-
Articles/Ads
Article MASONIC AFFAIES IN CANADA. ← Page 8 of 11 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Masonic Affaies In Canada.
" The deductions your lordship draws from the election of Sir Allan MacNab are hardly generous or correct ; Although he seldom attended to the duties of his office , and was not possessed of much Masonic knowledge , as he will readily acknowledge , yet he was not the less personally popular , and had excuses to offer , which many Prov . Grand Masters in England had not , viz ., very many and urgent public affairs to keep him continually busy , and for some time past very indifferent
health , and he had appointed a deputy who never neglected his duty . It was the prnciple , not the man the Brethren objected to . If your lordship will refer to the accompanying memorial , you will at once see that the main object of the insertion of Sir Allan ' s name was not to speak prejudicially of him , but to defend the Deputy , Bro . Bidout , from your own remarks of his having exercised undue authority in carrying on the affairs of his district . When it was finally resolved that nothing but entire independence would allay the excitement here , the Prov .
Grand Lodge deterrhined to make choice of Sir Allan MacNab for the following reasons . First—They knew that he was on the point of leaving this province for England , never probably to return , and as he was much respected and personally regarded , the Brethren neither could nor would take their farewellVof him , by making their last formal act a personal slight . Secondly—His tenure of office was only to last for a broken period , when another election would take place . And thirdly—The Antient Grand Lodge was anxious to show all the respect it
could to your lordship and the Grand Lodge of England , and by adopting your nominee for first Grand Master , as well as your constitution fordtslaw , to make the change not so much a reading asunder of a close connection , as a transition from one description of government to another ; and had your lordship been present when all this was done , you would have heard warm expressions of regard and anxious prayers that the Grand Lodge of England would meet us in the same spirit , and understand the fraternal feelings by which we are guided .
The Brethren did not certainly anticipate that their course of conduct would be tortured * and they themselves taunted with inconsistency , and other worse motives . It was intended that Sir Allan should himself , on his arrival in London , impart to you full information , and make known the wishes of the Craft here ,
and the warrants and other documents were to have been forwarded by him ; but much to his own and our regret , his departure was delayed by unforeseen events , and it was not deemed advisable to defer their dispatch ; but I hope that your lordship and he have met , or will do so ; and it would be satisfactory if Sir Allan had an opportunity of perusing this letter , as he may incur your censure without
really deserving it , or thoroughly comprehending the nature of your lordship ' s expressed displeasure . For my own part , my lord , I can only repeat what I said in my former communication , dated the 9 th November last , viz : —That I had no hesitation , when called upon to do so , about installing Sir Allan ; and that under all the circumstances , I really deemed myself ( as I stated to the Brethren ) acting more as the deputy of the Grand Master of England than otherwise .
" I think I have now noticed the prominent points of your communication , and I have taken upon myself to do this , because your lordship commended them to my earnest consideration , and that of my Brethren , to whom I shall submit your letter and this reply , and I imagine that you intended to invite the fullest correspondence . < f I told you in a former paragraph , that I hoped to prove that dissatisfaction here had been occasioned by parties in London , and connected with Grand Lodge
itself . I proj ) ose now to do this by way of conclusion , and trust that your lordship will not feel annoyed at me , if J place , as I conceive it to be my bounden duty , offensive expressions before your eyes . Your lordship probably may not see the London Freemasons' Monthly Magazine , published by Bro . Warren , a prominent attendant upon Grand Lodge meetings , although it has been lately formally
authorized by you to publish Grand Lodge proceedings ; but it has a large circulation here , and is greedily perused , as the scanty official reports emanate from the Grand Secretary at very uncertain times . We should have known very little of what was occurring at head quarters , had it not been for the Magazine . I will not refer back beyond the December number for 1855 , and I commence there , because it heralds the formation of the Independent Grand Lodge under Bro ,
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Masonic Affaies In Canada.
" The deductions your lordship draws from the election of Sir Allan MacNab are hardly generous or correct ; Although he seldom attended to the duties of his office , and was not possessed of much Masonic knowledge , as he will readily acknowledge , yet he was not the less personally popular , and had excuses to offer , which many Prov . Grand Masters in England had not , viz ., very many and urgent public affairs to keep him continually busy , and for some time past very indifferent
health , and he had appointed a deputy who never neglected his duty . It was the prnciple , not the man the Brethren objected to . If your lordship will refer to the accompanying memorial , you will at once see that the main object of the insertion of Sir Allan ' s name was not to speak prejudicially of him , but to defend the Deputy , Bro . Bidout , from your own remarks of his having exercised undue authority in carrying on the affairs of his district . When it was finally resolved that nothing but entire independence would allay the excitement here , the Prov .
Grand Lodge deterrhined to make choice of Sir Allan MacNab for the following reasons . First—They knew that he was on the point of leaving this province for England , never probably to return , and as he was much respected and personally regarded , the Brethren neither could nor would take their farewellVof him , by making their last formal act a personal slight . Secondly—His tenure of office was only to last for a broken period , when another election would take place . And thirdly—The Antient Grand Lodge was anxious to show all the respect it
could to your lordship and the Grand Lodge of England , and by adopting your nominee for first Grand Master , as well as your constitution fordtslaw , to make the change not so much a reading asunder of a close connection , as a transition from one description of government to another ; and had your lordship been present when all this was done , you would have heard warm expressions of regard and anxious prayers that the Grand Lodge of England would meet us in the same spirit , and understand the fraternal feelings by which we are guided .
The Brethren did not certainly anticipate that their course of conduct would be tortured * and they themselves taunted with inconsistency , and other worse motives . It was intended that Sir Allan should himself , on his arrival in London , impart to you full information , and make known the wishes of the Craft here ,
and the warrants and other documents were to have been forwarded by him ; but much to his own and our regret , his departure was delayed by unforeseen events , and it was not deemed advisable to defer their dispatch ; but I hope that your lordship and he have met , or will do so ; and it would be satisfactory if Sir Allan had an opportunity of perusing this letter , as he may incur your censure without
really deserving it , or thoroughly comprehending the nature of your lordship ' s expressed displeasure . For my own part , my lord , I can only repeat what I said in my former communication , dated the 9 th November last , viz : —That I had no hesitation , when called upon to do so , about installing Sir Allan ; and that under all the circumstances , I really deemed myself ( as I stated to the Brethren ) acting more as the deputy of the Grand Master of England than otherwise .
" I think I have now noticed the prominent points of your communication , and I have taken upon myself to do this , because your lordship commended them to my earnest consideration , and that of my Brethren , to whom I shall submit your letter and this reply , and I imagine that you intended to invite the fullest correspondence . < f I told you in a former paragraph , that I hoped to prove that dissatisfaction here had been occasioned by parties in London , and connected with Grand Lodge
itself . I proj ) ose now to do this by way of conclusion , and trust that your lordship will not feel annoyed at me , if J place , as I conceive it to be my bounden duty , offensive expressions before your eyes . Your lordship probably may not see the London Freemasons' Monthly Magazine , published by Bro . Warren , a prominent attendant upon Grand Lodge meetings , although it has been lately formally
authorized by you to publish Grand Lodge proceedings ; but it has a large circulation here , and is greedily perused , as the scanty official reports emanate from the Grand Secretary at very uncertain times . We should have known very little of what was occurring at head quarters , had it not been for the Magazine . I will not refer back beyond the December number for 1855 , and I commence there , because it heralds the formation of the Independent Grand Lodge under Bro ,