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Article THE MASONIC MIEIOR. ← Page 6 of 14 →
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The Masonic Mieior.
contradict itself . One paragraph tells us to . 7 spare no effort , ' and the other tells us for the present to ' delay all action . ' ( Hear , hear , and laughter . ) Which of these recommendations are we to adopt ? ( Hear , hear . ) Are we to take their advice when they urge us to act more rapidly , or when they tell us , for the present , to do nothing at all ? Which do they mean ? ( Hear , hear . ) Again , it is monstrous to suppose that this Grand Lodge can fye dictated to as to the course it should
pursue by the Provincial Grand Lodge of Canada West ! I do wonder that the Brother who drew up this report did not have his attention drawn to the strange significance of some of his paragraphs . ( Hear , and laughter . ) With regard to paragraph three , you will perceive that it reopens past grievances . The Grand Master has acknowledged his short-comings , and , having done so , I think it is ungrateful and ungenerous now to throw them in his teeth . ( Hear . ) He took his share , and more than his share of the blame , and did all that he could to repair the
errors he acknowledged . I do think , therefore , that it is highly undesirable to rekindle feelings which ought to be buried in oblivion . No good can be got by throwing disrespect on the elected chief of our choice . As we are in the habit of paying the greatest deference and respect to the Master of the Lodge , so ought we , and ten times more so , to respect the Grand Master . " ( Hear , hear . ) Bro . Slight seconded the motion .
Bro . the Kev . G . E . Portal said : " The fact is that two documents were laid before the Colonial Board , the one was a letter from the Worshipful Master of Lodge 781 , Hobart Town , appealing against the decision of the Provincial Grand Master , and the other was a communication from the Provincial Grand Master himself in explanation and defence of his conduct . The first was directed to the Grand Master himself , and the second to Grand Lodge . It was because we were under the misapprehension that both these documents were addressed to Grand Lodge ,
that we recommended that the appeal should be dismissed , and that the decision of the . Provincial Grand Master should be confirmed . I cannot pass from this part of my subject without taking exception-to what Bro . Havers has said . We did not dictate to Grand Lodge . We have read these documents . We have considered the questions , and we now recommend you to decide in such and such a way , and it is for you to adopt our advice or not , as you please . We hand in the papers , and , in so doing , we state what our opinion is as to what the decision of
Grand Lodge ought to be . If anything could astonish me in Grand Lodge , I should have been astonished when we were told that we had been raking up these unhappy differences arising out of the Canadian question . It is not we who are raking up the question , it is not we who are forcing on a debate , it is the Brother who will not allow the report to be entered on the minutes as a matter of form . No one proposes that it should be adopted . We are , however , forced neck and crop into a debate without the slightest notice . ( Hear , hear . ) I think this is all
the harder , as the noble lord is not here who had given notice of a motion on the subject for to-night , but Who withdrew it in order to avoid premature discussion . It is not fair to those who take an interest in this question to adopt such a course . The papers were referred to us , and we have given you a summary of them , and have told you that , had these concessions been made three years ago , Canada would not have seceded from our giant family of Freemasonry . I cannot see that there is anything offensive or dictatorial in the Beport of the Colonial Board .
I see no reason why we . should not tell you that the Provincial Grand Lodge of Canada West will be the body best able to place before you the measures which will set the Canadian Masons right . What you have done you have done too late . You have locked the door when the horse was stolen , and all we tell you is how we think you will be most likely to get it back again . We had not intended to ask Grand Lodge to confirm the report ; but after what has passed , we must jnow do so . I think we ought to do all that we can to restore harmony in Canada . I move the adoption of the report . "
Bro . Hervey said , he believed that the Grand Master was always desirous to shape his conduct according to the Book of Constitutions . There was one paragraph in the report with which he did not agree . He certainly did regret that the Colonial Board should have made it appear as if they were going to take their instructions from the Provincial Grand Lodge of Canada West ( Bro . Portal ;
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Masonic Mieior.
contradict itself . One paragraph tells us to . 7 spare no effort , ' and the other tells us for the present to ' delay all action . ' ( Hear , hear , and laughter . ) Which of these recommendations are we to adopt ? ( Hear , hear . ) Are we to take their advice when they urge us to act more rapidly , or when they tell us , for the present , to do nothing at all ? Which do they mean ? ( Hear , hear . ) Again , it is monstrous to suppose that this Grand Lodge can fye dictated to as to the course it should
pursue by the Provincial Grand Lodge of Canada West ! I do wonder that the Brother who drew up this report did not have his attention drawn to the strange significance of some of his paragraphs . ( Hear , and laughter . ) With regard to paragraph three , you will perceive that it reopens past grievances . The Grand Master has acknowledged his short-comings , and , having done so , I think it is ungrateful and ungenerous now to throw them in his teeth . ( Hear . ) He took his share , and more than his share of the blame , and did all that he could to repair the
errors he acknowledged . I do think , therefore , that it is highly undesirable to rekindle feelings which ought to be buried in oblivion . No good can be got by throwing disrespect on the elected chief of our choice . As we are in the habit of paying the greatest deference and respect to the Master of the Lodge , so ought we , and ten times more so , to respect the Grand Master . " ( Hear , hear . ) Bro . Slight seconded the motion .
Bro . the Kev . G . E . Portal said : " The fact is that two documents were laid before the Colonial Board , the one was a letter from the Worshipful Master of Lodge 781 , Hobart Town , appealing against the decision of the Provincial Grand Master , and the other was a communication from the Provincial Grand Master himself in explanation and defence of his conduct . The first was directed to the Grand Master himself , and the second to Grand Lodge . It was because we were under the misapprehension that both these documents were addressed to Grand Lodge ,
that we recommended that the appeal should be dismissed , and that the decision of the . Provincial Grand Master should be confirmed . I cannot pass from this part of my subject without taking exception-to what Bro . Havers has said . We did not dictate to Grand Lodge . We have read these documents . We have considered the questions , and we now recommend you to decide in such and such a way , and it is for you to adopt our advice or not , as you please . We hand in the papers , and , in so doing , we state what our opinion is as to what the decision of
Grand Lodge ought to be . If anything could astonish me in Grand Lodge , I should have been astonished when we were told that we had been raking up these unhappy differences arising out of the Canadian question . It is not we who are raking up the question , it is not we who are forcing on a debate , it is the Brother who will not allow the report to be entered on the minutes as a matter of form . No one proposes that it should be adopted . We are , however , forced neck and crop into a debate without the slightest notice . ( Hear , hear . ) I think this is all
the harder , as the noble lord is not here who had given notice of a motion on the subject for to-night , but Who withdrew it in order to avoid premature discussion . It is not fair to those who take an interest in this question to adopt such a course . The papers were referred to us , and we have given you a summary of them , and have told you that , had these concessions been made three years ago , Canada would not have seceded from our giant family of Freemasonry . I cannot see that there is anything offensive or dictatorial in the Beport of the Colonial Board .
I see no reason why we . should not tell you that the Provincial Grand Lodge of Canada West will be the body best able to place before you the measures which will set the Canadian Masons right . What you have done you have done too late . You have locked the door when the horse was stolen , and all we tell you is how we think you will be most likely to get it back again . We had not intended to ask Grand Lodge to confirm the report ; but after what has passed , we must jnow do so . I think we ought to do all that we can to restore harmony in Canada . I move the adoption of the report . "
Bro . Hervey said , he believed that the Grand Master was always desirous to shape his conduct according to the Book of Constitutions . There was one paragraph in the report with which he did not agree . He certainly did regret that the Colonial Board should have made it appear as if they were going to take their instructions from the Provincial Grand Lodge of Canada West ( Bro . Portal ;