Grand Lodge.

burgh submitted a list , and organized a movement for the election of fourteen brethren of his own views , or of views not opposed to his own ? That was a fact which could not be gainsaid , controverted , or denied . ( Hear , hear . ) He defied Bro . Roxburgh to deny it . The notice of motion was justified by the facts of the case , and he therefore now asked Grand Lodge to express its opinion upon the matter , and if they called a spade a spade , they wouhl say it was a party movement to arrange for carrying a particular list of candidates for the Board of General Purposes . In good

governmenl there must always be party , but then they should act on the apostolic maxim , and do all things in decency a : d order . ( Oh , oh 1 ) Relying on their common sense , he asked them to say aye or nay whether the conduct of Bro . Roxburgh was right or not right ? Bro . SHERRY seconded the motion . Bro . SAVAGE , SG . D . •—Most Worshipful Grand Master , I am surprised and astonished that , on evidence worse than meagre—indeed without any foundation whatever—any brother should present to Gi and Lodgeon mere assumptiona charge like that now brought

. , against Bro . Roxburgh . I regret , first of all , I must say , that such a notice should appear on the paper—that a notice , impeaching the character , as well as the dignity of a Grand Officer , should be circulated throughout the length and breadth of the land . I do think that , without much stronger evidence ( and here there is no evidence to warrant it ) such a motion should not have been put on the paper by Bro . Whitmore . I have had a long acquaintance with Bro . Whitmore , and I esteem him , but I do think that , iu this instance , he has made a great mistake , and I am somewhat surprised

that he is not here in person to bring the motion forward , and that for that purpose he has not put aside every other engagement , as it impeaches the character and judgment of the Grand Registrar . While we ought to be jealous of our rights and privileges , we should , I think , guard them by seeing that none but legitimate notices are placed on the paper , and not notices on such an assumption of miscalled facts as the motion before us . ( Hear . ) How has it been supported ? I confess that , although I came here to defend what has been done , I did not expect that so slight a case would have been made out . ( Hear , hear . ) Bro . Binckes asks Grand Lodge to express its regret at what has taken place—regret ! and what docs that mean ? It means a vote of censure in disguise . ( Cheers . ) Are vou about to pass such a vote on what you have

heard ? We have not heard a word from the worthy brother who seconded the motion , so that we have to take the case as placed before us by Bro . Binckes , and 1 ask you whether what he has stated does not manifest itself as being much of assumption . I admit that he was not bound to toll us where he got his information . He tells us , however , that the part of the report relating to Bro . Havers is an embellishment . ( Laughter . ) It is the first I have heard of Bro . Havers having taken any part at all in the meeting referred to . I am one of those who attended that meeting , and I

did not meet Bro . Havers there . ( Hear , hear ) When I attended it I did not know that it was summoned for any special object whatever . ( Hear , hear . ) I heard Bro . Roxburgh state that it was his wish to promote the interests of the Craft , and take counsel with the brethren as to what was best to be done ; and among other matters reference was made to the Board of General Purposes ; and is that—the privilege of every member of the Craft—to be denied to the Grand Registrar of the order ? Yon will , lam sure , admit that he has a riht to take such counseland if soI would appeal

g , , practically to you—I would say that you have evidence before you that what has been done is not a party move . Look to the left hand side of the list—the list of Masters . Only one of the names placed there has been heard of before in connexion with what takes place in Grand Lodge , and his name was not placed on the list by us . They are all independent members of Grand Lodge , and by only putting one other name in nomination on the list of Masters , it is practically admitted that , six out of the seven are unobjectionable . It is admitted on all sides that six of the names could not he

improved , and in that fact you have a proof that it is not quite so much a party list as it has been represented to be . ( Hear , hear . ) I stand here to protect your privileges , and not only yours , but also those of the Grand Registrar . If you disapprove of the names , you have in your hands the remedy and can reject them . For the last twenty years it has been the practice to take the opinion of different members in Grand Lodge as to who arc the most fitting brethren to constitute the Board of General Purposes , and there has been no question as to how the lists have been prepared . The real question

is , are they fit and proper men ? You are right to say that you will not be dictated to by a hole and corner meeting , but was the meeting so often referred to one of that kind . It was , if anything , too open , and characterized by too much straightforwardness . That seems to be the objection to it ; and it is argued that , because so

many brethren were consulted , it was therefore a party movement . Nothing was ever more straightforward , or more upright than the conduct of Bro . Roxburgh , and I am bound to bear witness that he is actuated by but one feeling and one wish—to render the best service to the Craft from his warm attachment to Free masonry . I cannot but term what you have heard an assumption on facts which do not justify it—in fact , mere guesswork . The statement originally published was most incorrect , and though I have not yet denied that portion of it which referred to my' nameI

, take this opportunity to say , that a statement more unwarrantably incorrect could not possibly have been put into print . ( Hear , hear . ) It is founded on something that did take place , but the facts have been so distorted , that when I read the report I could not help smiling ; indeed , I did not recognize the meeting I attended in that garbled and unfair statement of what took place . There is nothing in the conduct of Bro Roxburgh which calls on you to censure him or express in the mild words of Bro . Binckes , " your regret , "

except it be your regret that the notice of motion should have been for the time circulated amongst the members of the Craft to his prejudice , and though I feel sure your good sense will give a ncga * tive to the motion , I would throw out the suggestion that you should do something more . As the charge has been put on the agenda , and so circulated amongst the brethren , I would suggest that you should go some steps further , and instead of giving the motion a cold negative—for Bro . Roxburgh deserves better things of you—I

would say , let us tell the Masons of England that he has faithfully discharged the duties of his high office . ( Cheers . ) I believe the more we know of him the better we shall like him , and should he continue to hold bis present appointment we shall find in him a most excellent officer . Bro . Roxburgh is comparatively to me a stranger , but I am so thoroughly convinced , Masonic feeling , and nothing but Masonic feeling , influenced him in doing as he has done and as he had a perfect right to dothat I hope will not onl

, you y give a negative to the motion , but do something more to vindicate his conduct , and prevent an indirect censure being passed upon him by Grand Lodge . ( Cheers . ) Bro . BI . AKE believed nothing could be more injurious to the cause of Masonry , than small party cliques in Grand Lodge . He thought the complaint before Grand Lodge came with an ill grace from Bro . Binckes , a member of an organized party—which , bv their

movements last year , excluded him from the Board of General Purposes in favour of a member of the same Lodge who never attended the Board , and would not have allowed himself to be put in nomination if he had known it . Bro . STEBHING regretted that Bro . Savage ' s first speech from the dais , should be in support of what he considered the improper conduct of a Grand Officer . There was no doubt that a meeting had been held in Bro . Roxburgh's chambers , and an arrangement made to secure the election of certain Brethren on the Board of General

Purposes . His conduct at that meeting was tantamount to that of a clerk of the peace , who would pack a jury to decide on the liberties of the people . ( No , no ) . As an Englishman , he protested against such unconstitutional conduct . He was as ready as any man to denounce party ; and should he be placed upon the Board , he should pursue a straight and undeviating line of conduct—and endeavour , by all means , to put an end to a practice which he regarded as unholy and unworthy of Grand Lodge . Bro . GREGORY " thought the weakness of the case had been shown

in the way Bro . Binckes had addressed Grand Lodge , in an appeal ad misericordiam . The motion itself bore every mark of an obstructive party spirit , and he therefore wished to move an amendment upon it . They had already heard from Bro . Savage that the statement was grossly untrue ; and the mover himself admitted that the paragraph on which it was founded was , in regard to the name of Bro . Havers , an embellishment—a mild word for a gratuitous falsehood : and he ( Bro . Gregory ) could not but admire the dexterity with which the names of Brethren known to be popular in the Craft

were introduced as dissentients . Bro . Savage was one of those , and he could tell them that , although there might have been differences of opinion expressed upon some points , they were animated by one mind ; and that not a single name on the list had been suggested by the Grand Registrar . He invited a number of Brethren to meet together , and asked them not to leave the business to be brought before Grand Lodge entirely to the dais , but to work for themselves , and he ( Bro . Gregory ) could not see anything very unconstitutional in that ( hearhear ) and . yet he held " that if Bro . Roxburghor

, ; , , those that met in his chambers , were inclined to get up what is called a house list , they had a perfect right to do so . The statement that the list was a packed one was , he would not say intentionally false , but perfectly erroneous , for it would be seen that the names were taken from all classes of the Craft . The charge embodied in