The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-11-16

the property was made. but without the slightest
avail, except at rates OF interest," which tue COLL
with regard 70 the second object OF inquiry, the
cost of the proposed building, your committee
soon ascertained that the cost OF purchasing
suttabN location, and erecting temple such as
was contemplated by the Grand Lodge, when it
adopted the resolution OF November last, would
far exceed the sum OF SIS 600 then reported 70 the
necessrg be central and the lot al least sixty feet
front Dy one hundred In depth. There was no
vacant lot OF those dimensions IN any ceatraflo-
cality. It would therefore have been necessary 70
the;e we're buildings. Upon INQUIRY, It was ascer-
tanned by the committee thai the purchase OF a
suitable lot would require from $4,000 70 sls,oo9,
and that the cost Of erecting Inc temple upon IL
would be nom $40, 600 TO S45, COO. = -.
To raise the amount necessary for the purchase
oflot and the erection OF the building was simply
have been borrowed, 1t would have imposed an
annual burden forinterest apdtaxes wnlcnlt was
beyond the power or the Grand Lodge TO meet,
while the gTncipad 81 tne arUs wo9a rea-s nape o coe
the entire properly OF the Grand Lodge. r. q
None were more anxious tna 1e commlttee tg
carry out the intentions Of the Grand Lodge, and
to erect magnificent temple ON new and suit
able location. They had been earnest advocates
of the project. had labored assiduously 1or us
eTery feeling OF. personal and Masonic pride,
earnestly devoted to It's successful executloni out
we were deeply impressed with the rssponsi6tity
which devofved upon us. Tue Grand Lodge hau
had given to usauthority to burden II with deol,
and to mortgage It's entire property. The very
magnitude OF tne confidence treposed demanded
from us the utmost prudence. The Grand Lodge
was not PRESENT. could not be consulted. II
was for US TO think al Tact 1or 1t, andw we were
bound in honor and day TO so watch over It's IN,
ierests that its property should not De naZardeu
nor its prosperity imperilled.
To rave yielded TO the pressure whlcn was
brought npon u.s. and to have purchased a lot anu
laid the cornerstone, In the hope that me neces
sary funds would be in some manner raised anu
the btlding completed would have been, IN our
Judgment, an &C. nfe weakness; and while was
painful to us t. differ frdG brethren for whom we
entertained tile highest respecr, and whose zeal
we admired, we iet that the responsibility was
upon ms. not upon them; and that IL hereafter
loss should ensue, and the Grand Lodge nnd IT.
SELF with heavy debt, a nai!,nnisned oal.atng
and no funds to complete 1t. the censure Youl'i
fall, and rightly rall, on those who had committed
the Grand Lotge:to an undertaking beyond us
means. 49,. .s,
intentions o. the Grant Lodge, as expressed In.
the resolution Of last November, has excited lhGch
feeling in the Craft, il is proper 10 snow clearly
the considerations which lnnuencea the colu
1t Is known 20 the majority of the brethren,
that money has never heen less than one per cent;
per mouth in the city, during the past year, and
frequently as high as one and half per month
on .undouhted collaterals easily realized. But
suppose, what is almost beyond snnposltion, we
could have borrowed the money at the low rate OF
per cent. per annum:
Saw. s6oO 900 at per cent. 200 UJ
Taxes on present Ball................... 9lI 90
insurance on present hall. ............... 2l5 90
Taxes On new h al ................. 400 20
Insurance on new hail. Sao oo
otah........-..... .............''sho'z w
Calculating everything at the lowest rate, and
making no allowance for annual repairs,
- ether expenses, 1t would be necessary TO raise
erery wear The sum OF S10s2. Could the Grand,
i.odge.do it9 Al no pe,.od since tine war nave
the annual receipts much exceeded tne anhnai ,a,
Wer,a We NTH. rto been exempt, are now levied on
the property. AS we: could not see with any
reasonable certainty how. we were to borrow
money at : per cert, or how we were to pay the
interG,t IL We should succeed in borrowing II, We.
The Committee were foweyer, very unwilling
to utterly abandon the enterprise. II we could