Page images
PDF
EPUB

but shall be kept strictly and solely devoted to charity, and pains shall be taken to increase the same.

XIX. The distribution and application of this charitable fund, shall be monthly, for which purpose, a committee of lodge of benevolence, shall be held on the third Wednesday of every month, which lodge shall consist of twelve masters of lodges (within the bills of mortality) and three grand officers, one of whom only, (if more are present) shall act as president, and be entitled to vote. The said twelve masters to be summoned by the choice and direction of the grand master, or his deputy, not by any rule or rotation, but by discretion; so as that the members who are to judge of the cases that may come before them, shall not be subject to canvass, or to previous application, but shall have their minds free from prejudice, to decide on the merits of each case with the impartiality and purity of masonic feeling; to which end it is declared, that no brother, being a member, of such committee or lodge, shall vote upon the petition of any person to whom he is in any way related, or who is a member of any lodge or masonic society, to which he himself actually belongs; but such brother may ask leave to be heard on the merits of such petition, and shall afterwards, during the discussion and voting thereon, withdraw.

XX. A plan, with rules and regulations, for the solemnity of the union, shall be prepared by the subscribers hereto, previous to the festival of St. John, which shall be the form to be observed on that occasion.

XXI. A revision shall be made of the rules and regulations, now eatablished and in force in the two fraternities, and a code of laws for the holding of the grand lodge, and of private lodges, and generally, for the whole conduct of the craft, shall be forthwith prepared, and a new book of constitutions be composed and printed, under the superintendance of the grand officers, and with the sanction of the grand lodge.

Done at the Palace of Kensington, this 25th day of November, in the year of our Lord, 1813, and of masonry

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

In grand lodge, this first day of December, A. D. 1815, ratified and confirmed, and the seal of the grand lodge affixed.

Robert Leslie, G. S.

EDWARD, G. M.

GREAT

SEAL

In grand lodge, this first day of December, A. D. 1815, ratified and confirmed, and the seal of the grand lodge affixed.

AUGUSTUS FREDERICK, G. M.

William H. White, G. S.

B

GREAT
SEAL

Proceedings of the two Grand Lodges of England, in ratification of the union.

At an especial Grand Lodge of the most ancient and honourable fraternity of free and accepted masons, according to the old institutions, held at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, Strand, on Wednesday, the 1st. December, 1818.

PRESENT. The M. W. H. R. H. the Duke of Kent, G. M.

ON THE THRONE.

The R. W. THOMAS HARPER,
R. W. JAMES PERRY,

R. W. JAMES AGAR,

R. W. ARCHIBALD HERRON,
R. W. JEREMIAH CRANFIELD,
R. W. ROBERT GILL,

R. W. THOMAS SCOTT,

R. W. MALCOLM GILLIES,
R. W. THOMAS MAHON,

D. G. M.
P. D. G. M.

P. D. G. M.
S. G. W.

J. G. W.

P. S. G. W.

P. S. G. W.

P. S. G. W.
P. S. G. W.

[blocks in formation]

And the Masters, Wardens, and Past Masters of the fifty-eighth lodges in and adjacent to London.

The grand lodge was opened with solemn prayer, and in ample form.

The most worshipful the grand master then announced, that in consequence of the appointment which he had réceived from the grand lodge upon the first of September, in conjunction with the right worshipful brother Harper, deputy grand master, and the R. W. brothers Perry and Agar, past deputy grand masters, they had held several conferences with H. R. Highness the Duke of Sussex, grand master of the other fraternity, who was also assisted by three of his grand officers-The R. W. brother Waller Rodwell Wright, Provincial grand master of the Ionian Isles, the R. W. brothers A. Tegart and J. Deans, past grand wardens; the happy result of which was that articles of Union between the two grand lodges of masons of England were signed and sealed in duplicate at Kensington Palace, on the 25th November last, and his Royal Highness laid the same before the grand lodge. The announcement of this great event was received with masonic acclamation, and the said articles were read.

After which the R. W. brother Perry moved the following resolutions, which were carried in the affirmative unanimously:

1. That the articles of union now read be ratified and confirmed.

2. That the most worshipful his royal Highness the grand master, be requested and empowered to affix the great seal thereto, and to exchange the same with his royal Highness the Duke of Sussex, grand master of the other fraternity.

3. That brotherly application be made to the grand lodges of Scotland and Ireland, enclosing them a copy of the above articles, so ratified, and entreating them to delegate two or more enlightened members of their respective bod

G

ies to be present at the assembly of union, on Monday, the 27th December instant, pursuant to article IV.

4. That the Grand master do nominate nine worthy and expert master masons, or past masters to discharge the duties set forth in articles V. and XV.

5. That a special dispensation, under the great seal, be issued to those nine brothers, and their Secretary, to hold a lodge of reconciliation, in conjunction with an equal number to be appointed and empowered by his royal Highness the Duke of Sussex, to fulfil the duties set forth and enjoined in the said article of the union.

6. That the masters, wardens, and past masters, of the warranted lodges, do attend the said lodge of reconciliation, according to notices to be addressed to them, for the purpose of being obligated, certified, and registered, to entitle them to be present at the assembly of masons for the union of the two grand lodges of England, on Monday, the 27th December, instant.

7. That the secretary of the said lodge of reconciliation shall keep a book, in which shall be entered the names of all the regular members of lodges belonging to both fraternities, so obligated and certified, that they may be registered, without fee or reward, in the books of the two grand lodges, and be thereby entitled to tickets of admission to the said assembly of union; and that a correct return of the whole be made to the grand secretary, on or before the 28d December, instant.

8. That the grand treasurer be directed to issue a sufficient sum out of the fund, to defray the expenses of the said union, upon the drafts of the deputy grand master, who shall submit vouchers of the appropriation thereof to the steward's lodge.

9. That a number of copies of the articles of union be printed, for the use of the lodges at home and abroad.

10. That a copy of these resolutions be transmitted to the grand secretary of the society of freemasons, of which his royal highness the Duke of SUSSEX is grand master, for the information of their grand lodge.

In conformity with the above resolutions, a dispensation passed the great seal for the constitution of the lodge of reconciliation; and his royal Highness the grand master, nominated the following brothers to form the same:

(Here follows their names.)

His Royal Highness the grand master, then signed the said articles, and affixed the great seal thereto in grand

lodge; and the same was countersigned by the grand secretary.

The grand lodge was then closed with solemn prayer, and adjourned to Thursday, the 23d instant, at seven o'clock in the evening.

At an especial grand lodge of the most ancient and honorable fraternity of free and accepted masons, according to the old institutions, held at the Crown and Anchor tavern, in the Strand, on Thursday 23d December, 1813.

The R. W. brother Thomas Harper, D. G. M. in the chair;

Together with the present and past grand officers, and the masters, wardens, and past masters, of the fifty-eight lodges in and adjacent to London.

The meeting was also honored by the presence of his Royal Highness, the Duke of Sussex, G. M. of the other fraternity.

The minutes of the especial grand lodge, on the 1st of. December, instant, for the installation of his Royal Highness the Duke of Kent, as grand master of masons according to the old institutions, were read and confirmed.

The minutes of the quarterly communication, on the evening of the same day, were also read and confirmed. The minutes of the stewards' lodge, of 15th December, were likewise read and confirmed.

Upon motion of the R. W. past deputy grand master Perry, it was Resolved unanimously

That the most grateful thanks of this grand lodge be given to the most worshipful his royal highness the Duke of Kent and Strathearn, grand master of masons of England, according to the old institutions, for the gracious condescension with which he came forward in a most interesting moment, and yielded to our earnest and unanimous desire to take upon himself the truly important task of negociating an union with the fraternity of masons of which his royal highness the Duke of Sussex is grand master;— for the zeal, ability, and conciliation which he displayed in all the conferences that took place in the progress of the same; for the firm and brotherly determination with which he asserted, maintained, and secured the ancient land-marks of the craft, as well as the rights and privileges of this grand lodge, and of all its constituents;-for the earnest

« PreviousContinue »