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Article THE BOYS' SCHOOL. ← Page 2 of 2 Article CAN A WARDEN INITIATE, &c. ? Page 1 of 2 →
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The Boys' School.
and thus the 200 subscribers would carry the election of their candidate against the 150 subscribers , as they are justly entitled to do . It is evident that by the new law the relative position of each voter at either election is in noAvise altered . It is simply that , instead of each subscriber having—for each annual subscription of one guinea — three \ -otes against three at one election
, eight A-otes against eight at another , ten against ten at another , and so on , it Avill be one against one at any election ; and thus he Avi 11 know tho exact value of his votes , and can calculate on having that same value at a succeeding election , whenever his candidate is unsuccessful .
These aro the reasons Avhich led me to propose , and the subscribers Avho were present at two General Courts to adopt at the one and confirm at the other , the alteration in question . The same system has long since been adopted by most , if not all , of the great charities of England . The St . Ann ' s , the London Orphan , the Governesses' Benevolent , the Asylum for Idiots , the
Hospital for Incurables , and a host of other societies , all give one vote , and one vote only , for one subscription . I cau assure every old subscriber that I , as an old subscriber myself , have too great interest in the voting , independently of my interest in the Institution , to adopt any course that would be a fraud upon ny-self or upon any other subscriberor involve an abandonment of a
privi-, lege worth , possessing . I have 21 A-otes ; and if the privilege of multiplying these by three at one time , or by eight or ten at another , had been worth retaining , I should have been loth to have parted Avith it . In point of fact , I and the other old subscribers , Avho passed the alteration of the Lw ( it Avas done unanimously ) , have parted Avith nothing . We have merely exchanged a
sentimental privilege of small value for a real privilege of much A'alue ; and I feel persuaded that neither Ave , nor any subscriber , after he has had experience of the existing laAV , will wish to revert to the ancient system . I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , JOHN SYAIONDS , V . P . of the Institution .
Can A Warden Initiate, &C. ?
CAN A WARDEN INITIATE , & c . ?
TO THE EDITOR OP TIIE FREEMASONS HAGAZrNE AND AtASOXIC JIIRItOR . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Although my remarks Avill not impart information to yourself , they will be perused Avith interest by some of our brethren ivho are not so coiiA-ersant in these matters , and they maj' tend towards tho elucidation of this exceedingly important question . In the year 1646 , tho learned antiquary Elias Ashmole
Avas made a Mason in Warrington , by " the Warden and Fellow Crafts . " Thus , from this Avell-known instance you will observe that , in 1646 , a Warden unquestionably could initiate . In 1682 , Bro . Elias Ashmole was summoned , and Avent to Grand Lodge in London , to be passed as a Fellow Craftfor the old regulation ( till 1725 ) decreed that
; even ¦ "A pprentices must be admittedFelloio Grafts and Masters only here ( i . e ., in Grand Lodge ) , unless by a dispensation from the Grand Master ; " and it Avas not until November 22 nd , 1725 , that the Grand Lodge decreed that in future " The Master of a lodge , Avith his Wardens , and a competent number of the lodge assembled in due form , can make Masters and FelloAvs at discretion . " So that ( ivith
the exception of the "four old lodges" Avho retained these inherent rights after 1717 ) the poAver of a "W . M . to pass and raise is quite an innovation in private lodges , under the Grand Lodge of England ; and being thus ( with the exception of the " four old lodges " ) restricted to the Grand Lodge from 1717 till 1725 , of course the "Wardens' rights " could then only extend to the making of Apprentices . Now , I confess that , in 1725 , the "Master" only is entrusted ivith the poAver of passing and raising : but there
was then in operation the law enacted on November 25 th , in 1723 . saying ( under "Masters and Wardens" ) that , "If a Master of a particular lodge is deposed or demits , the Senior Warden shall forthwith fill theMaster ' s chair till the next time of chnsing . " And Bro . Entinck , in 1756 , says to this , " and ever since , in the Master's absence , he ( the Senior Warden ) , fills the ( Master's ) ' chair ,
even though a former Master be present . " And again ( in 1723 , " Masters and Wardens " ) " in caseof death or sickness , or necessary absence of the Master , the Senior Warden shall act as Master , pro tempore , if no brother is present Avho has been installed Master of that lodge before , for the absent Master ' s authority reverts to the last Master present , though he cannot act till the
Senior Warden has congregated the lodge . " Thus , in 1725 , if a Master only died , or AA'as sick , or absent , the last Master present occupied his chair in his ? stead ; bat if the Master Avas deposed , or demitted , the-Senior Warden became in fact and absolutely Master , by hisown inherent ri g ht , and notwithstanding the presence of any P . M . during the remainder of the lodge year of
office ; and , being thus authorised to fill the Master s chair , was also , of course , invested Avith the " powers and authorities" of a W . M . Avithout further ceremony . If " ancient usages and customs" are to be maintained ,, the Senior Warden is , unquestionably , entitled not only to " rule" the lodge ( whatever that may mean ) , but alsoand positively to occupy or fill the Master ' s chair , according
to ancient custom , and ba the Master in the absence of his superior officer . Now , can any brother prove his being prohibited from conferring degrees under such circumstances ?
The modern editions of our "Constitutions" are not so explicit , and Ave must thus , therefore , refer to theearlier editions to learn the natnre of the " Warden ' s rights . " Thus , tho Senior Warden has , some time recently , been deprived of his inherent and ancient right ; for he may not now "legally" fill the chair as Master .
Tho Junior Warden , excepting under peculiar circumstances , on " removal of lodges , " does not appear to have had any riding poAvers similar to those of his senior officer in 1725 , nor iu 1815 . So that a Junior Warden ' s ruling power in presiding may be proved to be very recently extended or amplified . Bro . Smithin your paper of the 3 rd . Octoberhas
, , very ably shoAvn when a Warden may preside ; but neither he nor Bro . Blackburn ( who Avrites on the 10 th inst . ) have alluded to tho rule No . 15 , on page 23 of recent Books of Constitutions ( which rule , by-the-bye , isnotinthe 1815 edition of the "Book of Constitutions , " and must therefore be more recent ) . And I am amazed that they , and many other brethren , overlook this A'ery important law ; for it
is this very law which is so strongly relied on , supported by those under " Masters and Wardens , " in most clearly specifying that the " poivers and authorities" Avhich a subordinate officer ( as a Warden ) , Avho is authorised topreside , may exercise in the absence of his superior officer ( or Master , or Past Master ) , " unless otherwise excepted" are declared to be ( agreeably to ancient custom )
, tho same that the superior officer Avould possess , if present ; and as the conferring of degrees by a Warden are not anywhere " excepted" or prohibited in our Constitutions , I think that this law confirms the ancient usages and customs of the Wardens' power of conferring degrees as a part of his " ruling" and governing the lodge in the Master ' s absence .
NOAV , unfortunately , our "Constitutions" do notprescribe Avhether the Warden , in presiding , should keep his own situation in the lodge , or stand by the W . M . 's pedestal ; so that he may stand on his head if the solemnity of our ceremonies did not require a more serious deportment—only he must not now "fill tho Master ' s chair , " as he formerly was authorised to do .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Boys' School.
and thus the 200 subscribers would carry the election of their candidate against the 150 subscribers , as they are justly entitled to do . It is evident that by the new law the relative position of each voter at either election is in noAvise altered . It is simply that , instead of each subscriber having—for each annual subscription of one guinea — three \ -otes against three at one election
, eight A-otes against eight at another , ten against ten at another , and so on , it Avill be one against one at any election ; and thus he Avi 11 know tho exact value of his votes , and can calculate on having that same value at a succeeding election , whenever his candidate is unsuccessful .
These aro the reasons Avhich led me to propose , and the subscribers Avho were present at two General Courts to adopt at the one and confirm at the other , the alteration in question . The same system has long since been adopted by most , if not all , of the great charities of England . The St . Ann ' s , the London Orphan , the Governesses' Benevolent , the Asylum for Idiots , the
Hospital for Incurables , and a host of other societies , all give one vote , and one vote only , for one subscription . I cau assure every old subscriber that I , as an old subscriber myself , have too great interest in the voting , independently of my interest in the Institution , to adopt any course that would be a fraud upon ny-self or upon any other subscriberor involve an abandonment of a
privi-, lege worth , possessing . I have 21 A-otes ; and if the privilege of multiplying these by three at one time , or by eight or ten at another , had been worth retaining , I should have been loth to have parted Avith it . In point of fact , I and the other old subscribers , Avho passed the alteration of the Lw ( it Avas done unanimously ) , have parted Avith nothing . We have merely exchanged a
sentimental privilege of small value for a real privilege of much A'alue ; and I feel persuaded that neither Ave , nor any subscriber , after he has had experience of the existing laAV , will wish to revert to the ancient system . I am , dear Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , JOHN SYAIONDS , V . P . of the Institution .
Can A Warden Initiate, &C. ?
CAN A WARDEN INITIATE , & c . ?
TO THE EDITOR OP TIIE FREEMASONS HAGAZrNE AND AtASOXIC JIIRItOR . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Although my remarks Avill not impart information to yourself , they will be perused Avith interest by some of our brethren ivho are not so coiiA-ersant in these matters , and they maj' tend towards tho elucidation of this exceedingly important question . In the year 1646 , tho learned antiquary Elias Ashmole
Avas made a Mason in Warrington , by " the Warden and Fellow Crafts . " Thus , from this Avell-known instance you will observe that , in 1646 , a Warden unquestionably could initiate . In 1682 , Bro . Elias Ashmole was summoned , and Avent to Grand Lodge in London , to be passed as a Fellow Craftfor the old regulation ( till 1725 ) decreed that
; even ¦ "A pprentices must be admittedFelloio Grafts and Masters only here ( i . e ., in Grand Lodge ) , unless by a dispensation from the Grand Master ; " and it Avas not until November 22 nd , 1725 , that the Grand Lodge decreed that in future " The Master of a lodge , Avith his Wardens , and a competent number of the lodge assembled in due form , can make Masters and FelloAvs at discretion . " So that ( ivith
the exception of the "four old lodges" Avho retained these inherent rights after 1717 ) the poAver of a "W . M . to pass and raise is quite an innovation in private lodges , under the Grand Lodge of England ; and being thus ( with the exception of the " four old lodges " ) restricted to the Grand Lodge from 1717 till 1725 , of course the "Wardens' rights " could then only extend to the making of Apprentices . Now , I confess that , in 1725 , the "Master" only is entrusted ivith the poAver of passing and raising : but there
was then in operation the law enacted on November 25 th , in 1723 . saying ( under "Masters and Wardens" ) that , "If a Master of a particular lodge is deposed or demits , the Senior Warden shall forthwith fill theMaster ' s chair till the next time of chnsing . " And Bro . Entinck , in 1756 , says to this , " and ever since , in the Master's absence , he ( the Senior Warden ) , fills the ( Master's ) ' chair ,
even though a former Master be present . " And again ( in 1723 , " Masters and Wardens " ) " in caseof death or sickness , or necessary absence of the Master , the Senior Warden shall act as Master , pro tempore , if no brother is present Avho has been installed Master of that lodge before , for the absent Master ' s authority reverts to the last Master present , though he cannot act till the
Senior Warden has congregated the lodge . " Thus , in 1725 , if a Master only died , or AA'as sick , or absent , the last Master present occupied his chair in his ? stead ; bat if the Master Avas deposed , or demitted , the-Senior Warden became in fact and absolutely Master , by hisown inherent ri g ht , and notwithstanding the presence of any P . M . during the remainder of the lodge year of
office ; and , being thus authorised to fill the Master s chair , was also , of course , invested Avith the " powers and authorities" of a W . M . Avithout further ceremony . If " ancient usages and customs" are to be maintained ,, the Senior Warden is , unquestionably , entitled not only to " rule" the lodge ( whatever that may mean ) , but alsoand positively to occupy or fill the Master ' s chair , according
to ancient custom , and ba the Master in the absence of his superior officer . Now , can any brother prove his being prohibited from conferring degrees under such circumstances ?
The modern editions of our "Constitutions" are not so explicit , and Ave must thus , therefore , refer to theearlier editions to learn the natnre of the " Warden ' s rights . " Thus , tho Senior Warden has , some time recently , been deprived of his inherent and ancient right ; for he may not now "legally" fill the chair as Master .
Tho Junior Warden , excepting under peculiar circumstances , on " removal of lodges , " does not appear to have had any riding poAvers similar to those of his senior officer in 1725 , nor iu 1815 . So that a Junior Warden ' s ruling power in presiding may be proved to be very recently extended or amplified . Bro . Smithin your paper of the 3 rd . Octoberhas
, , very ably shoAvn when a Warden may preside ; but neither he nor Bro . Blackburn ( who Avrites on the 10 th inst . ) have alluded to tho rule No . 15 , on page 23 of recent Books of Constitutions ( which rule , by-the-bye , isnotinthe 1815 edition of the "Book of Constitutions , " and must therefore be more recent ) . And I am amazed that they , and many other brethren , overlook this A'ery important law ; for it
is this very law which is so strongly relied on , supported by those under " Masters and Wardens , " in most clearly specifying that the " poivers and authorities" Avhich a subordinate officer ( as a Warden ) , Avho is authorised topreside , may exercise in the absence of his superior officer ( or Master , or Past Master ) , " unless otherwise excepted" are declared to be ( agreeably to ancient custom )
, tho same that the superior officer Avould possess , if present ; and as the conferring of degrees by a Warden are not anywhere " excepted" or prohibited in our Constitutions , I think that this law confirms the ancient usages and customs of the Wardens' power of conferring degrees as a part of his " ruling" and governing the lodge in the Master ' s absence .
NOAV , unfortunately , our "Constitutions" do notprescribe Avhether the Warden , in presiding , should keep his own situation in the lodge , or stand by the W . M . 's pedestal ; so that he may stand on his head if the solemnity of our ceremonies did not require a more serious deportment—only he must not now "fill tho Master ' s chair , " as he formerly was authorised to do .