Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Ireland.
This committee submitted their report at the last meeting of the board , when it was resolved " That Grand Lodge be recommended to adopt this report , " which was accordingly done at tbe meeting of Grand Lodge , on the Sth inst ., and it was theu unanimously resolved : — " That the report now read be printed and sent with the proposed new rules to tlie several Provincial Grand Lodges ,
and the private Lodges , in the proposed new districts , and that they be requested to take the same into their consideration with as little delay as possible , in order that their report thereon may he iu the hands of the Deputy Grand Secretary , on or before Friday , the 2 St ! i day of February next , in order that the same be laid before the Grand Lodge , at its meeting in March . " The consideration of the subject was then formally postponed
until the meeting of Grand Lodge in March , 1 S 6 S . I have therefore the pleasure of enclosing the documents referred to , and of requesting your early attention thereto . I have the honour to be , Yours fraternally , CHARLES T . WALMISLBY , Deputy Grand Secretary .
REPORT or CO-HJIITIEE OX PROVINCIAL GRAXD LODGES . To the Most Worshipful the Grancl Master , aud the Grand Lodge of Ireland . The committee appointed by order of tbe Grancl Lodge , dated 7 th June , 1866 , to report concerning the Masonic Provinces of Ireland , beg leave to report as follows : — The committee have carefully considered tlie subject referred
to them , both as regards its general bearing ou the Masonic community , and the existing divisions of tbe kingdom into provinces . They have also inquired into the manner in which the defects of the present system might be obviated by a new arrangement . They approve , in general , of the system of constituting Provincial Grand Lodges . They deem it conducive to the welfare ofthe Order ; firstbiving the Grand Lodge more effectual
, y g control over the Masonic community in distant places , both at home and abroad ; secondly , by affording means of honourably and suitably rewarding the zeal and exertions of those who have been most earnest and efficient in tbe service of tlie Order , by means of the distinctions of Masonic rank in the Provincial Grand Lodges . Ifc is well known that the advantages which the Order occasionally derives from the aid and countenance of persons of rank and influence is frequently due to the connection
formed by such persons with the Masonic Society through the Provincial Grand Lodges ; and tho system has been conducive , as the committee conceive , in no slight degree , to tbe power and extension of the Order in England , and the British colonies aud dependencies . The committee bavins- hael before them the map of Ireland ,
and considered the boundaries of the present Masonic provinces both geographically , and with a view to the accommodation of tbe members of country lodges , ns afforded by the existing means of communication , are of opinion , Firstly , that it would be desirable that tbe whole kingdom , excepting a metropolitan district in the vicinity of the Grand Lodge , should be divided into Masonic provinces . Secondly , that the present boundaries should be altered and
modified in the manner hereinafter described . The province of Munster ( geographically speaking ) contains at present two Provintial Masonic districts—the Masonic province of North Munster , and that of South Munster , which latter is usually termed "Munster" only . The committee recommend that the province of South Munster should be designated by a line drawn from Youghal along the boundary of the County of Cork to MitchelstownICilworthFermoy and
, , Mallow , inluding all those towns ; thence to Killarney ( including it ) , and to Milltown ( including it ) , at the head of Dingle Bay ; the seacoast forming the western and southern boundary . They see no reason for altering the established name of that province , hitherto used and approved . The committee recommend that the province of North Munster should comprise those portions ofthe Counties of Cork and Kerry lying north ofthe northern boundary of the southern
provinces ; also the whole of the Counties of Tipperary , Limerick , and Clare , together with the City of Limerick . They also recommend that the Counties of Roscommon , Leitrim , Sligo , Mayo and Gal way , none of which are at present comprised iu in any Masonic province , should be constituted a
new Masonic province , to be designated the province of Connaught , and that the Provincial Grand Lodge should meet at Ballinasloe . Also that tho counties ofWaterford , Kilkenny , Carlow , and Wexford , none of which are at present comprised in any Masonic province , should be constituted a new Masonic province , to be called " Tile South-eastern Province , " the Grand Lodge thereof to meet at Kilkenny or Waterforcl .
That the King ' s County , the Queen's County , and the counties of Westmeath anel Longford , not hitherto comprised in any Masonic province , should be constituted a new province , to be designated " Tlie Province of the Midland Counties , " and that tire Provincial Grand Lodge thereof should be held afc Tullamore , in the King ' s County . The committee think that the counties of Wicklow , Kildare ,
Meath and Dublin , being in the vicinity of the Grand Lodge itself , and which may easily be attended from any part of them , should not be included in any Masonic province , but be under the immediate superintendence of the Grand Lodge . The committee have had more difficulty in dealing with the northern counties , in which Provincial Grand Lodges exist ; they have been actuated by a desire afc once to preserve , as far as possible , tbe rights and privileges of existing Provincial Grancl Masters and Lodges , and to provide a remedy for the
constant sources of complaint respecting the inconvenience of attending provincial meetings , on the one hand , and tho difficulty of enforcing submission to provincial rules on the other . Having investigated this subject with the aid of tbe R . W . Bro . Tracy , 33 ° , who long held the office of Provincial Deputy Grand Master of Belfast and North Down , and who from his peculiar means of knowledge as well as from his local experience was well qualified to assist tire committee with very
valuable advice . The committee recommend that the counties of Cavan , Louth , Armagh aud Mouaghau , should be constituted into a new Masonic province , to be designated " The Province of Armagh , " the Grand Lodge thereof to be held at Armagh . And also that the counties of Londonderry and Donegal , and the city of Londonderry , should constitute " The Province of Londonderry , " the Grand Loelge still to meet iu the city of
Londonderry . Also that the extensive comity of Antrim should constitute another and distinct Masonic province ( but only one , and not , as at present , separated into two divisions ) , to be culled "The Province of Antrim ; " the Grand Lodge to meet at Belfast , The committee further recommend that the entire county of Down should constitute a separate Masonic province , to be called " Tbe Province of Down ; " tlie Grand Lodge to be held at Downpatrick , thus separating North Down from Belfast .
. Ihey further recommend that tbe counties of Tyrone and Fermanagh should be constituted into a separate Masonic province , to be called " The North-Western Province . " The committee would desire that , except as hereinbefore recommended , no alteration should be made in existing Provincial Grand Lodges or their provinces . They believe that new patents of appointment must , in some instances be granted ,
should the Grand Master think fit , in the exercise of his undoubted privilege , to reappoint any of the present Provincial Grand Masters ; but the committee elo not deem it proper or necessary to offer any suggestions on that subject , believing that they and the Order at large may implicitly confide in the wisdom and good feeling of tlie Noble Grand Master in that respect , as in all others in which the advantage of the Order is concerned .
Tire committee have , with the aid of zealous and experienced brethren of the Order , framed anew code of Rules for the Provincial Grand Lodges , in which they have endeavoured to obviate some of tbe causes of complaint before alluded fco . They have caused those rules to be printed in slips , for the purpose of facilitating tbe reading and revision of them , and they earnestly invite the attention of Grand Lodge to them . Believingas the committee dothat the speedy settlement
, , of this long agitated question will tend greatly to the good of the Order in general , the committee humbly suggest that if the Grand Lodge shall be pleased to adopt their views as to the general arrangement ofthe provinces , tlie final settlement of the rules may be subsequently effected , without any loss of time , as it will take some time to communicate with the Grand Master and tbe Provincial Grancl Masters , and to have the patents prepared—all which may he done during tbe period which the
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Ireland.
This committee submitted their report at the last meeting of the board , when it was resolved " That Grand Lodge be recommended to adopt this report , " which was accordingly done at tbe meeting of Grand Lodge , on the Sth inst ., and it was theu unanimously resolved : — " That the report now read be printed and sent with the proposed new rules to tlie several Provincial Grand Lodges ,
and the private Lodges , in the proposed new districts , and that they be requested to take the same into their consideration with as little delay as possible , in order that their report thereon may he iu the hands of the Deputy Grand Secretary , on or before Friday , the 2 St ! i day of February next , in order that the same be laid before the Grand Lodge , at its meeting in March . " The consideration of the subject was then formally postponed
until the meeting of Grand Lodge in March , 1 S 6 S . I have therefore the pleasure of enclosing the documents referred to , and of requesting your early attention thereto . I have the honour to be , Yours fraternally , CHARLES T . WALMISLBY , Deputy Grand Secretary .
REPORT or CO-HJIITIEE OX PROVINCIAL GRAXD LODGES . To the Most Worshipful the Grancl Master , aud the Grand Lodge of Ireland . The committee appointed by order of tbe Grancl Lodge , dated 7 th June , 1866 , to report concerning the Masonic Provinces of Ireland , beg leave to report as follows : — The committee have carefully considered tlie subject referred
to them , both as regards its general bearing ou the Masonic community , and the existing divisions of tbe kingdom into provinces . They have also inquired into the manner in which the defects of the present system might be obviated by a new arrangement . They approve , in general , of the system of constituting Provincial Grand Lodges . They deem it conducive to the welfare ofthe Order ; firstbiving the Grand Lodge more effectual
, y g control over the Masonic community in distant places , both at home and abroad ; secondly , by affording means of honourably and suitably rewarding the zeal and exertions of those who have been most earnest and efficient in tbe service of tlie Order , by means of the distinctions of Masonic rank in the Provincial Grand Lodges . Ifc is well known that the advantages which the Order occasionally derives from the aid and countenance of persons of rank and influence is frequently due to the connection
formed by such persons with the Masonic Society through the Provincial Grand Lodges ; and tho system has been conducive , as the committee conceive , in no slight degree , to tbe power and extension of the Order in England , and the British colonies aud dependencies . The committee bavins- hael before them the map of Ireland ,
and considered the boundaries of the present Masonic provinces both geographically , and with a view to the accommodation of tbe members of country lodges , ns afforded by the existing means of communication , are of opinion , Firstly , that it would be desirable that tbe whole kingdom , excepting a metropolitan district in the vicinity of the Grand Lodge , should be divided into Masonic provinces . Secondly , that the present boundaries should be altered and
modified in the manner hereinafter described . The province of Munster ( geographically speaking ) contains at present two Provintial Masonic districts—the Masonic province of North Munster , and that of South Munster , which latter is usually termed "Munster" only . The committee recommend that the province of South Munster should be designated by a line drawn from Youghal along the boundary of the County of Cork to MitchelstownICilworthFermoy and
, , Mallow , inluding all those towns ; thence to Killarney ( including it ) , and to Milltown ( including it ) , at the head of Dingle Bay ; the seacoast forming the western and southern boundary . They see no reason for altering the established name of that province , hitherto used and approved . The committee recommend that the province of North Munster should comprise those portions ofthe Counties of Cork and Kerry lying north ofthe northern boundary of the southern
provinces ; also the whole of the Counties of Tipperary , Limerick , and Clare , together with the City of Limerick . They also recommend that the Counties of Roscommon , Leitrim , Sligo , Mayo and Gal way , none of which are at present comprised iu in any Masonic province , should be constituted a
new Masonic province , to be designated the province of Connaught , and that the Provincial Grand Lodge should meet at Ballinasloe . Also that tho counties ofWaterford , Kilkenny , Carlow , and Wexford , none of which are at present comprised in any Masonic province , should be constituted a new Masonic province , to be called " Tile South-eastern Province , " the Grand Lodge thereof to meet at Kilkenny or Waterforcl .
That the King ' s County , the Queen's County , and the counties of Westmeath anel Longford , not hitherto comprised in any Masonic province , should be constituted a new province , to be designated " Tlie Province of the Midland Counties , " and that tire Provincial Grand Lodge thereof should be held afc Tullamore , in the King ' s County . The committee think that the counties of Wicklow , Kildare ,
Meath and Dublin , being in the vicinity of the Grand Lodge itself , and which may easily be attended from any part of them , should not be included in any Masonic province , but be under the immediate superintendence of the Grand Lodge . The committee have had more difficulty in dealing with the northern counties , in which Provincial Grand Lodges exist ; they have been actuated by a desire afc once to preserve , as far as possible , tbe rights and privileges of existing Provincial Grancl Masters and Lodges , and to provide a remedy for the
constant sources of complaint respecting the inconvenience of attending provincial meetings , on the one hand , and tho difficulty of enforcing submission to provincial rules on the other . Having investigated this subject with the aid of tbe R . W . Bro . Tracy , 33 ° , who long held the office of Provincial Deputy Grand Master of Belfast and North Down , and who from his peculiar means of knowledge as well as from his local experience was well qualified to assist tire committee with very
valuable advice . The committee recommend that the counties of Cavan , Louth , Armagh aud Mouaghau , should be constituted into a new Masonic province , to be designated " The Province of Armagh , " the Grand Lodge thereof to be held at Armagh . And also that the counties of Londonderry and Donegal , and the city of Londonderry , should constitute " The Province of Londonderry , " the Grand Loelge still to meet iu the city of
Londonderry . Also that the extensive comity of Antrim should constitute another and distinct Masonic province ( but only one , and not , as at present , separated into two divisions ) , to be culled "The Province of Antrim ; " the Grand Lodge to meet at Belfast , The committee further recommend that the entire county of Down should constitute a separate Masonic province , to be called " Tbe Province of Down ; " tlie Grand Lodge to be held at Downpatrick , thus separating North Down from Belfast .
. Ihey further recommend that tbe counties of Tyrone and Fermanagh should be constituted into a separate Masonic province , to be called " The North-Western Province . " The committee would desire that , except as hereinbefore recommended , no alteration should be made in existing Provincial Grand Lodges or their provinces . They believe that new patents of appointment must , in some instances be granted ,
should the Grand Master think fit , in the exercise of his undoubted privilege , to reappoint any of the present Provincial Grand Masters ; but the committee elo not deem it proper or necessary to offer any suggestions on that subject , believing that they and the Order at large may implicitly confide in the wisdom and good feeling of tlie Noble Grand Master in that respect , as in all others in which the advantage of the Order is concerned .
Tire committee have , with the aid of zealous and experienced brethren of the Order , framed anew code of Rules for the Provincial Grand Lodges , in which they have endeavoured to obviate some of tbe causes of complaint before alluded fco . They have caused those rules to be printed in slips , for the purpose of facilitating tbe reading and revision of them , and they earnestly invite the attention of Grand Lodge to them . Believingas the committee dothat the speedy settlement
, , of this long agitated question will tend greatly to the good of the Order in general , the committee humbly suggest that if the Grand Lodge shall be pleased to adopt their views as to the general arrangement ofthe provinces , tlie final settlement of the rules may be subsequently effected , without any loss of time , as it will take some time to communicate with the Grand Master and tbe Provincial Grancl Masters , and to have the patents prepared—all which may he done during tbe period which the