Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
India.
that it did not in fact reach my hands until the day on which I returned to the post-office . 3 . With regard to the letter from tho Secretary of Lodge "Hope , " No . 350 , of Scotland , I found it on my office table on the day on which I returned it to the sender , and I opened it in the hurry of business , under the idea that it was intended for me . It certainly was not directed to any one by name , but to the Provincial Grand Secretary , which office I then held in your
District Grand Lod ^ e . Neither , to the best of my recollection , was there a word about " Scotch Masonry" on the envelope ; and , if the remainder of the direction was " Provincial Grand Lodge of Western India , " and not " District Grand Lodge of Bombay , " which , at this distance of time , I cannot recollect , I certainly did not observe it before I opened the letter ; nor would it have made any deep impression upon me if I had , because I had already received other letters really intended for
me so misdirected . 4 . In addition to the reason hereinafter given for returning the last mentioned letter to the sender , I beg to say , that if I remember rightly that letter contained money , and as I should have been personally liable if 1 had paid ifc to a person not entitled to ifc , I thought it best to return ifc to tlie person who had sent ifc . 5 . With reference to both of these letters , it was no fault of mine that I received them , because they were left at my house
and office respectively during my absence , and I can only say , that I sincerely regret tho detention of the one , and tbe opening of the other , though the former ivns an accident over which I had no control , and the latter was a mistake which any one is liable to make in the hurry of business . 6 . In reply to the charge of having wilfully misrepresented to the said Secretary of Lodge Hope in my letter of the 27 th January last , that no Provincial Grand Lodge of Western India
under Scotland then existed , well knowing the contrary to be the case , I beg to say , that so far from that being the fact , it was my firm conviction that no such Provincial Grand Lodge was then in existence . My reason for entertaining that opinion was , that Article X . Cap . Xfll . of the laws of the Grand Lodgeof Scotland enacts , that" their ( Provincial Grand Lodge ' s ) meetings shall not be interrupted by the death or retirement of the Provincial Grand Master , unless the Grand Lodge shall not
deem it expedient within the space of one year to appoint another , " and I was under the impression that R . W . lh-o . H . I ) . Cartwright had resigned the appointment of Provincial Grand Master of Western India under Scotland upwards of a year before the date of my letter ( I might say upwards of two years before ifc ) , and that the Grand Lodge of Scotland had not deemed ifc expedient to appoint another , so that , in accordance with the law above quoted , the Provincial Grand Lodge of Western India under Scotland has ceased to exist .
7 . I presume , however , from the tenor of Bro . Summer's letter , that I must have been mistaken upon one of these two points , and that either R . W . Bro . Cartwright bad not resigned upwards of a year before the 27 th January last , or that the Grand Lodge of Scotland had appointed a brother to succeed him . I shall therefore feel obliged if you will have the goodness to send a copy of this letter to Bro . Summers through your Provincial Grand Secretary , with a request to be informed upon
which of these two points I erred , and , if upon the latter , then ¦ wi th a request to be told the name of the brother who had received a commission from the Grand Lodge of Scotland to succeed R . W . Bro . Cartwright , tho date of his commission , and the date on which he had read the same in a Provincial Grand Lodge convened for the purpose in accordance with the laws of the Grand Lodge of Scotland , to enable me to tender ample apologies to that brother and the rest of the brethren whom I , in that case , unintentionally wronged .
8 . In reply to the allegation that 1 am hostile to what my accusers call "Scotch Masonry , " I bog to say that they have imputed to me sentiments I have never felt ; for I have always regarded Masonry as universal , and I have never drawn any distinction in Masonry between men of different countries or different creeds so long as they have believed in tho Glorious Architect of Heaven aud Earth , aud have practised the sacred duties of morality .
9 . As a further proof that I am not only not inimical hut positively friendly to the interests of the so-designated " Scotch Masonry , " I beg to remind my accusers that 1 rule Royal Arch Masonry in Western India as Provincial Grand Superintendent under Scotland , having been appointed to that office hy the
Grand Chapter of Scotland at tbe unanimous recommendation of all the chapters then working in the Province ; that I was the first to introduce into those chapters the correct mode of working according to the Scotch method ; that I have promoted the interests and extended the influence of the so-designated " Scotch Masonry" by aiding in the establishment of a new chapter under Scotland ; and that my exertions on behalf of the so-designated " Scotch Masonry " have been recognised and
acknowledged by the presentation to me of a handsome jewel by the Scotch Chapter Perseverance of Bombay , and by my re-appointment by the Grand Chapter of Scotland for a second term of five years . 10 . In conclusion , I beg to say that I believe I have now replied to every charge brought against me in tho letter under notice , and I sincerely hope you will consider that I have answered them fully and satisfactorilyand in such a Masonic
, manner as befits one whom you have thought fit to appoint to the high and honourable office of Deputy Provincial Grand-Master of Bombay and its Territories uuder yourself . lam , dear R . W . Sir and Brother , yours truly and fraternally ,. ( Signed ) G . S . JUDGE , : Deputy Prov . G . Master of Bombay and its Territories ..
District Grand Lodge of Bombay and its Territories under the Grand Lodge of England . Bombay , loth July , 1863 . To G . A . Summers , Esq ., Provincial Grand Secretary Provincial Grand Lodge of Scotch Masonry in Western India , Bombay . SIR . ASD BROTHER , —I am directed by the R . W . the Provincial Grand Master of Bombay and its Territories under England , to
acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 22 nd ultimo , and to send herewith a copy of R . W . Bro . G . S . Judge ' s reply to the charges therein contained , which the R . W . the Provincial Grand Master desires me to inform you he considers full and satisfactory , and fie is therefore of opinion that R . W . Bro . Judge is entirely blameless with respect to the charges contained in your letter under reply . I am further directed to request that you will lay this and
R . W . Bro . Judge ' s letter before yonr Provincial Grand Lodge , with a request that the information asked for in the seventh paragraph of R . W . Bro . Judge ' s letter may be furnished to me , to enable him to make such apologies as he desires to make to the brother , who , ou the 27 fch January last , held a commission from the Grand Lodge of Scotland , appointing him Provincial Grand Master of Western India , and the members of his Provincial Grand Lodge for tho wrong which , in his ignorance of
any such commission being in existence , he unintentionally did them . If , however , a brother has received a commission from the-Grand Lodge of Scotland appointing him Provincial Grand Master of Western India since the 27 fch January last , I am directed to ask you to favour me with the name of that brother , tbe date of his commission , and tho date on which he read the same in a Provincial Grand Lodge convened for that purpose
, in conformity with tbe laws of the Grand Lodge of Scotland , to enable the Provincial Grand Master of Bombay under England to order all the lodges in his province to pay that brother the respect which is due to his exalted rank . An early answer will oblige .
I remain , Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , ( Signed ) AEI-BED KING , Provincial Grand Secretary of the District Grand Lodge of Bombay and its Territories under England . MasDnic Hall , Bombay , 21 th July , 1863 . To A . King , Esq ,,
Provincial Grand Secretary of the District Grand Lodge of Bombay and its Territories under England . SIR ASD BROTHER , —With reference to your letter of the 15 th instant , I am directed by the R . AV . Bro . R . B . Barton , the Provincial Grand Master of Western India , to communicate for the information of the Provincial Grand Master of Bombay and its territories under Englandthat Brother Judge ' s letter has
, been received , and will be laid before the Provincial Grand Lodge of Western India under Scotland at the next meeting . I remain , Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , ( Signed ) G . A . SUMSTEES , Provincial Grand Secretary of Western India under Scotland .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
India.
that it did not in fact reach my hands until the day on which I returned to the post-office . 3 . With regard to the letter from tho Secretary of Lodge "Hope , " No . 350 , of Scotland , I found it on my office table on the day on which I returned it to the sender , and I opened it in the hurry of business , under the idea that it was intended for me . It certainly was not directed to any one by name , but to the Provincial Grand Secretary , which office I then held in your
District Grand Lod ^ e . Neither , to the best of my recollection , was there a word about " Scotch Masonry" on the envelope ; and , if the remainder of the direction was " Provincial Grand Lodge of Western India , " and not " District Grand Lodge of Bombay , " which , at this distance of time , I cannot recollect , I certainly did not observe it before I opened the letter ; nor would it have made any deep impression upon me if I had , because I had already received other letters really intended for
me so misdirected . 4 . In addition to the reason hereinafter given for returning the last mentioned letter to the sender , I beg to say , that if I remember rightly that letter contained money , and as I should have been personally liable if 1 had paid ifc to a person not entitled to ifc , I thought it best to return ifc to tlie person who had sent ifc . 5 . With reference to both of these letters , it was no fault of mine that I received them , because they were left at my house
and office respectively during my absence , and I can only say , that I sincerely regret tho detention of the one , and tbe opening of the other , though the former ivns an accident over which I had no control , and the latter was a mistake which any one is liable to make in the hurry of business . 6 . In reply to the charge of having wilfully misrepresented to the said Secretary of Lodge Hope in my letter of the 27 th January last , that no Provincial Grand Lodge of Western India
under Scotland then existed , well knowing the contrary to be the case , I beg to say , that so far from that being the fact , it was my firm conviction that no such Provincial Grand Lodge was then in existence . My reason for entertaining that opinion was , that Article X . Cap . Xfll . of the laws of the Grand Lodgeof Scotland enacts , that" their ( Provincial Grand Lodge ' s ) meetings shall not be interrupted by the death or retirement of the Provincial Grand Master , unless the Grand Lodge shall not
deem it expedient within the space of one year to appoint another , " and I was under the impression that R . W . lh-o . H . I ) . Cartwright had resigned the appointment of Provincial Grand Master of Western India under Scotland upwards of a year before the date of my letter ( I might say upwards of two years before ifc ) , and that the Grand Lodge of Scotland had not deemed ifc expedient to appoint another , so that , in accordance with the law above quoted , the Provincial Grand Lodge of Western India under Scotland has ceased to exist .
7 . I presume , however , from the tenor of Bro . Summer's letter , that I must have been mistaken upon one of these two points , and that either R . W . Bro . Cartwright bad not resigned upwards of a year before the 27 th January last , or that the Grand Lodge of Scotland had appointed a brother to succeed him . I shall therefore feel obliged if you will have the goodness to send a copy of this letter to Bro . Summers through your Provincial Grand Secretary , with a request to be informed upon
which of these two points I erred , and , if upon the latter , then ¦ wi th a request to be told the name of the brother who had received a commission from the Grand Lodge of Scotland to succeed R . W . Bro . Cartwright , tho date of his commission , and the date on which he had read the same in a Provincial Grand Lodge convened for the purpose in accordance with the laws of the Grand Lodge of Scotland , to enable me to tender ample apologies to that brother and the rest of the brethren whom I , in that case , unintentionally wronged .
8 . In reply to the allegation that 1 am hostile to what my accusers call "Scotch Masonry , " I bog to say that they have imputed to me sentiments I have never felt ; for I have always regarded Masonry as universal , and I have never drawn any distinction in Masonry between men of different countries or different creeds so long as they have believed in tho Glorious Architect of Heaven aud Earth , aud have practised the sacred duties of morality .
9 . As a further proof that I am not only not inimical hut positively friendly to the interests of the so-designated " Scotch Masonry , " I beg to remind my accusers that 1 rule Royal Arch Masonry in Western India as Provincial Grand Superintendent under Scotland , having been appointed to that office hy the
Grand Chapter of Scotland at tbe unanimous recommendation of all the chapters then working in the Province ; that I was the first to introduce into those chapters the correct mode of working according to the Scotch method ; that I have promoted the interests and extended the influence of the so-designated " Scotch Masonry" by aiding in the establishment of a new chapter under Scotland ; and that my exertions on behalf of the so-designated " Scotch Masonry " have been recognised and
acknowledged by the presentation to me of a handsome jewel by the Scotch Chapter Perseverance of Bombay , and by my re-appointment by the Grand Chapter of Scotland for a second term of five years . 10 . In conclusion , I beg to say that I believe I have now replied to every charge brought against me in tho letter under notice , and I sincerely hope you will consider that I have answered them fully and satisfactorilyand in such a Masonic
, manner as befits one whom you have thought fit to appoint to the high and honourable office of Deputy Provincial Grand-Master of Bombay and its Territories uuder yourself . lam , dear R . W . Sir and Brother , yours truly and fraternally ,. ( Signed ) G . S . JUDGE , : Deputy Prov . G . Master of Bombay and its Territories ..
District Grand Lodge of Bombay and its Territories under the Grand Lodge of England . Bombay , loth July , 1863 . To G . A . Summers , Esq ., Provincial Grand Secretary Provincial Grand Lodge of Scotch Masonry in Western India , Bombay . SIR . ASD BROTHER , —I am directed by the R . W . the Provincial Grand Master of Bombay and its Territories under England , to
acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 22 nd ultimo , and to send herewith a copy of R . W . Bro . G . S . Judge ' s reply to the charges therein contained , which the R . W . the Provincial Grand Master desires me to inform you he considers full and satisfactory , and fie is therefore of opinion that R . W . Bro . Judge is entirely blameless with respect to the charges contained in your letter under reply . I am further directed to request that you will lay this and
R . W . Bro . Judge ' s letter before yonr Provincial Grand Lodge , with a request that the information asked for in the seventh paragraph of R . W . Bro . Judge ' s letter may be furnished to me , to enable him to make such apologies as he desires to make to the brother , who , ou the 27 fch January last , held a commission from the Grand Lodge of Scotland , appointing him Provincial Grand Master of Western India , and the members of his Provincial Grand Lodge for tho wrong which , in his ignorance of
any such commission being in existence , he unintentionally did them . If , however , a brother has received a commission from the-Grand Lodge of Scotland appointing him Provincial Grand Master of Western India since the 27 fch January last , I am directed to ask you to favour me with the name of that brother , tbe date of his commission , and tho date on which he read the same in a Provincial Grand Lodge convened for that purpose
, in conformity with tbe laws of the Grand Lodge of Scotland , to enable the Provincial Grand Master of Bombay under England to order all the lodges in his province to pay that brother the respect which is due to his exalted rank . An early answer will oblige .
I remain , Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , ( Signed ) AEI-BED KING , Provincial Grand Secretary of the District Grand Lodge of Bombay and its Territories under England . MasDnic Hall , Bombay , 21 th July , 1863 . To A . King , Esq ,,
Provincial Grand Secretary of the District Grand Lodge of Bombay and its Territories under England . SIR ASD BROTHER , —With reference to your letter of the 15 th instant , I am directed by the R . AV . Bro . R . B . Barton , the Provincial Grand Master of Western India , to communicate for the information of the Provincial Grand Master of Bombay and its territories under Englandthat Brother Judge ' s letter has
, been received , and will be laid before the Provincial Grand Lodge of Western India under Scotland at the next meeting . I remain , Sir and Brother , yours fraternally , ( Signed ) G . A . SUMSTEES , Provincial Grand Secretary of Western India under Scotland .