Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Threatened Secession From The Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter Of Scotland.—No. V .
them' ( two other Office-Bearers of the Chapter consulted by Companion Good ) ' or Chapter No . gO , my only business being with the companion in whose possession I found the books , and as Companion Good had said they Avere in his custody , it ivas him only I Avould hold responsible if the
instructions of the Provincial Grand Superintendent were refused , adding that of course I could not force then * production , but in the event of refusal , it would be my duty to report him having done so to the Provincial Grand Superintendent ; and ' also to the Supreme Grand Chapter of Scotland ; and
that such disobedience AVOUM in all likelihood bring on him suspension from all Royal Arch Masonic privileges . " ( Provincial Grand Scribe ' s letter to Dr . Walker Arnott produced , Avith answers . ) Terrified by the threats thus held out , Companion Good gave up the booksAvhich were
, carried off by the Provincial Grand Scribe E Avithout being sealed up . This took place upon the 29 th of March ; the books were not handed to Companion Walker Arnott till the 1 st of April . "What became of them in the interval does not anuear .
" Immediately after the seizure of the books the Chapter No . 80 met , and presented a petition and complaint to the Supreme Chapter , narrating the facts noAv referred to , and praying "that the Supreme Chapter may order the immediate restitution of your petitioners' minute and cash books
, accompanied Avith a suitable apolog * y for the insult offered to the petitioners by the highly offensive and vexatious manner imAvhicli said books Avere demanded and taken possession of by the Provincial Grand Scribe E , and also that your Excellencies may protect the petitioners and all
others from being subjected to similar summary , unjust , and harrassingly annoying treatment at the hands of any Provincial Grand Chapter officials .
A meeting of the Supreme Committee Avas called to consider this petition , but between the issuing of the circulars and the evening * of the meeting , a letter Avas received by the Grand Scribe'E from Dr . Walker Arnott , in Avhich the following explanation is made : — 'On a former
occasion , Avhen investigating the affairs of Chapter No . 18 , more than half of the trouble I Avas put to Avas caused by portions of the books being altered , and an entirely neAv treasurer ' s book substituted when it was suspected I Avould call for these ; and as some of the parties had left
" o- 18 , and joined No . 80 since then , I was desirous of getting the books , without previous notice , before any alteration could be made . ' It Juay be worthy of notice that this might . have afforded some ground of justification , had Dr . Walker Arnott been calling * for the books of
Chapter No . 18 , but for some reason not knoAvn to the Commitee , the books of that Chapter was & ° t asked for , and those of No . 80 taken . At ' he meeting , ansAvers were ordered , in terms of
cap . xiu ., sec . 2 , and were subsequently lodged by Dr . Walker Arnott . In these ansAvers he contended that , in terms of the laws of the Supreme Chapter , he Avas entitled to adopt the course Avhich he did . The law upon this point is contained in cap . x ., sec . 12 , and is as folloAvs : —
' A Provincial Grand Superintendent , or Provincial Grand Chapter , may hear and determine all subjects of Masonic complaint or irregularity respecting Chapters or Companions in their distinct , and for that purpose may summon the officebearers or companions of any of these Chapters to
appear before him , or it , and to produce the charter and books of the Chapter , and may proceed to admonition , ' & c . When the committee came to decide the case , the position of matters was this : —Dr . Walker Arnott hadAvithout asking the books of Chapter
, No . 80 to be sent to him , or summoning the office-bearers of the Chapter to appear before him , and Avithout any previous notice whatever , sent his Provincial Grand Scribe E to demand the
immediate delivery of the books , and this in a case Avhere the Chapter was in no way concerned —Avhere no complaint of any kind had been made against the Chapter — and Avhere Dr . Walker Arnott himself alleged in his ansAvers , 'In the case of Chapter No . 80 , no irregularities
appertaining * to it as a body Avere supposed , or were found to exist . ' The Committee could not help feeling * it a disagreeable case to decide , but they Avere called upon to decide between a subordinate Chapter complaining of a wrong done , and , by his OAvn admission , the doer of the wrong , and they pronounced the following decision upon the 28 th April , 1862 : —•
" The Committee having resumed consideration of the petition and complaint at the instance of the Kihvinning Ayr Chapter ( 3 STo . 80 ) against the Provincial Grand Chapter of tbe "Western Districts , with answers thereto for Dr . AValker Arnott , Provincial Grand Superintendent of the AVestern Districts , minute for the petitioners , and letters from Dr . Walker Arnott , Major Thornton , and the Western
Provincial Grand Scribe B . of the " Districts , — Find that tho seizure of the books of the Chapter No . 80 , in the way admitted hy the Provincial Grand Superintendent , as explained in the letter of the Provincial Grand Scribe E ., was a proceeding uncalled for in the circumstances , and unauthorised by the laws of the Supreme Chapter . Bufc inasmuch as the books were
returned Avithin a feiv days , find it unnecessary to proceed farther under the petition . " This decision Dr . Walker Arnott appealed against to the Supreme Chapter , which he was perfectly entitled to do , and Avhich was the constitutional mode of getting redress if the
Committee Avere wrong , but unfortunately , Dr . Walker Arnott did not confine himself to this . His first proceeding was to address the following letter to the First Grand Principal , Lord James Murray : — " 2 , Yictoria-terrace , Dowanhill , " Glasgow , May 9 , 1862 . "My Lord and Most Excellent Companion , —I trust that it will be convenient to you to be present and preside at the first meeting of the Supreme E . A . Chapter ,
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Threatened Secession From The Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter Of Scotland.—No. V .
them' ( two other Office-Bearers of the Chapter consulted by Companion Good ) ' or Chapter No . gO , my only business being with the companion in whose possession I found the books , and as Companion Good had said they Avere in his custody , it ivas him only I Avould hold responsible if the
instructions of the Provincial Grand Superintendent were refused , adding that of course I could not force then * production , but in the event of refusal , it would be my duty to report him having done so to the Provincial Grand Superintendent ; and ' also to the Supreme Grand Chapter of Scotland ; and
that such disobedience AVOUM in all likelihood bring on him suspension from all Royal Arch Masonic privileges . " ( Provincial Grand Scribe ' s letter to Dr . Walker Arnott produced , Avith answers . ) Terrified by the threats thus held out , Companion Good gave up the booksAvhich were
, carried off by the Provincial Grand Scribe E Avithout being sealed up . This took place upon the 29 th of March ; the books were not handed to Companion Walker Arnott till the 1 st of April . "What became of them in the interval does not anuear .
" Immediately after the seizure of the books the Chapter No . 80 met , and presented a petition and complaint to the Supreme Chapter , narrating the facts noAv referred to , and praying "that the Supreme Chapter may order the immediate restitution of your petitioners' minute and cash books
, accompanied Avith a suitable apolog * y for the insult offered to the petitioners by the highly offensive and vexatious manner imAvhicli said books Avere demanded and taken possession of by the Provincial Grand Scribe E , and also that your Excellencies may protect the petitioners and all
others from being subjected to similar summary , unjust , and harrassingly annoying treatment at the hands of any Provincial Grand Chapter officials .
A meeting of the Supreme Committee Avas called to consider this petition , but between the issuing of the circulars and the evening * of the meeting , a letter Avas received by the Grand Scribe'E from Dr . Walker Arnott , in Avhich the following explanation is made : — 'On a former
occasion , Avhen investigating the affairs of Chapter No . 18 , more than half of the trouble I Avas put to Avas caused by portions of the books being altered , and an entirely neAv treasurer ' s book substituted when it was suspected I Avould call for these ; and as some of the parties had left
" o- 18 , and joined No . 80 since then , I was desirous of getting the books , without previous notice , before any alteration could be made . ' It Juay be worthy of notice that this might . have afforded some ground of justification , had Dr . Walker Arnott been calling * for the books of
Chapter No . 18 , but for some reason not knoAvn to the Commitee , the books of that Chapter was & ° t asked for , and those of No . 80 taken . At ' he meeting , ansAvers were ordered , in terms of
cap . xiu ., sec . 2 , and were subsequently lodged by Dr . Walker Arnott . In these ansAvers he contended that , in terms of the laws of the Supreme Chapter , he Avas entitled to adopt the course Avhich he did . The law upon this point is contained in cap . x ., sec . 12 , and is as folloAvs : —
' A Provincial Grand Superintendent , or Provincial Grand Chapter , may hear and determine all subjects of Masonic complaint or irregularity respecting Chapters or Companions in their distinct , and for that purpose may summon the officebearers or companions of any of these Chapters to
appear before him , or it , and to produce the charter and books of the Chapter , and may proceed to admonition , ' & c . When the committee came to decide the case , the position of matters was this : —Dr . Walker Arnott hadAvithout asking the books of Chapter
, No . 80 to be sent to him , or summoning the office-bearers of the Chapter to appear before him , and Avithout any previous notice whatever , sent his Provincial Grand Scribe E to demand the
immediate delivery of the books , and this in a case Avhere the Chapter was in no way concerned —Avhere no complaint of any kind had been made against the Chapter — and Avhere Dr . Walker Arnott himself alleged in his ansAvers , 'In the case of Chapter No . 80 , no irregularities
appertaining * to it as a body Avere supposed , or were found to exist . ' The Committee could not help feeling * it a disagreeable case to decide , but they Avere called upon to decide between a subordinate Chapter complaining of a wrong done , and , by his OAvn admission , the doer of the wrong , and they pronounced the following decision upon the 28 th April , 1862 : —•
" The Committee having resumed consideration of the petition and complaint at the instance of the Kihvinning Ayr Chapter ( 3 STo . 80 ) against the Provincial Grand Chapter of tbe "Western Districts , with answers thereto for Dr . AValker Arnott , Provincial Grand Superintendent of the AVestern Districts , minute for the petitioners , and letters from Dr . Walker Arnott , Major Thornton , and the Western
Provincial Grand Scribe B . of the " Districts , — Find that tho seizure of the books of the Chapter No . 80 , in the way admitted hy the Provincial Grand Superintendent , as explained in the letter of the Provincial Grand Scribe E ., was a proceeding uncalled for in the circumstances , and unauthorised by the laws of the Supreme Chapter . Bufc inasmuch as the books were
returned Avithin a feiv days , find it unnecessary to proceed farther under the petition . " This decision Dr . Walker Arnott appealed against to the Supreme Chapter , which he was perfectly entitled to do , and Avhich was the constitutional mode of getting redress if the
Committee Avere wrong , but unfortunately , Dr . Walker Arnott did not confine himself to this . His first proceeding was to address the following letter to the First Grand Principal , Lord James Murray : — " 2 , Yictoria-terrace , Dowanhill , " Glasgow , May 9 , 1862 . "My Lord and Most Excellent Companion , —I trust that it will be convenient to you to be present and preside at the first meeting of the Supreme E . A . Chapter ,