Grand Chapter.

GRAND CHAPTER .

T he August Convocation of the Supreme Grand Chapter was held on Wednesday evening at Freemasons'Hall . At the opening of the chapter Comps . J . Huyshe presided as Z ., J . Rawson as H ., and F . Pattison as J . Comps . G . W . K . Potter was S . N ., John Hervey , S . E ., the Rev . C . J . Martyn , P . S ., John Savage , ist A . S ., and the Rev . Walter Fowler

Short , 2 nd A . S . Comps . the Earl de Grey and Ripon , Lord de Tabley , H . Browse , Dr . Jas . Self , E . S . Snell , W . M . Bywater , R . W . Hollon , E . J . Barron , F . Bennoch , Joseph Smith , Brackstone Baker , H . G . Buss , Jas . Brett , R . Spencer , W . Bourne , G . Pynim , Benj . Head , H . Muggeridge , Andrew Holman , and H . Massey were also present . GRAND S . E . having read the minutes of last

convocation . Comp . HUYSHE said : The first duty I think we have to perform to-day is the installation of our new M . E . Z ., the Earl de Grey and Ripon . It was no doubt a most sorrowful and heart-rending thing to part with him who had presided over us for so

many years as our M . E . Z . ; but circumstances over which we had no control , and , I may say , over which he had no control , rendered such a step necessary . However great our regret at that circumstance might be , it is somewhat counterbalanced by the reflection that a successor is found in such

an estimable Mason as the Earl de Grey and Ripon , who is now our M . E . Z . He has attended this day , no doubt at considerable inconvenience to himself , to be installed . His installation will now be proceeded with . The Earl de Grey and Ripon then took the

obligation , which was delivered by Grand S . E ., and the Rev . J . Huyshe invested him with the robe and insignia of his office . The GRAND Z .: Excellent Comps ., I can assure you that I feel in a very high honour to be called to fill the important post of First Principal of this

Supreme Grand Chapter . It will be my constant endeavour while I shall fill that office faithfully to discharge the important duties which belong to it , in such a manner , too , as will tend to promote , with the assistance of the other Companions of this Grand Chapter , the interests of this branch of

Freemasonry , of which all who have been admitted to it will admit the great importance . I believe our next business is to instal the Grand II ., but I am commissioned by thc Earl of Carnarvon , who is not present , to express his great regret , that entirely unexpected business at his place in the country

prevents his having the pleasure , as he had fully intended , of being present here to-day . Lord DE TABLEY then took the oath , and was invested J ., by the Grand Z . The following report ofthe Committee of General

Purposes as to the accounts , was taken as read : — To balance 19 th By Purchase of ¦ A-P " ^ " 399 l 6 5 £ 200 Consols Subsequent Re- 3194 , and Comceipts . . 258 S ° mission . . ^* i 88 5 o Disbursements .

during the . Quarter . 123 3 o Balance . 34 6 13 5

^ 658 1 Si ^ 658 1 5 which balance is in the hands of Messrs . Willis , Percival and Co ., Bankers ofthe Grand Treasurer . Thc G . S . E . read tlie petition for anew Chapter : " From Comps . Wm . Richardson as Z ., W . Henry Thornton as II ., and Abraham Wilson as I ., and

eleven others , to be attached to the St . John ' s Lodge , No . 827 , Dewsbury , to bc called ' The Chapter of St . John ' s , ' and to meet at the Masonic Temple , Dewsbury , Yorkshire . " On the motion of Comp . J . SAVAGE , seconded by Comp . J OSEPH SMITH , this petition was granted .

The G . S . E . read another petition : "From Comps . Simeon Mosely as . Z ., Robert Aspland Marillier as H ., Charles Copland the younger as J ., and six others , for a Chapter to be attached to the Kingston Lodge , No . 1010 , Hull , to be called ' The Kingston Chapter , ' and to meet at the Masonic Hall , Worshipstreet , Hull , Yorkshire . "

Comp . J . SAVAGE proposed , ancl Comp . HOLLON seconded the granting of this petition . Comp . E . S . SNELL inquired how many Chapters there were already in the town , ancl how many members they had . Comp . HOLLON said there were two Chapters there .

The G . S . E . said the Grand Superintendent ofthe province distinctly stated in his recommendation that , " having due regard to thc interests of the Royal Arch Chapters already existing in this town , I beg to recommend the within petition ior the

favourable consideration of thc Supreme Grand Chapter . " Comp . BENJ . HEAD could not see why Grand Chapter should oppose , when there was no opposition from the members of those lodges which were

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in the town where the proposed Chapter was to be situated . Comp . SNELL merely asked for information . Comp . HUYSHE reminded Grand Chapter that at last convocation there were applications made for Chapters to be attached to only two lodges in the

Isle of Man , and both petitions were granted in opposition to the feelings and the report of the Committee of Grand Chapter . For himself , he never could see why every lodge should not have its own Chapter , or if Royal Arch Masonry was what it professed to be , the consummation and completion

of the third degree , why any brother should not be able to complete that degree in a Chapter joined to his own lodge . That was not the way in which Grand Chapter had treated the Masonic world . He would support the motion , and earnestly entreated Grand Chapter to grant it . There might be three

lodges , or thirteen in Hull , but if any single one of them wanted a Chapter , let it have it . Comp . HOLLON , a Grand Treasurer of the province , knew the state of the lodges . There was room for a fourth lodge or a fourth chapter , and if this petition was refused the brethren would be

deeply grieved . Comp . BENNOCH thought that unless Comp . Snell had some objection to urge , this was a grievous waste of the time of Grand Chapter . A committee was appointed for the sole purpose of investigatingalldetails , andanyobjection could have

been raised there ; but as the committee had reported in favour of the petition , he should , unless some grounds for refusing it were urged , support thc committee . Comp . J OSEPH SMITH said the report of Grand Chapter Committee was sent to every chapter

meeting at the place where the new Chapter was to meet , and as there was no objection sent from that quarter , Grand . Chapter must grant it . Comp . SNELL , in reply , offered no opposition whatever ; but it was an established rule in Grand Chapter that no petition should be granted in a

town where there were many others . He had been told there were three Chapters in Hull , and he asked the question in order that he might ascertain whether the town was able to support another Chapter . The motion for granting the petition was carried .

The G . S . E . read the third petition , which was : " From Comps . Francis Burdett as Z ., Wm . Roebuck as H ., George Cattel as J ., and seven others , for a Chapter to be attached to the Villiers Lodge , No . 1194 , Isleworth , to be called 'The Royal Middlesex Chapter , ' and to meet at the Northumberland Arms

Hotel , Isleworth , Middlesex . " On the motion of Comp . SAVAGE , seconded by Comp . J OSHUA NUNN , the petition was unanimously granted . The G . S . E . read the fourth petition : " From Comps . Samuel H . Armitage as Z , William F .

Rooke as H ., William B . Stewart as J ., and nine others , for a chapter to be attached to the Denison Lodge , No . 1248 , Scarborough , to be called the the Denison Chapter , and to meet at the Grand Hotel , Scarborough , Yorkshire .

Comp . the Rev . C . J . MARTYN moved the adoption of the recommendation of the committee , and spoke in the highest terms of Scarborough Masonry . Comp SAVAGE seconded the motion , and Comp . HOLLON added a few words in support . Carried unanimously .

The G . S . E . then read the concluding clause of the Grand Chapter Committee ' s report , which was as follows : " Thc committee have also had under their consideration a letter from Comp . John Doherty , of the Mclita Chapter , No . 349 , Malta , elected to the third Principal ' s Chair in that

chapter , whose eligibility to be installed was objected to , on the ground that , although a Past Master of an Irish lodge , he had never served as Master of an English lodge . The committee being of opinion that the words in Art . 8 , page 16 , of thc Royal Arch Regulations , ' No companion of any subordinate

Chapter shall be eligible to bc elected to cither of the Principal Chairs who is not , at the time of such election , the actual Master or Past Master of a Craft lodge , ' refer exclusively to a Craft lodge under the English Constitution , came to the

unanimous decision that to render a companion eligible to be elected a Principal of a chapter under thc English Constitution he must bc the actual Master or Past Master of a Craft lodge under that Constitution . "

Comp . HUYSHE had no hesitation in saying that chapters working under the Supreme Grand Chapter of England must conform to its rules , and it was impossible under them that a companion could act or be installed as Principal unless he was a Master or a Past Master of a lodge under the

English Constitution . Comp . SAVAGE supported Comp . Huyshe . Unless thc laws and constitutions at present in force were altered , a companion must be a Master or a Past Master of an English Craft lodge . In Scotland and Ireland the degree was obtained by six months' conduct in the chair , while here a Master

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must officiate twelve months . Referring to th Craft for a parallel case , it had been ruled that a Warden of an Irish lodge was not eligible for the office of Master of an English lodge ; and arguing from the less to the greater , the committee , of which he was chairman , had taken the view expressed by

Comp . Huyshe . Comp . RAWSON , having served in a distant province ( China ) for many years , had grounds for opposing the recommendation , though he did it with great diffidence . In distant regions where there were not many members under the English

Constitution , they were obliged to work , not only with Irish and Scotch , but also with American brethren and [ companions . He had felt it his duty there to try and get the wheels to work smoothly among all the members of the different constitutions . He spoke , therefore , most strongly , feeling

as he did that Grand Chapter was throwing the apple of discord into provinces situated as was the province he represented . In it on many occasions he had read the Constitution in its straightforward , broad sense , as not excluding any companion who had occupied the Master ' s chair from

becoming Principal of an English chapter . He did not speak of the Master ' s degree , which , no doubt , a great many companions present were-old enough to l ' cmember it was necessary to take before it was possible to become an R . A . Mason . But looking at it merely in this light , that in an English

lodge they would not refuse to recognise the certificate of a brother who had been admitted under thc Irish Constitution either as an E . A ., a F . C , or an M . M ., he thought it was throwing a very great slight on the Irish degree , the Scotch , or the American , if they confirmed the recommendation

of the committee . He would open the door wide to every brother who had served the office of Master of a lodge ; and , instead of opposing this resolution , he thought the companions should leave it to thc actual necessities of the case as they arose . Comp . H . BROWSE , as the member of the

committee who stood alone al the outset when the petition came before it , in his desire that it should be granted , had felt that he must give way when the law of Grand Chapter on the subject was read to him . Such was his opinion now . The benefits of Royal Arch Masonry should be extended as far as

possible , but he thought the committee would have done wrong if they had recommended the granting of the prayer of this petition . Comp . B . HEAD gathered from Comp . Rawson ' s observations that he desired that we should make a law for other nations that we did not make for

ourselves . From what he had heard that night he saw no reason why we should change our Constitution to suit American , Irish , or Scotch Masons . The GRAND Z .: I do not think the question is what the law should be so much as what is thc interpretation of the law as it stands . It is quite open

to any companion to propose an alteration of the law , whatever it is . The G . S . E ., by direction of the Grand Z ., read the following law from the Book of Constitutions applicable to the case : "All officers are to be elected annually , except the Assistant Sojourners ,

who are to be appointed by the Principal Sojourner . No companion of any subordinate chapter shall be eligible to be elected to cither of the Principal chairs who is not , at the time of such election , the actual Master or Past Master of a Craft lodge , nor , except in the Colonies , until he shall have served

the office of Scribe or Sojourner of a private chapter for a year . " Bro . HUYSHE : I maintain , M . E ., under that very law that it is impossible we can accede to this petition . Now , no man can be made Master of an English Craft Lodge unless he has served as

Warden in such a iodge . An Irish brother , who only passes through six months of office , has been positively decided to have no right to sit as Master of an English Lodge , nor can he bc admitted to a Board of Installed Masters . He has not presided as Master for twelve months , therefore he is no Past

Master at all . The GRAND Z .: Before I put this question I think it right to state that so far as I have been able to form an opinion in respect of offering an interpretation of the law as it stands , I believe that the interpretation put upon it by the committee is the correct one . It is quite another question whether the

law should bc so , but I think there is very great force in the arguments that have been adduced by my Excellent Comp . on my right ( Comp . Rawson ) . But this is not the question at this moment before the Grand Chapter . The question is , whether we shall agree or not agree with the committee in their interpretation of it ; and the motion 1 put now is , whether that interpretation of the existing law is the

correct one . Comp . LORD DE TABLEY , J . : My vote will be given on what you have just said—the interpretation of thc law as it ' at present exists , The recommendation was carried with only one dissentient ( Comp . Rawson ) , and Grand Chapter was then closed .