Ordered, THAT a Select Committee be appointed to inquire into the origin, nature, extent and tendency of the Orange Institutions in Great Britain and the Colonies; and to report the Evidence and their Opinion thereon:-And a Committee was appointed THE SELECT COMMITTEE appointed to inquire into the Origin, NATURE, EXTENT, and TENDENCY of ORANGE INSTITUTIONS in Great Britain and the Colonies; and to report the Evidence taken before them, and their Opinion, to The House:-HAVE considered the matters to them referred, and agreed to the following REPORT: OUR COMMITTEE have examined Lord Kenyon, the Deputy Grand Master of England and Wales; Lieutenant-colonel Fairman, the Deputy Grand Secretary and Deputy Grand Treasurer; Mr. Chetwoode, the late Deputy Grand Secretary; Mr. Nucella, Commissioner to the Continent, and several other persons, officers and members of the Orange Institution of Great Britain. The Duke of Cumberland, the Grand Master of the Empire, communicated to the Committee that he had no statement to make to them, as appears by the annexed correspondence.* The * EXTRACTS from the MINUTES of the COMMITTEE On ORANGE LODGES in Great Britain. 25 August 1835. THE Chairman having laid before the Committee the following letter (A.), addressed to the Members of the Loyal Orange Institution, &c., signed by his Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland, as Grand Master; and by Lord Kenyon, as Deputy Grand Master of England and Wales, the Committee resolved, "That it appears desirable to this Committee under all circumstances, and particularly in consequence "of the publication of a letter by his Royal Highness, as Grand Master (dated 24th of August), addressed "to the members of the Loyal Orange Institution, that his Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland "should have an opportunity afforded him of making any statement or explanation which his Royal "Highness may think proper to give on the important subject under their consideration;" and the Chairman was requested to forward this Resolution to his Royal Highness. (Copy.) (A.) To the Members of the Loyal Orange Institution, &c. &c. &c Having learned, through the especial information of the Deputy Grand Master of England and Wales, that owing to acknowledged indiscretion and negligence on his own part, and a like indiscretion or negligence, as he reports on the part of other officers of the Orange Institution, many grants of warrants or renewals of former grants have, without my knowledge, and contrary to my declared determination, been issued from time to time in contravention of the order of the late illustrious Commander-in-Chief, his Royal Highness the Duke of York; this instrument is signed by me, and countersigned by the Deputy Grand Master of the Orange Institution of England and Wales, for the purpose of declaring that all warrants, held by any persons in any regiment belonging to His Majesty's service, must henceforth be considered as null and void. It having been further notified to me by the Deputy Grand Master of England and Wales, that an irregularity inconsistent with the due construction of law has, by his oversight, been allowed to creep into the last published rules and regulations of the society, by which district lodges are acknowledged to exist, instead of distinct warrants issued to individuals. This is also to require a special meeting of the Grand Lodge, at No. 9, Portman-square, on Tuesday, September 1, at eleven in the forenoon, to correct such mistake. Aug. 24, 1835 ERNEST, Grand Master. Witness, Kenyon, Deputy Grand Master. 27 August. The Chairman presented a copy of his letter (B.) inclosing the resolution of the Committee of the 25th, to his Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland, and his Royal Highness's answer, (D.) dated 26th instant, which are appended. Sir, (B.) I have the honour to send your Royal Highness a resolution this day agreed to, and shall be glad to receive your answer thereto. If you shall desire to come before the Committee, it will be my duty to submit a motion to the House of Commons to send a messenger to the House of Lords requesting they will give leave to your Royal Highness to attend before this Select Committee. I have the honour to be, Your obedient, &c. &c. To H. R. H. the Duke of Cumberland. Joseph Hume, Chairman. (Copy.) (D.) St. James's Palace, 26 August 1835. The Duke of Cumberland presents his compliments to Mr. Hume, and begs to acknowledge the receipt of his letter of yesterday, enclosing a resolution of the Select Committee on Orange Lodges. The Duke of Cumberland desires to inform Mr. Hume, as Chairman of the Committee that he has no statement to make to the Committee. (1) 758. Origin. See Appendix, No. 21, p. 174. Nature or Constitution. The Duke of Gordon, the Deputy Grand Master of Scotland, was summoned, but being on the Continent, did not attend. Your Committee have also examined several of the books and papers belonging to the Institution; but they_regret that their inquiries have been much narrowed by Lieutenant-colonel Fairman withholding the Book of Correspondence since February 1834,(') and also the numerous documents of the Institution remaining in his possession; Your Committee are, however, of opinion, that the oral and documentary evidence which they have obtained (without reference to the evidence taken before the Committee on Orange Lodges in Ireland), is amply sufficient to prove the existence of an organized institution, pervading Great Britain and her Colonies to an extent never contemplated as possible; and which Your Committee consider highly injurious to the discipline of His Majesty's Army, and dangerous to the peace of His Majesty's subjects. The Letter-book of the Loyal Orange Institution laid before Your Committee, commences only with the year 1808, although Orange Lodges were held in England before that time, by warrants under the Grand Lodge of Dublin. The correspondence with Mr. Verner, of the Grand Lodge in Dublin, shows in what manner the first Grand Lodge was established in England. It was formed in Manchester in 1808, under Samuel Taylor, esq. of Moston, as grand master; and warrants, to hold lodges under the English institution, were then first granted. The Grand Lodge of England continued to hold its meetings in Manchester, granting new warrants, and exchanging English for Irish warrants, to all who sought for them and were qualified to receive them, until the year 1821, when it was removed to London; and the first meeting, (as appears by the minutes), was held at Lord Kenyon's, on the 27th of April 1821, his lordship, as deputy grand master, in the chair. But, in order to lay fully before The House the nature, extent, and tendency of the Loyal Orange Institution of Great Britain, Your Committee consider it requisite to explain the Constitution, Rules, and Ordinances under which the Lodges are constituted and conducted. The Loyal Orange Institution of Great Britain is unlimited () as to numbers; and exclusively a Protestant (2) association; its affairs are directed by a Grand (2) App. 18. Rules, Master, (2) a Grand Secretary, a Grand Treasurer, a Deputy Grand Master, a No. 1, 2 and 3. Deputy Grand Secretary and Deputy Grand Treasurer, a Grand Chaplain and Deputy Grand Chaplains, a Grand Committee and Grand Officers constituting the Imperial Grand Lodge in London. Imperial Grand App. 18. Rule 11. App. 18. Rule 10. The Imperial Grand Lodge meets in the metropolis on the third Thursday in February; on the 4th of June, and at such other times as shall be appointed by the Grand Master or the Deputy Grand Master. No regulation, resolution or rule of the Orange Institution can be at any time rescinded, altered or amended without notice of the intention to move or rescind, alter or amend the same, being given at the regular meeting of the Imperial Grand Lodge previous to such motion; and no complaint, proposition, matter or thing can be considered or discussed in the Imperial Grand Lodge until the same shall have been submitted to the Grand Committee, unless the Grand Master or Deputy Grand Master, or dignitary presiding, shall be of opinion that inconvenience or injury would arise from its postAppendix, No. 21, ponement. The order observed and attention given to all proceedings of the Grand Lodge may be judged of from the fact, that the Grand Master never enters the lodge or leaves it without the Mace being carried before him; that, during the sittings of the lodge, the mace is always placed on the table before the Grand Master; and, that a member of the lodge styled a Tyler is stationed outside the door. Every lodge is opened and closed with prayers, the forms of which are printed in the Rules and Ordinances of the Institution. (3) Letter 31. Appendix, No. 2, p. 38. (3) Sce Rules of 1834, App. 18. Q. 97. Q.951. Q.965. Q.953. Q.961. The Imperial Grand Lodge is held in Portman-square, London, at the house of Lord Kenyon, the Deputy Grand Master of England and Wales; and the Duke of Cumberland, when in England, has always, since he accepted the office of Grand Master, presided at such meetings. The business is generally prepared some days previous to the meeting, by the Grand Committee and the Deputy Grand Secretary; and is submitted to the meeting of the Grand Lodge, as a report, in due form; there being a rota of business always prepared and placed at the same time before the Grand Master or chairman. The report of the Grand Committee and the resolutions prepared by them are read through in the first instance, and then put separately from the chair; such resolutions, being seconded and put to the assembly, are decided by show of hands; and the resolutions, when agreed to, have often the initials of the Grand Master affixed to them. The minutes of the proceedings of |