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Article THE MASONIC MIRROR. ← Page 4 of 14 →
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The Masonic Mirror.
move the following amendment— That so much of the report as recommends the increase of the salary of the Grand Secretary to £ 300 a year , be not adopted . " A Brother , ivhose name ive could not learn , seconded the amendment , on the ground that it was premature to raise the Grand Secretary ' s salary so short a time after his entrance upon the duties of his office ; ancl that the present salary was sufficient , judged by what was paid elsewhere , such as to secretaries of clubs , who
rarely get over £ 400 a year . In fact , he believed he was correct in stating thafc that was the highest salary paid to the secretary of a club , ancl the duties of fche Grand Secretary ' s office had decreased instead of increasing . In reply to Bro . Hearue , Bro . Havers said that the Grand Secretary received only £ 50 a year as Grand Scribe E . Bro . Le Veau—I feel sure that every member of this Grand Lodge , and every brother throughout the Craft , will agree with , mc when I say , that the responsible
office of Grand Secretary to our important body , should be filled by one who is in every sense of the word a gentleman . ( Hear , hear , and applause ) . By tiiose cheers I learn , that iu this jioint you agree with me . ( Hear , hear ) . My next point is , that the brother filling such a situation should be amply repaid for his servir . es . ( Hear , hear ) . The proposer and the seconded of the amendment tell ns that the duties of the office have not been increased , but that they have been decreased ; but I think I shall be able to show you that such is not the fact—that not only
have those duties not decreased , but that they have greatly increased . The gratuity of £ 100 a year to our late Grand Secretary was made partly for the lengthened services to tho Craft , but partly also on account of additional labours devolving upon him . ( Hear ) . Thafc gratuity ivas passed by a vote in 1 S 3 S or 1839 ; and has that vote ever been taken since 1 If not , how can it be saicl that the £ 100 did not substantially form part of the £ 400 a-yearl ( Hear , hear ) . Our late respected Grand Secretary also received £ 50 as Grand Scribe E , ivhich made his salary £ 450 in 1 S 39 , when the Lodges were 069 , aud all ive ask is , the same allowance for Bro . Gray Clarke , iu 1859 , when the Lodges number 1 , 094 , instead of 069 or nearly double .
, ( Hear . ) I ivill now call your attention to another important point , ivhich entails great labour upon the Grand Secretary , and that is , that ho answers every letter himself —( hear , hear)—be it long or short . ( Hear ) . In 1 S 42 , the first year in which they were numbered , 1 , 030 letters were received by post and by hand ; but in 1858 , the number was 3 , 384 ; ancl in the first six months of the present year , there hacl been received 2 , 147 ; aud if they came in in the same ratio for the rest of the year , tho number will be 4 , 29-j for 1859 . Now , I ask you , whether that does not entail a vast amount of labour . ( Hearhear ) . I ask any brother herewho will sit down
, , ancl answer four thousand and odd letters during the year , whether it is not a work of labour ; ancl then the Grand Secretary iias other letters to write by command of the Board of General Purposes , ancl other boards and committees connected with Grand Lod ge . Then he has the minutes to prepare , aud to give attendance upon the Grand Master , and on other parties connected with Grand Loclge , so that his duties engage him many an evening ivhen he ought to be taking repose . Instead of his labours being confined to the office hours , from nine till five , he often labours at
home for four or five hours in the evening . The Colonial Board has also added to his labours very materially , and therefore I feel sure that the brethren here will agree with me , that they ivould not wish any gentleman who gives up the whole of his time for the benefit of the Craft , and the promotion ol its welfare , to work nofc merely during office hours , but also afc home during the evening , without being amply repaid . I call upon you , therefore , in the name of justice , and in the name indeed of all that is honourable , to vote this extra £ 100 to Clarke
a year Bro . Gray ' s salary , and to enhance the value of it by voting it unanimously . ( Applause ) . Bro . Binckes had not intended taking parfc in tljis debute —( laughter)—in faetho had fully determined not to clo so . ( Renewed laughter , ancl ironical ' ' Hear , hear . " ) He was at a loss to understand the risibility of which he was the innocent cause ( laughter ) , for he did not know that he had so far stultified himself as to render what he said unworth y of the attention of Gvaud Lodge . He admitted , in replying to Bro . Symonds , that the salaries ivere paid from the Board of General Purposes , and not from the funds of the Board of Benevolence ; but at the
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Masonic Mirror.
move the following amendment— That so much of the report as recommends the increase of the salary of the Grand Secretary to £ 300 a year , be not adopted . " A Brother , ivhose name ive could not learn , seconded the amendment , on the ground that it was premature to raise the Grand Secretary ' s salary so short a time after his entrance upon the duties of his office ; ancl that the present salary was sufficient , judged by what was paid elsewhere , such as to secretaries of clubs , who
rarely get over £ 400 a year . In fact , he believed he was correct in stating thafc that was the highest salary paid to the secretary of a club , ancl the duties of fche Grand Secretary ' s office had decreased instead of increasing . In reply to Bro . Hearue , Bro . Havers said that the Grand Secretary received only £ 50 a year as Grand Scribe E . Bro . Le Veau—I feel sure that every member of this Grand Lodge , and every brother throughout the Craft , will agree with , mc when I say , that the responsible
office of Grand Secretary to our important body , should be filled by one who is in every sense of the word a gentleman . ( Hear , hear , and applause ) . By tiiose cheers I learn , that iu this jioint you agree with me . ( Hear , hear ) . My next point is , that the brother filling such a situation should be amply repaid for his servir . es . ( Hear , hear ) . The proposer and the seconded of the amendment tell ns that the duties of the office have not been increased , but that they have been decreased ; but I think I shall be able to show you that such is not the fact—that not only
have those duties not decreased , but that they have greatly increased . The gratuity of £ 100 a year to our late Grand Secretary was made partly for the lengthened services to tho Craft , but partly also on account of additional labours devolving upon him . ( Hear ) . Thafc gratuity ivas passed by a vote in 1 S 3 S or 1839 ; and has that vote ever been taken since 1 If not , how can it be saicl that the £ 100 did not substantially form part of the £ 400 a-yearl ( Hear , hear ) . Our late respected Grand Secretary also received £ 50 as Grand Scribe E , ivhich made his salary £ 450 in 1 S 39 , when the Lodges were 069 , aud all ive ask is , the same allowance for Bro . Gray Clarke , iu 1859 , when the Lodges number 1 , 094 , instead of 069 or nearly double .
, ( Hear . ) I ivill now call your attention to another important point , ivhich entails great labour upon the Grand Secretary , and that is , that ho answers every letter himself —( hear , hear)—be it long or short . ( Hear ) . In 1 S 42 , the first year in which they were numbered , 1 , 030 letters were received by post and by hand ; but in 1858 , the number was 3 , 384 ; ancl in the first six months of the present year , there hacl been received 2 , 147 ; aud if they came in in the same ratio for the rest of the year , tho number will be 4 , 29-j for 1859 . Now , I ask you , whether that does not entail a vast amount of labour . ( Hearhear ) . I ask any brother herewho will sit down
, , ancl answer four thousand and odd letters during the year , whether it is not a work of labour ; ancl then the Grand Secretary iias other letters to write by command of the Board of General Purposes , ancl other boards and committees connected with Grand Lod ge . Then he has the minutes to prepare , aud to give attendance upon the Grand Master , and on other parties connected with Grand Loclge , so that his duties engage him many an evening ivhen he ought to be taking repose . Instead of his labours being confined to the office hours , from nine till five , he often labours at
home for four or five hours in the evening . The Colonial Board has also added to his labours very materially , and therefore I feel sure that the brethren here will agree with me , that they ivould not wish any gentleman who gives up the whole of his time for the benefit of the Craft , and the promotion ol its welfare , to work nofc merely during office hours , but also afc home during the evening , without being amply repaid . I call upon you , therefore , in the name of justice , and in the name indeed of all that is honourable , to vote this extra £ 100 to Clarke
a year Bro . Gray ' s salary , and to enhance the value of it by voting it unanimously . ( Applause ) . Bro . Binckes had not intended taking parfc in tljis debute —( laughter)—in faetho had fully determined not to clo so . ( Renewed laughter , ancl ironical ' ' Hear , hear . " ) He was at a loss to understand the risibility of which he was the innocent cause ( laughter ) , for he did not know that he had so far stultified himself as to render what he said unworth y of the attention of Gvaud Lodge . He admitted , in replying to Bro . Symonds , that the salaries ivere paid from the Board of General Purposes , and not from the funds of the Board of Benevolence ; but at the