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  • Sept. 1, 1859
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The Masonic Observer, Sept. 1, 1859: Page 2

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Ar00200

requirements of his Brethren in some " ultima Thvle" of a Province that he never goes near , ( and small blame to him for not going—he can ' t go everywhere ) , or in which if he even does go into it , he visits only the one town in which a foundation stone is to be laid , a Provincial Grand Lodge held , or some special ceremony to come off ? We will the The G M

suppose case . BAND ASTER is actually coming . He is received in state , he assumes the throne for a minute , and pays a well turned compliment to the Pr . G . M ., who returns it with interest . Divine service is attended , and a sermon is preached , in which most likely Free-Masonry is carefully identified with Christianity . The Pr . G . Lodge is closedand then

, the serious business of the day commences . Dinner is served , carefully to the magnates , less so to the Brethren at large , champagne corks fly , probably at the expense of the Pr . G . M ., and all is love and loyalty to both G . M . and his nominee of the Province . But not then is the discontent expressed . That oozes out afterwards . ' To

pass from this subject , however , and return to that of appointments . The office of Pr . G . M . in this Province of one visit , falls vacant , and is of course in the patronage of the GRAND MASTER . The Brethren , perhaps , all wish for A ., who is a kind-hearted , considerate , honest , English gentlemanand unanimously considered the

, man for the place . But a certain energetic P . Pr . G . W ., Bay B ., or some such person , has always given " more decided , more reliable support to measures of the ministerialists , and has proposed the G . M . for re-election , who remembers , moreover , that in his Pr . G . Lodge , he

made some very sound and sensible remarks in favour of a much desired scheme of the EXECUTIVE to which opposition was expected , which remarks brought up some votes from some present on that occasion , visitors as well as members . Who then so fit for the post ? For he is now in selectingBrethren for promotion in the Provinces , to give the preference to those who vote on the riht

g side , and so faithful adherents to the cause will be rewarded , others attracted , and the cause generally strengthened . And after all he may do very well , very passably , but what of the Brethren he is to rule ? He may also , as many have done , not do so well ; but may , as we know has been the casewhen he has obtained

, the rank he—perhaps—cared for , omit to call a meeting of his Provincial Grand Lodge for a little matter of seven or ten years , and how is the Order likely then to flourish in his Province ? We know of an instance in which , quite lately , seven years intervened between one Pr . G . Lodge and the next , during the latter four or five of

which there was only one G . Warden , the other having died , and his place remained vacaut . What encouragement is given , under this system , to any Masons in the Provinces to " work ? " Having arrived at the degree . of M . M ., they know certainly that there is such a thing as the purple , but never having seen it bestowed but once

, ( viz .: on the day the champagne corks last flew ) , almost look upon it as a myth , certainly as an honor far above any of them , and wonder at the very sight of it in front of a stray visitor ,, who ( belonging , perhaps , to a working Province ) , wonders in his turn at the rustiness and

mustiuess with which the Brethren and the air seem alike infected . However , there he is , this R . W . Pr . G . M . When he does appear , he makes a few re-appointments , one or two new ones , ( with regard to which he has taken the advice of his Deputy , of course one of his own sort ) , and languidly expresses an amount of enthusiasm for

which people did not give him credit before , and to which those who know him best , mentally reply with " a nose adapted thumb . " But get rid of . him they can ' t . They did ' ut want him , they wanted some one else . However , they got him and hoped the best , and soon found their worst fears realized . What is to be done ?

Why they must " grin and bear it . " Now this is a state of things which really ought not to be possible . What is the remedy ? Obviously that the Provinces should have , at least , a voice , in the appointment of the Pr . G . MASTERS . It is so elsewhere . We will instance Canada as the last formed Grand Lod

ge , and one therefore likely ( as having taken care to " be warned in time by others' harm , ") to be the best ordered . There the Pr . G . MASTERS are elected by their respective Provincial Grand Lodges . The members of these bodies in England are at least as likely as the G . M . to know who is the fittest man in each case to preside over them .

The G . M . himself , we presume , thinks more so , for he has conceded to the District ( or Colonial ) Grand Lodges , the privilege for which we are contending for the Provinces in England . Wh y did he do this , but that he saw that the time had come when the Colonies would know how to assert their right , and urge their claim to know far better than one living at a distance from them

the particular merits of the several Brethren , eligible by position or otherwise , for the office of Pr . G . M . ? The same argument applies to the English Provinces , many of which are almost as much an unknown land as regards the G . M . as our Colonial possessions . The G . M . must have a veto in some shape . We do not now wish

to insist upon details , but to urge a general principle . Pr . G . MASTERS now have to satisfy the G . M . of England . If elected by their Provincial Brethren , they would be obliged to take some pains to satisfy them . Provincial Grand Lodges in place of shams , would become realities , with more respectable functions than eating and

drinking on a larger scale than a private Lodge . Nor- should we hear any more of motions displeasing to the Clique inLondon , beingburked or shelved , by obedieiitPr . G . M . ' s . The points then , for which we contend , are—1 . That the Provinces have a voice in the election of Pr . G . MASTERS .

2 . That such election , be like that of G . M ., ( as urged in our last number ) , terminable . Until we have the first of these points granted , we shall have at least some careless and inactive Pr . G . MASTERS . Until we have the second , many of the leading county gentlemen of England , who now see that the Craft is clique ridden , and that they have no particular inducement to enter it , will studiously keep out of it , and refuse us their countenance . When we have them both , the interests of the Order

“The Masonic Observer: 1859-09-01, Page 2” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 23 May 2025, django:8000/periodicals/mob/issues/mob_01091859/page/2/.
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Ar00200

requirements of his Brethren in some " ultima Thvle" of a Province that he never goes near , ( and small blame to him for not going—he can ' t go everywhere ) , or in which if he even does go into it , he visits only the one town in which a foundation stone is to be laid , a Provincial Grand Lodge held , or some special ceremony to come off ? We will the The G M

suppose case . BAND ASTER is actually coming . He is received in state , he assumes the throne for a minute , and pays a well turned compliment to the Pr . G . M ., who returns it with interest . Divine service is attended , and a sermon is preached , in which most likely Free-Masonry is carefully identified with Christianity . The Pr . G . Lodge is closedand then

, the serious business of the day commences . Dinner is served , carefully to the magnates , less so to the Brethren at large , champagne corks fly , probably at the expense of the Pr . G . M ., and all is love and loyalty to both G . M . and his nominee of the Province . But not then is the discontent expressed . That oozes out afterwards . ' To

pass from this subject , however , and return to that of appointments . The office of Pr . G . M . in this Province of one visit , falls vacant , and is of course in the patronage of the GRAND MASTER . The Brethren , perhaps , all wish for A ., who is a kind-hearted , considerate , honest , English gentlemanand unanimously considered the

, man for the place . But a certain energetic P . Pr . G . W ., Bay B ., or some such person , has always given " more decided , more reliable support to measures of the ministerialists , and has proposed the G . M . for re-election , who remembers , moreover , that in his Pr . G . Lodge , he

made some very sound and sensible remarks in favour of a much desired scheme of the EXECUTIVE to which opposition was expected , which remarks brought up some votes from some present on that occasion , visitors as well as members . Who then so fit for the post ? For he is now in selectingBrethren for promotion in the Provinces , to give the preference to those who vote on the riht

g side , and so faithful adherents to the cause will be rewarded , others attracted , and the cause generally strengthened . And after all he may do very well , very passably , but what of the Brethren he is to rule ? He may also , as many have done , not do so well ; but may , as we know has been the casewhen he has obtained

, the rank he—perhaps—cared for , omit to call a meeting of his Provincial Grand Lodge for a little matter of seven or ten years , and how is the Order likely then to flourish in his Province ? We know of an instance in which , quite lately , seven years intervened between one Pr . G . Lodge and the next , during the latter four or five of

which there was only one G . Warden , the other having died , and his place remained vacaut . What encouragement is given , under this system , to any Masons in the Provinces to " work ? " Having arrived at the degree . of M . M ., they know certainly that there is such a thing as the purple , but never having seen it bestowed but once

, ( viz .: on the day the champagne corks last flew ) , almost look upon it as a myth , certainly as an honor far above any of them , and wonder at the very sight of it in front of a stray visitor ,, who ( belonging , perhaps , to a working Province ) , wonders in his turn at the rustiness and

mustiuess with which the Brethren and the air seem alike infected . However , there he is , this R . W . Pr . G . M . When he does appear , he makes a few re-appointments , one or two new ones , ( with regard to which he has taken the advice of his Deputy , of course one of his own sort ) , and languidly expresses an amount of enthusiasm for

which people did not give him credit before , and to which those who know him best , mentally reply with " a nose adapted thumb . " But get rid of . him they can ' t . They did ' ut want him , they wanted some one else . However , they got him and hoped the best , and soon found their worst fears realized . What is to be done ?

Why they must " grin and bear it . " Now this is a state of things which really ought not to be possible . What is the remedy ? Obviously that the Provinces should have , at least , a voice , in the appointment of the Pr . G . MASTERS . It is so elsewhere . We will instance Canada as the last formed Grand Lod

ge , and one therefore likely ( as having taken care to " be warned in time by others' harm , ") to be the best ordered . There the Pr . G . MASTERS are elected by their respective Provincial Grand Lodges . The members of these bodies in England are at least as likely as the G . M . to know who is the fittest man in each case to preside over them .

The G . M . himself , we presume , thinks more so , for he has conceded to the District ( or Colonial ) Grand Lodges , the privilege for which we are contending for the Provinces in England . Wh y did he do this , but that he saw that the time had come when the Colonies would know how to assert their right , and urge their claim to know far better than one living at a distance from them

the particular merits of the several Brethren , eligible by position or otherwise , for the office of Pr . G . M . ? The same argument applies to the English Provinces , many of which are almost as much an unknown land as regards the G . M . as our Colonial possessions . The G . M . must have a veto in some shape . We do not now wish

to insist upon details , but to urge a general principle . Pr . G . MASTERS now have to satisfy the G . M . of England . If elected by their Provincial Brethren , they would be obliged to take some pains to satisfy them . Provincial Grand Lodges in place of shams , would become realities , with more respectable functions than eating and

drinking on a larger scale than a private Lodge . Nor- should we hear any more of motions displeasing to the Clique inLondon , beingburked or shelved , by obedieiitPr . G . M . ' s . The points then , for which we contend , are—1 . That the Provinces have a voice in the election of Pr . G . MASTERS .

2 . That such election , be like that of G . M ., ( as urged in our last number ) , terminable . Until we have the first of these points granted , we shall have at least some careless and inactive Pr . G . MASTERS . Until we have the second , many of the leading county gentlemen of England , who now see that the Craft is clique ridden , and that they have no particular inducement to enter it , will studiously keep out of it , and refuse us their countenance . When we have them both , the interests of the Order

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