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. Iii.
to destroy the parallel attempted to be drawn by the Committee . In the case of No . 18 , Dr . Arnott went himself to Ayr , and was strictly within the law . In the case of Chapter No . 80 , he sent another . In the case of No . 18 , Dr . Arnott gave the
Scribe E . of that Chapter at least seven days ' notice of his intention to inspect the books . In the case of No . 80 , not a moment ' s notice was
given . In the case of Chapter No . 18 , it was with reference to a Chapter matter . In the case of No . 80 , it had reference to a petition by private members of the Order ; and hi the case of No . 18 , a petition and complaint were presented by members of the
Chapter against their First Principal . In the case of No . 80 , there was no complaint of any kind ; and , in his answers , Dr . Arnott says , no irregularities in the case of No . 80 , as a Chapter , were supposed or were found to exist . The Report next goes on to saythat the
Su-, preme Committee reported in favour of the disjunction of Ayrshire from the Western District , and its erection into a province , without considting the Provincial Grand Chapter . But it does not say that every step taken was communicated to Dr .
Arnott ; and that m his first letter on the subject , and before the petition for disjunction was presented , the Doctor expressed his entire concurrence in the movement , and pledged himself to support it . The next statement is , that Grand Scribe E .
refused a copy of the petition to the Provincial Grand Chapter when asked for it . This is untrue . When at the meeting of Grand Chapter on the 23 rd of May last , we heard Companion Mackersey , Grand Scribe E ., read the letter he had sent to the Provincial Grand Scribe E . What was asked for
was the petition itself ( as we understood it ); and Companion Mackersey's reply was , that he was ordered to send the papers to Dr . Arnott himself ( the head of Provincial Grand Chapter ) , and would do so , —and this , we believe , he did .
The next " fact" worthy of notice is , that the books of Chapter No . 80 were " FREELY given up , " and that no threats of suspension were held out . That this is a grossly false statement we have both written and oral evidence to prove . In his report of the manner in which the seizure of No . 80 ' s
books was effected , the Provincial Grand Scribe E . thus writes to Dr . Arnott , and we may well conceive the story to be told as favourably for the reporter as it was possibly for him to do . Having learned that the books were in the possession of the Second Principal of No . 80 , the Provincial Grand
Scribe E . waited upon that Companion at his own house , and presented his warrant for delivery of said books : — " I requested him to deliver them to nie , and said I would give him an acknowledgment for the safe custody and speedy return of the same . After some conversation , in which he requested to know the reason of the books being called for , and
The Threatened Secession From The Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter Of Scotland. No. Iii.
also if the books of Chapter No . 18 were likewise "to go to Glasgow , I replied that I believed that the Provincial Grand Superintendent for the Western District of Scotland wished to inspect them ; and that at present I had no instructions to demand the books of No . IS . He then expressed his
astonishment that the Provincial Grand Superintendent ; should ask for the books , having so recently inspected and reported concerning them ; and also his dislike at the demand being : made without
-any previous notice , and his reluctance to give them up , especially as the First Principal was not in town . I replied that , in my opinioa ,, you thought this the most expeditious and least expensive method of obtaining them . He ( Companion Good ) then consented to deliver theai
to me , and left the room where we were sitting for the purpose , as I thought , of obtaining them . Hs was absent for a considerable time—say about twenty minutes—which I thought unnecessarily long , and returned not with the books , but with , two Companions of Chapter No . 80—viz .,
Compunion Park , Treasurer ; and another Companion , whose name I cannot at present remember . These Companions said the books of the Chapter should not be given up with their consent until the members of No . 80 were consulted in Chapter
assembled , and advised Companion Good not to give them up . I told them that I had nothing to do with either them or Chapter No . 80 , my only business being with the Companion in whose possession I found the books ; and as Companion Good had said they were in his custody , it was him onl y
I would hold responsible if the instructions of the Provincial Grand Superintendent were refused . ; adding , that of course I could not force this production ; but , in the event of refusal , it would be my duty to report his having done so to the Provincial Grand Superintendentand also to the
Su-, preme Grand Chapter of Scotland ; and that such disobedience would , in all likelihood , bring on him suspension from all Royal Arch Masonic privileges . After some further conversation of a similar nature , he , in the presence of the three Companions , consented to deliver the books to me . "
In addition to the above refutation of the Committee's statement on this point by one of themselves , I have the authority of Companion Good , for saying that the books were wrung from him through the threats of suspension for refusal which the Provincial Grand Scribe JE . held before him ;
that he delivered up the books in direct opjDosition to the advice , protest , and entreaties of the Treasurer , Companion John Park , and the First Sojourner , Companion Wilham Young ; and so strongly did the Treasurer feel on the subject , that rather than witness what he considered a
most illegal act , he left the room before the books were handed to the Provincial Grand Scribe . So much , then , for the freeness with which the books of No . 80 were delivered up , and for the truthfulness of the Committee ' s " statement of facts . "
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. Iii.
to destroy the parallel attempted to be drawn by the Committee . In the case of No . 18 , Dr . Arnott went himself to Ayr , and was strictly within the law . In the case of Chapter No . 80 , he sent another . In the case of No . 18 , Dr . Arnott gave the
Scribe E . of that Chapter at least seven days ' notice of his intention to inspect the books . In the case of No . 80 , not a moment ' s notice was
given . In the case of Chapter No . 18 , it was with reference to a Chapter matter . In the case of No . 80 , it had reference to a petition by private members of the Order ; and hi the case of No . 18 , a petition and complaint were presented by members of the
Chapter against their First Principal . In the case of No . 80 , there was no complaint of any kind ; and , in his answers , Dr . Arnott says , no irregularities in the case of No . 80 , as a Chapter , were supposed or were found to exist . The Report next goes on to saythat the
Su-, preme Committee reported in favour of the disjunction of Ayrshire from the Western District , and its erection into a province , without considting the Provincial Grand Chapter . But it does not say that every step taken was communicated to Dr .
Arnott ; and that m his first letter on the subject , and before the petition for disjunction was presented , the Doctor expressed his entire concurrence in the movement , and pledged himself to support it . The next statement is , that Grand Scribe E .
refused a copy of the petition to the Provincial Grand Chapter when asked for it . This is untrue . When at the meeting of Grand Chapter on the 23 rd of May last , we heard Companion Mackersey , Grand Scribe E ., read the letter he had sent to the Provincial Grand Scribe E . What was asked for
was the petition itself ( as we understood it ); and Companion Mackersey's reply was , that he was ordered to send the papers to Dr . Arnott himself ( the head of Provincial Grand Chapter ) , and would do so , —and this , we believe , he did .
The next " fact" worthy of notice is , that the books of Chapter No . 80 were " FREELY given up , " and that no threats of suspension were held out . That this is a grossly false statement we have both written and oral evidence to prove . In his report of the manner in which the seizure of No . 80 ' s
books was effected , the Provincial Grand Scribe E . thus writes to Dr . Arnott , and we may well conceive the story to be told as favourably for the reporter as it was possibly for him to do . Having learned that the books were in the possession of the Second Principal of No . 80 , the Provincial Grand
Scribe E . waited upon that Companion at his own house , and presented his warrant for delivery of said books : — " I requested him to deliver them to nie , and said I would give him an acknowledgment for the safe custody and speedy return of the same . After some conversation , in which he requested to know the reason of the books being called for , and
The Threatened Secession From The Supreme Grand Royal Arch Chapter Of Scotland. No. Iii.
also if the books of Chapter No . 18 were likewise "to go to Glasgow , I replied that I believed that the Provincial Grand Superintendent for the Western District of Scotland wished to inspect them ; and that at present I had no instructions to demand the books of No . IS . He then expressed his
astonishment that the Provincial Grand Superintendent ; should ask for the books , having so recently inspected and reported concerning them ; and also his dislike at the demand being : made without
-any previous notice , and his reluctance to give them up , especially as the First Principal was not in town . I replied that , in my opinioa ,, you thought this the most expeditious and least expensive method of obtaining them . He ( Companion Good ) then consented to deliver theai
to me , and left the room where we were sitting for the purpose , as I thought , of obtaining them . Hs was absent for a considerable time—say about twenty minutes—which I thought unnecessarily long , and returned not with the books , but with , two Companions of Chapter No . 80—viz .,
Compunion Park , Treasurer ; and another Companion , whose name I cannot at present remember . These Companions said the books of the Chapter should not be given up with their consent until the members of No . 80 were consulted in Chapter
assembled , and advised Companion Good not to give them up . I told them that I had nothing to do with either them or Chapter No . 80 , my only business being with the Companion in whose possession I found the books ; and as Companion Good had said they were in his custody , it was him onl y
I would hold responsible if the instructions of the Provincial Grand Superintendent were refused . ; adding , that of course I could not force this production ; but , in the event of refusal , it would be my duty to report his having done so to the Provincial Grand Superintendentand also to the
Su-, preme Grand Chapter of Scotland ; and that such disobedience would , in all likelihood , bring on him suspension from all Royal Arch Masonic privileges . After some further conversation of a similar nature , he , in the presence of the three Companions , consented to deliver the books to me . "
In addition to the above refutation of the Committee's statement on this point by one of themselves , I have the authority of Companion Good , for saying that the books were wrung from him through the threats of suspension for refusal which the Provincial Grand Scribe JE . held before him ;
that he delivered up the books in direct opjDosition to the advice , protest , and entreaties of the Treasurer , Companion John Park , and the First Sojourner , Companion Wilham Young ; and so strongly did the Treasurer feel on the subject , that rather than witness what he considered a
most illegal act , he left the room before the books were handed to the Provincial Grand Scribe . So much , then , for the freeness with which the books of No . 80 were delivered up , and for the truthfulness of the Committee ' s " statement of facts . "