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Article QUE AEOHIIECTUEAL CHAPTEE. ← Page 4 of 4
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Que Aeohiiectueal Chaptee.
at the expense of the Brethren . All that-is required is a 1 M tion and a little ^ prudence , and the result is a certain and great advantage . For this purpose a correct list of Masonic halls is much required , an da . full investigation into their relations to the Order and our correspondents will do good in supplying this information as to th ^ ir several localities .
Among the few we can now enumerate for ih ^ iry are the Halls of London , Edinburgh , Durham ^ Cheltenham , Bristol , © Southampton , Ryde , Newca ^ Malton ; and the Masonic Ha ^ ^ M Guernsey , PlymputhjSheern ^ There are also the Freemasons' Taverns at ^ fe ?
Londesborough Lodge rooms at Bridlington Snay ; the FreeihasonsA ^ ms , Burslem Masonic Rooms , Manchester and Birmingham ; amd the Freemasons' Hotel , Portsea . Now how many of these besides tho two first named are Masonic Halls in the sense of belonging to the Masonic body ? We think tiiat bur corre--spondehts will tell us very few .
Obedience to the Laws . — -It must be observed mlwwtne . that the Grand Lodge is the fountain of jurisprudence in all ; its phases and operations , and nothing caateleg ^ y transacted in the details of the Graft hut hy its authority . It matters little whether a deviation froni the strict line of duty be trifling important , fbr nothing whatever can be tolerated , in Freemasonry which is not agreeable to the constitutions , and in the absence of their sanctions a
misdemeanour inay be committed which the Grand Lodge possesses power to punish . The ordinances of the law absorb every other consideration , and exact implicit obedience . It will be in vain to plead that a transgression is insignificant and unworthy of judicial notice , for it is impossible to foresee the consequences which may result from the most minute infringement of an established canon . —From Dr . Oliver ' s fortlieoming ioorlc on " Masonic Jurisprudence , "
Property oe a Lodqe . —The ornaments , furniture , jewels , and other property of the Lodge , having been purchased by a general subscription of the Brethren , belong of course exclusively to them , with one single exception . If the place of meeting be a tavern , the landlord , although he may he a member , is strictly prohibited from having any interest in them , much less can he be allowed to be the proprietor ; and he will act prudently if he abstain from all interference with the
general business of the Lodge . He may be a subscriber , but cannot hold office without a special dispensation . This law was originally established to prevent any extravagance or unnecessary expenditure " for the good of the house , " which might very frequently occur if the landlord had any command over the funds ; and this would originate a great amount of evil by occasioning a derangement of its pecuniary affairs , and a risk of temporary embarrassment , if not of final extin ction . —Ibid .
The GrAVEii . —It may not be amiss to subjoin a brief observation on the origin and use of this instrument , which appears to be imperfectly understood by some of the Fraternity . The word gavel is purely official ; and although we apply it in common parlance to a mallet or setting maul , it answers in reality to neither . The mallet is the tool of an operative mason , and the setting maul was anciently
termed a " heavy beetle . " The gavel , strictly speaking , is the instrument used by the Master and Wardens to preserve order and regularity in the Lodge ; and always is , or ought to be , constructed in the form of the gable end of a housewhence the name—for the old masons denominated that part of the building a " gavel . " — Ibid .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Que Aeohiiectueal Chaptee.
at the expense of the Brethren . All that-is required is a 1 M tion and a little ^ prudence , and the result is a certain and great advantage . For this purpose a correct list of Masonic halls is much required , an da . full investigation into their relations to the Order and our correspondents will do good in supplying this information as to th ^ ir several localities .
Among the few we can now enumerate for ih ^ iry are the Halls of London , Edinburgh , Durham ^ Cheltenham , Bristol , © Southampton , Ryde , Newca ^ Malton ; and the Masonic Ha ^ ^ M Guernsey , PlymputhjSheern ^ There are also the Freemasons' Taverns at ^ fe ?
Londesborough Lodge rooms at Bridlington Snay ; the FreeihasonsA ^ ms , Burslem Masonic Rooms , Manchester and Birmingham ; amd the Freemasons' Hotel , Portsea . Now how many of these besides tho two first named are Masonic Halls in the sense of belonging to the Masonic body ? We think tiiat bur corre--spondehts will tell us very few .
Obedience to the Laws . — -It must be observed mlwwtne . that the Grand Lodge is the fountain of jurisprudence in all ; its phases and operations , and nothing caateleg ^ y transacted in the details of the Graft hut hy its authority . It matters little whether a deviation froni the strict line of duty be trifling important , fbr nothing whatever can be tolerated , in Freemasonry which is not agreeable to the constitutions , and in the absence of their sanctions a
misdemeanour inay be committed which the Grand Lodge possesses power to punish . The ordinances of the law absorb every other consideration , and exact implicit obedience . It will be in vain to plead that a transgression is insignificant and unworthy of judicial notice , for it is impossible to foresee the consequences which may result from the most minute infringement of an established canon . —From Dr . Oliver ' s fortlieoming ioorlc on " Masonic Jurisprudence , "
Property oe a Lodqe . —The ornaments , furniture , jewels , and other property of the Lodge , having been purchased by a general subscription of the Brethren , belong of course exclusively to them , with one single exception . If the place of meeting be a tavern , the landlord , although he may he a member , is strictly prohibited from having any interest in them , much less can he be allowed to be the proprietor ; and he will act prudently if he abstain from all interference with the
general business of the Lodge . He may be a subscriber , but cannot hold office without a special dispensation . This law was originally established to prevent any extravagance or unnecessary expenditure " for the good of the house , " which might very frequently occur if the landlord had any command over the funds ; and this would originate a great amount of evil by occasioning a derangement of its pecuniary affairs , and a risk of temporary embarrassment , if not of final extin ction . —Ibid .
The GrAVEii . —It may not be amiss to subjoin a brief observation on the origin and use of this instrument , which appears to be imperfectly understood by some of the Fraternity . The word gavel is purely official ; and although we apply it in common parlance to a mallet or setting maul , it answers in reality to neither . The mallet is the tool of an operative mason , and the setting maul was anciently
termed a " heavy beetle . " The gavel , strictly speaking , is the instrument used by the Master and Wardens to preserve order and regularity in the Lodge ; and always is , or ought to be , constructed in the form of the gable end of a housewhence the name—for the old masons denominated that part of the building a " gavel . " — Ibid .