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Article GOEIEBPOKBENGE. ← Page 2 of 4 →
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Goeiebpokbenge.
Your readers are aware , that in October , 1855 , the representatives of forty Lodges , hading from England and Ireland , united in the formation of " the Grand Lodge of Canada ; " the address announcing this important ¦¦ intelligence ; " to the various Grand Lodges contained also a succinct account of the reasons which had induced the Brethren to take this decisive step . On the formation of the Grand Lodge of Canada , many of the Lodges which had affiliated with her at once
returned their Warrants , either to their Provincial Grand Master or to the respective Grand bodies from which they had emanated ; the remainder of them ( and these were principally , if not entirely , the Upper Canadian English Lodges ) at once formally announced to their mother Grand Lodge that they had ceased to work under her Warrant ; but as they still retained sentiments of respect and veneration for that august body to which they were indebted for their Masonic existence , they requested permission to be allowed to retain it , merely as an evidence of their former connection with her , and as a link in the chain of their
antiquity . These Warrants were deposited with the Grand Secretary of the new Grand Lodge , and remain even now in his custody , awaiting the usual tardy action of the Grand Lodge of England in the matter . This has been most unfairly used by the Provincial Grand Lodge of Canada West , as the groundwork of a charge against the Grand Lodge of Canada ; but your readers will , I think / at once admit that the charge is groundless and unfair . The Grand Lodge of Ireland promptly
accorded a recognition to the new Grand Lodge ; a majority of the Grand Lodges of the United States did the same , and tendered their friendly offices . The position of the Grand Lodge of Canada having been thus established beyond question , she proceeded to discharge the important duties which devolved upon her ; and that these duties have been discharged with zeal and efficiency , and that great good has resulted to the Craft generally , I think none will be hardy en ough to deny . .
A number of Lodges , still clinging to the belief that England would yet relieve them from the difficulties under which they ( in common with the Lodges now so happily united with the Grand Lodge of Canada ) had so long laboured , continued to adhere to their Provincial Grand Lodges ; these hopes ; however , proving visionaiy , the Provincial Grand Lodge of Canada West appointed a committee to negotiate terms of union with the Grand Lodge of Canada . The latter body ,
feeling the importance of union , acceded to the request made by their Provincial Brethren , and they also appointed a committee of reconciliation . Enclosed you will receive a copy of the minutes of that committee , on perusing which you will learn why the negotiation failed—the Provincial Committee insisted , as a sine qua no % , that the Grand Lodge of Canada should be dissolved , and its members unite with them in the formation of a new Grand Lodge , under a new name , and with a new seal ! This of course could not be conceded , as such an act would have
been tantamount to an admission on the part of the Grand Lodge of Canada , that she had not only improperly and unmasonically assumed a position to which she had no right , but it would have been extremely uncourbeous to those Grand bodies with which she had established friendly relations . The Provincial body , although the mere creature of the Grand Master of England , having only an existence during the continuance of his will and pleasure , were yet so tenacious of their
dignity , and so oblivious of their first duty , the good of Masonry , that all con - siderations , save a desire to grasp the baton of office and to attain high Masonic rank , were ignored by them , and they have now determined , even at the risk of perpetuating disunion and of seriously retarding the onward progress of Masonry in this Province , to assume the position of an independent Grand Lodge . Will the Grand Lodge of England aid them in their unmasonjc efforts ? Will that illustrious hody , who have so long been regarded as the fountain-head of Masonic
learning and virtue , so far violate and ignore all Masonic precedent and practice , as to aid in establishing a Grand Lodge within the jurisdiction of an existing Grand Lodge 1 I think not ; but supposing for a moment that , regardless of the firebrand she was thus recklessly throwing among the Masons of Canada , utterly careless of the deep and lasting injury she was inflicting upon the cause of Masonry , and only anxious to sustain those Lodges which had retained their allegiance to her for a few months longer ( and then only under a threat , which they have now
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Goeiebpokbenge.
Your readers are aware , that in October , 1855 , the representatives of forty Lodges , hading from England and Ireland , united in the formation of " the Grand Lodge of Canada ; " the address announcing this important ¦¦ intelligence ; " to the various Grand Lodges contained also a succinct account of the reasons which had induced the Brethren to take this decisive step . On the formation of the Grand Lodge of Canada , many of the Lodges which had affiliated with her at once
returned their Warrants , either to their Provincial Grand Master or to the respective Grand bodies from which they had emanated ; the remainder of them ( and these were principally , if not entirely , the Upper Canadian English Lodges ) at once formally announced to their mother Grand Lodge that they had ceased to work under her Warrant ; but as they still retained sentiments of respect and veneration for that august body to which they were indebted for their Masonic existence , they requested permission to be allowed to retain it , merely as an evidence of their former connection with her , and as a link in the chain of their
antiquity . These Warrants were deposited with the Grand Secretary of the new Grand Lodge , and remain even now in his custody , awaiting the usual tardy action of the Grand Lodge of England in the matter . This has been most unfairly used by the Provincial Grand Lodge of Canada West , as the groundwork of a charge against the Grand Lodge of Canada ; but your readers will , I think / at once admit that the charge is groundless and unfair . The Grand Lodge of Ireland promptly
accorded a recognition to the new Grand Lodge ; a majority of the Grand Lodges of the United States did the same , and tendered their friendly offices . The position of the Grand Lodge of Canada having been thus established beyond question , she proceeded to discharge the important duties which devolved upon her ; and that these duties have been discharged with zeal and efficiency , and that great good has resulted to the Craft generally , I think none will be hardy en ough to deny . .
A number of Lodges , still clinging to the belief that England would yet relieve them from the difficulties under which they ( in common with the Lodges now so happily united with the Grand Lodge of Canada ) had so long laboured , continued to adhere to their Provincial Grand Lodges ; these hopes ; however , proving visionaiy , the Provincial Grand Lodge of Canada West appointed a committee to negotiate terms of union with the Grand Lodge of Canada . The latter body ,
feeling the importance of union , acceded to the request made by their Provincial Brethren , and they also appointed a committee of reconciliation . Enclosed you will receive a copy of the minutes of that committee , on perusing which you will learn why the negotiation failed—the Provincial Committee insisted , as a sine qua no % , that the Grand Lodge of Canada should be dissolved , and its members unite with them in the formation of a new Grand Lodge , under a new name , and with a new seal ! This of course could not be conceded , as such an act would have
been tantamount to an admission on the part of the Grand Lodge of Canada , that she had not only improperly and unmasonically assumed a position to which she had no right , but it would have been extremely uncourbeous to those Grand bodies with which she had established friendly relations . The Provincial body , although the mere creature of the Grand Master of England , having only an existence during the continuance of his will and pleasure , were yet so tenacious of their
dignity , and so oblivious of their first duty , the good of Masonry , that all con - siderations , save a desire to grasp the baton of office and to attain high Masonic rank , were ignored by them , and they have now determined , even at the risk of perpetuating disunion and of seriously retarding the onward progress of Masonry in this Province , to assume the position of an independent Grand Lodge . Will the Grand Lodge of England aid them in their unmasonjc efforts ? Will that illustrious hody , who have so long been regarded as the fountain-head of Masonic
learning and virtue , so far violate and ignore all Masonic precedent and practice , as to aid in establishing a Grand Lodge within the jurisdiction of an existing Grand Lodge 1 I think not ; but supposing for a moment that , regardless of the firebrand she was thus recklessly throwing among the Masons of Canada , utterly careless of the deep and lasting injury she was inflicting upon the cause of Masonry , and only anxious to sustain those Lodges which had retained their allegiance to her for a few months longer ( and then only under a threat , which they have now