Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
India.
permitted the money due to tho District Grand Lodge to be mixed up with the lodge funds in the hands of the Treasurer , ancl to be expended on objects for which it hacl not been levied . Masters of lodges thus made use of tiie power given to them by the District Grand Lodge to levy certain fees , and then suffered the money so raised to be used for the benefit of their own lodges . The law on the subject was very clear ; namely , that the dues to the Grand Lodge should be kept separate ancl
distinct from the lodge fund , in the custody of the Master , ancl not of the Treasurer . Such moneys were to be held in trust by the Master , who was personally responsible for them . A case had recently occurred , of the Master of the lodge at Simla repudiating all responsibility for the payment of the fees of 1861 , when the lodge had been working under the Hiram of his predecessor ; but he had been informed thatif his arrears were
, not submitted forthwith , the Finance Committee would be requested to consider the matter . The Prov . G . M . tendered his acknowledgments to the Provincial Grand Stewards of the year for the pains which they had taken for the management of the banquet , and for the rules laid clown by them , which assimilated the banquet arrangements to those of the Grand Lodge of England .
The Prov . G . M . having resumed his seat , the Prov . G . Sec . read the report of the Finance Committee . The balance in hand of the District Grand Lodge Fund was 1668 rupees , and of the Fund of Benevolence , 4-124 rupees . Bro . Roberts expressed his opinion that the Finance Committee should be composed partly of Masters or Past Masters who held no office in the District Grand Lodge . At present all
its members were Grand Officers . The report of the Finance Committee upon the application of the Allahabad Lodge for a remission of its dues for I 860 and 1861 was taken into consideration . The Master , Bro . Spence , had asked whether the present members of the lodge could be fairly " called upon to liquidate claims due long before they become members , or even belonged
to the Craft ? " The committee were able to show reasons for answering this question in the affirmative ; but they contented themselves by observing that it had heen ruled by the Grand Lodgo of England that no lapse of time could exonerate a lodge
from its responsibility for the payment of the authorised fees ancl dues . This decision had been passed on a ease , in which the officers of a lodge had uiged that the lodge was not liable for a certain payment , because it was at that time composed of members who were not its members when the money first became due to the Grand Lodge . The Committee observed that it was a common practice for Masters of lodges to neglect the constitutional rule which
provides that the money due to the Grand Lodge ancl to Provincial Grand Lodges shall he kept "separate and distinct" from the Lodge Fund , in the hands of the Master and not of the Treasurer . In India , it sometimes happens that a Master , after having performed his duties loosely in this respect , leaves the Station in which his lodge is working , ancl goes to England or elsewhere ; and then his successor , who has neglected to take
over the money which must bo kept in his immediate custody , repudiates all responsibility for the payment of the dues for the period preceding his election to the chair . To check such practices , the Committee had been disposed to recommend that a severe example should be made of the lodge at Allahabad ; but they observed that Bro . Spence had urged a very extenuating circumstance in the following passage of his
letter : — " Although , according to established rules and regulations , it is the duty of every newly-elected Master to satisfy himself that the accounts of his predecessor in office are correct and written up to date , and that the balance of funds has a tangible existence , still , in my case , such was scarcely practicable , owing to the former Master , Bro . C . G . Sim , having left the Station
unexpectedly and without any previous notice , and before Ms term of office had expired . His death in Calcutta shortly after rendered all reference or explanation impossible . " In consideration of the peculiar feature in the case pointed out in the above extract , and also because Bro . Spence was personally deserving of commendation ancl encouragement , inasmuch as his administration of the lodge hacl heen reported as
presenting a favourable contrast to that of his predecessor , and as , moreover , the offer of a portion of the amount due formed a ground for leniency which did not exist when the case was first reviewed in March last , the Committee recommended that the tender of 185-10-8 rupees , being the one-third of the amount
due for I 860 ancl 1861 , should be accepted , ancl that the rest of the debt should be cancelled . Bro . ROBERTS proposed the adoption of the recommendation , Bro . JUDGE could see no good ground for remitting the debt , and therefore moved that the lodge should be compelled to pay the full amount of the dues for I 860 and 1861 . The original proposition was , however , carried . The PROV . G . SECRETARY read the following notice of motion
which had been given by Bro . Howe : — " To ask whether the admission of Hindoos into Freemasonry is in consonance with the principles of the Order , as inculcated by the Grand Lodge of England . " Bro . HOWE stated that , as a belief in one God was indispensably required of those who sought admission into the Order , and as Hindoos did not cherish such a belief , he did not think they should be initiated . They werefor the most
partidola-, , tors ; and although a section of them had renounced their ancient superstitions , and had turned to metaphysical abstractions , they were yet far from being worshippers of the one true and living God , who was acknowledged by the members of an institution claiming the title of the handmaid of religion . Bro . Howe contended that , when it was ruled that no man should be excluded from Freemasonry on account of his religion , the term
" religion" was not meant to include systems of idolatrous worship ; for at that time it was applied only to systems which had for their basis a belief in one God . Bro . Howe further expressed his opinion that there were no proper means of obligating Hindoos , ancl that , therefore , their initiation was inconsistent with a preservation of the secrets of the Order . Bro . Howe concluded by disclaiming all feelings of antagonism or prejudice
against Hindoos , and stated that he was glad when members of their community rendered themselves worthy of holding high positions in the public service . Bro . JUDGE observed that the opinion expressed some years ago by the Duke of Sussex , that the Order was open for the admission of Hindoos , could hardly be inconsistent with the Constitution ;? . Bro . EGBERTS was of opinion that the discussion might be shortened by simply considering whether there was any proper and sufficient mode of obligating a Hindoo candidate . If there
was not , there was an end of the matter . Bro . F . POWELL stated that the discussion having evidentlyoriginated in the initiation in the lodge over which he presided of a Hindoo gentleman , he considered it necessary to offer some explanation of the grounds on which fie had acted . The candidate hacl been introduced to the notice of the lodge by two brethren , namely , Bros . Pill ' ard and Pittar , who were well acquainted with himand who had recommended him as a good
, and worthy man . With regard to the candidate ' s religion , it appeared that he was not an idolater , but that he believed in . the existence of one God . The following declaration had been made by him : — " I am not a Pantheist or a Polytheist . I do not identify my Creator with any one of his creatures . I believe in the existence of one Great Architect of the Universe , whose wish is the happiness of all his creatures , whose will is
law , whose laws are impressed on the heart of every rightthinking individual , and whose never-failing justice shall reach the transgressor of his laws on the great clay of judgment to come . " With such a declaration before him , Bro . Powell hacl sought the advice of the officiating Provincial Grand Master , and had ascertained that a dispensation would be granted . There remained to be considered a point of some difficulty , viz .,
as to how tho candidate was to be obligated ; but this difficulty appeared to be overcome by a further declaration made by the candidate , that he believed the Bible to contain a faithful delineation of the attributes of the Deity , and that therefore an O . B . taken on the Bible would be binding on his conscience . Bro . Powell was of opinion that arguments on social grounds could not influence the District Grand Lodge , but only the lodge
in which a Hindoo was proposed for initiation . If the members of a particular lodge saw no objection to social intercourse with Hindoos , fhey were at liberty , he thought , to act upon their views . In conclusion , Bro . Powell stated that he had considered himself bound by the Constitutions to take the course which he had taken ; that is , to apply for a dispensation on the information supplied by him as to the eliibility of the candidateunci
g , then to take the sense of the brethren of the lodge by ballot . He hoped that the result of this evening's discussion would be to provide him with some rule for his future guidance , especially as some other Hindoo gentlemen hacl been proposed for initiation in his lodge .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
India.
permitted the money due to tho District Grand Lodge to be mixed up with the lodge funds in the hands of the Treasurer , ancl to be expended on objects for which it hacl not been levied . Masters of lodges thus made use of tiie power given to them by the District Grand Lodge to levy certain fees , and then suffered the money so raised to be used for the benefit of their own lodges . The law on the subject was very clear ; namely , that the dues to the Grand Lodge should be kept separate ancl
distinct from the lodge fund , in the custody of the Master , ancl not of the Treasurer . Such moneys were to be held in trust by the Master , who was personally responsible for them . A case had recently occurred , of the Master of the lodge at Simla repudiating all responsibility for the payment of the fees of 1861 , when the lodge had been working under the Hiram of his predecessor ; but he had been informed thatif his arrears were
, not submitted forthwith , the Finance Committee would be requested to consider the matter . The Prov . G . M . tendered his acknowledgments to the Provincial Grand Stewards of the year for the pains which they had taken for the management of the banquet , and for the rules laid clown by them , which assimilated the banquet arrangements to those of the Grand Lodge of England .
The Prov . G . M . having resumed his seat , the Prov . G . Sec . read the report of the Finance Committee . The balance in hand of the District Grand Lodge Fund was 1668 rupees , and of the Fund of Benevolence , 4-124 rupees . Bro . Roberts expressed his opinion that the Finance Committee should be composed partly of Masters or Past Masters who held no office in the District Grand Lodge . At present all
its members were Grand Officers . The report of the Finance Committee upon the application of the Allahabad Lodge for a remission of its dues for I 860 and 1861 was taken into consideration . The Master , Bro . Spence , had asked whether the present members of the lodge could be fairly " called upon to liquidate claims due long before they become members , or even belonged
to the Craft ? " The committee were able to show reasons for answering this question in the affirmative ; but they contented themselves by observing that it had heen ruled by the Grand Lodgo of England that no lapse of time could exonerate a lodge
from its responsibility for the payment of the authorised fees ancl dues . This decision had been passed on a ease , in which the officers of a lodge had uiged that the lodge was not liable for a certain payment , because it was at that time composed of members who were not its members when the money first became due to the Grand Lodge . The Committee observed that it was a common practice for Masters of lodges to neglect the constitutional rule which
provides that the money due to the Grand Lodge ancl to Provincial Grand Lodges shall he kept "separate and distinct" from the Lodge Fund , in the hands of the Master and not of the Treasurer . In India , it sometimes happens that a Master , after having performed his duties loosely in this respect , leaves the Station in which his lodge is working , ancl goes to England or elsewhere ; and then his successor , who has neglected to take
over the money which must bo kept in his immediate custody , repudiates all responsibility for the payment of the dues for the period preceding his election to the chair . To check such practices , the Committee had been disposed to recommend that a severe example should be made of the lodge at Allahabad ; but they observed that Bro . Spence had urged a very extenuating circumstance in the following passage of his
letter : — " Although , according to established rules and regulations , it is the duty of every newly-elected Master to satisfy himself that the accounts of his predecessor in office are correct and written up to date , and that the balance of funds has a tangible existence , still , in my case , such was scarcely practicable , owing to the former Master , Bro . C . G . Sim , having left the Station
unexpectedly and without any previous notice , and before Ms term of office had expired . His death in Calcutta shortly after rendered all reference or explanation impossible . " In consideration of the peculiar feature in the case pointed out in the above extract , and also because Bro . Spence was personally deserving of commendation ancl encouragement , inasmuch as his administration of the lodge hacl heen reported as
presenting a favourable contrast to that of his predecessor , and as , moreover , the offer of a portion of the amount due formed a ground for leniency which did not exist when the case was first reviewed in March last , the Committee recommended that the tender of 185-10-8 rupees , being the one-third of the amount
due for I 860 ancl 1861 , should be accepted , ancl that the rest of the debt should be cancelled . Bro . ROBERTS proposed the adoption of the recommendation , Bro . JUDGE could see no good ground for remitting the debt , and therefore moved that the lodge should be compelled to pay the full amount of the dues for I 860 and 1861 . The original proposition was , however , carried . The PROV . G . SECRETARY read the following notice of motion
which had been given by Bro . Howe : — " To ask whether the admission of Hindoos into Freemasonry is in consonance with the principles of the Order , as inculcated by the Grand Lodge of England . " Bro . HOWE stated that , as a belief in one God was indispensably required of those who sought admission into the Order , and as Hindoos did not cherish such a belief , he did not think they should be initiated . They werefor the most
partidola-, , tors ; and although a section of them had renounced their ancient superstitions , and had turned to metaphysical abstractions , they were yet far from being worshippers of the one true and living God , who was acknowledged by the members of an institution claiming the title of the handmaid of religion . Bro . Howe contended that , when it was ruled that no man should be excluded from Freemasonry on account of his religion , the term
" religion" was not meant to include systems of idolatrous worship ; for at that time it was applied only to systems which had for their basis a belief in one God . Bro . Howe further expressed his opinion that there were no proper means of obligating Hindoos , ancl that , therefore , their initiation was inconsistent with a preservation of the secrets of the Order . Bro . Howe concluded by disclaiming all feelings of antagonism or prejudice
against Hindoos , and stated that he was glad when members of their community rendered themselves worthy of holding high positions in the public service . Bro . JUDGE observed that the opinion expressed some years ago by the Duke of Sussex , that the Order was open for the admission of Hindoos , could hardly be inconsistent with the Constitution ;? . Bro . EGBERTS was of opinion that the discussion might be shortened by simply considering whether there was any proper and sufficient mode of obligating a Hindoo candidate . If there
was not , there was an end of the matter . Bro . F . POWELL stated that the discussion having evidentlyoriginated in the initiation in the lodge over which he presided of a Hindoo gentleman , he considered it necessary to offer some explanation of the grounds on which fie had acted . The candidate hacl been introduced to the notice of the lodge by two brethren , namely , Bros . Pill ' ard and Pittar , who were well acquainted with himand who had recommended him as a good
, and worthy man . With regard to the candidate ' s religion , it appeared that he was not an idolater , but that he believed in . the existence of one God . The following declaration had been made by him : — " I am not a Pantheist or a Polytheist . I do not identify my Creator with any one of his creatures . I believe in the existence of one Great Architect of the Universe , whose wish is the happiness of all his creatures , whose will is
law , whose laws are impressed on the heart of every rightthinking individual , and whose never-failing justice shall reach the transgressor of his laws on the great clay of judgment to come . " With such a declaration before him , Bro . Powell hacl sought the advice of the officiating Provincial Grand Master , and had ascertained that a dispensation would be granted . There remained to be considered a point of some difficulty , viz .,
as to how tho candidate was to be obligated ; but this difficulty appeared to be overcome by a further declaration made by the candidate , that he believed the Bible to contain a faithful delineation of the attributes of the Deity , and that therefore an O . B . taken on the Bible would be binding on his conscience . Bro . Powell was of opinion that arguments on social grounds could not influence the District Grand Lodge , but only the lodge
in which a Hindoo was proposed for initiation . If the members of a particular lodge saw no objection to social intercourse with Hindoos , fhey were at liberty , he thought , to act upon their views . In conclusion , Bro . Powell stated that he had considered himself bound by the Constitutions to take the course which he had taken ; that is , to apply for a dispensation on the information supplied by him as to the eliibility of the candidateunci
g , then to take the sense of the brethren of the lodge by ballot . He hoped that the result of this evening's discussion would be to provide him with some rule for his future guidance , especially as some other Hindoo gentlemen hacl been proposed for initiation in his lodge .