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Article PROVINCIAL. ← Page 5 of 15 →
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Provincial.
Brother who has felt it his duty to appeal to the sympathy and support of the Craft . ( Cheers ) . However deeply I might have felt on the subject , I should not have thought it necessary to call you together—I should not have felt called upon to vindicate the character of the noble lord ^—had not the attack been brought before the Grand Lodge by the Grand Master himself , who appealed to the support of the Brethren , and utterly repudiated the charge as false and unfounded . ( Loud
cheers ) . Such a charge would , if true , as the Grand Master himself stated , render him incapable of longer holding his distinguished position as the head of the Craft . Those best acquainted with the Grand Master [ can bear testimony that a more high minded nobleman and gentleman could not exist , and that he is utterly incapable of overstepping his duty or of transgressing the solemn obligations he has taken to administer the affairs of the Craft with impartiality and justice . ( Cheers ) . It is not among those who are acquainted with the Grand
Master—who know his honour and his truthfulness—that such an attack can do any harm—it being well known that throughout life the noble earl has borne the highest character for honour ; and even in his connection with the turf—that rock upon which so many fair reputations have been wrecked—the . voice of slander has nev er dared to breathe one word derogatory to that character . It is not amongst ¦ I fc no se who know his lordship , repeat , that we need say anything in his defence ^ t the circulation of the gross and wicke d attacks made against the Grand Master 1 S not confined to those who know him , or even to this countiy—but it extends to
* e most distant provinces and the colonies , where those who are unacquainted with ¦ kis lordship , upon reading these charges may , as a matter of course , attach some degree of credit to them . I might enter into further explanations upon the subject , but that I believe it will be better brought before you by asking the Prov . Grand Sec . to read that portion of the proceedings of the last Grand Lodge relating to it . Bro . Pickard , Prov . G . Sec , here read the speech of the M . W . G . M ., as reported at pages 467-8 of the Freemasons Magazine of Sept . 8 th . The denials of the Grand Master of the truth of the charges brought against him being loudly cheered .
The R . W . Prov . G . M . then proceeded to say , Brethren—I have now placed you in possession of all the facts to be brought before you , and though I feel strongly on the subject , I am not here to force my feelings and opinions upon any one . We are met calmly to consider the subject , and I trust that , in the remarks I have felt it my duty to make , I have used no expression which can offend against the charity of Freemasonry . ( Cheers ) . I will now move the resolution which I purpose to offer for your approval , " This Prov . Grand Lodge desires to express its
sympathy with the M . W . G . M . the Earl of Zetland , under the groundless personal attack recently made upon him in the \ Masonic Observer ; and to declare its unabated confidence in his lordship's just and impartial administration , as well as its determination to support his lordship in his rightful authority . " ( Cheers ) . Brethren , I now leave the resolution in your hands , awaiting your verdict with perfect confidence , I having only been actuated by what I feel to be my duty as a man and a Mason in calling you together to defend thft character of a brother in his absence , being ready at all times to repel the slanderer of his fair fame . ( Cheers ) .
Bro . Codrington , Prov . S . G . W ., claimed the privilege of seconding the resolution * He felt that he could add nothing to the facts which had been so ably brought before the Brethren , and he felt that they must all approve of the resolution which had been brought under their consideration through the kindness of their excellent Prov . Grand Master . ( Cheers ) . Bro . the Rev . G . R . Portal , P . Prov . G . W ., said that he felt this to be an occasion of the greatest importance , and that no steps ought to be taken without the most earnest and careful consideration . He was not there to defend the attack which
had been made upon the Grand Master , that was very far from his pui ^ pose . It was at all times most mischievous and wrong to impute motives to any one when in the discharge of their duty ; and above all , was it so to impute motives to the head of a Craft , whose purity should always be dearest to his heart . ( Cheers ) . But they were not only asked to express their sympathy with the Grand Master undo ' the attacks to which he had been subjected , but they were asked to go further , and do other things to which he could not consent . In the first part of the resolution which he held in his hand , he was asked to sympathize with the Grand Master under
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Provincial.
Brother who has felt it his duty to appeal to the sympathy and support of the Craft . ( Cheers ) . However deeply I might have felt on the subject , I should not have thought it necessary to call you together—I should not have felt called upon to vindicate the character of the noble lord ^—had not the attack been brought before the Grand Lodge by the Grand Master himself , who appealed to the support of the Brethren , and utterly repudiated the charge as false and unfounded . ( Loud
cheers ) . Such a charge would , if true , as the Grand Master himself stated , render him incapable of longer holding his distinguished position as the head of the Craft . Those best acquainted with the Grand Master [ can bear testimony that a more high minded nobleman and gentleman could not exist , and that he is utterly incapable of overstepping his duty or of transgressing the solemn obligations he has taken to administer the affairs of the Craft with impartiality and justice . ( Cheers ) . It is not among those who are acquainted with the Grand
Master—who know his honour and his truthfulness—that such an attack can do any harm—it being well known that throughout life the noble earl has borne the highest character for honour ; and even in his connection with the turf—that rock upon which so many fair reputations have been wrecked—the . voice of slander has nev er dared to breathe one word derogatory to that character . It is not amongst ¦ I fc no se who know his lordship , repeat , that we need say anything in his defence ^ t the circulation of the gross and wicke d attacks made against the Grand Master 1 S not confined to those who know him , or even to this countiy—but it extends to
* e most distant provinces and the colonies , where those who are unacquainted with ¦ kis lordship , upon reading these charges may , as a matter of course , attach some degree of credit to them . I might enter into further explanations upon the subject , but that I believe it will be better brought before you by asking the Prov . Grand Sec . to read that portion of the proceedings of the last Grand Lodge relating to it . Bro . Pickard , Prov . G . Sec , here read the speech of the M . W . G . M ., as reported at pages 467-8 of the Freemasons Magazine of Sept . 8 th . The denials of the Grand Master of the truth of the charges brought against him being loudly cheered .
The R . W . Prov . G . M . then proceeded to say , Brethren—I have now placed you in possession of all the facts to be brought before you , and though I feel strongly on the subject , I am not here to force my feelings and opinions upon any one . We are met calmly to consider the subject , and I trust that , in the remarks I have felt it my duty to make , I have used no expression which can offend against the charity of Freemasonry . ( Cheers ) . I will now move the resolution which I purpose to offer for your approval , " This Prov . Grand Lodge desires to express its
sympathy with the M . W . G . M . the Earl of Zetland , under the groundless personal attack recently made upon him in the \ Masonic Observer ; and to declare its unabated confidence in his lordship's just and impartial administration , as well as its determination to support his lordship in his rightful authority . " ( Cheers ) . Brethren , I now leave the resolution in your hands , awaiting your verdict with perfect confidence , I having only been actuated by what I feel to be my duty as a man and a Mason in calling you together to defend thft character of a brother in his absence , being ready at all times to repel the slanderer of his fair fame . ( Cheers ) .
Bro . Codrington , Prov . S . G . W ., claimed the privilege of seconding the resolution * He felt that he could add nothing to the facts which had been so ably brought before the Brethren , and he felt that they must all approve of the resolution which had been brought under their consideration through the kindness of their excellent Prov . Grand Master . ( Cheers ) . Bro . the Rev . G . R . Portal , P . Prov . G . W ., said that he felt this to be an occasion of the greatest importance , and that no steps ought to be taken without the most earnest and careful consideration . He was not there to defend the attack which
had been made upon the Grand Master , that was very far from his pui ^ pose . It was at all times most mischievous and wrong to impute motives to any one when in the discharge of their duty ; and above all , was it so to impute motives to the head of a Craft , whose purity should always be dearest to his heart . ( Cheers ) . But they were not only asked to express their sympathy with the Grand Master undo ' the attacks to which he had been subjected , but they were asked to go further , and do other things to which he could not consent . In the first part of the resolution which he held in his hand , he was asked to sympathize with the Grand Master under