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Article THE MASONIC MIRROR. ← Page 4 of 14 →
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The Masonic Mirror.
not had sufficient notice it is their own fault , in not being here on the last occasion . If there are only to be four Quarterly Communications , some of the Brethren will come here to speak against time , and others throw over all measures which are objectionable to them . I have no hesitation in saying that some of us feel that we are thus thrown over by long speeches and letters which are read . ( Hear , hear . ) There are some of us who have had motions
on the paper three , six , nine , and even twelve months , dropping from time to time , and never coming on for discussion . I hold , M . W . Sir , that wherever there is a power of discussion , there is a power of adjournment . ( Hear , hear . ) We have not presumed to think of bringing forward new business . We are only meeting to do the business left undone at the last Grand Lodge . As for the argument of going on till twelve or one o ' clock , it is not likely that we will consent to sit to that hour , and then be told that all business distasteful to the Grand Officers must be thrown over . ¦* It was because no new business
could come on after eleven o ' clock , that we adjourned Grand Lodge at half-past ten —( hear , hear )—so that the motions of the independent Brethren should not be entirely shelved . ( Hear , hear . ) We adjourned in order to go regularly through the business upon the programme . I think it would be a stultification of our own acts not to go on with the business with such a full Grand Lodge as we see now before us . " ( Hear , hear . )
The Eev . Bro . Portal : " This question is a matter of order . It is not advisable to enter into the merits of the case as the Brother who has just sat down has done . There is no mention of an adjournment in the Book of Constitutions . We admit that . The Grand Master has the power to call a special Grand Lodge for a special reason , to be stated in the summons . We admit that . But all this has nothing to do with the question of adjournment . The Book of Constitutions being silent , I take it the Grand Lodge has power to adjourn if necessary . ( Hear , hear . ) There is a rule to take no fresh business after eleven
o ' clock , and the B . W . Brother on your left held that it was impossible for us to adjourn for the purpose of taking that business on some future occasion . That is a conclusion which I deny . I hold that Grand Lodge has the power to adjourn , and that power will not be abused , because unless great interest is felt in a question you will not get Grand Lodge to agree to an adjournment , but the business will be allowed to stand over to the next regular Grand Lodge . The M . W . Grand Master , on the last occasion , declared Grand Lodge adjourned ; the M . W . Grand Master , on the present occasion , declared the Grand Lodge to
be opened in due form ; I therefore now move that the business be proceeded with . " ( Hear , hear . ) Bro . Havers said , hehadtaken a deep interest in the proceedings of GrandLodge , and he claimed to have as deep an interest in putting these little shortcomings to rights as anybody . He knew that Grand Lodge would give him credit for being
perfectly independent . He was eager to set those matters right , but be would not do a greater wrong ( i . e . by adjourning Grand Lodge ) , in order to accomplish that object . ( Oh !) He would assure the Brethren that whatever fell from any of them he would listen to with the greatest care ; and it would not be right to stop him by cries of cc Oh , oh ! " He had known Grand Lodge from the period of the union up to that moment ; but he had never known an adjourned Grand Lodge . He would refer them to the Book of Constitutions , page 21 , section x ., which was
as follows : — " The Grand Master , in his absence the pro Grand Master , in his absence the Deputy Grand Master , or in his absence the Grand Wardens , may summon and hold Grand Lodges of Emergency whenever the good of the Craft shall , in their opinion , require it ; the particular reason for convening such Lodge of Emergency shall be expressed in the summons , and no other business shall be entered upon at that meeting . "
He was as anxious as any of them could be to go into those matters , and it was important professional business in Germany which prevented his being present upon the previous occasion , and he could only regret that some one of the numerous Brethren who were present on that previous occasion , and who must have known the
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Masonic Mirror.
not had sufficient notice it is their own fault , in not being here on the last occasion . If there are only to be four Quarterly Communications , some of the Brethren will come here to speak against time , and others throw over all measures which are objectionable to them . I have no hesitation in saying that some of us feel that we are thus thrown over by long speeches and letters which are read . ( Hear , hear . ) There are some of us who have had motions
on the paper three , six , nine , and even twelve months , dropping from time to time , and never coming on for discussion . I hold , M . W . Sir , that wherever there is a power of discussion , there is a power of adjournment . ( Hear , hear . ) We have not presumed to think of bringing forward new business . We are only meeting to do the business left undone at the last Grand Lodge . As for the argument of going on till twelve or one o ' clock , it is not likely that we will consent to sit to that hour , and then be told that all business distasteful to the Grand Officers must be thrown over . ¦* It was because no new business
could come on after eleven o ' clock , that we adjourned Grand Lodge at half-past ten —( hear , hear )—so that the motions of the independent Brethren should not be entirely shelved . ( Hear , hear . ) We adjourned in order to go regularly through the business upon the programme . I think it would be a stultification of our own acts not to go on with the business with such a full Grand Lodge as we see now before us . " ( Hear , hear . )
The Eev . Bro . Portal : " This question is a matter of order . It is not advisable to enter into the merits of the case as the Brother who has just sat down has done . There is no mention of an adjournment in the Book of Constitutions . We admit that . The Grand Master has the power to call a special Grand Lodge for a special reason , to be stated in the summons . We admit that . But all this has nothing to do with the question of adjournment . The Book of Constitutions being silent , I take it the Grand Lodge has power to adjourn if necessary . ( Hear , hear . ) There is a rule to take no fresh business after eleven
o ' clock , and the B . W . Brother on your left held that it was impossible for us to adjourn for the purpose of taking that business on some future occasion . That is a conclusion which I deny . I hold that Grand Lodge has the power to adjourn , and that power will not be abused , because unless great interest is felt in a question you will not get Grand Lodge to agree to an adjournment , but the business will be allowed to stand over to the next regular Grand Lodge . The M . W . Grand Master , on the last occasion , declared Grand Lodge adjourned ; the M . W . Grand Master , on the present occasion , declared the Grand Lodge to
be opened in due form ; I therefore now move that the business be proceeded with . " ( Hear , hear . ) Bro . Havers said , hehadtaken a deep interest in the proceedings of GrandLodge , and he claimed to have as deep an interest in putting these little shortcomings to rights as anybody . He knew that Grand Lodge would give him credit for being
perfectly independent . He was eager to set those matters right , but be would not do a greater wrong ( i . e . by adjourning Grand Lodge ) , in order to accomplish that object . ( Oh !) He would assure the Brethren that whatever fell from any of them he would listen to with the greatest care ; and it would not be right to stop him by cries of cc Oh , oh ! " He had known Grand Lodge from the period of the union up to that moment ; but he had never known an adjourned Grand Lodge . He would refer them to the Book of Constitutions , page 21 , section x ., which was
as follows : — " The Grand Master , in his absence the pro Grand Master , in his absence the Deputy Grand Master , or in his absence the Grand Wardens , may summon and hold Grand Lodges of Emergency whenever the good of the Craft shall , in their opinion , require it ; the particular reason for convening such Lodge of Emergency shall be expressed in the summons , and no other business shall be entered upon at that meeting . "
He was as anxious as any of them could be to go into those matters , and it was important professional business in Germany which prevented his being present upon the previous occasion , and he could only regret that some one of the numerous Brethren who were present on that previous occasion , and who must have known the