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Article GRAND LODGE. ← Page 5 of 8 →
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Grand Lodge.
Committee before them , as to the Grand Lodge property , which could not fail to be present to their minds . He observed by tho report that the tenants of the Tavern had been charged with the increased rent from the 11 th of November . Tho first question he wanted to ask was , whether the tenants had had any opportunity of dissenting from the dictum laid down by the Building Committee . The second question ho wished to ask was , whether the Building Committee intended to enforce
the penalties against the contractor for not liaving completed tho building by the prescribed time . He would admit it was ungracious to find fault with the leading spirit of that committee , as he believed that no committee could bo formed better adapted for the work entrusted to them , as tho brethren would be put in the possession of an admirable structure ; and if any one in future years should ask what Bro . Havers had done , he
would reply " Circv . mspice . " His object in rising was not to ask in misereeordiam , but as a matter of right —looking at the delay that had occurred -. and as it was required that the whole of the buildings should bo completed by the 1 st of November , 1866 ; taking , too , into account that there had been great delay in the completion of the building , that they had lost the profit of an entire year—whether fcliey intended that the
penalties were to he enforced , for it had been a great hardship upon them . Bro . WAHREX * wished to ask the members of the Building Committee whether it was true , as was reported , that the Masonic coffee-room was to be included in the lease of the Tavern . All that he could say was , that it was not so understood when it was first proposed . It was then fully understood
that they were to have the coffee-room to themselves . If they were not to have the exclusive use of the coffee-room , he wanted to know what guarantee they were to have that they should only be charged proper prices for the use of that room . "What guarantee would they have that they would not be charged two shillings and sixpence for a plate of beef that could be obtained elsewhere for ninepence ?
Bro . HUBBUCK wanted to know if the property had been handed over to the Tavern Company , and whether the workmen were still employed as at the commencement of the rental . Bro . BEXSOCH . suggested that the chairman of the Building
Committee should not be called upon to answer perhaps a hundred questions together , and thought it would be better that lie should answer each specific question as it was put by the speaker , and it would at once prevent any misunderstanding . Bro . HAYEKS said he could , assure Bro , Bennoch , having worked three years and a half for them , that if he sat there until eight o ' clock in the morning he would answer every question that they might put to himand he would proceed
, to answer those that had been already put to him . He was the executive officer of tho committee , but ho trusted that the brethren would not be too hard upon him . In answer to Bro . Baker ' s first question , he said that the increased rout for the Tavern commenced on the 11 th of November . Ho was also asked if the tenants had had notice . Now , ho would put the brethren in possession of a
few facts , and they might bo told in a few words . They undertook to erect a new building , which undertaking was given to Bro . Shrewsbury , and by him it was handed over to tho new Tavern Company . They had hoped to have completed that building by Midsummer last , but , at the end of October , when he ( Bro . Havers ) was in the country , he received a telegraphic messageasking permission to let the new hall for the Dickens '
, dinner , ancl asking permission to effect some stucco and paintings upon it , and he replied that they could do so , provided it was with the sanction of their own ( the Craft ' s ) architect , and at their own expense . He informed Bro . Gosden that they were welcome to do that , if by so doing they accepted the tenancy , and did the painting at their own expense , but gave directions to Dudley not to allow anything to be done until
they accepted the tenancy . Dudley , on that , locked the door , and put the key iu his pocket , but something was done to get possession of the room , and , being decorated and painted , it was let for profit for tho Dickens' dinner , and now they said they would not pay the rent , because there were about halfa-dozen bricklayers employed in doing some minor works , which , he saidwas one of the most ingeniousandhe would sayone
, , , , of the most audacious , things he ever heard of . He ( Bro . Havers ) said he considered them as their tenants , but , having painted the walls , and thereby incurred some expense , he said lie considered it would be only fair that they should come in , and the increased rent begin at the half quarter . As to
whether the penalties for the non-completion of tho building at the prescribed time were tn be enforced , that was a very delicate matter , and he thought it would be better if the Committee were not asked to enforce them- That very morning he had received what he considered to be a great curiosity in the form of a lawyer's letter , asking , if any of those penalties were received , that they should be handed over to the Tavern Companyand they were told that they haclagood claim against
, tho Grand Lodge ; and the letter went on further to say that , if those penalties were obtained , out of them they were goingto pay the shareholders a dividend . There was one point which had been raised , ancl that was one of deep moment . They had been asked not to insist in giving up the name " Freemasons' Tavern . Now , he was an old 3 Inson , and he could that it was tho earnest desire of his heart to see a separation
say of Freemasonry from tavern Freemasonry . From his earliest clays he had always spoken of the necessity of their Craft havinga temple devoted to Freemasonry , but completely separated from tavern accommodation . He liked " creature comforts " after labour , hut , at the same time , nothing tended so much to ennoble their Order as by a complete separation of it from tavern purposes . He found that the Dickens' dinner was
advertised at every railway station to be held in Freemasons ' Hall ; but over ancl over again it had been pointed out to Bro . Shrewsbury , ancl the fact he had pointed out , as the representative of Grand Lodge , that they had been advised to build a place , so that they might have refreshment at a reasonablerate , and pay a rent for the lodge rooms . He contended that the interests of the landlord were identical with the interests
of the Craft . He had been asked if he had received a legal letter from Bro . Vallance , in which he disputed that the tenants had obtained possession . Ho had received such a letter from Bro . Vallance , the solicitor to the Company , but he did not give his reasons . He had to state that the coffee-room , or , as it was then called "The Edinburgh , " was reserved for Masonic purposes , and would be maintained inviolable from any other purposes than their own . The dining-room and
coffee-room were especially excepted . He should be happy to answer any further questions , but , as agents of Hie Craft , they were determined not to sacrifice one tittle of their interests . Bro . WELLIXGTOX VALLAXCE said allusion had been made to his name as the solicitor to the Freemasons' Tavern Company . He should not have risen , and had no intention of doing so , and should have kept silent , but that Bro . Havershad thought fit to allude to him . He had written to the trustees through
Bro . Dobie , and he was not aware how far Bro . Havers represented them . It was a civil , courteous , and kind letter , and could in no sense be deserving of the appellative which bad been applied to it hy Bro . Havers , who called it " a lawyer's letter . " It deserved no such appellative from him as that it was a lawyer ' s letter , but he ( Bro . Vallance ) could not allow his name to be associated with those who had subscribed £ 50 , 000 .
. obtained from the public on the truth of the prospectus , without offering some observations upon what he had said . He contended that there was not one word of that prospectus unborne out at the present moment , and it had been confirmed by Bro , Havers himself in the Grand Lodge , and he had taken every opportunity of showing that tho shareholders would reap profit irora it . He scorned his censure when ho referred to the ninth
paragraph of the lease to Bro . Shrewsbury , but be called upon all who represented the Grand Lodgo—he called upon the Most Worshipful Grand Master of Masons-to reflect on the effect of that clause . Ho entered the Craft long since , his father and grandfather were Masons , and he had a profound belief that Masons lived in charity and leve with all mankind ; but when he found the ninth clause of the agreementifor the lease , he
saw that winch should stimulate them to claim the sympathy of the Grand Lodge . He was surrounded by Masons , and ho was sure they were honourable men , but by the operation of the clause he had referred to they couli not obtain dividends for the widows and orphans whose money had been invested in the Freemasons' Tavern Company . The Grand Lodge of England was supposed to be the fountain of honour , but they would not prove to be so if they took from them the means by which only Masons could obtain dividends , and in the name of the tavern
in which they had invested their money . Bro . WARREX rose to order . They were not here to discuss the lease . Bro . VALLAXCE continued : If a man had a position in London when his name was appended to a prospectus it induced other persons to invest their money , and he believed that every word
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Grand Lodge.
Committee before them , as to the Grand Lodge property , which could not fail to be present to their minds . He observed by tho report that the tenants of the Tavern had been charged with the increased rent from the 11 th of November . Tho first question he wanted to ask was , whether the tenants had had any opportunity of dissenting from the dictum laid down by the Building Committee . The second question ho wished to ask was , whether the Building Committee intended to enforce
the penalties against the contractor for not liaving completed tho building by the prescribed time . He would admit it was ungracious to find fault with the leading spirit of that committee , as he believed that no committee could bo formed better adapted for the work entrusted to them , as tho brethren would be put in the possession of an admirable structure ; and if any one in future years should ask what Bro . Havers had done , he
would reply " Circv . mspice . " His object in rising was not to ask in misereeordiam , but as a matter of right —looking at the delay that had occurred -. and as it was required that the whole of the buildings should bo completed by the 1 st of November , 1866 ; taking , too , into account that there had been great delay in the completion of the building , that they had lost the profit of an entire year—whether fcliey intended that the
penalties were to he enforced , for it had been a great hardship upon them . Bro . WAHREX * wished to ask the members of the Building Committee whether it was true , as was reported , that the Masonic coffee-room was to be included in the lease of the Tavern . All that he could say was , that it was not so understood when it was first proposed . It was then fully understood
that they were to have the coffee-room to themselves . If they were not to have the exclusive use of the coffee-room , he wanted to know what guarantee they were to have that they should only be charged proper prices for the use of that room . "What guarantee would they have that they would not be charged two shillings and sixpence for a plate of beef that could be obtained elsewhere for ninepence ?
Bro . HUBBUCK wanted to know if the property had been handed over to the Tavern Company , and whether the workmen were still employed as at the commencement of the rental . Bro . BEXSOCH . suggested that the chairman of the Building
Committee should not be called upon to answer perhaps a hundred questions together , and thought it would be better that lie should answer each specific question as it was put by the speaker , and it would at once prevent any misunderstanding . Bro . HAYEKS said he could , assure Bro , Bennoch , having worked three years and a half for them , that if he sat there until eight o ' clock in the morning he would answer every question that they might put to himand he would proceed
, to answer those that had been already put to him . He was the executive officer of tho committee , but ho trusted that the brethren would not be too hard upon him . In answer to Bro . Baker ' s first question , he said that the increased rout for the Tavern commenced on the 11 th of November . Ho was also asked if the tenants had had notice . Now , ho would put the brethren in possession of a
few facts , and they might bo told in a few words . They undertook to erect a new building , which undertaking was given to Bro . Shrewsbury , and by him it was handed over to tho new Tavern Company . They had hoped to have completed that building by Midsummer last , but , at the end of October , when he ( Bro . Havers ) was in the country , he received a telegraphic messageasking permission to let the new hall for the Dickens '
, dinner , ancl asking permission to effect some stucco and paintings upon it , and he replied that they could do so , provided it was with the sanction of their own ( the Craft ' s ) architect , and at their own expense . He informed Bro . Gosden that they were welcome to do that , if by so doing they accepted the tenancy , and did the painting at their own expense , but gave directions to Dudley not to allow anything to be done until
they accepted the tenancy . Dudley , on that , locked the door , and put the key iu his pocket , but something was done to get possession of the room , and , being decorated and painted , it was let for profit for tho Dickens' dinner , and now they said they would not pay the rent , because there were about halfa-dozen bricklayers employed in doing some minor works , which , he saidwas one of the most ingeniousandhe would sayone
, , , , of the most audacious , things he ever heard of . He ( Bro . Havers ) said he considered them as their tenants , but , having painted the walls , and thereby incurred some expense , he said lie considered it would be only fair that they should come in , and the increased rent begin at the half quarter . As to
whether the penalties for the non-completion of tho building at the prescribed time were tn be enforced , that was a very delicate matter , and he thought it would be better if the Committee were not asked to enforce them- That very morning he had received what he considered to be a great curiosity in the form of a lawyer's letter , asking , if any of those penalties were received , that they should be handed over to the Tavern Companyand they were told that they haclagood claim against
, tho Grand Lodge ; and the letter went on further to say that , if those penalties were obtained , out of them they were goingto pay the shareholders a dividend . There was one point which had been raised , ancl that was one of deep moment . They had been asked not to insist in giving up the name " Freemasons' Tavern . Now , he was an old 3 Inson , and he could that it was tho earnest desire of his heart to see a separation
say of Freemasonry from tavern Freemasonry . From his earliest clays he had always spoken of the necessity of their Craft havinga temple devoted to Freemasonry , but completely separated from tavern accommodation . He liked " creature comforts " after labour , hut , at the same time , nothing tended so much to ennoble their Order as by a complete separation of it from tavern purposes . He found that the Dickens' dinner was
advertised at every railway station to be held in Freemasons ' Hall ; but over ancl over again it had been pointed out to Bro . Shrewsbury , ancl the fact he had pointed out , as the representative of Grand Lodge , that they had been advised to build a place , so that they might have refreshment at a reasonablerate , and pay a rent for the lodge rooms . He contended that the interests of the landlord were identical with the interests
of the Craft . He had been asked if he had received a legal letter from Bro . Vallance , in which he disputed that the tenants had obtained possession . Ho had received such a letter from Bro . Vallance , the solicitor to the Company , but he did not give his reasons . He had to state that the coffee-room , or , as it was then called "The Edinburgh , " was reserved for Masonic purposes , and would be maintained inviolable from any other purposes than their own . The dining-room and
coffee-room were especially excepted . He should be happy to answer any further questions , but , as agents of Hie Craft , they were determined not to sacrifice one tittle of their interests . Bro . WELLIXGTOX VALLAXCE said allusion had been made to his name as the solicitor to the Freemasons' Tavern Company . He should not have risen , and had no intention of doing so , and should have kept silent , but that Bro . Havershad thought fit to allude to him . He had written to the trustees through
Bro . Dobie , and he was not aware how far Bro . Havers represented them . It was a civil , courteous , and kind letter , and could in no sense be deserving of the appellative which bad been applied to it hy Bro . Havers , who called it " a lawyer's letter . " It deserved no such appellative from him as that it was a lawyer ' s letter , but he ( Bro . Vallance ) could not allow his name to be associated with those who had subscribed £ 50 , 000 .
. obtained from the public on the truth of the prospectus , without offering some observations upon what he had said . He contended that there was not one word of that prospectus unborne out at the present moment , and it had been confirmed by Bro , Havers himself in the Grand Lodge , and he had taken every opportunity of showing that tho shareholders would reap profit irora it . He scorned his censure when ho referred to the ninth
paragraph of the lease to Bro . Shrewsbury , but be called upon all who represented the Grand Lodgo—he called upon the Most Worshipful Grand Master of Masons-to reflect on the effect of that clause . Ho entered the Craft long since , his father and grandfather were Masons , and he had a profound belief that Masons lived in charity and leve with all mankind ; but when he found the ninth clause of the agreementifor the lease , he
saw that winch should stimulate them to claim the sympathy of the Grand Lodge . He was surrounded by Masons , and ho was sure they were honourable men , but by the operation of the clause he had referred to they couli not obtain dividends for the widows and orphans whose money had been invested in the Freemasons' Tavern Company . The Grand Lodge of England was supposed to be the fountain of honour , but they would not prove to be so if they took from them the means by which only Masons could obtain dividends , and in the name of the tavern
in which they had invested their money . Bro . WARREX rose to order . They were not here to discuss the lease . Bro . VALLAXCE continued : If a man had a position in London when his name was appended to a prospectus it induced other persons to invest their money , and he believed that every word