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  • The Masonic Observer
  • June 20, 1859
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The Masonic Observer, June 20, 1859: Page 5

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Ar00500

—nay more , they were two out of the four independent candidates submitted to G . L . for election to the Board of General Purposes , on Wednesday 1 st iust ., and therefore Bros . HAVERS , ROXBURGH , LOCOCK-WEBB , and their adherents , attended in full force , and having delivered in their voting papers , retired . The result may readily be anticipated .

It is right that these things should be made known , in order to enable brethren to judge correctly of those who are continually crying " Peace , peace , where there is no peace . " Acts prove more than words ; example is more powerful than precept . We cannot conclude without saying a word as to the

dismissal of the old and tried servant of Grand Lodge , Bro . DENISON , who has reported the proceedings faithfully for the last 10 or 12 years . We are in possession of the facts of the case , which are in all essential particulars , as stated by our correspondent . Bro . DENISON is another victim of the ruling faction in G . L .

Ar00501

PATRONAGE . What a vast amount of power does that one little word imply . Miss Edgeworth once wrote an entire novel about it , and any one else might do the same , without the slightest difficulty . Iu the Grand Lodge of England , and its various Boards and

Committees , therois a considerable amount of Patronage , and by far the greater part of it is in the hands of one individual , and that one individual continues to exercise it , not for one , or two , or three vears , or for any definite

period of time , but for years unlimited in number , and remarkable only for the resemblance which the proceedings of any one year , bear to those of its predecessors or successors , no matter which , whether as regards the proceedings themselves , or the spirit in which they are conducted . We need scarcely say that we allude to the Grand

Master of our order , not as an individual , but in his public capacity , aucl iu doing so , we do not charge the Earl of Zetland with the evils which arise , not so much from any fault on his part , as from a system which he found in full force when he entered on the duties of his officeand for which therefore he is not to blame .

, The practical effect of this system is , that a vacancy in the office of Grand Master of England very seldom occurs otherwise than by death . It is in the nature of few men voluntarily to resign a position of power and influence , and thus many noblemen and gentlemen ( whose claims for promotion in the Craft , whether from

their position in Society , or from their intellectual attainments , ) are debarred from attaining that eminence which they have a right to expect . It is utterly impossible that of all the nobility , all the intellect of England , only one individual can be found worthy of the distinction of the Grand Mastership . Other societies change

their presiding officer oftener than once in a quarter of a century , and why should Freemasons he the only society in the United Kingdom who have not a similar advantage ?

This system it was , ( not ^ specially with respect to the Grand Master , we are speaking generally of the absence of changes , ) which brought about all the stagnation in the Grand Secretary ' s office , the result of which was , as is but too well known , the defection of Canada , and general dissatisfaction throughout the Provinces and the Colonies alikeand the effects of which still are and

, will be felt for some time to come . We are now however gradually recovering from these evils : hut surely after having once suffered , we shall not be foolish enough to suffer from them or similar ones again ; but shall , not in the spirit of red hot reform , but soberly and temperatelymake such changes

, as may prevent their recurrence . That we have the full power to do so , who can doubt who will turn to page 28 , section 14 , of the book of Constitutions ? a passage indeed which seems to be but little known , or if known at least carefully ignored by the greater part of our Brethren . — " The Grand Lodge alone

has the inherent power of enacting laws and regulations for the government of the Graft , and of altering , repealing , and abrogating them , always taking care that the ancient land-marks of the Order be preserved . " Without on the present occasion entering into any explanation of the question with respect to

"landmarks , " which a correspondent has opened , we may safel y assert that there is nothing contrary to any " landmark " in an assertion on the part of the Brethren of their full and entire right to . exercise their votes in favour of any person whatsoever ; indeed the mere fact

of a form of election year by year is per se an admission of it . Our object is to convince the Brethren that it is not only for their individual interest , but for the good of the Craft at large that they should exercise their right , not to disturb the present Grand Master , not to eject him , possessing as he evidently does in an eminent degree the confidence of a large section of the Craft

, from the high post he has so long filled , and the duties of which he has discharged in a manner so dignified , but that when in the course of nature , a change is made that before the election of a new Grand Master , the office be made triennial or quinquennial at the most ; at all events terminable , by the insertion of a clause

to this effect in the Bouk of Constitutions . By this arrangement many noblemen of high merit , whom it is now invidious even to put in nomination , and who would most likely feel in how invidious a position they would be placed were they so nominated , and would declineas one lately didto displace a Brother who had

, , held office so long as the present G . M ., but who , if the office were limited to a term of years would have no such feelings of delicacy when the occasion for them was removed , and who by their attainments and position in society would reflect credit on the choice of the Brethren no less than on the office itself , would be

induced to take an interest in the Craft , and to bestow on it that attention and zeal which now in so many instances if not absolutely wanting , are at least damped by the knowledge that they can never look for that advancement to which they are fairly entitled , Of

“The Masonic Observer: 1859-06-20, Page 5” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 23 May 2025, django:8000/periodicals/mob/issues/mob_20061859/page/5/.
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POSTSCRIPT. Article 12
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Colonial. Article 13
Mark Masonry. Article 13
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GRAND OFFICERS. Article 23
THE HAVERS-ROXBURGH PARTY. Article 23
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Ar00500

—nay more , they were two out of the four independent candidates submitted to G . L . for election to the Board of General Purposes , on Wednesday 1 st iust ., and therefore Bros . HAVERS , ROXBURGH , LOCOCK-WEBB , and their adherents , attended in full force , and having delivered in their voting papers , retired . The result may readily be anticipated .

It is right that these things should be made known , in order to enable brethren to judge correctly of those who are continually crying " Peace , peace , where there is no peace . " Acts prove more than words ; example is more powerful than precept . We cannot conclude without saying a word as to the

dismissal of the old and tried servant of Grand Lodge , Bro . DENISON , who has reported the proceedings faithfully for the last 10 or 12 years . We are in possession of the facts of the case , which are in all essential particulars , as stated by our correspondent . Bro . DENISON is another victim of the ruling faction in G . L .

Ar00501

PATRONAGE . What a vast amount of power does that one little word imply . Miss Edgeworth once wrote an entire novel about it , and any one else might do the same , without the slightest difficulty . Iu the Grand Lodge of England , and its various Boards and

Committees , therois a considerable amount of Patronage , and by far the greater part of it is in the hands of one individual , and that one individual continues to exercise it , not for one , or two , or three vears , or for any definite

period of time , but for years unlimited in number , and remarkable only for the resemblance which the proceedings of any one year , bear to those of its predecessors or successors , no matter which , whether as regards the proceedings themselves , or the spirit in which they are conducted . We need scarcely say that we allude to the Grand

Master of our order , not as an individual , but in his public capacity , aucl iu doing so , we do not charge the Earl of Zetland with the evils which arise , not so much from any fault on his part , as from a system which he found in full force when he entered on the duties of his officeand for which therefore he is not to blame .

, The practical effect of this system is , that a vacancy in the office of Grand Master of England very seldom occurs otherwise than by death . It is in the nature of few men voluntarily to resign a position of power and influence , and thus many noblemen and gentlemen ( whose claims for promotion in the Craft , whether from

their position in Society , or from their intellectual attainments , ) are debarred from attaining that eminence which they have a right to expect . It is utterly impossible that of all the nobility , all the intellect of England , only one individual can be found worthy of the distinction of the Grand Mastership . Other societies change

their presiding officer oftener than once in a quarter of a century , and why should Freemasons he the only society in the United Kingdom who have not a similar advantage ?

This system it was , ( not ^ specially with respect to the Grand Master , we are speaking generally of the absence of changes , ) which brought about all the stagnation in the Grand Secretary ' s office , the result of which was , as is but too well known , the defection of Canada , and general dissatisfaction throughout the Provinces and the Colonies alikeand the effects of which still are and

, will be felt for some time to come . We are now however gradually recovering from these evils : hut surely after having once suffered , we shall not be foolish enough to suffer from them or similar ones again ; but shall , not in the spirit of red hot reform , but soberly and temperatelymake such changes

, as may prevent their recurrence . That we have the full power to do so , who can doubt who will turn to page 28 , section 14 , of the book of Constitutions ? a passage indeed which seems to be but little known , or if known at least carefully ignored by the greater part of our Brethren . — " The Grand Lodge alone

has the inherent power of enacting laws and regulations for the government of the Graft , and of altering , repealing , and abrogating them , always taking care that the ancient land-marks of the Order be preserved . " Without on the present occasion entering into any explanation of the question with respect to

"landmarks , " which a correspondent has opened , we may safel y assert that there is nothing contrary to any " landmark " in an assertion on the part of the Brethren of their full and entire right to . exercise their votes in favour of any person whatsoever ; indeed the mere fact

of a form of election year by year is per se an admission of it . Our object is to convince the Brethren that it is not only for their individual interest , but for the good of the Craft at large that they should exercise their right , not to disturb the present Grand Master , not to eject him , possessing as he evidently does in an eminent degree the confidence of a large section of the Craft

, from the high post he has so long filled , and the duties of which he has discharged in a manner so dignified , but that when in the course of nature , a change is made that before the election of a new Grand Master , the office be made triennial or quinquennial at the most ; at all events terminable , by the insertion of a clause

to this effect in the Bouk of Constitutions . By this arrangement many noblemen of high merit , whom it is now invidious even to put in nomination , and who would most likely feel in how invidious a position they would be placed were they so nominated , and would declineas one lately didto displace a Brother who had

, , held office so long as the present G . M ., but who , if the office were limited to a term of years would have no such feelings of delicacy when the occasion for them was removed , and who by their attainments and position in society would reflect credit on the choice of the Brethren no less than on the office itself , would be

induced to take an interest in the Craft , and to bestow on it that attention and zeal which now in so many instances if not absolutely wanting , are at least damped by the knowledge that they can never look for that advancement to which they are fairly entitled , Of

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