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  • Sept. 30, 1849
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  • SIGNS OF THE TIMES.
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The Freemasons' Quarterly Review, Sept. 30, 1849: Page 3

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Signs Of The Times.

SIGNS OF THE TIMES .

Forti etfideli nil difficile . WE cannot avoid offering our felicitations on the altered tone and temper of certain members at the last Grand Lodge . There was an evident deference to opinion , a desire to allow justice and reason to have some share in its deliberations and decisions ; and a careful abstinence

from thepooh-pooing , which those in authority , backed by their " Swiss , " were in the habit of treating all fair argument , augurs well for nascent repentance .

There are some men on whom the benefit of experience has been , and will always be thrown away ; they live in a world of their own , as limited as their ideas , and as mean as their conceits . Enthroned in prejudice and fortified by power , their minds are as impervious to reason and the enlightenment of the age , as the hide of a Rhinoceros would be to the assailing darts of an infant . Let us hope that of this

number but few remain , and that the day of our redemption is drawing near , when Masonry and its institutions may be rescued from the degradation which perverted power , false reasoning , and men ' s fears , have cast around it .

Our present special purpose is to offer our congratulations on the important measure adopted by the last Grand Lodge , in enacting a new mode for taking divisions on any question . In order perfectly to appreciate the new law , it will be necessary to collate it with the old one . By the old law , whenever a division was taken , it was by a show of hands , each member holding up one hand in favour of or against a motion . If

upon such a show the Grand Master found it difficult to decide , it became the duty of the Deacons to count the numbers , and their report decided the question—aye or nay .

Now all this appears prima facie fair enough ; but in truth there was no practical fairness in the matter , —general dissatisfaction was the result . Let us for a moment cast a glance at this proceeding . The Grand Master by the old plan , was placed in tbe invidious position of deciding on a view , —and against his decision there was no appeal !

If the Grand Master declined to decide , the Deacons were called into action to report the results on questions in which in all likelihood they had an interest , and from their decision there was no appeal !! In our mind ' s eye we now see these infallible magnates slowly measuring their

“The Freemasons' Quarterly Review: 1849-09-30, Page 3” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 13 May 2025, django:8000/periodicals/fqr/issues/fqr_30091849/page/3/.
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Title Category Page
THE FREEMASONS' QUARTERLY REVIEW, AND GENERAL ASSURANCE ADVOCATE. Article 1
TO THE CRAFT. Article 1
SIGNS OF THE TIMES. Article 3
QUARTERLY COMMUNICATION. Article 5
THE PORTRAIT GALLERY, No. 3. Article 9
THE V. W. BRO. W. H. WHITE, GRAND SECRETARY. Article 12
THE W. BROTHER JOHN BIGG, P.M.—P.Z. Article 15
THE W. BROTHERS JENNINGS AND M'MULLEN. Article 17
THE W. BROTHER JOHN SAVAGE, P. M. No. 19 & 805. Article 19
THE INEFFABLE NAME. Article 22
FREEMASONRY IN TURKEY, PERSIA, AND JAPAN. Article 27
FREEMASONRY IN CORK. Article 29
THE DEATH OF MOSES* Article 34
TALMUDIC ALLEGORY* Article 35
ARE NOT AUTHORS GENERALLY FREEMASONS ? Article 36
THE MASONIC VOLUNTEER'S COAT. Article 38
COLLECTANEA. Article 39
CHIT CHAT. Article 42
POETRY. Article 46
LINES ON FREEMASONRY. Article 47
TO THE EDITOR. Article 48
FREEMASONRY AND THE SPANISH INQUISITION. Article 49
Obituary. Article 52
MASONIC INTELLIGENCE. Article 54
UNITED GRAND LODGE OF ENGLAND. Article 55
SUPREME GRAND COUNCIL 33°. Article 55
THE CHARITIES. Article 55
ASYLUM FOR AGED AND DECAYED FREEMASONS. Article 57
THE REPORTER. Article 58
PROVINCIAL. Article 61
SCOTLAND. Article 78
IRELAND. Article 90
FOREIGN. Article 92
AMERICA.—UNITED STATES. Article 94
INDIA. Article 96
THE GENERAL ASSURANCE ADVOCATE. Article 98
THE CHOLERA. Article 103
LITERARY NOTICES. Article 105
TO CORRESPONDENTS. Article 109
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Signs Of The Times.

SIGNS OF THE TIMES .

Forti etfideli nil difficile . WE cannot avoid offering our felicitations on the altered tone and temper of certain members at the last Grand Lodge . There was an evident deference to opinion , a desire to allow justice and reason to have some share in its deliberations and decisions ; and a careful abstinence

from thepooh-pooing , which those in authority , backed by their " Swiss , " were in the habit of treating all fair argument , augurs well for nascent repentance .

There are some men on whom the benefit of experience has been , and will always be thrown away ; they live in a world of their own , as limited as their ideas , and as mean as their conceits . Enthroned in prejudice and fortified by power , their minds are as impervious to reason and the enlightenment of the age , as the hide of a Rhinoceros would be to the assailing darts of an infant . Let us hope that of this

number but few remain , and that the day of our redemption is drawing near , when Masonry and its institutions may be rescued from the degradation which perverted power , false reasoning , and men ' s fears , have cast around it .

Our present special purpose is to offer our congratulations on the important measure adopted by the last Grand Lodge , in enacting a new mode for taking divisions on any question . In order perfectly to appreciate the new law , it will be necessary to collate it with the old one . By the old law , whenever a division was taken , it was by a show of hands , each member holding up one hand in favour of or against a motion . If

upon such a show the Grand Master found it difficult to decide , it became the duty of the Deacons to count the numbers , and their report decided the question—aye or nay .

Now all this appears prima facie fair enough ; but in truth there was no practical fairness in the matter , —general dissatisfaction was the result . Let us for a moment cast a glance at this proceeding . The Grand Master by the old plan , was placed in tbe invidious position of deciding on a view , —and against his decision there was no appeal !

If the Grand Master declined to decide , the Deacons were called into action to report the results on questions in which in all likelihood they had an interest , and from their decision there was no appeal !! In our mind ' s eye we now see these infallible magnates slowly measuring their

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