Article 291, Book Of Constitutions, E. R.

Article 291 , Book of Constitutions , E . R .

By BRO . R . F . GOULD . |[ K ^; , ^ gCT [ jjj T the June mooting of the Grand Lodge of England , in ISP / ggg 9 ; the current year , Art . 219 of tho Constitutions was the W f asssj I subject of a lively and deeply interesting debate . Tho pff ' aSisS j ] point involved is a highly important one , and it will l Kanju . ri . iJI therefore excite no wonder that the arguments of the various speakers ns well as tho resolution finally

adopted , have boon freely canvassed both m the Masonic press , and by the brethren of eminence in sister jurisdictions .

Tho ease of Cambrian Lodge , No . 656 , E . R ., differs , indeed , very widel y from that of the English Lodges at Montreal , with which it has been compared . But the circumstances that combined to make up what is now familiarly known as tho " Quebec difficulty , " are calculated , nevertheless , to afford some instructive reading at the

present time , and as they were very sparingly alluded to in the discussion referred to above , and have received even less notice in the criticisms it has provoked , the leading facts connected with this inter-jurisdictional controversy will be related as briefly and succinctly as possible , in tho present article .

At the close of 1 S 54 , there were in existence at Montreal the following Lodges : —Nos . 514 , St . Paul ' s ( now 374 ) ; 643 , St . Gcorgo ' s ( now 440 ) ; 731 , Zetland ; and 923 , St . Lawrence ( now 640 ) . All these , with the exception of St . Paul's , present No . 374 , took part in the formation of the Grand Lodge of Canada , in October , 1855 , and surrendered their English charters .

The connection of S . Lawrence with the new organisation appears to have boon a very slig ht one , but the W . M . of St . George ' s , whose Lodge went over en masse , was elected Deputy Grand Master , and Zetland never actually retraced its steps , though an attempt was indeed made to revive the English warrant , in 1861 .

The three English charters thus surrendered were , in accordance with the custom of tliose days , delivered to Judge Badgley , the Provincial Grand Master under England , and shortly afterwards two of them were issued to brethren claiming to represent tlie real lodges , St . George ' s and St . Lawrence , Nos . 643 , and 923 on the English roll respectively .

Hence , after this , while there remained only one St . Lawrence , there were two St . George ' s—the orginal Lodge of that name ( at first No . 13 , and subsequently ) No . 19 , O . K . ( Canadian Registry ) , and the group of brethren in whose favour the English warrant , No . 643 had been revived .

For several years the revived English Lodges , St . Georges and St . Lawrence , were regarded as irregular by the Grand Lodge of Canada . The latter , however , was recognised by the Canadian authorities in 1863 , and tho former in 1864 . The case of St . George ' s Lodge , that is , the revived or

reconstructed body ( 643 , E . R . j , was always regarded—in Canada—as presenting by far the greater difficulties of the two . Under the date of December 19 th , 1862 , the G . M . of Canada , Bro . T . D . Harington , observes : — " This warrant ( 643 ) was surrendered in November , 1855 , and on the following anniversary of tho Festival

of St . John the Evangelist , the annual election and installment of officers occurred , under the authority of the Grand Lodge of Canada , and not one dissentient voice was raised ; on the contrary Bro . C . P . J > add , who subsequently claimed to be the Master under the English Warrant , returned under unfortunate circumstances by R . W . Bro ,

Badgley , assisted at the said Installation under Canadian authority . Under any circumstances it would nat m ally and reasonably be supposed that R . W . Bro . Badgley would only return tho Warrant to brethren who were bona-jide it dire members at the time he required its production by summons , but such was not the ease . A number of

Masons—who had from various causes ceased lo be members of any Lodge—without proposition or ballot were induced by strenuous exertions to allow themselves to be caVed members , and placed in the furious afiices . [ The names are then given of 10 brethren ,

" Unaffiliated , " among them being the new Wardens , Ireasurer , and Secretary who with ] Bros . C . P . Ladd , W , M ., and J . G . Shipway , P . M ., and three others who were put down us Honorary Members , st yled themselves St . George ' s Lodge , No . 643 , E . R ., and consented to receive back and work under its Warrant ; being , as the R . W . Bro .

Article 291, Book Of Constitutions, E. R.

Badgley said , its rightful owners and custodiers . While " St . George ' s " proper , having over fifty subscribing members , with the old records , funds , jewels , furniture , and everything else really tho property of the Lodge , because part of , and still is harmoniously existing under the jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of Canada" ( Proc . G . L . Can ., 1863 , p . me ) ..

In 1863 , the numbers of the English Lodges were changed , or closed tip—St . Paul ' s ( 514 ) , St . George ' s ( 643 ) , and St . Lawrenco ( 923 ) , in Montreal , becoming ( as they still remain ) Nos . 374 , 440 , and 640 respectively .

At the formation of tho Grand Lodge of Quebec , in 1869 , St . George ' s , 440 , E . R ., was , and St . George ' s , 19 , C . R ., was mb represented . 440 , E . R ., became 6 , Q . R . ( Quebec Registry ) , receiving a pi'ovincial written authority to work , while the English Warrant was retained in custody by order of the G . M . ( J . H . Graham ) .

As under Canada , so under Quebec . Some brethren who were , or had been members of 440 , E . R ., applied ( or as it has been suggested , were induced to apply ) for permission to revive the Lodge . Judge Badgley therefore authorised them to work as 440 , E . R ., and they next preferred a claim to the English Warrant in the possession of the Grand Lodge of Quebec .

Ultimately in 1879 , by the direction of Grand Master Tate , who was led to believe that if tho warrant in question was given to 440 , E . R ., it would soon affiliate with Queboc , tho instrument was delivered to Judge Badgley , and by him passed on to the English St . George ' s Lodge—whoso transfer of allegiance , however , was not thei'oby accomplished , as had been anticipated .

St . George ' s , 19 , C . R ., joined the Grand Lodge of Quebec in 1874 , as No . 4 , and in 1877 , at the re-numbering , became No . 10—its namesake , St . George ' s , 6 , Q . R . ( 1869 ) , on the same occasion ( 1877 ) acquiring the number 11 . Thus , at the present time , there are three St . George ' s Lodges in

the City of Montreal , all of which claim to bo lineall y descendod from No . 643 , E . R ., originally constituted in 1836 . To tho foregoing narrative should bo added that the Grand Lodgo of Canada did , but the Grand Lodge of Quebec did not , accept the recognition of the Grand Lodgo of England , subject to the condition

that tho three English Lodges in Montreal wore to be allowed to retain their existing allegiance—also , a grievance upon which great stress was originally laid by tho Grand Lodge of Canada , must bo

noticed . This was the exercise of the functions of a Provincial Grand Master by Judge Badgley after the following statement in a letter dated March 23 rd , 1859 , from the G . M . of England to the G . M . of Canada .

"I have lastly to speak of Provincial Grand Lodges , to the continued existence of which within your jurisdiction , you appear to object . 1 may first observe , that the Provincial Grand Master for Montreal [ Badgley ] has for a long time past been most anxious to resign that ollice m * . and as far as I am informed , a Provincial

Grand Lodge has therefore not lately been convened , and it is not my intention to take any such steps as will lead to its resuscitation . It is my intention , if tlie remaining Lodges in Montreal be desirous of

it , to place them under the control of the Provincial Grand Master for Quebec ; if otherwise , to permit them to correspond dircc £ with tho Grand Lodge of England , in the same manner as tho Lodgos now in Canada West . "

Commenting on the above , m a letter addressed to the Representative of the Grand Lodge of England , the G . M . of Canada , December 19 th , 1862 , after alluding to Judge Badgley , of whom he observes , " In this country * * all the odium consequent upon the difficulty between our two Grand Lodges is deemed to rest rightfully

upon that Ollieer , and there has not been a doubt on the part of tho Canadian Craft , that his functions have entirely ceased , "—proceods to quote the statement made by tho G . M . of England on March 23 rd , 1859 , ( supra ) , and adds , " I contend that no other honest meaning ( Min bo attached to these extracts , save that tho R . W . Bro . Badgley had resigned , and his resignation been accepted . "

From the preceding summary two conclusions may , I think , be safely drawn . Tho first , that if the case of the Cambrian Lodge of Australia , No . 656 , is surrounded by any real difficulty , which , for my own part , I wholly fail to discern—in face of the precedent afforded b y the Montreal Lodges , it pales into absolute insignificance ; and the

second , that though patience and long suffering may be exhibited in the future , as it has been and is in the past and present , b y Grand Lodges of British maternity , the time has arrived when the propriety of modifying Article 219 , so as to bring it into greater harmony with with the popular sentiment , well merits the serious consideration of of the English Craft . —New Zealand Craftsman .