MASONRY. 
tion,)-in the name of themfelves and of all their brethren, 
on your having been fhielded by the hand of Providence 
from the defperate and execrable attempt of the aflaflin. 
« 5 When principles were firft promulgated in France, 
which, to our conception, tended to the overthrow of ail 
peace and order in fociety, we telt otirfelves called upon 
to depart from a rule which had been till then religioufiy 
obferved in our afiociation. 
“ As a veil of fecrecy conceals the tranfaClions at ctfr 
meetings, ottr' fellow-fubjeCls have no afiurance that there 
may not be in our afiociation a tendency injurious to 
their iuterefts, other than the general tenor of our con¬ 
duct, and a notoriety that the door of Free Mafonry is 
not clofed againfl any clafs, profefiion, or left, provided 
the individual defiring admiffion be unftained in moral 
charaCler. To remove, therefore, as far as poflible, any 
ground for fufpicion, it has been, from time immemorial, 
a fundamental rule molt rigidly maintained, that no po¬ 
litical topic fhall, on any pretence, be mentioned in file 
lodge. 
“The fingular jutlClure to which we have alluded 
Teemed to call for fome pofitive declaration which might 
diflinCily exhibit our opinions; we thence ventured to 
profefs to your majefty the loyalty with which the Free 
Mafons of England glowed towards your royal perfon, 
and their unalterable attachment to the prefent happy 
form of government in this country. But, as no forefight 
could devife a motive of equal importance with that which 
then aCluated us, the recent occurrence being of a nature 
too horrid to be in fuppofition as a pofiibility, it was 
ftrongly declared that no precedent fiiould be drawn from 
that ltep; and that on no future occalion Ihould the 
Grand Lodge exercife an advertance to events which 
might entail upon Free Mafons the charge of afTuming 
the privilege to deliberate'-as a body upon public affairs. 
Hence, fire, our prefent addrefs has not been fo early as 
our individual anxiety would have dictated ; [the attempt 
was made on the 15th of May ;] for it was requifite that 
a general concurrence fhould ianCtion the Grand Lodge 
in a fecond relaxation of its rules, before we could jointly 
exprefs that which we feverally felt in the moll ardent 
manner on the folemn fubjeCt. 
“We have poured forth to the Grand Architect of 
the Univerfe our humble thankfgiving, that, to the other 
bleflings fhowered on this country, he has added that of 
defeating a crime, the foie attempt at which produced uni- 
verfal difmay throughout thefe realms; and we earneftly 
confide in his divine bounty to preferve to us and to our 
fellow-fubjeCls, for many, very many, years to come, a life 
fo important in its example, and fo ineftimable in its fu- 
.perinlendarice over our liappinefs, as that of your Majefty. 
George P.” 
In November 1801, a charge was prefented to the 
Grand Lodge againfl fome of its members, for patroni- 
fing and officially aCting as principal officers in an irregu¬ 
lar fociety, calling themfelves Ancient Mafons, in open vio¬ 
lation of the laws of the Grand Lodge. The charge be¬ 
ing fully fupported, it was determined that the laws 
fiiould be enforced againfl thefe offending brethren, tin- 
lefs they immediately ieceded from fuch irregular meetings. 
They folicited the indulgence of the Grand Lodge for 
three months; in hopes that, during the interval, they 
might be enabled to efFeCl an union of the two focieties. 
This meafure was agreed to; and, that no impediment 
might pervert fo defirable an objeCt, the charge againfl 
the offending brethren was withdrawn ; and a committee, 
confifling of lord Moira and fevernl other eminent cha¬ 
racters, was appointed, to pave the way for the intended 
union; and every means ordered to be ufed to bring 
back the erring brethren to a fenfe of their duty and al¬ 
legiance. Lord Moira declared, on accepting his ap¬ 
pointment as a member of the committee, that he fiiould 
confider the day on which an union fhould be formed, 
as one of the xnoft fortunate in his life 3 and that he 
401 
was empowered by the prince of Wales to fat”, his royal 
highnefs’s arms would ever be open to all the Mafons in 
the kingdom iridifcriminately. On the 9th of February, 
1803, it being reprefented to the Grand Lodge that the 
irregular mafons (till continued refraCtory, and that, fo 
far from foliciting re-ad million among the craft, they had 
not taken any fleps to effect an union ; their conduit was 
deemed highly cenfurable, and the laws of the Grand 
Lodge were ordered to be enforced againfl them. It was 
a!fo unanimoufly refolved, That, whenever it fhall appear 
that any Mafons under the Englifh Conflitution fhall in 
future attend, or countenance, any lodge or meeting of 
perfons calling themfelves Ancient Mafons, under the func¬ 
tion of any perfon claiming the title of Grand Mailer of 
England, who fiiail not have been duly defied in the 
Grand Lodge, the laws of the fociety fhall not only be 
flriftly enforced againfl them, but their names fhall be 
erafed from the lift, and tranfmitted to all the regular 
Lodges under the Conflitution of England. 
On the 12th of February, 1806, lord Moira, in the 
chair, informed the Grand Lodge, that during his lata 
refidence in Edinburgh he had vifited the Grand Lodge 
of Scotland, and taken the opportunity of explaining to 
it the extent and importance of this Grand Lodge, and 
alfo the origin and fituation of thole Mafons in England 
who met under the authority of the duke of Athol; that 
the brethren of the Grand I.odge of Scotland had ex- 
prelied themfelves till then greatly mifinformed of thofe 
circumliances; having been always led to think, that this 
fociety was of very recent date, and of no magnitude; 
but, being more thoroughly convinced of theirerror, they 
were defirous that the ftriCtell union and molt intimate 
communication fhould fubfift between this Grand Lodge 
and the Grand Lodge of Scotland ; and, as the firlt ltep • 
towards fo important an object, and in teltimony of the 
wifhes of the Scots mafons, his royal highnefs the prince 
of Wales had been unanimoufly eleCted Grand Mailer of 
Scotland. The Grand Malt-r in the chair further in¬ 
formed the Grand Lodge, that the Grand Lodge of Scot¬ 
land had exprefled its concern that any difference fiiould 
fubfift among the mafons of England, and that the lodges ■ 
meeting under the fanCtion of the duke of Athol fhould' 
have withdrawn themfelves from the protection of the an¬ 
cient Grand Lodge of England; but hoped that mea- 
fures might be adopted to produce a reconciliation ; and - 
that the lodges now holding irregular meetings would re¬ 
turn to their duty, and again be received into the bofom 
of the fraternity. That, in reply, his lordlhip had flated 
his firm belief, that this Grand Lodge would readily con¬ 
cur in any meafures that might fie propofed for eftablifh- 
ing union and harmony among the general body of Ma- 
fons; but that, after the rejection of the propofitiotis - 
made by this Grand Lodge three years ago, it could not 
now, confiftent with its honour, or the dignity of its il- 
luftrious Grand Matter, make any further advances; but 
that, as it Hill retained its difpofition to promote the ge¬ 
neral intereft of the craft, it would always be open to 
accept of the mediation of the Grand Lodge of Scotland,, 
if it fiiould think proper to interfere on the fubject. 
Whereupon it was refolved, that a letter be written to 
the Grand Lodge of Scotland, exprefiive of the defire of 
this Grand Lodge, that the ItriClelt union may fubfift be¬ 
tween the Grand Lodge of England and the Grand Lodge 
of Scotland ; and for that purpofe, that the actual maf- 
ters and wardens of the lodges under the authority of 
the Grand Lodge of Scotland w ho may- be in London, on 
producing proper teftimonials, fhall have a feat in this 
Grand Lodge, and be permitted to vote on all occafions. 
On the 23d of November, 1808, the ACling Grand Maf- 
ter informed the brethren, that he had received a comm*- 
nutation from the Grand Lodge of Ireland, applauding 
the principles profefied by this Grand Lodge in its de¬ 
claration to the Grand Lodge of Scotland, and defiring 
td- co-operate with this-Grand Lodge in every particular 
Which 
