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Article fHE MASONIC MIRROE, ← Page 2 of 7 →
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Fhe Masonic Mirroe,
himself in a good many cases , and . had a great deal of personal influence in the Lodges , which he had acquired by his earnest and successful advocacy of deserving cases . Still , this should not lead them t votes as would interfere with the votes of the individual subscribers , Bro . Binckes seconded the motion . The question was then put and agreed to .
THE GRAND MASTER AKD THE ^ MASOmO OBSERVER . ^ The M . W . Grand Master then rose , amidst the most profound silence and attention , to make a personal statement . His lordship said , " Brethren : during the fifteen years I have occupied this chair I have never till now had occasion to make observations to Grand Lodge on subjects personal to myself . But I do now feel called upon to do so ; and when you have heard my statement , I think you will agree that I could not do otherwise than bring the subject before you which I am now
about to do . The subject amounts to a breach of privilege ; but I am not going to make any motion on the question myself , or to ask Grand Lodge to agree to any resolution relating to it . I am sure that Grand Lodge must feel that its own dignity is involved in the dignity of the Grand Master . It is not , therefore , merely for myself personally that I bring forward this m ^ I am in duty bound to do so for the honour and dignity of the Craft . In a publication which I have very rarely seen , and for a copy of which I presume I am indebted to the publisher , or
to some one who is interested in it— -m the MasontcOhserveQ ^ dated June 10 th , 1 S 58 , I find a passage which commences thus ,- ~ We had oceasion this time last year to draw attention to the unblushing effrontery with which the principal appointments in Grand Lodge were prostituted to political purposes ; we are sorry to be compelled to recur to this scandalous subject . I will not read any more of this offensive article , but I will , in the first place , declare to you that if the statement which is here put forth is true , I am no longer
worthy to hold the office which I now hold , for a single hour . ( Hear , hear . ) If it be not true , then I have a right to appeal to my Brethren for their support . Brethren , I indignantly deny the imputation ! ( Loud applause . ) Under ordinary circumstances , if the charge related solely t o myself personally , I assure you that I should have treated it with contempt , and left it , without any further observation , to the judgment of the Brethren . But I have to maintain the dignity of Grand Lodge , which is involved in the character of the Grand Master , and I am therefore
not at liberty , in my position , so to leave it . ( Hear , hear . ) I understand , Brethren , that this publication ( I have very seldom seen it ) is very little known in the metropolis , but that it has a considerable circulation in the provinces , and particularly in the colonies . I believe my information is correct on this point ; for I have observed in the correspondence which is now laid before Grand Lodge , between the Grand Secretary and Bro . Harington the P . Prov . G . M . for Quebec , that it is frequently quoted as an authority , You , Brethren , know as well as I do that it is no
authority at all . ( Hear , hear . ) So little so , that I have never seen more than two or three of the numbers , of which I have read a very small portion . But , Brethren , though I feel perfectly safe in leaving it to the judgment of the Brethren , who know me , whether in London or in the country , yet I cannot allow such an article to go forth into the provinces and colonies without an indignant denial and a complete refutation . ( Applause . ) The only way 1 have of making such denial ancl refutation known is , by stating the matter in Grand Lodge ( hear )
the reports of the proceedings at which now go forth in an authorized form , to quite as large , and perhaps to a larger extent than this trumpery publication . ( Applause . ) I am informed that this publication is not , like other magazines , published for the sake of profit , but that it is distributed gratis to manyi n the provinces and in the colonies . I will not stop to inquire as to the truth of that . ( Hear , hear . ) I think the less I inquire about the motives of the publication the
better . ( " Hear , " and laughter . ) It will be sufficient for me to deny the truth of the statement in question ; ancl I now do so . I must necessarily recall some facts on the subject , as I am accused of having prostituted to political purposes' the patronage of the Grand Master . I indignantly deny it . ( Applause . ) I have now for fifteen years had tho honour of being your Grand Master . I never sought Jt 11 J )
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Fhe Masonic Mirroe,
himself in a good many cases , and . had a great deal of personal influence in the Lodges , which he had acquired by his earnest and successful advocacy of deserving cases . Still , this should not lead them t votes as would interfere with the votes of the individual subscribers , Bro . Binckes seconded the motion . The question was then put and agreed to .
THE GRAND MASTER AKD THE ^ MASOmO OBSERVER . ^ The M . W . Grand Master then rose , amidst the most profound silence and attention , to make a personal statement . His lordship said , " Brethren : during the fifteen years I have occupied this chair I have never till now had occasion to make observations to Grand Lodge on subjects personal to myself . But I do now feel called upon to do so ; and when you have heard my statement , I think you will agree that I could not do otherwise than bring the subject before you which I am now
about to do . The subject amounts to a breach of privilege ; but I am not going to make any motion on the question myself , or to ask Grand Lodge to agree to any resolution relating to it . I am sure that Grand Lodge must feel that its own dignity is involved in the dignity of the Grand Master . It is not , therefore , merely for myself personally that I bring forward this m ^ I am in duty bound to do so for the honour and dignity of the Craft . In a publication which I have very rarely seen , and for a copy of which I presume I am indebted to the publisher , or
to some one who is interested in it— -m the MasontcOhserveQ ^ dated June 10 th , 1 S 58 , I find a passage which commences thus ,- ~ We had oceasion this time last year to draw attention to the unblushing effrontery with which the principal appointments in Grand Lodge were prostituted to political purposes ; we are sorry to be compelled to recur to this scandalous subject . I will not read any more of this offensive article , but I will , in the first place , declare to you that if the statement which is here put forth is true , I am no longer
worthy to hold the office which I now hold , for a single hour . ( Hear , hear . ) If it be not true , then I have a right to appeal to my Brethren for their support . Brethren , I indignantly deny the imputation ! ( Loud applause . ) Under ordinary circumstances , if the charge related solely t o myself personally , I assure you that I should have treated it with contempt , and left it , without any further observation , to the judgment of the Brethren . But I have to maintain the dignity of Grand Lodge , which is involved in the character of the Grand Master , and I am therefore
not at liberty , in my position , so to leave it . ( Hear , hear . ) I understand , Brethren , that this publication ( I have very seldom seen it ) is very little known in the metropolis , but that it has a considerable circulation in the provinces , and particularly in the colonies . I believe my information is correct on this point ; for I have observed in the correspondence which is now laid before Grand Lodge , between the Grand Secretary and Bro . Harington the P . Prov . G . M . for Quebec , that it is frequently quoted as an authority , You , Brethren , know as well as I do that it is no
authority at all . ( Hear , hear . ) So little so , that I have never seen more than two or three of the numbers , of which I have read a very small portion . But , Brethren , though I feel perfectly safe in leaving it to the judgment of the Brethren , who know me , whether in London or in the country , yet I cannot allow such an article to go forth into the provinces and colonies without an indignant denial and a complete refutation . ( Applause . ) The only way 1 have of making such denial ancl refutation known is , by stating the matter in Grand Lodge ( hear )
the reports of the proceedings at which now go forth in an authorized form , to quite as large , and perhaps to a larger extent than this trumpery publication . ( Applause . ) I am informed that this publication is not , like other magazines , published for the sake of profit , but that it is distributed gratis to manyi n the provinces and in the colonies . I will not stop to inquire as to the truth of that . ( Hear , hear . ) I think the less I inquire about the motives of the publication the
better . ( " Hear , " and laughter . ) It will be sufficient for me to deny the truth of the statement in question ; ancl I now do so . I must necessarily recall some facts on the subject , as I am accused of having prostituted to political purposes' the patronage of the Grand Master . I indignantly deny it . ( Applause . ) I have now for fifteen years had tho honour of being your Grand Master . I never sought Jt 11 J )