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  • The Masonic Observer
  • March 20, 1859
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The Masonic Observer, March 20, 1859: Page 3

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Ar00301

convey . But the K . W . Prov . G . M . is , we rejoice to see , about to interest himself in the reintegration of the School of Plato Lodge . We heartily recommend this school or any other , where the elements of language and reasoning may be taught , to the notice of his reverend Deputy .

Ar00300

THE Circular issued by the Board of General Purposes , is now before the Craft , and has probably already received a tolerable amount of consideration . It is drawn up with clearness and ability , and the writer makes no attempt to conceal his own bias . What he

wishes to see is a Masonic Club House , which may vie in its completeness and appearance with any of those at the West end . The idea is not amiss—and what we have to consider is , its practicability and its expedience . As regards the latter question , it is narrowed to this simple issue—do

we desire more entire centralization than we have at present ? As it is , the London Brethren have a preponderating influence in the affairs of the Craft—G . L . is composed almost entirely of them . They elect the G . M . and the Boards—do we wish to spend our invested capital in increasing this power ten-fold ?

There can be no question that suitable offices ought to be provided for the G . M . and the G . Secretary , and perhaps , for the Secretaries of the Charities , though it is doubtful how far it may be wise to compromise their present independence , by placing them in any measure under the indirect influence of the Executive . There

is again no doubt but that Lodge rooms ought to be provided , which should be worthy of the purposes to which they are devoted , and which should be retained exclusively for them . But we are not prepared to go farther than this . If the tavern is to be abolished in place of improved , in the first place , a great pecuniary loss must certainly result to the Craftthat isto the

, , Country Lodges , who are as 500 to 100 in Londonand who will benefit by such an arrangement ? The London Brethren , almost exclusively . For they being on the spot , will have the Club practically to themselves . But supposing the Country Masons to consent to spend their money in building a Club for the Londonershow

, is the victualling department to be managed ? Is it to be by a house steward ? If so , by whom is he to be appointed ? If by G . L . or by the Executive , which comes to the same thing , does not every one who knows anything of G . L ., know perfectly well that every question of complaint will be made a party question by the

Executive , that the Dais will affirm on every occasion by triumphant majorities that their nominee is just the man for his place—his wines sound , and his viands tender and well cooked ? A library of reference , to which admission must be freeand at which appointments might be madewould

, , doubtless be a great convenience . But a newspaper room common to the G . M . and his tailor , would be scarcely a convenience -to either ; while the select Clubroom , hinted at by the Board , from which the tailor

should be excluded , and to which the peer and his friend should alone be admitted , would doubtless be a far preferable place of re-union , but hardly to be erected with the tailor ' s money . We believe then , that laying aside all theories of centralization , the most suitable building for the Craft to

erect , would be one which should combine good offices , and Lodge-rooms , with a roomy and well ordered tavern , upon which the Craft should have a prior claim for accommodation . Meanwhile , however , we must not forget that the Boys ' School is putting in its claim for some of that money with which Bro . HAVERS is so blandly proposing to play ducks and drakes .

Ar00302

WE trust that matters are in a fair way of being satisfactorily settled with the G . L . of CANADA , but there has been a narrow escape from a fresh comp lication . The advisers of the G . M . were in such a ludicrous hurry to recognize those whose objects they had

previously been never weary of misrepresenting , and whose rising independence they had in vain tried to crush , that they actually neglected to ascertain the extent of jurisdiction claimed by the new G . L ., which they were p leased to imagine only extended to Canada West . The necessity under which they lay of taking the wind out of Bro . PORTAL ' sails , will , of course , account for this very unbusiness-like precipitancy , the effect of which is , that the G . L . of England , having been called

on by its EXECUTIVE to make certain specific concessions in December , is forced to double them in March ; besides which , unless we are very much mistaken , the G . M . will have to revoke the appointment of a P . G . M . of Quebec . . All these undignified proceedings mi ght have been savedif those who claim to manage our affairshad

, , made themselves previously acquainted with them . As it was , however , they acted very wisely in at once acknowledging their error , and giving up all claim to Canada East , as well as West—and we trust that the G . M . will shortly be able to announce that the most perfect cordiality and good understanding exists between

the Grand Lodges on either side of the Atlantic . We wish things looked as well in TASMANIA . There however , the P . G . M ., whose appointment without the concurrence of the senior Lodge of the Province , was , in the first instance , a fatal mistake ; seems , in a fair way , by his egregious want of tact and conciliationto create a

, schism , which may not impossibly be the first step towards the formation of an independent G . L . That Bro . TOBV has acted illegally in surrendering the warrant of his Lodge , without the unanimous consent of its Members , is unquestionable . That he has been provoked beyond endurance by a succession of

petty aggravations on the part of his P . G . M . is not less so . The best that can be hoped is , that the M . W . G . M . will at once enact the part of a Dens ex machind , and still the troubled w aters , by taking the aggrieved Lod ge under his own immediate jurisdiction .

“The Masonic Observer: 1859-03-20, Page 3” Masonic Periodicals Online, Library and Museum of Freemasonry, 15 May 2025, django:8000/periodicals/mob/issues/mob_20031859/page/3/.
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Untitled Article 3
Untitled Article 3
UNITED GRAND LODGE OF ENGLAND. Article 4
THE GRAND LODGE PROPERTY. Article 10
AUSTRALIA. Article 11
Colonial. Article 11
Mark Masonry. Article 14
Masonic Charities. Article 15
Provincial. Article 15
ADDRESS Article 18
REPLY. Article 18
GRAND LODGE CLUB. Article 19
THE FREEMASONS' MAGAZINE AND THE EXECUTIVE. Article 19
LODGE OF BENEVOLENCE. Article 19
Correspondence. Article 20
Untitled Ad 20
Untitled Article 20
Untitled Article 20
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.

Ar00301

convey . But the K . W . Prov . G . M . is , we rejoice to see , about to interest himself in the reintegration of the School of Plato Lodge . We heartily recommend this school or any other , where the elements of language and reasoning may be taught , to the notice of his reverend Deputy .

Ar00300

THE Circular issued by the Board of General Purposes , is now before the Craft , and has probably already received a tolerable amount of consideration . It is drawn up with clearness and ability , and the writer makes no attempt to conceal his own bias . What he

wishes to see is a Masonic Club House , which may vie in its completeness and appearance with any of those at the West end . The idea is not amiss—and what we have to consider is , its practicability and its expedience . As regards the latter question , it is narrowed to this simple issue—do

we desire more entire centralization than we have at present ? As it is , the London Brethren have a preponderating influence in the affairs of the Craft—G . L . is composed almost entirely of them . They elect the G . M . and the Boards—do we wish to spend our invested capital in increasing this power ten-fold ?

There can be no question that suitable offices ought to be provided for the G . M . and the G . Secretary , and perhaps , for the Secretaries of the Charities , though it is doubtful how far it may be wise to compromise their present independence , by placing them in any measure under the indirect influence of the Executive . There

is again no doubt but that Lodge rooms ought to be provided , which should be worthy of the purposes to which they are devoted , and which should be retained exclusively for them . But we are not prepared to go farther than this . If the tavern is to be abolished in place of improved , in the first place , a great pecuniary loss must certainly result to the Craftthat isto the

, , Country Lodges , who are as 500 to 100 in Londonand who will benefit by such an arrangement ? The London Brethren , almost exclusively . For they being on the spot , will have the Club practically to themselves . But supposing the Country Masons to consent to spend their money in building a Club for the Londonershow

, is the victualling department to be managed ? Is it to be by a house steward ? If so , by whom is he to be appointed ? If by G . L . or by the Executive , which comes to the same thing , does not every one who knows anything of G . L ., know perfectly well that every question of complaint will be made a party question by the

Executive , that the Dais will affirm on every occasion by triumphant majorities that their nominee is just the man for his place—his wines sound , and his viands tender and well cooked ? A library of reference , to which admission must be freeand at which appointments might be madewould

, , doubtless be a great convenience . But a newspaper room common to the G . M . and his tailor , would be scarcely a convenience -to either ; while the select Clubroom , hinted at by the Board , from which the tailor

should be excluded , and to which the peer and his friend should alone be admitted , would doubtless be a far preferable place of re-union , but hardly to be erected with the tailor ' s money . We believe then , that laying aside all theories of centralization , the most suitable building for the Craft to

erect , would be one which should combine good offices , and Lodge-rooms , with a roomy and well ordered tavern , upon which the Craft should have a prior claim for accommodation . Meanwhile , however , we must not forget that the Boys ' School is putting in its claim for some of that money with which Bro . HAVERS is so blandly proposing to play ducks and drakes .

Ar00302

WE trust that matters are in a fair way of being satisfactorily settled with the G . L . of CANADA , but there has been a narrow escape from a fresh comp lication . The advisers of the G . M . were in such a ludicrous hurry to recognize those whose objects they had

previously been never weary of misrepresenting , and whose rising independence they had in vain tried to crush , that they actually neglected to ascertain the extent of jurisdiction claimed by the new G . L ., which they were p leased to imagine only extended to Canada West . The necessity under which they lay of taking the wind out of Bro . PORTAL ' sails , will , of course , account for this very unbusiness-like precipitancy , the effect of which is , that the G . L . of England , having been called

on by its EXECUTIVE to make certain specific concessions in December , is forced to double them in March ; besides which , unless we are very much mistaken , the G . M . will have to revoke the appointment of a P . G . M . of Quebec . . All these undignified proceedings mi ght have been savedif those who claim to manage our affairshad

, , made themselves previously acquainted with them . As it was , however , they acted very wisely in at once acknowledging their error , and giving up all claim to Canada East , as well as West—and we trust that the G . M . will shortly be able to announce that the most perfect cordiality and good understanding exists between

the Grand Lodges on either side of the Atlantic . We wish things looked as well in TASMANIA . There however , the P . G . M ., whose appointment without the concurrence of the senior Lodge of the Province , was , in the first instance , a fatal mistake ; seems , in a fair way , by his egregious want of tact and conciliationto create a

, schism , which may not impossibly be the first step towards the formation of an independent G . L . That Bro . TOBV has acted illegally in surrendering the warrant of his Lodge , without the unanimous consent of its Members , is unquestionable . That he has been provoked beyond endurance by a succession of

petty aggravations on the part of his P . G . M . is not less so . The best that can be hoped is , that the M . W . G . M . will at once enact the part of a Dens ex machind , and still the troubled w aters , by taking the aggrieved Lod ge under his own immediate jurisdiction .

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