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Article THE FREEMASONRY QUARTERLY REVIEW. ← Page 7 of 8 →
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The Freemasonry Quarterly Review.
expression of Public Privilege , versus the dictum of power , should be declared . AVe are aware that the Freemasons' Quarterly Review is in advance , possibly too much so for its puny detractors ; it has soared above the narrow policy that has impeded the best interests of Freemasonry . Byron has
said' * lie that sui passes or subdues m . ; nldnd . Must ! ook down on the hate of all belo-. v . " Our contributors and supporters may fairly apply this quotation to themselves , for the merit is theirs—we are but their instrument . Experience reveals much truth which earlier Masons knew not . We are not better , but wiser than they were—aye , and bolder , too ; and for this we may thank the public press , which the witless may attack in Grand Lodge , under a law that sneaked into the Book of Constitutions ; but even those who differ with us know full well that , as members oi the popular world , they must respect the honest opinions of the public press .
PROVINCIAL GRAND MASTF . RS . —A curious debate took place on the suggestion " that any Provincial Grand Master that should not hold , or cause to be holden , a Grand Lodge at least once in two years , should be considered as having vacated his office . " Nothing very hard in this ; but the motion was rejected on very frivolous grounds , viz . that it was difficult in some districts to find noblemen or gentlemen to fill the office—that in others it was impossible to convene a Grand Lodge—in some there were inadequate numbers—in others none ; and so for these
reasons a number of useless magnates are permitted to rule by seniority over the Grand Lodge of England , who in their provinces , by their own showing , are absolutely incapacitated . AVe remember some years since , when the subject was first mooted , the then Grand Registrar opposed it in a namby-pamby speech , which he thus perorated : — "Tremble , ye Grand Masters of Yorkshire and of Hertfordshire—tremble , Grand Master of Sumatra—if this bill do pass" the laughter that followed shielded the speaker from further derision at the time . He is now a
Provincial Grand Master himself , having been rewarded with that honour , we presume , as a signal reward for his non-services . That the Provincial Grand Master for Sumatra on the 2 nd of June should not aid to sign his own death-warrant was natural—Lord Rosse ' s telescope would fail to reach the proof of his Masonic services , so we abide his future promotion , that the past may be thereby eclipsed . It would be offensive to enumerate the splendid exceptions to the nonessentials . Look at Durham , East and AVest Lancashire , Cheshire ,
Yorkshire East and AVest , Northamptonshire , Oxfordshire , Cornwall , Staffordshire , Dorset , Somerset , Hants , and Essex , do they lack Provincial Grand . Masters worthy of Freemasonry ? Look at them , ye magnates of Sumatra and the like , and blush . No , don ' t blush , but resign—resign , and give your provinces a chance to better themselves , We would promise that even from the skeleton Lodge of Fort Marlborough a wee bit round robin should be sent to the P . G . M ., as first and final'proof that he had ever existed as such .
BRO . JOHN SAVAGK . —rms worthy Brother , the late and present Vice President of the Board , is about to receive a public testimonial ,, to .. mark the high sense ' entertained of his independent conduct . AVe cordially wish every success to the praiseworthy object .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Freemasonry Quarterly Review.
expression of Public Privilege , versus the dictum of power , should be declared . AVe are aware that the Freemasons' Quarterly Review is in advance , possibly too much so for its puny detractors ; it has soared above the narrow policy that has impeded the best interests of Freemasonry . Byron has
said' * lie that sui passes or subdues m . ; nldnd . Must ! ook down on the hate of all belo-. v . " Our contributors and supporters may fairly apply this quotation to themselves , for the merit is theirs—we are but their instrument . Experience reveals much truth which earlier Masons knew not . We are not better , but wiser than they were—aye , and bolder , too ; and for this we may thank the public press , which the witless may attack in Grand Lodge , under a law that sneaked into the Book of Constitutions ; but even those who differ with us know full well that , as members oi the popular world , they must respect the honest opinions of the public press .
PROVINCIAL GRAND MASTF . RS . —A curious debate took place on the suggestion " that any Provincial Grand Master that should not hold , or cause to be holden , a Grand Lodge at least once in two years , should be considered as having vacated his office . " Nothing very hard in this ; but the motion was rejected on very frivolous grounds , viz . that it was difficult in some districts to find noblemen or gentlemen to fill the office—that in others it was impossible to convene a Grand Lodge—in some there were inadequate numbers—in others none ; and so for these
reasons a number of useless magnates are permitted to rule by seniority over the Grand Lodge of England , who in their provinces , by their own showing , are absolutely incapacitated . AVe remember some years since , when the subject was first mooted , the then Grand Registrar opposed it in a namby-pamby speech , which he thus perorated : — "Tremble , ye Grand Masters of Yorkshire and of Hertfordshire—tremble , Grand Master of Sumatra—if this bill do pass" the laughter that followed shielded the speaker from further derision at the time . He is now a
Provincial Grand Master himself , having been rewarded with that honour , we presume , as a signal reward for his non-services . That the Provincial Grand Master for Sumatra on the 2 nd of June should not aid to sign his own death-warrant was natural—Lord Rosse ' s telescope would fail to reach the proof of his Masonic services , so we abide his future promotion , that the past may be thereby eclipsed . It would be offensive to enumerate the splendid exceptions to the nonessentials . Look at Durham , East and AVest Lancashire , Cheshire ,
Yorkshire East and AVest , Northamptonshire , Oxfordshire , Cornwall , Staffordshire , Dorset , Somerset , Hants , and Essex , do they lack Provincial Grand . Masters worthy of Freemasonry ? Look at them , ye magnates of Sumatra and the like , and blush . No , don ' t blush , but resign—resign , and give your provinces a chance to better themselves , We would promise that even from the skeleton Lodge of Fort Marlborough a wee bit round robin should be sent to the P . G . M ., as first and final'proof that he had ever existed as such .
BRO . JOHN SAVAGK . —rms worthy Brother , the late and present Vice President of the Board , is about to receive a public testimonial ,, to .. mark the high sense ' entertained of his independent conduct . AVe cordially wish every success to the praiseworthy object .