Untitled Article

secession of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Canada West , caused by the neglect of repeated applications being even acknowledged . He would read the report of the Sub-Committee , and he should be much surprised if the Grand Lodge then assembled did not resolve that very gross neglect and discourtesy had been shown to the Canadian Brethren , to the very serious injury , not only to them , but Masonry in general . It appeared that not only Canada West , but also many Lodges under our Constitution in distant parts of the globe , had reiterated the same complaint . He ( Bro . Townend ) had made every effort , through the Board of

General Purposes , to get a reply from the Grand Master , but in vain ; the only notice the Grand Master had given to the subject was that he had written to the Grand Lodge of Canada East for information ; and he could not but think that the Brethren in Canada had abundant reason for saying they were treated with contempt . He then moved : — " That the report of the Sub-Committee appointed to inquire into the complaint of the Lodges in Canada West be printed , and circulated throughout the Craft . " The following is the report : —

UNITED GRAND LODGE OF FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS IN ENGLAND . To the Board of General Purposes . The Eeport of the Committee appointed by your Board to inquire into the Petition , Allegations , and Statements , made by , or on behalf of , certain Brethren of the Craft in the province of Canada West .

The Committee proceeded upon the said inquiry on Friday , the 7 th of September instant , and having deemed it expedient to propound certain questions in writing , to be answered by the Grand Secretary , or the Officers in the Grand Secretary ' s Office , relating to the matters in question , the Committee adjourned to Friday , the 21 st of September instant ; when , after giving full consideration to the answers to such questions , and the statements made to the Committee by the Grand Secretary , the Committee find ,

That communications had been made to the Grand Secretary from certain Brethren in Canada West , requesting that ( with a view to saving expense ) the Warrants and Certificates should not be forwarded by post , but that they should be sent through Messrs . Bainbridge and Co ., merchants , of London , who would take charge of the documents , and forward them in parcels , with other things ,

directed to Mr . Hugh Scobie , of Toronto . That applications were several times made to Messrs . Bainbridge and Co . to ascertain when they would be sending out parcels in which such Warrants and Certificates could be included , and that on the last of such applications the messenger was informed that Mr . Scobie was dead , and that therefore no further parcels could be forwarded addressed to him .

That no communications were received in reference to such Warrants and Certificates , which had been regularly made out ready to be forwarded , and would have been sent had it been known to whom they were to be directed . That further inquiries were made as to the means of sending out the said documents , and ultimately it was ascertained that they could be forwarded to Mr . William O'Niel Holmes , through Messrs . Foster , Porter , and Co ., of Woodstreet , and they were accordingly sent to him on the 14 th of August , 1854 .

That the remittances referred to in the petition were received in letters severally dated the 5 th and 19 th of March , 1853 , and respectively received on the 22 nd of March and 4 th of April , 1853 ; and the Committee regret to add that no proof was adduced to them of such remittances having been acknowledged , and no satisfactory reason suggested for the omission . That the petition to the Most Worshipful Grand Master from the said Brethren of Canada West , appears to have been received on the 10 th of December , 1853 , but , in consequence of his absence from town , the same was not laid before him until the latter end of February , 1854 . That no directions have been given on the subject of the said petition , which remains unanswered to this time . That in regard to the prayer of the same petition , asking that the Constitution