Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Tasmania.
all disputes , any one would have thought Bro . Ewing , and his Board of General Purposes , would havo been satisfied , and congratulated themselves upon having so easily got rid of a troublesome and vexatious question ; but on the following day another letter was dispatched in these terms - . —
' The Board of General Purposes took yesterday the recent correspondence between No . 781 and myself into consideration . Touching the first of my questions submitted to you in my letter of the 26 th ult ., it was held that your letter of the dth instant contains a sufficient answer ; the second question was not held to he vital , the more especially as it was concluded that the parties who caused the reprinting of the articles complained of have , to some extent , atoned by the recent reprint of Lord Panmurc ' s
speech in answer to Bro . Warren ' s motion ; concerning the third question , it was held that the Secretary should be alone responsible . Bro . Drake is not therefore released , ancl I shall make an especial representation of his case to Grand Lodge . Bro . Learmonth ' s letter ivas published since the 6 th of August , after the receipt of the petition I sent you ; and during the period of suspension as the custodian of the document referred to -he is responsible to the Craft for its being printedIn the printing of it ( see
. , No . . 3 , p . 74 , " Of Members and their Duty" ) theplook of Constitutions , has been violated . It will be for mc to recommend to Grancl Lodge the enforcement of that law unless Bro . Drake can give me a satisfactory explanation as to the manner in which Bro . Wilkinson became possessed of it ; BroWilkinson's conduct in printing it is already before Grand Loclge . "
On the next clay , November loth , a protest was entered against the decision with regard to Bro . Drake , it being clearly shown that the document alluded to had been printed in the first published correspondence on this unfortunate dispute—a copy of whicli many of our English Brethren will remember to have received about twelve months sinceand the probability was that Bro . Wilkinson had
re-; printed it from that correspondence . Tho exclusion of Bro . Drake from the act of grace was , however continued , ancl , moreover , the following peremptory demand was sent to Bro . Toby , the Worshipful Master of No . 781 .
" I also summon you to place under cover and seal , in my possession by the 20 th of the month , the minute book of No . 781 , ancl the minutes and records of every meeting of No . 781 , and of all committees and boards of P . Ms , that have taken place since 1 st January , 1857 . " This the restored Brethren held to be exceeding the power of the Provincial Grancl' Master , as laid clown in the Book of
Constitutions" The Provincial Grand Master may summon any Loclge or Brother , within his district , to attend him , and to produce the warrant , books , papers , and accounts of the Lodge , or the certificate of the Brother—" The result ivas that at the first meeting of the restored Brethren cm the 18 th November , as a Lodge , they came to the resolution with two dissentients , to dissolve the Lodge and return the warrant to
the Most Worship ful Grand Master . This , Bro . Toby at once did , without giving duo notice to the absent members of his Lodge , and without waiting , as he should have done , for the confirmation of the
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Tasmania.
all disputes , any one would have thought Bro . Ewing , and his Board of General Purposes , would havo been satisfied , and congratulated themselves upon having so easily got rid of a troublesome and vexatious question ; but on the following day another letter was dispatched in these terms - . —
' The Board of General Purposes took yesterday the recent correspondence between No . 781 and myself into consideration . Touching the first of my questions submitted to you in my letter of the 26 th ult ., it was held that your letter of the dth instant contains a sufficient answer ; the second question was not held to he vital , the more especially as it was concluded that the parties who caused the reprinting of the articles complained of have , to some extent , atoned by the recent reprint of Lord Panmurc ' s
speech in answer to Bro . Warren ' s motion ; concerning the third question , it was held that the Secretary should be alone responsible . Bro . Drake is not therefore released , ancl I shall make an especial representation of his case to Grand Lodge . Bro . Learmonth ' s letter ivas published since the 6 th of August , after the receipt of the petition I sent you ; and during the period of suspension as the custodian of the document referred to -he is responsible to the Craft for its being printedIn the printing of it ( see
. , No . . 3 , p . 74 , " Of Members and their Duty" ) theplook of Constitutions , has been violated . It will be for mc to recommend to Grancl Lodge the enforcement of that law unless Bro . Drake can give me a satisfactory explanation as to the manner in which Bro . Wilkinson became possessed of it ; BroWilkinson's conduct in printing it is already before Grand Loclge . "
On the next clay , November loth , a protest was entered against the decision with regard to Bro . Drake , it being clearly shown that the document alluded to had been printed in the first published correspondence on this unfortunate dispute—a copy of whicli many of our English Brethren will remember to have received about twelve months sinceand the probability was that Bro . Wilkinson had
re-; printed it from that correspondence . Tho exclusion of Bro . Drake from the act of grace was , however continued , ancl , moreover , the following peremptory demand was sent to Bro . Toby , the Worshipful Master of No . 781 .
" I also summon you to place under cover and seal , in my possession by the 20 th of the month , the minute book of No . 781 , ancl the minutes and records of every meeting of No . 781 , and of all committees and boards of P . Ms , that have taken place since 1 st January , 1857 . " This the restored Brethren held to be exceeding the power of the Provincial Grancl' Master , as laid clown in the Book of
Constitutions" The Provincial Grand Master may summon any Loclge or Brother , within his district , to attend him , and to produce the warrant , books , papers , and accounts of the Lodge , or the certificate of the Brother—" The result ivas that at the first meeting of the restored Brethren cm the 18 th November , as a Lodge , they came to the resolution with two dissentients , to dissolve the Lodge and return the warrant to
the Most Worship ful Grand Master . This , Bro . Toby at once did , without giving duo notice to the absent members of his Lodge , and without waiting , as he should have done , for the confirmation of the