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Article COHKESPONBENCE. ← Page 9 of 13 →
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Cohkesponbence.
they have no legal power to hold a Grand Lodge under the old Grand Warrant , as we conceive the power granted in that instrument died with our late Prov . Grand Master . Lodges belonging to the Convention have been summoned to-attend their communications ; and we presume these Lodges not falling in with their views , is the cause of their sending a delegate to the Grand Lodge of England , for the purpose of obtaining a new Grand Warrant ; and if that is their object , it is the same we have been labouring to obtain since the first calling a Convention .
This dissension is very unpleasant , but we could not conscientiously join them in holding a Grand Lodge under what we could not consider proper authority ; but should the Grand Lodge of England think proper to establish a Prov . Grand Lodge in this province , we fervently hope that their measures may be such as will obviate all difficulties , and heal all differences ; and we await their decision , confident that it will be dictated by wisdom , and calculated to promote the true interest of the Craft .
It is our sincere wish that the proceedings of the Convention may be fully investigated , and if any improper steps are discovered , that w e may be informed . Our proceedings have been forwarded to you ; and we think it of the highest importance to the welfare of the Craft in this province that our situation may be taken into consideration . You must be sensible that our situation is extremely unpleasant , and perhaps unprecedented ; we have made such representations to you , as the proper organ through which to address the M . W . Grand Master , as we deemed it our duty to do , and adopted such measures as we thought the exigencies of our case required ;
we have repeatedly solicited that our case might be taken into consideration , and while we are assured , by reference to the former proceedings of your ancient and honourable body , that the communications from Brethren in foreign countries have ever been promptly attended to , we have the mortification of finding that our solicitations , although we have looked for counsel and assistance as a child to its parent , have failed of procuring even a reply . Had our Masonic character been doubted , would it have been improper to have intimated it to us ? If upon investigation of the subject we had been found to have been worthy , ought we not to have been gratified in having our requests , in some shape or other , acted upon , and our petitions attended to ?
If any of our measures are deemed improper , we can only plead error of judgment : our intentions have been good . And here , sir , permit me to say , that , as conjecture has been our sole guide in judging of the reason of our getting no reply to our communications , we have never known on what point to touch in addressing you , and until the receipt of Bro . Laughton ' s letter were entirely ignorant upon the subject . But had that information been at first communicated , we could long since have
shown to you our standing . We could , if necessary , in addition to showing the authority of our late Grand Master ( had that authority , or the legality of Masons made under it , been doubted ) , have selected from the members of the Convention respectable Masons , resident in the province , of good standing and reputation , who were made Masons under the authority of other Grand Lodges , whose authority is acknowledged by Masons in all parts of the world , and if I mistake not , many whose names are on the registry of the Grand Lodges of England , Ireland , and Scotland .
Respecting the appointment of a Prov . Grand Master , we know the prerogative is vested in the M . W . the Grand Master of England ; but in exercising that prerogative , in the appointment of a Prov . Grand . Master for this province , we concluded that our wishes might be complied with , and therefore in our petition of 28 th August , 1817 , took the liberty of nominating Roderick McKay , Esq ., considering him a proper person to fill that office ; and after his death , in our petition
of 10 th February , 1811 ) , prayed for the establishment of a Prov , Grand Lodge upon the same footing as in Lower Canada , where , wc had been informed , they elected their ofliccrs annually , by patent ; and in tho letter of . Tolln W . Ferguson , then Secretary of the Convention , requested that , in tho event of the patent being granted , the names of the presiding officers miidit bo inserted . Awl we now request thai ; if such power can , consistently with the rules and regulations ol Luo
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Cohkesponbence.
they have no legal power to hold a Grand Lodge under the old Grand Warrant , as we conceive the power granted in that instrument died with our late Prov . Grand Master . Lodges belonging to the Convention have been summoned to-attend their communications ; and we presume these Lodges not falling in with their views , is the cause of their sending a delegate to the Grand Lodge of England , for the purpose of obtaining a new Grand Warrant ; and if that is their object , it is the same we have been labouring to obtain since the first calling a Convention .
This dissension is very unpleasant , but we could not conscientiously join them in holding a Grand Lodge under what we could not consider proper authority ; but should the Grand Lodge of England think proper to establish a Prov . Grand Lodge in this province , we fervently hope that their measures may be such as will obviate all difficulties , and heal all differences ; and we await their decision , confident that it will be dictated by wisdom , and calculated to promote the true interest of the Craft .
It is our sincere wish that the proceedings of the Convention may be fully investigated , and if any improper steps are discovered , that w e may be informed . Our proceedings have been forwarded to you ; and we think it of the highest importance to the welfare of the Craft in this province that our situation may be taken into consideration . You must be sensible that our situation is extremely unpleasant , and perhaps unprecedented ; we have made such representations to you , as the proper organ through which to address the M . W . Grand Master , as we deemed it our duty to do , and adopted such measures as we thought the exigencies of our case required ;
we have repeatedly solicited that our case might be taken into consideration , and while we are assured , by reference to the former proceedings of your ancient and honourable body , that the communications from Brethren in foreign countries have ever been promptly attended to , we have the mortification of finding that our solicitations , although we have looked for counsel and assistance as a child to its parent , have failed of procuring even a reply . Had our Masonic character been doubted , would it have been improper to have intimated it to us ? If upon investigation of the subject we had been found to have been worthy , ought we not to have been gratified in having our requests , in some shape or other , acted upon , and our petitions attended to ?
If any of our measures are deemed improper , we can only plead error of judgment : our intentions have been good . And here , sir , permit me to say , that , as conjecture has been our sole guide in judging of the reason of our getting no reply to our communications , we have never known on what point to touch in addressing you , and until the receipt of Bro . Laughton ' s letter were entirely ignorant upon the subject . But had that information been at first communicated , we could long since have
shown to you our standing . We could , if necessary , in addition to showing the authority of our late Grand Master ( had that authority , or the legality of Masons made under it , been doubted ) , have selected from the members of the Convention respectable Masons , resident in the province , of good standing and reputation , who were made Masons under the authority of other Grand Lodges , whose authority is acknowledged by Masons in all parts of the world , and if I mistake not , many whose names are on the registry of the Grand Lodges of England , Ireland , and Scotland .
Respecting the appointment of a Prov . Grand Master , we know the prerogative is vested in the M . W . the Grand Master of England ; but in exercising that prerogative , in the appointment of a Prov . Grand . Master for this province , we concluded that our wishes might be complied with , and therefore in our petition of 28 th August , 1817 , took the liberty of nominating Roderick McKay , Esq ., considering him a proper person to fill that office ; and after his death , in our petition
of 10 th February , 1811 ) , prayed for the establishment of a Prov , Grand Lodge upon the same footing as in Lower Canada , where , wc had been informed , they elected their ofliccrs annually , by patent ; and in tho letter of . Tolln W . Ferguson , then Secretary of the Convention , requested that , in tho event of the patent being granted , the names of the presiding officers miidit bo inserted . Awl we now request thai ; if such power can , consistently with the rules and regulations ol Luo