The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-08-02 00:00:00

THE GOOD TEMPLARS.

The enpreme ruling power of the Independent Order
of Good Tempters has knit clo-ed its nineteenth annual
seseion at the Royal Amphitheatre, High Holborn,
Loudon, the lint time it has ever met in England or
anywhere out of North America. The body met at
ten o'clock on Tuesday, the 22nd of July. It ixtusists
of representatives of the 48 grand lodges of the order,
the majority of which cant iii the United States and
the hritien dominions of North America, and the
remainder in the United Kingdom of Great lititsin
and Ireland, and Queensland, Awartilia. On the
pitting of the Right Worthy Grand Lodge the Right
Worthy Grand Templar was Brother the Rev. .John
Ruesell, of Detroit, Michigan, and Brother Julius A.
Spencer, of Cleveland, Ohio, Right Worthy Grand
Selretary.
On the first day the business was rot of great im-
portance, as the Right NVorthy Grand Lodge adjourned
at twelve o'clock to take put in the fete of the Tem-
perance League on that day. On Wednesday tile
principal business was the adoption of the official re-
ports. The report of the Right Worthy Grand Tree-
surer said they were met, not so Englishmen, Irishmen,
Welshmen, or Americans, but as the representatives
of a cosmopolitan fraternity.
The report stated that during the year grand lodges
bad been chartered in North Carolina, Newfoundland,
Arkansas, and Queensland, and that negotiations were
in progrees for grand lodges in South Australia, New
Zealand, and the inland, of the Mediterranean.
The Right Worthy Grand Secretary's report con-
tained returns of merub-rship to the 31st of January,
1872. The statistics for England were—full-deems
members, 87,144; members in good standing, 139663;
lodges, 2,109. Ireiaud —members in good standing,
14,000; looges, 166. It was lasted that the number
of members in Wales was 40,0,0, and, allowing for
the want of retnrne, the membership of the whole
order was stated to be 625,000. The receipts during
the year had been 19,329 dollars, 61u, and the total
amount of cosh alio asset+ over the liabilities
12 860 dollars, 27c.
A resolution was passed on the proposition of
Brother Ss.tt, setting forth that, in respect of the in-
jury inflicted on the cause of terup-rance and the di,•
credit broneht on the order by the nee or tobacco
among its mentbers, this Right Worthy Grand Lodge
recommend, that no member be allowed to use tobacOo
while wearing regalia, and that the lodges be room-
mended to prohibit smoking in the ante-rooms and
lobbies of their respective lodges.
A supplementary report of the Right Worthy Grand
Secretary wee reed, announcing that new lodges had
been opened as follow—five ilk blew Zwilead, two in

France, one in Portugal, two in Cape Colony, two in
Burmuda, one in hieetut, and 30 in Australia. The
,lace of the next erasion of the Right Worthy Grand
Lodge was, by election, (leveled to be Louisville, Ken-
tucky. A committee on Political Action presented an
important report on Saturday, which, Mar a very
animated and important debate, was unanimously
adopted, as follows :

_
" Ike Committee on Political Action desire most respect-
folly to make the following report—via, " Whereas the
legalised traffic In intoxicating beverages is the great curse of
the age, prodecing breakable injury to the best interests of
the whole people, and at war with the social, financiaL
moral and religious hopes of the world, with not a tingle
redeemlog feature to justify its toleration by Government •,
, and whereas the evils that grow out of this authorised
traffic hove beoonse so oppressive to the people that Me can
' no longer patiently sat roil to AucLl outrages without gross
neglect of duty to ourselves, to the race, and to God and
I w , science and experience having largely revolutionised
I common sentiment ou the nature of alcoholic drinks and
the propriety of their sale and use, legislation ou this subject
should conform to the advanced standard of our prment
civilisation—tearer ors, resolved that the prevailing license
system not only masks lawfully right a traffic which Divine
1 law and past history declare to be morally wrong, but pro-
tects the trafficker at the expense of all other citizens, and
coolers upon • few persons the right and power to Inflict
the most terrible evils upon society In opposition to the
whiles of a large majority of It. people. That the autho.
rlsation and proteetion of the traffic in intorketing drinks
by the Legislative Departments of the world le • clear viola-
tion of the fundamental principle of all government—viz.,
the rinht of society to protect Itself. That, as total prohibi-
tion is the Divine mode of treatment In dealing with wombs
and vices of all kinds, so hue an plans onght to be prohibi-
tory on all matters that evilly rifest the wea of the body
palate That we firmly believe that absolute prohibition
In the traffic in intoxicating drinks ts the only effective
remedy against the fearful evils inflicted on society by this
unscrupulous source of poverty, vice, and misery. That we
will use our best endeavours to promote prohibitory legisla-
tion on this subject in the several communications where
we live and labour. That we will employ our privileges of
franchise in the election to civil offices of honour and trust
only of such men as will 'amour the enactment ur laws pro.
hibiting the tragDo in totoxicating beverages. That where
political parties Ire composed of opposing elements on the
qUadlolA of prohibitory legislatiou we recommend the sup-
port of • political party distinctly and unequivocally com-
mitted to such measures —THOMAS L POOl.OOl, Marylandl
GEORGE F. II'FAMLANZ, PelHA_; J. K VAN I.IOORN, ;
HENRI ROBINSON, Mit:Wli M.: HANNiII V. Brancek, Ohio"
A number of petitions for the chartering of a Worthy
Grand Lodge for England and • number of grand
lodges were considered, and, after • very warm debate,
were refused unanimously by the assembly. The Right
Worthy Grand Lodge remained sitting until late
on Monday, Ink the business remaining to be done was
bat formal.