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Article GRAND LODGE PROPERTY. ← Page 2 of 2 Article GRAND LODGE PROPERTY. Page 2 of 2
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Grand Lodge Property.
a handsome balustrade or railing in . the front , of a uniform character , corresponding in style with the new facade . In the aforementioned requisites it is intended that the Grand Master's apartments , General Committeeroom , Grand Secretary's and Clerks' offices , muniment room , strong-room , offices and committee-room for the
Charities , and Grand Tyler ' s apartments , although included in , shall be separate ancl entirely distinct from tbe general building , and a separate entrance made thereto . The temple , hall , library , chapter and lodge-rooms , and the ante-rooms , should be devoted " exclusively to Masonic purposes ; " and these portions of the premises
should be entirely free from the control of the tenant . The library , which should be provided with the general literature of the day , ought to be no burden to the funds of the Craft ; but the expenses should be met by a- small yearly contribution from such members as may choose to avail themselves of the privilige of admission thereto , the details of which will be for the consideration of the
Board of General Purposes . Each lodge or chapter should pay to the funds of the Grand Lodge such yearly sum as the Board of General Purposes shall determine ; and it should be for the several lodges and chapters to determine whether they will take refreshments in the establishment or not . The coffee-room should be appropriated to the
exclusive use of the members of the Craft ; and the tenant should be required to supply attendance , accommodation , and refreshments , at a tariff to be regulated by the Board of General Purposes . The several rooms and offices for the culinary department ; the tenants' and servants ' apartments ; the new hall and cellar under same , ancl the ante-rooms and accommodation connected therewith ; the dining-rooms and the several dormitories , should be vested in the tenant for the general transactisn of business , subject
to such regulations and restrictions as shall be determined upon by the Board of General Purposes . The foregoing views seem to accord with the suggestions contained in Brother Havers' letter of the 7 th of April , and if carried out would probably meet the views of all the members of the fraternity , as all the business of the Craft would then be transacted on its
own premises , and uniting , as it would , the subsidiary property on the west , and the necessary accommodation for the festivals , and the lodge and chapter banquets , would at the same time secure an increased income from the property , aud ensure the general accommodation and increased prosperity of the Craft . Should these suggestions be carried outthe onl
-, y pro fitable method would bo for Grand Lodge to authorise the Board of General Purposes , on the completion of the building , to obtain offers from the present tenants , or other responsible persons , for the occupancy of the letable portion of the premises , under such regulations and restrictions as may appear to the Board to be expedient .
With respect to the statistics , it will be . requisite for the information of Grand Lodge that the whole amount of cash for the several works , & c , should be stated , including the purchases , solicitor ' s charges , stamps , architect ' s commission , & c . This amount should then be divided into two distinct heads , viz ., remunerative , or that portion for which a
reasonable return for the outlay should be expected and the unremunerative , or that portion which it will be necessary to expend for the purposes of the business of the Craft , and for which no return bej'ond the additional accommodation derived therefrom can reasonably be expected . For it is submitted , that it will be impossible to propound any scheme embracing a great and general improvement which will not cause some pecuniary sacrifice in the loss of interest of the money by the . necessary outlay .
Grand Lodge Property.
The latter head , or unremunerative portion , for which no return can be expected beyond the additional accommodation before stated , should comprise the Grand Master's apartment , General Committee-room , Grand Secretary's and clerks' offices , muniment-room , strongroom , offices and committee-rooms for the charities , the alterations , repairs , and decorations of the temple , a
proportion of the new facade , a proportion of the solicitor ' s charges , also a proportion of the architect ' s commission , & c , all of which appertain exclusively to the business of the Craft . The former head , or remunerative portion , should bedivided into distinct parts , viz . : ¦—First , those parts which are to be devoted exclusively to the purposes of
the Craft , but for which a reasonable return should be expected for the outlay ; and , secondly , those parts which would be letable to the tenant , and for which a fair return for the outlay , together with a reasonablerent for the premises , should be also expected . The first of these parts , viz ., those which are to be devoted exclusively to the purposes of tho 5 craftshould
, comprise the amount of cost for the alterations , repairs and decorations of the Hall , the cost of the several lodge and Chapter rooms with the ante-rooms connected therewith , the formation of the library and reading-rooms , a proportion of the new facjade , a proportion of the solicitor ' s charges , also a proportion of the architect's commission , & c .
The second of these parts , viz ., those which would be * letable to the tenant , should comprise the new hall and cellar under same , and the ante-rooms and accommodations connected therewith ; the coffee-room , the diningroom , the several rooms and offices for the culinary department , the tenant ' s and servants' apartments , and the several dormitories , all of which should be vested in the tenant for the general transaction of business , subject to such regulations aud restrictions as the Board of General Purposes shall determine upon .
These several divisions of the expenditure , together with the returns to be expected therefrom , are what I consider the Grand Lodge are fairly entitled to demand before they can be asked to sanction any scheme which may be laid before them for adoption . Should the aforementioned scheme , however , meet with the approval of the Grand Lodge , I would further
suggest that the whole of the aforementioned works should bo carried out in sections , so as not to interfere with the business of the craft , or of the general management of the establishment . And I humbly submit that it would be advisable that they should be carried on continuously until the whole of the fund of General Purposes is expended , and then wait until a sufficient sum
has accumulated , and again proceed with a section , and so on until the whole is completed . This would perhaps occupy the space of about six years , but would furnish a great portion of the increased accommodation at a much earlier period than would be the case if the sections were done at equal stated periods . Shouldhoweverit be considered desirablethe
sub-, , , sidiary portion of the property westward , comprising the site of Queen's Place , of the houses on each side thereof , and of the two houses Nos . 59 and 60 , Great Queen-street , might be let on a building lease at a ground rent for a term of years , the lessee stipulating to erect the building on this portion according to the general plan , within a stated period , and the lessors or society also stipulating
to carry out the remaining portion of the plan , and perform the necessary alterations and repairs to the present premises within a given period , and to let the same on lease to the building lessee for the same term of yeai-s as the building ground , at a further rental ; reserving the exclusive use of the Grand Master's apartments , the several offices , the Tyler ' s apartments , the temple , the hall , the several lodge and chapter-rooms , and the anterooms belonging thereto , and the reading-room or library , to the exclusive use of the craft . This would enable
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Grand Lodge Property.
a handsome balustrade or railing in . the front , of a uniform character , corresponding in style with the new facade . In the aforementioned requisites it is intended that the Grand Master's apartments , General Committeeroom , Grand Secretary's and Clerks' offices , muniment room , strong-room , offices and committee-room for the
Charities , and Grand Tyler ' s apartments , although included in , shall be separate ancl entirely distinct from tbe general building , and a separate entrance made thereto . The temple , hall , library , chapter and lodge-rooms , and the ante-rooms , should be devoted " exclusively to Masonic purposes ; " and these portions of the premises
should be entirely free from the control of the tenant . The library , which should be provided with the general literature of the day , ought to be no burden to the funds of the Craft ; but the expenses should be met by a- small yearly contribution from such members as may choose to avail themselves of the privilige of admission thereto , the details of which will be for the consideration of the
Board of General Purposes . Each lodge or chapter should pay to the funds of the Grand Lodge such yearly sum as the Board of General Purposes shall determine ; and it should be for the several lodges and chapters to determine whether they will take refreshments in the establishment or not . The coffee-room should be appropriated to the
exclusive use of the members of the Craft ; and the tenant should be required to supply attendance , accommodation , and refreshments , at a tariff to be regulated by the Board of General Purposes . The several rooms and offices for the culinary department ; the tenants' and servants ' apartments ; the new hall and cellar under same , ancl the ante-rooms and accommodation connected therewith ; the dining-rooms and the several dormitories , should be vested in the tenant for the general transactisn of business , subject
to such regulations and restrictions as shall be determined upon by the Board of General Purposes . The foregoing views seem to accord with the suggestions contained in Brother Havers' letter of the 7 th of April , and if carried out would probably meet the views of all the members of the fraternity , as all the business of the Craft would then be transacted on its
own premises , and uniting , as it would , the subsidiary property on the west , and the necessary accommodation for the festivals , and the lodge and chapter banquets , would at the same time secure an increased income from the property , aud ensure the general accommodation and increased prosperity of the Craft . Should these suggestions be carried outthe onl
-, y pro fitable method would bo for Grand Lodge to authorise the Board of General Purposes , on the completion of the building , to obtain offers from the present tenants , or other responsible persons , for the occupancy of the letable portion of the premises , under such regulations and restrictions as may appear to the Board to be expedient .
With respect to the statistics , it will be . requisite for the information of Grand Lodge that the whole amount of cash for the several works , & c , should be stated , including the purchases , solicitor ' s charges , stamps , architect ' s commission , & c . This amount should then be divided into two distinct heads , viz ., remunerative , or that portion for which a
reasonable return for the outlay should be expected and the unremunerative , or that portion which it will be necessary to expend for the purposes of the business of the Craft , and for which no return bej'ond the additional accommodation derived therefrom can reasonably be expected . For it is submitted , that it will be impossible to propound any scheme embracing a great and general improvement which will not cause some pecuniary sacrifice in the loss of interest of the money by the . necessary outlay .
Grand Lodge Property.
The latter head , or unremunerative portion , for which no return can be expected beyond the additional accommodation before stated , should comprise the Grand Master's apartment , General Committee-room , Grand Secretary's and clerks' offices , muniment-room , strongroom , offices and committee-rooms for the charities , the alterations , repairs , and decorations of the temple , a
proportion of the new facade , a proportion of the solicitor ' s charges , also a proportion of the architect ' s commission , & c , all of which appertain exclusively to the business of the Craft . The former head , or remunerative portion , should bedivided into distinct parts , viz . : ¦—First , those parts which are to be devoted exclusively to the purposes of
the Craft , but for which a reasonable return should be expected for the outlay ; and , secondly , those parts which would be letable to the tenant , and for which a fair return for the outlay , together with a reasonablerent for the premises , should be also expected . The first of these parts , viz ., those which are to be devoted exclusively to the purposes of tho 5 craftshould
, comprise the amount of cost for the alterations , repairs and decorations of the Hall , the cost of the several lodge and Chapter rooms with the ante-rooms connected therewith , the formation of the library and reading-rooms , a proportion of the new facjade , a proportion of the solicitor ' s charges , also a proportion of the architect's commission , & c .
The second of these parts , viz ., those which would be * letable to the tenant , should comprise the new hall and cellar under same , and the ante-rooms and accommodations connected therewith ; the coffee-room , the diningroom , the several rooms and offices for the culinary department , the tenant ' s and servants' apartments , and the several dormitories , all of which should be vested in the tenant for the general transaction of business , subject to such regulations aud restrictions as the Board of General Purposes shall determine upon .
These several divisions of the expenditure , together with the returns to be expected therefrom , are what I consider the Grand Lodge are fairly entitled to demand before they can be asked to sanction any scheme which may be laid before them for adoption . Should the aforementioned scheme , however , meet with the approval of the Grand Lodge , I would further
suggest that the whole of the aforementioned works should bo carried out in sections , so as not to interfere with the business of the craft , or of the general management of the establishment . And I humbly submit that it would be advisable that they should be carried on continuously until the whole of the fund of General Purposes is expended , and then wait until a sufficient sum
has accumulated , and again proceed with a section , and so on until the whole is completed . This would perhaps occupy the space of about six years , but would furnish a great portion of the increased accommodation at a much earlier period than would be the case if the sections were done at equal stated periods . Shouldhoweverit be considered desirablethe
sub-, , , sidiary portion of the property westward , comprising the site of Queen's Place , of the houses on each side thereof , and of the two houses Nos . 59 and 60 , Great Queen-street , might be let on a building lease at a ground rent for a term of years , the lessee stipulating to erect the building on this portion according to the general plan , within a stated period , and the lessors or society also stipulating
to carry out the remaining portion of the plan , and perform the necessary alterations and repairs to the present premises within a given period , and to let the same on lease to the building lessee for the same term of yeai-s as the building ground , at a further rental ; reserving the exclusive use of the Grand Master's apartments , the several offices , the Tyler ' s apartments , the temple , the hall , the several lodge and chapter-rooms , and the anterooms belonging thereto , and the reading-room or library , to the exclusive use of the craft . This would enable