Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Masonic Dispute In The Western District Of Scotland.
from the several chapters in the AA ' est , the Prov . G . Chapter resolved to oppose the prayer of the petition . Comp . Dr . AA ' alker-Arnott as the Companion to whom the petition had heen remitted to report on ancl also as Prov . G . Superintendent , resolved to examine the books of Chapter JNo . 80 , in order to obtain such information as would enable him to return to Supreme Chapter a faithful and correct report ; not being able to spare time to go to Ayr personallyhe gave authority to tbe
, Prov . Or . Scribe E , to proceed there , obtain the books of Chapter JNo . SO , and bring them to Glasgow ; this was done . The Prov . G . Scribe E , on receiving from the Companion in whose possession the minute ancl Treasurer's books of that Chapter , were , guaranteed that no one , except tbe committee appointed by Prov . G . Chapter would see the books , and that they would be returned in a few clays . On giving this pledge , the books were
freely placed in the possession of the Prov . G . Scribe E . Immediately after the books of Chapter JNo . 80 were delivered up , a petition ancl complaint was presented by the 2 nd ancl 3 rd Principals in name of that Chapter , against the Prov . G . Chapter , in which petition , & c , the books are said to have been pounced upon and seized This is an erroneoiis ' assertion , for , as already stated theywere freely given up . Said petition ancl complaint further states that the petitioners were subjected to
insultin-, convenience , ancl injury by taking away their hooks . Your committee can see no grounds for the use of such intemperate statements . Also , the -petitioners say that they feel aggrieved by the manner in which , and in the presence of whom the books ivere demanded . Your committee having heard the statement of the Prov . G . Scribe E . are decidedly of opinion that this complaint is frivolous and unworthy of attention . Another statement made in the petition is , that the Prov . G . Scribe E .
threatened Comp . George Goocl with suspension ; this he denies ; he only stated , that it would be his duty , in the event of Comp . Good refusing to give him the books , to report his refusal to the Prov . Or . Chapter , and also to the Supreme Chapter . The
petition also says , "That the petitioners believe that their presuming to petition the Supreme Chapter anent the disjunction of Ayrshire from the Western District , has something to do with the strange conduct of the Prov . G . Chapter towards them ; " this your committee think self-evident , though hy what argument they come to the conclusion that the conduct is strange , they cannot imagine . Had there been no petition , there ivould have been no remit from Supreme Chapter , no
necessity for enquiry , and therefore unlikely that at the time , the Prov . G . Chapter would have advised , or the Prov . G . Superintendent authorised , the bringing of the books to Glasgow . Major Thornton , 1 st Principal of Chapter No . 80 , in a letter to the G . Scribe E ., of date 1 th April , adheres to the petition and complaint . The Supreme Committee held a meeting on | 7 th April , 1862 , extract of which minute accompanied the copy of petition and
complaint , but ivhieh is erroneously stated to be an extract from the minutes of Supreme Grand JRoyal Arch Chapter of Scotland . " In this extract it is stated " That the committee having carefully considered the petition and complaint of the Ayr Kilwinning Chapter ( JNo . 80 ) , against the Provincial Grand Chapter of the Western District , with letters from Comp . Major Thornton , Principal 7 _ . of that Chapter , of date 4 th April 1862 and letter from Dr . AA'alker-Arnottof date 7 th
, , , April , 1 S 62 ; sustain the relevancy of 1 st and 2 nd articles of said petition and complaint , ancl Jalso part of the 4 th article down to the ivords " unsealed by the Provincial Grand Scribe E . " and as it appears from Comp . AValker-Arnott's letter , the proceedings complained of took place under his direct instructions , appoint a full copy of the petition and complaint and of this deliverance to be served on him ; appoint him to lodge answers
thereto within fotirteen clays from date service . " The copy of petition ancl complaint was sent to Dr . AA ' alker-Arnott by post on 12 th April , 1862 . The counts of the petition and complaint found relevant are -.
—" Ayr Kilwinning Hall , 1 st April , 18 G 2 . 1 st . "That your petitioners have been subjected to insult , inconvenience , and injury by the arbitrary way in which , on the evening of Saturday last , in the absence of their First Principal , and without a moment ' s notice , their Minute ancl Cash-book ivere pounced upon , and removed from the custody of their Second Principal by the Prov . Grand Scribe E ., ostensibly acting under orders of the Prov . Grand Superintendent . 2 nd . "That the petitionee learn from cap . X ., sect . 4 of Supreme Grand Laws that a Prov . Superintendent is empowered
The Masonic Dispute In The Western District Of Scotland.
to visit subordinate chapters to inquire into irregularities . & c . ; and sect . 12 of same cap . shows that he is also empowered in case of Masonic complaint or irregularity respecting chapters-or Companions in their district to summon the Office-bearers to appear before him , and to present their chapter , books , & c . ; but your petitioners have yet to learn that the Supreme Chapter Laws sanction or authorise the seizure of tbe books of any sub . ordinate chapter iu the manner here complained of . "
Part of 4 th . " Your petitioners have further cause for complaint on the ground that their Minute and Cash-books were carried away loose ; " and Your committee ivould notice that the above deliverance was given , notwithstanding Comp . Dr . AValker-Arnott having in his letter of the 7 th of April referred to , stated his opinion that a Prov . Grand Chapter or Prov . Grand Superintendent has power to call for the books of chapter under its jurisdiction at any
any time , and in the manner deemed most suitable ; but further , that by the remit made to him by the Supreme Chapter , lie considered it absolutely necessary for him to obtain said books before he eould give in a faithful report regarding the petition for disjunction , and that the matter was now out of the hands of the committee , which had already reported on said disjunction , and hart heen placed in his hands , and that any petition
entertained by Supreme Committee he must consider as an interference between him and his . duty to the Supreme Chapter itself . It must he borne in mind that the above letter contained all the answers requisite to the petition and complaint , but , nevertheless , the Supreme Committee insisted on his giving in additional answers . These , Comp . Dr . AA ' alker-Arnott transmitted on the 17 th of April , in which , in an extended form , lie recapitulated what he had stated in his letter , ancl in ivhieh
answers he referred to cap . VI ., sect . 8 , cap . X ., sect . 4- and 9 of the Supreme Chapter Laws . The next document your committee would refer to is " A Minute for the petitioners on petition and complaint , the Kilwinning Ayr Eoyal Arch Chapter , JNo . SO , against the Prov . Grand Eoyal Arch Chapter of the AVestern District . " It is dated , "Ayr Kilwinning Hall , April 21 st , 1862 , " and extends to eleven counts . In this document they justify the proceedings wliich the Prov . Grand Superintendent and Prov . Grand
Chapter had found irregular , and boldly assert their claim to " be better judges of the manner of arranging the funds of Chapter JNo . 80 , ancl of recovering arrears of money clue to it , than Comp . Dr . AValker-Arnott can possibly be , " aud state '' they keep as ' near' to the Laws of Supreme Chapter as the circumstance of their chapter will permit . " They deny that the Prov . Grand Superintendent has full power to call for the books of any chapter whenever he pleasesivithout inferring
, any irregularity against the chapter ; they accuse him of heaping farther insult upon them , " ancl state that should such exhorbitant and arbitrary powers be conceded , there is no security that they will not form a prelude of still greater claims of poiver to Glasgow , and to have the supreme power itself transferred into the hands of Dr . AA ' alker-Arnott and the other ambitious Companions ruling in the western metropolis , " and demand
" the Supreme Chapter to mark their displeasure of Dr . AYalker-Arnott's conduct . " In reply to Comp . Dr . Walker-Arnott ' s statement "that the other two Chapters in Ayrshire were averse to the disjunction , " they insinuate " that there may be forcible reasons why Chapter JNo . IS desires to remain under the shelter of Dr . AYalker-Arnott ' s wing , " ancl broadly assert " that the aversion of Chapter JNo . IS to said disjunction is no reason wh
y the Ayrshire Chapters should not be disjoined from the western district , " although that chapter is the most numerous ancl as respectable as any of the three chapters sought to be disjoined . In count 10 th the petitioners accuse Dr . Walker Arnott of having conducted himself in an illegal and unconstitutional manner , and inconsistent ivith his position as proxy ov representative of the Grand Principal , and declare " they cannot come
to any other conclusion than that Dr . Arnott has disqualified himself from holding the post of Prov . Grand Superintendent , and is utterly incompetent of framing an impartial report on the petition for the disjunction of Ayrshire from Glasgow . " The last count of the minute of petition , & c , goes on to say , " The Petitioners are sure that if it be Dr . Arnott ' s intention , by browbeating or branding them as defrauders ancl unprincipled
persons , to disgust or persecute them into secession from the Supreme Grand Chapter , he could not have taken a more effectual mode than the one pursued , but the petitioners have more faith in the honour , justice and discrimination of Supreme Grand Chapter , than suppose that that body are capable of doing any"
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Masonic Dispute In The Western District Of Scotland.
from the several chapters in the AA ' est , the Prov . G . Chapter resolved to oppose the prayer of the petition . Comp . Dr . AA ' alker-Arnott as the Companion to whom the petition had heen remitted to report on ancl also as Prov . G . Superintendent , resolved to examine the books of Chapter JNo . 80 , in order to obtain such information as would enable him to return to Supreme Chapter a faithful and correct report ; not being able to spare time to go to Ayr personallyhe gave authority to tbe
, Prov . Or . Scribe E , to proceed there , obtain the books of Chapter JNo . SO , and bring them to Glasgow ; this was done . The Prov . G . Scribe E , on receiving from the Companion in whose possession the minute ancl Treasurer's books of that Chapter , were , guaranteed that no one , except tbe committee appointed by Prov . G . Chapter would see the books , and that they would be returned in a few clays . On giving this pledge , the books were
freely placed in the possession of the Prov . G . Scribe E . Immediately after the books of Chapter JNo . 80 were delivered up , a petition ancl complaint was presented by the 2 nd ancl 3 rd Principals in name of that Chapter , against the Prov . G . Chapter , in which petition , & c , the books are said to have been pounced upon and seized This is an erroneoiis ' assertion , for , as already stated theywere freely given up . Said petition ancl complaint further states that the petitioners were subjected to
insultin-, convenience , ancl injury by taking away their hooks . Your committee can see no grounds for the use of such intemperate statements . Also , the -petitioners say that they feel aggrieved by the manner in which , and in the presence of whom the books ivere demanded . Your committee having heard the statement of the Prov . G . Scribe E . are decidedly of opinion that this complaint is frivolous and unworthy of attention . Another statement made in the petition is , that the Prov . G . Scribe E .
threatened Comp . George Goocl with suspension ; this he denies ; he only stated , that it would be his duty , in the event of Comp . Good refusing to give him the books , to report his refusal to the Prov . Or . Chapter , and also to the Supreme Chapter . The
petition also says , "That the petitioners believe that their presuming to petition the Supreme Chapter anent the disjunction of Ayrshire from the Western District , has something to do with the strange conduct of the Prov . G . Chapter towards them ; " this your committee think self-evident , though hy what argument they come to the conclusion that the conduct is strange , they cannot imagine . Had there been no petition , there ivould have been no remit from Supreme Chapter , no
necessity for enquiry , and therefore unlikely that at the time , the Prov . G . Chapter would have advised , or the Prov . G . Superintendent authorised , the bringing of the books to Glasgow . Major Thornton , 1 st Principal of Chapter No . 80 , in a letter to the G . Scribe E ., of date 1 th April , adheres to the petition and complaint . The Supreme Committee held a meeting on | 7 th April , 1862 , extract of which minute accompanied the copy of petition and
complaint , but ivhieh is erroneously stated to be an extract from the minutes of Supreme Grand JRoyal Arch Chapter of Scotland . " In this extract it is stated " That the committee having carefully considered the petition and complaint of the Ayr Kilwinning Chapter ( JNo . 80 ) , against the Provincial Grand Chapter of the Western District , with letters from Comp . Major Thornton , Principal 7 _ . of that Chapter , of date 4 th April 1862 and letter from Dr . AA'alker-Arnottof date 7 th
, , , April , 1 S 62 ; sustain the relevancy of 1 st and 2 nd articles of said petition and complaint , ancl Jalso part of the 4 th article down to the ivords " unsealed by the Provincial Grand Scribe E . " and as it appears from Comp . AValker-Arnott's letter , the proceedings complained of took place under his direct instructions , appoint a full copy of the petition and complaint and of this deliverance to be served on him ; appoint him to lodge answers
thereto within fotirteen clays from date service . " The copy of petition ancl complaint was sent to Dr . AA ' alker-Arnott by post on 12 th April , 1862 . The counts of the petition and complaint found relevant are -.
—" Ayr Kilwinning Hall , 1 st April , 18 G 2 . 1 st . "That your petitioners have been subjected to insult , inconvenience , and injury by the arbitrary way in which , on the evening of Saturday last , in the absence of their First Principal , and without a moment ' s notice , their Minute ancl Cash-book ivere pounced upon , and removed from the custody of their Second Principal by the Prov . Grand Scribe E ., ostensibly acting under orders of the Prov . Grand Superintendent . 2 nd . "That the petitionee learn from cap . X ., sect . 4 of Supreme Grand Laws that a Prov . Superintendent is empowered
The Masonic Dispute In The Western District Of Scotland.
to visit subordinate chapters to inquire into irregularities . & c . ; and sect . 12 of same cap . shows that he is also empowered in case of Masonic complaint or irregularity respecting chapters-or Companions in their district to summon the Office-bearers to appear before him , and to present their chapter , books , & c . ; but your petitioners have yet to learn that the Supreme Chapter Laws sanction or authorise the seizure of tbe books of any sub . ordinate chapter iu the manner here complained of . "
Part of 4 th . " Your petitioners have further cause for complaint on the ground that their Minute and Cash-books were carried away loose ; " and Your committee ivould notice that the above deliverance was given , notwithstanding Comp . Dr . AValker-Arnott having in his letter of the 7 th of April referred to , stated his opinion that a Prov . Grand Chapter or Prov . Grand Superintendent has power to call for the books of chapter under its jurisdiction at any
any time , and in the manner deemed most suitable ; but further , that by the remit made to him by the Supreme Chapter , lie considered it absolutely necessary for him to obtain said books before he eould give in a faithful report regarding the petition for disjunction , and that the matter was now out of the hands of the committee , which had already reported on said disjunction , and hart heen placed in his hands , and that any petition
entertained by Supreme Committee he must consider as an interference between him and his . duty to the Supreme Chapter itself . It must he borne in mind that the above letter contained all the answers requisite to the petition and complaint , but , nevertheless , the Supreme Committee insisted on his giving in additional answers . These , Comp . Dr . AA ' alker-Arnott transmitted on the 17 th of April , in which , in an extended form , lie recapitulated what he had stated in his letter , ancl in ivhieh
answers he referred to cap . VI ., sect . 8 , cap . X ., sect . 4- and 9 of the Supreme Chapter Laws . The next document your committee would refer to is " A Minute for the petitioners on petition and complaint , the Kilwinning Ayr Eoyal Arch Chapter , JNo . SO , against the Prov . Grand Eoyal Arch Chapter of the AVestern District . " It is dated , "Ayr Kilwinning Hall , April 21 st , 1862 , " and extends to eleven counts . In this document they justify the proceedings wliich the Prov . Grand Superintendent and Prov . Grand
Chapter had found irregular , and boldly assert their claim to " be better judges of the manner of arranging the funds of Chapter JNo . 80 , ancl of recovering arrears of money clue to it , than Comp . Dr . AValker-Arnott can possibly be , " aud state '' they keep as ' near' to the Laws of Supreme Chapter as the circumstance of their chapter will permit . " They deny that the Prov . Grand Superintendent has full power to call for the books of any chapter whenever he pleasesivithout inferring
, any irregularity against the chapter ; they accuse him of heaping farther insult upon them , " ancl state that should such exhorbitant and arbitrary powers be conceded , there is no security that they will not form a prelude of still greater claims of poiver to Glasgow , and to have the supreme power itself transferred into the hands of Dr . AA ' alker-Arnott and the other ambitious Companions ruling in the western metropolis , " and demand
" the Supreme Chapter to mark their displeasure of Dr . AYalker-Arnott's conduct . " In reply to Comp . Dr . Walker-Arnott ' s statement "that the other two Chapters in Ayrshire were averse to the disjunction , " they insinuate " that there may be forcible reasons why Chapter JNo . IS desires to remain under the shelter of Dr . AYalker-Arnott ' s wing , " ancl broadly assert " that the aversion of Chapter JNo . IS to said disjunction is no reason wh
y the Ayrshire Chapters should not be disjoined from the western district , " although that chapter is the most numerous ancl as respectable as any of the three chapters sought to be disjoined . In count 10 th the petitioners accuse Dr . Walker Arnott of having conducted himself in an illegal and unconstitutional manner , and inconsistent ivith his position as proxy ov representative of the Grand Principal , and declare " they cannot come
to any other conclusion than that Dr . Arnott has disqualified himself from holding the post of Prov . Grand Superintendent , and is utterly incompetent of framing an impartial report on the petition for the disjunction of Ayrshire from Glasgow . " The last count of the minute of petition , & c , goes on to say , " The Petitioners are sure that if it be Dr . Arnott ' s intention , by browbeating or branding them as defrauders ancl unprincipled
persons , to disgust or persecute them into secession from the Supreme Grand Chapter , he could not have taken a more effectual mode than the one pursued , but the petitioners have more faith in the honour , justice and discrimination of Supreme Grand Chapter , than suppose that that body are capable of doing any"