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Article MASONIC INTEREST IN PUBLIC AFFAIRS. Page 1 of 2 Article MASONIC INTEREST IN PUBLIC AFFAIRS. Page 1 of 2 →
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Masonic Interest In Public Affairs.
MASONIC INTEREST IN PUBLIC AFFAIRS .
a LANCING at a recent issue of a non-Masonic paper published in Canada—the Qtiebec Weekly Chronicle —we chanced to light on a reference to the Masonic brotherhood . Although made in connection with an event that happened some eighty-four years since , and which was then carried out -with Masonic ceremonialit may
, justly be referred to at the present time , when recent Masonic doings , in England at least , enable us to prove that the writer in our Canadian contemporary is somewhat in error in the tone of bis remarks . The article in question is headed "A Red Letter Day in Olden Times , " and has
reference to the laying of the corner stone of the Provincial Court House , at Quebec , on the llth November 1799 . ^ The writer , who regrets he ia not a member of the Mystic Circle , having referred to the absence of any detailed or even brief account of this " city incident of undoubted
interest m its day—both from its object , as well as from the exalted rank of those who witnessed or took part in it , " remarks , that " 'tis possible some desirable and dainty tidbits of information might be gleaned from a perusal of the registers of the Quebec Masonic Craft—the usual and
zealous attendants at all pageants of the kind in olden times . " From this it will be seen that our contemporary implies that the regular and zealous attendance of the Masonic Craft at such ceremonies is only a relic of the past , ' whereas we , as Freemasons , think we can prove that at no time
did Freemasons take more interest in such public events than at the present , and it is not necessary for us to do much more than refer to the Masonic doings of last week to confirm our assertion . On Monday , tbe 16 th inst ., a Masonic contributionin the form of a pulitwas
, p , formally made to what may be looked upon as a national undertaking—the restoration of St . Albans Abbey , while on Wednesday , a Special Grand Lodge was held at York , at which the M . W . G . Master presided , when the Memorial
Stone of the York Institute of Art , Science and Literature was laid . These are but recent instances of the good work that Freemasons are continually doing in the present , aa indeed we may say they have done for ages past , and , we trust , will ever continue to do .
it has been the peculiar privilege of Freemasons , so long as the Order has been in existence , to take a prominent part in the commencement of the principal public buildings which have been erected , and it is not very difficult
to trace the origin of the custom which associates the members of the Order with such undertakings . The Freemasons of to-day are descended from the Operative Masons of the olden times , and retain the custom of
inaugurating new buildings as one of the mementoes of the past . Their co-operation is also sought as giving addi- , tional importance to what is at all times an impressive work , while the lessons which are illustrated by the
ceremony are of a character intended to improve us in our every day life , and may not be without effect on the , general public , although , perhaps , not to the extent they I are on members of the Craft .
The ceremony at York was of the most gratifying character . Connected as that city is with the earlier history oi 11 reemasonry , a visit to it is always a matter of interest to the members of the Order , but when that visit is asso-
Masonic Interest In Public Affairs.
ciated with a Masonic celebration tho enjoyment becomes much greater . It has been our pleasure to visit York on more than one occasion , to take part in Masonic celebrations , and on each the Grand Old City has maintained its reputation , but on Wednesday last , the ceremony
performed was of a nature capable of showing to greater advantage the doings of the Craft , and , accordingly , it seemed to make a greater impression than was previously the case . In addition to the greater display possible on the present occasion , the Grand Master and his Officers
were present in their official capacity , while the popularity of H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , both as a member of the Royal Family and as Grand Master of the Masonic Order , also weighed heavily in the scale of attractions . Everything seemed to combine to render this latest Masonic
work one of which we may justly boast . Although a considerable distance from the homes of most of the Grand Officers , that body was very largely represented , as it generally is whenever a call is made on them , while the number of lay brethren who attended was among the
largest ever known in the district . In closing our remarks in reference to this most interesting event , we cannot do better than quote the following , which appeared in the Yorkshire Gazette of Saturday last , and which we have little reason to doubt was written by one who took a most prominent part in the arrangements of the day .
Next to the Holy City itself , thero is no place whose traditions are so closely mixed np with those of Freemasonry as the ancient capital of . the north . Foreign members of the venerable Craft look towards York in mnch the same spirit as the pious Mussulman gazes in the direction of Mecca , and a Masonio pilgrimage to York is
regarded as a sine qud non by every active American Mason who visits the mother country . It was in York , according'to the earliest traditions , that , under the Saxon Kings , grand annnal assemblies of Operative Masons were held , and by one of them a charter was granted to the guild of builders of that day , and it is at the present
day iu York that some of the earliest known records of Freemasonry are still preserved . Atone period during the last century there was a Grand Lodge existing in York , and many oE its documents and minute books are still preserved . There was a Lodge in York in existence in 1705 , which is several years before the present Grand Lodge
in London was formed , ruled over by Sir George Tempest , who was called " the President . " When the Grand Lodge in London was formed in 1721 , the Masons of York regarded the step as an in . fringement of their rights , and declared themselves to be " The Grand Lodge of All England , " by immemorial right . The southern
rival , however , was too strong for its northern sister , and after a very chequered and often feeble existence , " The Grand Lodge of All Eng . land " at York died of inanition about 1792 , the Grand Master of that day being Mr . Edward Woolley , a York solicitor . In the meantime the York Masons do not seem to have entertained a very exalted opinion
of their own Grand Lo & gs , since they sought authority for other Lodges , not from their own Grand Lodge , as might have been exr pected , but from the Grand Lodge in London . About 1765 there was a Lodge meeting at the Punch Bowl , in Stonegate , under a London warrant , and in 1773 there was tbe Apollo Lodge meeting at the
George Hotel in Coney-street . Both these Lodges died out , but iu 1777 the Union Lodge was founded under a London warrant , and is in existence at the present day , having changed its name to " York " Lodge in the year 1870 . At no time have more than three Lodges been in working ; existence in York , and at the present day that
number of Lodges are in full play : tbe York Lodge 236 , the Eboracum Lodge 1611 , and the Agricola Lodge 1991 . When the Grand Lodge at York expired in 1792 many of its properties and documents became scattered , bnt at intervals the most important of these have been brought to light , and have been handed over to the custody of the
! : York Lodge , in whose possession they now remain . It will thus be seen that at no place could a Masonic ceremony be held with greater propriety than within the walls of old Eboracum . The last occasion on which a meeting of the Grand Lodge of Eng . land was held in York was on the 20 th October 1841 , when H . R . H .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Masonic Interest In Public Affairs.
MASONIC INTEREST IN PUBLIC AFFAIRS .
a LANCING at a recent issue of a non-Masonic paper published in Canada—the Qtiebec Weekly Chronicle —we chanced to light on a reference to the Masonic brotherhood . Although made in connection with an event that happened some eighty-four years since , and which was then carried out -with Masonic ceremonialit may
, justly be referred to at the present time , when recent Masonic doings , in England at least , enable us to prove that the writer in our Canadian contemporary is somewhat in error in the tone of bis remarks . The article in question is headed "A Red Letter Day in Olden Times , " and has
reference to the laying of the corner stone of the Provincial Court House , at Quebec , on the llth November 1799 . ^ The writer , who regrets he ia not a member of the Mystic Circle , having referred to the absence of any detailed or even brief account of this " city incident of undoubted
interest m its day—both from its object , as well as from the exalted rank of those who witnessed or took part in it , " remarks , that " 'tis possible some desirable and dainty tidbits of information might be gleaned from a perusal of the registers of the Quebec Masonic Craft—the usual and
zealous attendants at all pageants of the kind in olden times . " From this it will be seen that our contemporary implies that the regular and zealous attendance of the Masonic Craft at such ceremonies is only a relic of the past , ' whereas we , as Freemasons , think we can prove that at no time
did Freemasons take more interest in such public events than at the present , and it is not necessary for us to do much more than refer to the Masonic doings of last week to confirm our assertion . On Monday , tbe 16 th inst ., a Masonic contributionin the form of a pulitwas
, p , formally made to what may be looked upon as a national undertaking—the restoration of St . Albans Abbey , while on Wednesday , a Special Grand Lodge was held at York , at which the M . W . G . Master presided , when the Memorial
Stone of the York Institute of Art , Science and Literature was laid . These are but recent instances of the good work that Freemasons are continually doing in the present , aa indeed we may say they have done for ages past , and , we trust , will ever continue to do .
it has been the peculiar privilege of Freemasons , so long as the Order has been in existence , to take a prominent part in the commencement of the principal public buildings which have been erected , and it is not very difficult
to trace the origin of the custom which associates the members of the Order with such undertakings . The Freemasons of to-day are descended from the Operative Masons of the olden times , and retain the custom of
inaugurating new buildings as one of the mementoes of the past . Their co-operation is also sought as giving addi- , tional importance to what is at all times an impressive work , while the lessons which are illustrated by the
ceremony are of a character intended to improve us in our every day life , and may not be without effect on the , general public , although , perhaps , not to the extent they I are on members of the Craft .
The ceremony at York was of the most gratifying character . Connected as that city is with the earlier history oi 11 reemasonry , a visit to it is always a matter of interest to the members of the Order , but when that visit is asso-
Masonic Interest In Public Affairs.
ciated with a Masonic celebration tho enjoyment becomes much greater . It has been our pleasure to visit York on more than one occasion , to take part in Masonic celebrations , and on each the Grand Old City has maintained its reputation , but on Wednesday last , the ceremony
performed was of a nature capable of showing to greater advantage the doings of the Craft , and , accordingly , it seemed to make a greater impression than was previously the case . In addition to the greater display possible on the present occasion , the Grand Master and his Officers
were present in their official capacity , while the popularity of H . R . H . the Prince of Wales , both as a member of the Royal Family and as Grand Master of the Masonic Order , also weighed heavily in the scale of attractions . Everything seemed to combine to render this latest Masonic
work one of which we may justly boast . Although a considerable distance from the homes of most of the Grand Officers , that body was very largely represented , as it generally is whenever a call is made on them , while the number of lay brethren who attended was among the
largest ever known in the district . In closing our remarks in reference to this most interesting event , we cannot do better than quote the following , which appeared in the Yorkshire Gazette of Saturday last , and which we have little reason to doubt was written by one who took a most prominent part in the arrangements of the day .
Next to the Holy City itself , thero is no place whose traditions are so closely mixed np with those of Freemasonry as the ancient capital of . the north . Foreign members of the venerable Craft look towards York in mnch the same spirit as the pious Mussulman gazes in the direction of Mecca , and a Masonio pilgrimage to York is
regarded as a sine qud non by every active American Mason who visits the mother country . It was in York , according'to the earliest traditions , that , under the Saxon Kings , grand annnal assemblies of Operative Masons were held , and by one of them a charter was granted to the guild of builders of that day , and it is at the present
day iu York that some of the earliest known records of Freemasonry are still preserved . Atone period during the last century there was a Grand Lodge existing in York , and many oE its documents and minute books are still preserved . There was a Lodge in York in existence in 1705 , which is several years before the present Grand Lodge
in London was formed , ruled over by Sir George Tempest , who was called " the President . " When the Grand Lodge in London was formed in 1721 , the Masons of York regarded the step as an in . fringement of their rights , and declared themselves to be " The Grand Lodge of All England , " by immemorial right . The southern
rival , however , was too strong for its northern sister , and after a very chequered and often feeble existence , " The Grand Lodge of All Eng . land " at York died of inanition about 1792 , the Grand Master of that day being Mr . Edward Woolley , a York solicitor . In the meantime the York Masons do not seem to have entertained a very exalted opinion
of their own Grand Lo & gs , since they sought authority for other Lodges , not from their own Grand Lodge , as might have been exr pected , but from the Grand Lodge in London . About 1765 there was a Lodge meeting at the Punch Bowl , in Stonegate , under a London warrant , and in 1773 there was tbe Apollo Lodge meeting at the
George Hotel in Coney-street . Both these Lodges died out , but iu 1777 the Union Lodge was founded under a London warrant , and is in existence at the present day , having changed its name to " York " Lodge in the year 1870 . At no time have more than three Lodges been in working ; existence in York , and at the present day that
number of Lodges are in full play : tbe York Lodge 236 , the Eboracum Lodge 1611 , and the Agricola Lodge 1991 . When the Grand Lodge at York expired in 1792 many of its properties and documents became scattered , bnt at intervals the most important of these have been brought to light , and have been handed over to the custody of the
! : York Lodge , in whose possession they now remain . It will thus be seen that at no place could a Masonic ceremony be held with greater propriety than within the walls of old Eboracum . The last occasion on which a meeting of the Grand Lodge of Eng . land was held in York was on the 20 th October 1841 , when H . R . H .