I would suggest that you should alter the language , so as to request the M . W . the G . M . to direct the G . Sec . to make this request of the G . Sec . of the province . By that means you may get the return you want ) but with the present phraseology you will never get it . ( Hear . )
Bro . Portal : The motion orders the return from the Prov . G . Sec . and not from the Prov . G . M . Bro . Dobie : Yes , but the Prov . G . Sec . is only an Officer of the Prov . G . M . — [ A voice : No ! no !]—I think you will find that he is . The G . M . : Of course it is my duty to put this motion as it stands , and therefore — Bro . Portal : May I just say a word or two in reply ? The G . M . : Cei ^ tainly .
Bro . Portal : I cannot amend the motion as the G . R . suggests , because it seems to me that the power and authority of the Grand Lodge of England over its provincial and subordinate Lodges is involved in my motion . The Book of Constitutions , page 56 , sec . 6 , says : — " A book shall be kept in every Lodge in which shall be entered the names of its members and of all persons admitted therein , with the dates of their proposal , admission , or initiation , passing and raising ; their ages , titles , professions , or trades ; together with such other transactions of the Lodge as are proper to be written . The Master is responsible for the observance of this law . " I don't think we should forego this authority , or ask indirectly that which we have a right to demand in . our own name . ( Hear , hear . )