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Article PROVINCIAL GRAND LODGES. ← Page 5 of 5
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Provincial Grand Lodges.
rather an evasion of the payment of a fee than an actual infraction of the law , which , speaking of the Prov . Grand Officers says , " These must all be resident within the province and subscribing members to some Lodge therein ; but the M . W . Grand Master may grant a dispensation for non-residence . A fee of two guineas for Grand
Wardens , and one guinea for any subordinate officer , shall be paid to the general fund of charity for such dispensation . " Now we are aware that there are districts , especially within a few miles of the metropolis , where it would be impossible for the Lodges to be held together but for the assistance of the metropolitan or other brethren residing at a distance ; and it would be a manifest injustice to deprive
the local brethren of the opportunity of assembling for the want of such assistance , and which could not be expected to be afforded if those rendering it were to be deprived of all chance of partaking in the honours of the province they have done so much to support . We are convinced that the M . W . Grand Master would not hesitate to grant the required dispensation upon its being shown that these brethren had done good suit and service m supporting local Lodges ; and we have an instance
immediately in our mind of a Lodge which has for years been almost wholly officered by London brethren ( the last three Masters being so ) for nearly five years , for want of local members ; and yet that Lodge , through such assistance , is now becoming locally supported ; and we have before us a summons for the next meeting , at which four local brethren are to be passed , having been initiated at the last meeting . We should not allude to this point did we not know that many brethren , not resident within the districts which they represent , do
hold Provincial Grand offices ; and w $ have been looking in the accounts of Grand Lodge for a satisfactory statement of the amounts contributed for such dispensations , as required by the law , to the general fund of charity—and having failed to find it , we can draw no other conclusion than that the dispensations have not been obtained prior or even subsequent to the acceptance of office .
Interesting Incident . —A few weeks since , Bro . William Ward , of Gloversville , New York , came to Newburyport , Mass ., intending to go on a fishing voyage for his health . The disappointment of missing the vessel he expected to go in , so preyed upon his mind , already weakened by long suffering , that reason gave way and in a fit of insanity he jumped out of his chamber window , and injured himself so severely that he survived but a few days . The fraternity in Newburyport had the best attention paid to his wants while he survived , and his body was decently interred at his decease , and his friends notified of the circumstances . The lodge
of which Bro . Ward was a member passed a resolution of thanks to the brethren in Newburyport , for " their watchful care and kind attentions , so masonically and humanely bestowed upon him during his sickness / ' and also to the landlord of the Ocean House , where the deceased brother breathed his last . Thus it is . We can hardly find a spot on the earth where there is not some brother to care for us , should sickness or misfortune overtake us , and who will plant the acacia at our grave , when the vital spark is extinct and jwe go to join those " Who have met upon the level , and been tried upon the square /'—Masonio Journal , published at Haverhill , Massachusetts . lf , &
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Provincial Grand Lodges.
rather an evasion of the payment of a fee than an actual infraction of the law , which , speaking of the Prov . Grand Officers says , " These must all be resident within the province and subscribing members to some Lodge therein ; but the M . W . Grand Master may grant a dispensation for non-residence . A fee of two guineas for Grand
Wardens , and one guinea for any subordinate officer , shall be paid to the general fund of charity for such dispensation . " Now we are aware that there are districts , especially within a few miles of the metropolis , where it would be impossible for the Lodges to be held together but for the assistance of the metropolitan or other brethren residing at a distance ; and it would be a manifest injustice to deprive
the local brethren of the opportunity of assembling for the want of such assistance , and which could not be expected to be afforded if those rendering it were to be deprived of all chance of partaking in the honours of the province they have done so much to support . We are convinced that the M . W . Grand Master would not hesitate to grant the required dispensation upon its being shown that these brethren had done good suit and service m supporting local Lodges ; and we have an instance
immediately in our mind of a Lodge which has for years been almost wholly officered by London brethren ( the last three Masters being so ) for nearly five years , for want of local members ; and yet that Lodge , through such assistance , is now becoming locally supported ; and we have before us a summons for the next meeting , at which four local brethren are to be passed , having been initiated at the last meeting . We should not allude to this point did we not know that many brethren , not resident within the districts which they represent , do
hold Provincial Grand offices ; and w $ have been looking in the accounts of Grand Lodge for a satisfactory statement of the amounts contributed for such dispensations , as required by the law , to the general fund of charity—and having failed to find it , we can draw no other conclusion than that the dispensations have not been obtained prior or even subsequent to the acceptance of office .
Interesting Incident . —A few weeks since , Bro . William Ward , of Gloversville , New York , came to Newburyport , Mass ., intending to go on a fishing voyage for his health . The disappointment of missing the vessel he expected to go in , so preyed upon his mind , already weakened by long suffering , that reason gave way and in a fit of insanity he jumped out of his chamber window , and injured himself so severely that he survived but a few days . The fraternity in Newburyport had the best attention paid to his wants while he survived , and his body was decently interred at his decease , and his friends notified of the circumstances . The lodge
of which Bro . Ward was a member passed a resolution of thanks to the brethren in Newburyport , for " their watchful care and kind attentions , so masonically and humanely bestowed upon him during his sickness / ' and also to the landlord of the Ocean House , where the deceased brother breathed his last . Thus it is . We can hardly find a spot on the earth where there is not some brother to care for us , should sickness or misfortune overtake us , and who will plant the acacia at our grave , when the vital spark is extinct and jwe go to join those " Who have met upon the level , and been tried upon the square /'—Masonio Journal , published at Haverhill , Massachusetts . lf , &