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Article GRAND LODGE. ← Page 4 of 5 Article GRAND LODGE. Page 4 of 5 →
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Grand Lodge.
Bro . Havers said he had , in the absence of the Grand Registrar , to state the ground of this appeal , which was in itself very lengthy , and it took him five or six hours to read it . It was an appeal by Bro . Kelson , W . Master of the Lodge of Australasia , No , 530 , against his suspension from bis ' Masonic functions by Bro . Frederick C . Standish , District Grand Master of Victoria ,
and although the appeal was long the facts were very short . The story , as he gleaned it from the evidence , was , a Bro . Dempster , who was a member of tho Lodge No . 530 , did not like the election of a Past Master of the Lodge to the office of Treasurer ; ancl whilst opposing the motion he produced from his pocket certain acceptances which he said the brother iu
question had been unable to meet . Notwithstanding all this the Lodge sided with him , and he was accordingly elected a Treasurer , aud then began the difficulties in the Lodge . These went on for some time , and Bro . Dempster became obnoxious to the members in consequence of the part he had taken in opposition to tbe election of Treasurer . Bro . Dempster afterwards
wished to propose six new members for initiation , but was told if he did so they would most assuredly be blackballed . Somo other members were then asked to propose them , which they did , and they were duly elected . On that night Bro . Dempster asked the W . Master , as they were friends of his , to allow him to initiate them , and at first he seemed inclined to permit him ,
but afterwards he positively refused to do so . Bro . Dempster then said that he would withdraw their names , for although they had been proposed by other persons they were still his candidates , and he felt severely the slight that bad been put upon him by the W . Master . He did accordingly tell these persons that there were disputes in tbe Lodge , and they were not initiated in it . In about a week afterwards he sent in his resignation with the amount of the
fees due from him , and asked for his clearance certificate , which he ( Bro . Havers ) wished was more frequently asked for in English lodges . The lodge accordingly sent bim his clearance certificate , but on the bask of it they wrote that at a meeting of the Lodgo of Australasia , it was unanimously resolved that the conduct of Andrew Dempster was highly censurable ,
inasmuch a number of persons who bad been elected and intended to be initiated in the lodge had been tampered with by Bro . Dempster , and ^ that he had ^ induced them to withdraw from it . It was also agreed that a copy of this resolution , should be sent to the District G . M . The Master of the lodge , Bro . Kelson , accordingly , on the ISth of April , forwarded a copy of this
resolution to the District G . M ., but on tho 2 nd of May the District G . M . sent a communication to Bro . Kelson informing him , as Master of the Lodge , that tho passing of such a resolution was irregular and highly improper , calling upon him at once to expunge all record of it from the minutes , and to give Bro . Dempster a proper certificate and retract the offensive
endorsement . Bro . Kelson , in reply , said-what was done was the act of tho lodge , and that he could not undo it . To this objection thc District G . 5 I . said that , as Master of tbo Lodge , lie was answerable for the conduct of it , and he ought not to have allowed such a resolution to have been proposed , and as the order for tho erasure of the minutes was not complied with ,
the District Grand Master suspended Bro . Kelson from his Masonic functions , and against tbat suspension he then appealed . Bro . Kelson ' s defence was , that the endorsement or the clearance certificate was the act of the lodge aud not his , and tho by-laws that gave power to issue clearance certificates required that such certificates should state tbe circumstances under which the bearers of them loft the lodge . He ( Bro . Havers ) , had to ask them two questions . Was the lodge justified on the facts stated , in endorsing Bro .
Grand Lodge.
Dempster's certificate with matters which appeared to be libellous ? If a Brother had broken the law , the lodge would be justified in endorsing his certificate . The second question was , was not the D . G Master justified in taking action on the case as put before him ? The D . G . Master said he was ready to hear and determine the case against Bro . Dempster , but Bro . Kelson
had put himself within the reach of the judge , placing himself beforo him . It was unfortunate that these feuds should exist , but all tbey could do was , strictly and impartially to do their duty , and he submitted as a motion on the facts stated , the lodge of Australasia was not justified in endorsing the certificate of Bro . Dempster .
Bro . Llewellyn Evans seconded the motion of Bro . Havers . The Master of a lodge was responsible for the conduct of it , and if lie allowed matters to be brought forward that ought never to have been put before it , he was responsible for it . Bro . Warren said the endorsing of a brother ' s certificate , without giving bim an opportunity of rebutting the charges brought against him , was unjustifiable , and to be condensed in his absence , was an act that the Grand Lodge could not approve of .
Bro . Brackstone Baker , contended that on a Brother leaving a lodge , the members of it hod no right to impart private feuds into other lodges . They had no more right to go into them than they had'to inquire if a brother had paid his tailor's bill , for the purpose of debarring him from entering another lodge .. He quite concurred in the resolution proposed by Bro . Havers , for tho lodge was not justified in endorsing Bro .
Dempster'scertificate in the manner which had been described . The motion was then put and agreed to . Bro- Havers then said , that as Bro . Kelson had sent the D . Gr . M . a copy of the offensive endorsement , the G . M . was justified ; in acting , as he had the defendant properly before him . Hemoved au amendment to that effect .
Bro . L . Evans seconded the motion , whicli was carried . Bro . Havers moved , " that the suspension of Bro . Kelson be confirmed , with power to the D . G . M . to remove that suspension on due submission being made . This motion was also put and carried unanimously . ALTERATION IN THE HOUR OP MEETING- OP GEAND LODGE .
Bro . Raynham W . Stewart , P . M ., Nos . 103 and 453 , moved : — " That the business of the Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge shall in future commence at seven o ' clock instead of eight o ' clock , and that iu Rule 10 iu page 2 S of tho Book of Constitutions , after the word after ' Ten' shall be inserted instead of
TEleven . " He said , in rising to propose this motion , he wished to consult the convenience of the Grand Lodge and the Craft ' generally . Tho brethren found themselves in a very different position from that they were in some years ago , when railways ivere unknown ; but now , as many of them lived a little way out of town , if they attended Grand Lodge , they had great
difficulty in getting home by certain trains . His desire was that all matters of Masonry should be freely and fully discussed ; but at their last meeting , in consequence of tho late hour , there were not more than 65 members present when they camo to a very important decision . His solo object in bringing forward this motion was , that all subjects should be properly discussed .
Bro . Udall seconded the motion , and said that business could not be properly carried on at a late hour at night . Bro . Lord de Tabley thought it would be moro cocrteous if the motion was postponed until the Grand 3 fa .. fcer was present . Bro . R . Stewart said he would do so , and would then withdraw the motion , but with a firm determination to give notice of it again for tho next Grand Lodge .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Grand Lodge.
Bro . Havers said he had , in the absence of the Grand Registrar , to state the ground of this appeal , which was in itself very lengthy , and it took him five or six hours to read it . It was an appeal by Bro . Kelson , W . Master of the Lodge of Australasia , No , 530 , against his suspension from bis ' Masonic functions by Bro . Frederick C . Standish , District Grand Master of Victoria ,
and although the appeal was long the facts were very short . The story , as he gleaned it from the evidence , was , a Bro . Dempster , who was a member of tho Lodge No . 530 , did not like the election of a Past Master of the Lodge to the office of Treasurer ; ancl whilst opposing the motion he produced from his pocket certain acceptances which he said the brother iu
question had been unable to meet . Notwithstanding all this the Lodge sided with him , and he was accordingly elected a Treasurer , aud then began the difficulties in the Lodge . These went on for some time , and Bro . Dempster became obnoxious to the members in consequence of the part he had taken in opposition to tbe election of Treasurer . Bro . Dempster afterwards
wished to propose six new members for initiation , but was told if he did so they would most assuredly be blackballed . Somo other members were then asked to propose them , which they did , and they were duly elected . On that night Bro . Dempster asked the W . Master , as they were friends of his , to allow him to initiate them , and at first he seemed inclined to permit him ,
but afterwards he positively refused to do so . Bro . Dempster then said that he would withdraw their names , for although they had been proposed by other persons they were still his candidates , and he felt severely the slight that bad been put upon him by the W . Master . He did accordingly tell these persons that there were disputes in tbe Lodge , and they were not initiated in it . In about a week afterwards he sent in his resignation with the amount of the
fees due from him , and asked for his clearance certificate , which he ( Bro . Havers ) wished was more frequently asked for in English lodges . The lodge accordingly sent bim his clearance certificate , but on the bask of it they wrote that at a meeting of the Lodgo of Australasia , it was unanimously resolved that the conduct of Andrew Dempster was highly censurable ,
inasmuch a number of persons who bad been elected and intended to be initiated in the lodge had been tampered with by Bro . Dempster , and ^ that he had ^ induced them to withdraw from it . It was also agreed that a copy of this resolution , should be sent to the District G . M . The Master of the lodge , Bro . Kelson , accordingly , on the ISth of April , forwarded a copy of this
resolution to the District G . M ., but on tho 2 nd of May the District G . M . sent a communication to Bro . Kelson informing him , as Master of the Lodge , that tho passing of such a resolution was irregular and highly improper , calling upon him at once to expunge all record of it from the minutes , and to give Bro . Dempster a proper certificate and retract the offensive
endorsement . Bro . Kelson , in reply , said-what was done was the act of tho lodge , and that he could not undo it . To this objection thc District G . 5 I . said that , as Master of tbo Lodge , lie was answerable for the conduct of it , and he ought not to have allowed such a resolution to have been proposed , and as the order for tho erasure of the minutes was not complied with ,
the District Grand Master suspended Bro . Kelson from his Masonic functions , and against tbat suspension he then appealed . Bro . Kelson ' s defence was , that the endorsement or the clearance certificate was the act of the lodge aud not his , and tho by-laws that gave power to issue clearance certificates required that such certificates should state tbe circumstances under which the bearers of them loft the lodge . He ( Bro . Havers ) , had to ask them two questions . Was the lodge justified on the facts stated , in endorsing Bro .
Grand Lodge.
Dempster's certificate with matters which appeared to be libellous ? If a Brother had broken the law , the lodge would be justified in endorsing his certificate . The second question was , was not the D . G Master justified in taking action on the case as put before him ? The D . G . Master said he was ready to hear and determine the case against Bro . Dempster , but Bro . Kelson
had put himself within the reach of the judge , placing himself beforo him . It was unfortunate that these feuds should exist , but all tbey could do was , strictly and impartially to do their duty , and he submitted as a motion on the facts stated , the lodge of Australasia was not justified in endorsing the certificate of Bro . Dempster .
Bro . Llewellyn Evans seconded the motion of Bro . Havers . The Master of a lodge was responsible for the conduct of it , and if lie allowed matters to be brought forward that ought never to have been put before it , he was responsible for it . Bro . Warren said the endorsing of a brother ' s certificate , without giving bim an opportunity of rebutting the charges brought against him , was unjustifiable , and to be condensed in his absence , was an act that the Grand Lodge could not approve of .
Bro . Brackstone Baker , contended that on a Brother leaving a lodge , the members of it hod no right to impart private feuds into other lodges . They had no more right to go into them than they had'to inquire if a brother had paid his tailor's bill , for the purpose of debarring him from entering another lodge .. He quite concurred in the resolution proposed by Bro . Havers , for tho lodge was not justified in endorsing Bro .
Dempster'scertificate in the manner which had been described . The motion was then put and agreed to . Bro- Havers then said , that as Bro . Kelson had sent the D . Gr . M . a copy of the offensive endorsement , the G . M . was justified ; in acting , as he had the defendant properly before him . Hemoved au amendment to that effect .
Bro . L . Evans seconded the motion , whicli was carried . Bro . Havers moved , " that the suspension of Bro . Kelson be confirmed , with power to the D . G . M . to remove that suspension on due submission being made . This motion was also put and carried unanimously . ALTERATION IN THE HOUR OP MEETING- OP GEAND LODGE .
Bro . Raynham W . Stewart , P . M ., Nos . 103 and 453 , moved : — " That the business of the Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge shall in future commence at seven o ' clock instead of eight o ' clock , and that iu Rule 10 iu page 2 S of tho Book of Constitutions , after the word after ' Ten' shall be inserted instead of
TEleven . " He said , in rising to propose this motion , he wished to consult the convenience of the Grand Lodge and the Craft ' generally . Tho brethren found themselves in a very different position from that they were in some years ago , when railways ivere unknown ; but now , as many of them lived a little way out of town , if they attended Grand Lodge , they had great
difficulty in getting home by certain trains . His desire was that all matters of Masonry should be freely and fully discussed ; but at their last meeting , in consequence of tho late hour , there were not more than 65 members present when they camo to a very important decision . His solo object in bringing forward this motion was , that all subjects should be properly discussed .
Bro . Udall seconded the motion , and said that business could not be properly carried on at a late hour at night . Bro . Lord de Tabley thought it would be moro cocrteous if the motion was postponed until the Grand 3 fa .. fcer was present . Bro . R . Stewart said he would do so , and would then withdraw the motion , but with a firm determination to give notice of it again for tho next Grand Lodge .