-
Articles/Ads
Article AN INNOVATION. Page 1 of 1 Article CONSTITUTIONS OF FREEMASONRY. Page 1 of 3 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
An Innovation.
AN INNOVATION .
X 03 JDOJS " , SATURDAY , JVOKEJIIBJEJK 23 , 1861 .
We , on Wednesday evening , paid a visit to the Lodge of Benevolence , and were much astonished to find on the table a number of lithographed papers , setting forth the names of the various applicants for relief , -with a number of particulars relative to their cases under the
following heads .- —"_ No ., Name , Age , Trade , Pate of Initiation , Last Payment to Benevolence , No . of Tears paid , No . of Children , Remarks . " We shall not insult our readers—for an insult we are
sure it would be , were we to unnecessarily parade the wants and distresses of our poorer brethren—by copying any more of the paper , as the heading will sufficiently speak for itself . We are not aware who is the author of this innovation , but whoever he be , we must be allowed to inform him that it is no improvement on the
old system—thai of having one or two copies made and pasted on boards for the information of the members of the Lodge of Benevolence , and which they could not well place in their pockets—and we trust it will be at once suppressed . We have always considered that one
great merit of the manner in which the brethren , or their widows , have been relieved by the Lodge of Benevolence , to consist in the distresses of the applicants being made known to as few brethren as possible—and those brethren to whom they became known , in virtue of their office as
members of the Lodge of Benevolence , being under amoral obligation not to talk of the cases which come before them , unless it be to procure further relief for a distressed and worthy brother . Indeed , we have regretted to see , in cases which have been recommended to Grand Lodge for a larger amount of relief than the Lodge of Benevolence is of itself empowered to grant , that the
names of the applicants , with other particulars , have been published at length , when initials would answer equally well , leaving the particulars to be given in Grand Lodge—beyond the walls of which they should never be allowed to transpire—indeed , so strongly have we felt this , that we have made it a rule never to publish
discussions on grants made to our distressed brethren . All that need be published in the agenda paper of Grand Lodge might be something like the following : — " J B , aged 75 . Applicant was initiated in Lodge No . , on the IStli November , 1825 , and continued
a subscribing member for 35 years . He was formerly in business as a tailor , but , having been afflicted with blindness is now unable to obtain a living—and is mainl y dependent on the exertions of a daughter in ill health . " Of course we have put a merely imaginary ease , but we
must protest against the distresses of any portion of the brethren being unnecessarily made known , and cannot see why the administration of our funds cannot be as secretly administered as are those of the Literary Eund or the Artists' Benevolent Institution—the fact that the Master of every lodge , is , ex officio , a member of the Lodge of Benevolence , being of itself a sufficient guarantee for the proper disbursement of the funds .
Constitutions Of Freemasonry.
CONSTITUTIONS OF FREEMASONRY .
Proceeding in our review of the Constitutions of the three jurisdictions , we find that in the English , provision is made for keeping intact , in the hands of Grand Lodge , the " power of enacting laws and regulations for the government of the Craft , and of altering , repealing , and
abrogating them , " and also the " power of investigating ; , regulating , and deciding all matters relative to the Craft , or to particular lodges , or to individual brethren , " which it may either exercise itself , or delegate it to such authority as it may seem fit . But in the " Grand Lodge alone
resides the power of erasing lodges , and expelling brethren from the Craft , a power which it does not delegate to any subordinate authority in England . " In Ireland also , the power of determining on all matters " that concern the fraternity in general ,
particular lodges , or individual brethren , " and all differences between brethren which cannot be " accommodated by the Board of General Purposes , or otherwise , shall be decided by Grand Lodge , " and if any brother feels himself aggrieved by any decision come to , he has the right of appeal within six months , but not afterwards .
Eurther , the Grand Lodge , like that of England , " has an inherent right to make new laws for the benefit of the fraternity , and to alter those already formed . " The power of suspending or excluding a brother , however , here rests with the private lodges , though the sentence must
be sent up to Grand Lodge for confirmation , and here ¦ comes a most important clause , as showing how fully the Grand Lodge of Ireland acknowledges the high degree , and how the jurisdiction ofthe various governing bodies are dependent one upon the
other" Any brother excluded , suspended , or restored by the Grand JRoyal Arch Chapter , the Grand Encampment of High Knights Templars , or the Grand Council of Eites for Ireland , shall , on the case being officially communicated to the Grand Lodge of Ireland , be excluded , suspended , or restored , as the case may be , without any further enquiry or investigation . "
In Scotland all cases of dispute between the brethren are first to go before the Grand Committee ( answering to the Boards of General Purposes in England and Ireland , on the constitution of which , with their powers , we shall hereafter treat ) , who is to decide thereon , or in
case of difficulty to " report the case with the whole proceedings therein to the next Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge ; " and in case any parties shall feel aggrieved by the decision of the Grand Committee , they have the right of appeal to Grand Lodge , upon
previously lodging with the Grand Secretary " a sum equal to the reasonable expenses already incurred by the otherparty , " which is to " be forfeited and be paid to the other party in case the Grand Lodge shall affirm the decision ofthe Grand Committee " - —a regulation , no doubt , very
much calculated to lessen appeals , though we doubt whether it might not in many cases prevent justice being done to poorer brethren , if opposed to a lodge , whilst we look upon it as altogether "unmasonic . " If not appealed against , the decisions of Grand Committee are
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
An Innovation.
AN INNOVATION .
X 03 JDOJS " , SATURDAY , JVOKEJIIBJEJK 23 , 1861 .
We , on Wednesday evening , paid a visit to the Lodge of Benevolence , and were much astonished to find on the table a number of lithographed papers , setting forth the names of the various applicants for relief , -with a number of particulars relative to their cases under the
following heads .- —"_ No ., Name , Age , Trade , Pate of Initiation , Last Payment to Benevolence , No . of Tears paid , No . of Children , Remarks . " We shall not insult our readers—for an insult we are
sure it would be , were we to unnecessarily parade the wants and distresses of our poorer brethren—by copying any more of the paper , as the heading will sufficiently speak for itself . We are not aware who is the author of this innovation , but whoever he be , we must be allowed to inform him that it is no improvement on the
old system—thai of having one or two copies made and pasted on boards for the information of the members of the Lodge of Benevolence , and which they could not well place in their pockets—and we trust it will be at once suppressed . We have always considered that one
great merit of the manner in which the brethren , or their widows , have been relieved by the Lodge of Benevolence , to consist in the distresses of the applicants being made known to as few brethren as possible—and those brethren to whom they became known , in virtue of their office as
members of the Lodge of Benevolence , being under amoral obligation not to talk of the cases which come before them , unless it be to procure further relief for a distressed and worthy brother . Indeed , we have regretted to see , in cases which have been recommended to Grand Lodge for a larger amount of relief than the Lodge of Benevolence is of itself empowered to grant , that the
names of the applicants , with other particulars , have been published at length , when initials would answer equally well , leaving the particulars to be given in Grand Lodge—beyond the walls of which they should never be allowed to transpire—indeed , so strongly have we felt this , that we have made it a rule never to publish
discussions on grants made to our distressed brethren . All that need be published in the agenda paper of Grand Lodge might be something like the following : — " J B , aged 75 . Applicant was initiated in Lodge No . , on the IStli November , 1825 , and continued
a subscribing member for 35 years . He was formerly in business as a tailor , but , having been afflicted with blindness is now unable to obtain a living—and is mainl y dependent on the exertions of a daughter in ill health . " Of course we have put a merely imaginary ease , but we
must protest against the distresses of any portion of the brethren being unnecessarily made known , and cannot see why the administration of our funds cannot be as secretly administered as are those of the Literary Eund or the Artists' Benevolent Institution—the fact that the Master of every lodge , is , ex officio , a member of the Lodge of Benevolence , being of itself a sufficient guarantee for the proper disbursement of the funds .
Constitutions Of Freemasonry.
CONSTITUTIONS OF FREEMASONRY .
Proceeding in our review of the Constitutions of the three jurisdictions , we find that in the English , provision is made for keeping intact , in the hands of Grand Lodge , the " power of enacting laws and regulations for the government of the Craft , and of altering , repealing , and
abrogating them , " and also the " power of investigating ; , regulating , and deciding all matters relative to the Craft , or to particular lodges , or to individual brethren , " which it may either exercise itself , or delegate it to such authority as it may seem fit . But in the " Grand Lodge alone
resides the power of erasing lodges , and expelling brethren from the Craft , a power which it does not delegate to any subordinate authority in England . " In Ireland also , the power of determining on all matters " that concern the fraternity in general ,
particular lodges , or individual brethren , " and all differences between brethren which cannot be " accommodated by the Board of General Purposes , or otherwise , shall be decided by Grand Lodge , " and if any brother feels himself aggrieved by any decision come to , he has the right of appeal within six months , but not afterwards .
Eurther , the Grand Lodge , like that of England , " has an inherent right to make new laws for the benefit of the fraternity , and to alter those already formed . " The power of suspending or excluding a brother , however , here rests with the private lodges , though the sentence must
be sent up to Grand Lodge for confirmation , and here ¦ comes a most important clause , as showing how fully the Grand Lodge of Ireland acknowledges the high degree , and how the jurisdiction ofthe various governing bodies are dependent one upon the
other" Any brother excluded , suspended , or restored by the Grand JRoyal Arch Chapter , the Grand Encampment of High Knights Templars , or the Grand Council of Eites for Ireland , shall , on the case being officially communicated to the Grand Lodge of Ireland , be excluded , suspended , or restored , as the case may be , without any further enquiry or investigation . "
In Scotland all cases of dispute between the brethren are first to go before the Grand Committee ( answering to the Boards of General Purposes in England and Ireland , on the constitution of which , with their powers , we shall hereafter treat ) , who is to decide thereon , or in
case of difficulty to " report the case with the whole proceedings therein to the next Quarterly Communication of Grand Lodge ; " and in case any parties shall feel aggrieved by the decision of the Grand Committee , they have the right of appeal to Grand Lodge , upon
previously lodging with the Grand Secretary " a sum equal to the reasonable expenses already incurred by the otherparty , " which is to " be forfeited and be paid to the other party in case the Grand Lodge shall affirm the decision ofthe Grand Committee " - —a regulation , no doubt , very
much calculated to lessen appeals , though we doubt whether it might not in many cases prevent justice being done to poorer brethren , if opposed to a lodge , whilst we look upon it as altogether "unmasonic . " If not appealed against , the decisions of Grand Committee are