REVEREND SIR, TO THE VICAR OF LEEDS. Without wishing to offend, or thinking it necessary to apologize for intruding myself on your notice, I beg of you to pay particular attention to the following facts, they being a few out of a many that I could produce of the like nature. There are, Sir, in the Leeds District alone, 4405 effective members of the Order of the Manchester Unity; these members pay on an average £500 per annum for funerals of their brethren and wives, they likewise pay £2000 per annum for their sick and distressed brothers in charitable donations. Surely, Sir, such conduct as this deserves a consideration even from you, different from closing the church door against us.— But, perhaps you have taken the members of our Order for a party of men, combined together for the purpose of forming drinking clubs, and societies for spreading vice, misery, and woe through the land. Granting it were so, is the Vicar of Leeds, who has the cure of souls under his care, the man who ought to turn such from his church? No, Sir, you know it is your duty to seek and save such by visiting their homes, and instructing them in that truth which "leads unto salvation;" you know where it is said, "there is more rejoicing over one sinner that repenteth, than over ninety and nine just persons." I have said, were we a society for encouraging dissolute habits, intemperance, and wickedness, you ought not to have turned us away from you with contempt; but it is with pleasure, I now inform you, that such is not the case. No, Sir, our Lodges, though they are held at public houses in general, are not places of retreat for men who neglect their homes and families-they are not suitable for men who spend their days at taverns, and commit all kinds of vice in the night, nor are they places adapted for drunkards, for this reason,-the first time any member is discovered to be intoxicated in a Lodge, he is fined five shillings, the second time ten shillings, the third time he is reported to a Committee of the District, and suffers as it thinks proper. I will not say that all our members are free from the degrading habit of inebriety out of their Lodge, but I will assure you, that such are "admonished with friendship, reprehended with mercy," and chastened as brothers and friends. I hope, Sir, that I have convinced you, that intemperance does not form any part of the constitution of our Order. No, Sir, our Lodges form a respectable, numerous, and wellordered fraternity, "bound together as they are by charity, they render essential service to each other, through all the various vicissitudes of life: one feeling-to do good-emanates from the bosoms of all. THIS IS OUR GRAND SECRET; and I will assure you we are not without opportunities to exercise that feeling, for in so numerous a body, some are visited by sickness, accident, or disease, and compelled to call for the healing balm of relief. The object, the case, and the character of the individual is made manifest beyond the reach of imposition, and relief is promptly afforded; every donation is voluntarily bestowed, and though the circumstances of some enable them to give more than others, all are equally acceptable,-the inclination to do good, is far more regarded than the ability without it. Such, Sir, is the compact existing amongst us, and I will assure you, that bound together as we are, by acts of charity, we, the Independent Order of the Manchester Unity, will not yield to any other benevolent institution of which our happy country can boast;-we_yield to none in relieving the distressed and diseased on the bed of affliction. Our Order has relieved such until death has removed them from us, and after death we take care that their remains are decently interred, and all Vicarage dues paid; and not unfrequently pay over to the widow handsome subscriptions, varying from £5. to £100., and in addition have nourished, protected, and apprenticed their offspring; which, had it not been for the benevolence of our Order, must have been thrown on the world, without any one to direct their steps in the paths of morality and virtue; and, perhaps, like other unfortunate creatures, been left to imbibe, in early life, habits of idleness, vice, profligacy, and intemperance, which might have rendered them unfit for social life, and, by violating the laws of their country, rendered themselves, and all around them, unhappy ; until, perhaps, hurried to the scaffold, there to end their career in ignominy and disgrace; to snatch such "brands from the burning" is our duty, and forms part of our excellent Institution. Yes, Sir, I have seen the sick parent of such children on the bed of death, from which some of his children have been just taken to the grave, and he expecting every day to follow them; I have seen such a man smile with gratitude for our assistance. I have been one who has assisted to cheer the otherwise cheerless heart of that man while he lived, and have seen the weary and destitute provided with a bed and nourishment, until able to pursue his journey in search of employment; yes, I have seen the tear of gratitude fall from the stranger's cheek, and contentment and happiness take their station in his bosom through our exertions. Now, Sir, if by doing such acts as these, we have incurred your displeasure, we do, indeed, rejoice in our excommunication. I hope, from what I have stated, you will now be convinced, that charity is not a stranger amongst us, and that you ought to be sorry for having closed the doors of your church against the members of a society, who are endeavouring, by every means in their power, to relieve the town and neighbourhood of a portion of the burthen of poors' rate, and to such an extent do they accomplish this object, that no other Order has the power; namely, by expending nearly £3000 per annum in this District alone, in these laudable objects. Surely, Sir, this circumstance ought to have entitled us to your respect and approbation; but, instead of receiving your praise and esteem, you have spurned us from you with contempt. How different was the conduct of that meek and lowly personage you pretend to represent? yes, so different was the conduct of our blessed Lord and Saviour, while he sojourned on this earth, that it is enough to make me think you have never carefully read the history of his life; if you had, and paid any attention to the precepts it inculcates, you would, I doubt not, have acted a different part. Happy for us, our eternal welfare does not depend on the Vicar of Leeds; no, Sir, there are other christian ministers in this town, and one of them will preach to such an Order, for the purpose that you were first requested: yes, you had the preference, but to our astonished delegates, who waited on your Reverence, your answer was as before related. After such refusal, our delegates waited upon the Rev. Thomas Scales, and requested him to preach, and he has generously complied with our request; and, dear Sir, such sermon, God willing, will be preached in Queen-street Chapel, on Sunday Afternoon, the 8th day of November, 1835, where we shall be glad to meet you, and I doubt not, you will hear the word of truth preached in such way, that it will remove the scales from your eyes, and shew that it would not have degraded your character or church, by complying with our request, viz:-to preach a sermon in aid of charity :-Charity again! I am afraid you will be weary of reading so much about charity, therefore, I shall conclude, hoping that neither you nor any of your family may stand in need of our charity, but peace and plenty be your portion in this life; and when you are called into eternity, may you present your flock with confidence to your God, and may he receive them with smiles from your hands, and say unto you,-well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter thou into everlasting rest. That such may be the case, when you are called to give an account of your stewardship before the Judge of all men, is the heartfelt wish and desire of your humble parishioner. I am, dear Sir, Your very obedient servant, SAMUEL NORTON. THE PROCESSION. It having been arranged that the members of the Leeds District should meet at their respective Lodge-houses at twelve at noon, and proceed thence to Hunslet, there to form in processional order; the immense mass of Odd Fellows, and some thousands of spectators completely filled that spacious section of Hunslet Moor. Previous to the main body of the Fraternity moving off, it should be stated, that twenty-four persons, amongst whom were the Prov. G. M. and D. G. M. of the District, who had been elected to effect the important business of receiving the "heart and hand" donations of this immense congregation,* moved forward to take their appointed stations in the *The amount of members in this procession is believed to be the greatest ever seen in a provincial District, and enabled the reverend preacher to make the classical allusion to the great army of Xerxes, with an inference equally appropriate and solemn. VOL. 4.-No. 1-G. chapel; so that the proud distinction of leading a file of men in pairs, whose line extended nearly two miles, fell to the lot of Mr. Samuel Norton, C. S., assisted by a splendidly numerous companionship of past officers. The route was chosen down Chapel-street, (the main conmunication of the largest village in England,) and passing very near the Lily of the Valley Lodge house, delighted the numerous gazers in front of host Jenning's and host Crowther's hospitable abodes. The line then marched on by the Highgate to Larchfield, near which point the road opens into a finely extended Reach, whose crescents, undulating in delightful curves, afforded the most picturesque view of the procession, from the unostentatious Lodge-house of the Good Intent.Having now arrived at a more dense part of the town, the streets were found to be lined with an assemblage of spectators, such as is not usually afforded, except in periods of West Riding elections. The march was now continued over Leeds Bridge, up Briggate, along Commercial-street, where they were met and passed by the Vicar of Leeds then on to Bond-street, past the Infirmary, and down King-street, to Park Place, where the pressure of the crowd of well-dressed pedestrians, was such as totally to prevent the line from forming a moment, which had been intended, as well as to break up the line, and go individually into the commanding edifice of Queen-street Chapel, which it occupied more than half an hour to fill, although the men poured in unceasingly. Once seated, all was decorum, and one of the most impressive, eloquent, and effective services was delivered. He preached from Hebrews, 13th chap. 16th ver. "But to do good, and to communicate, forget not, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased." The sermon being concluded, the affairs of humanity were most actively and successfully commenced, and the announcement of a subscription amounting to £100. 8s. 64d. was stated as a testimonial of acknowledgment of the kind attention received by Odd Fellows, when requiring the benefit of the three charities, on whose behalf their exertions were made. The able manner in which Mr. Scales explained and illustrated his subject, gave such ample satisfaction to the assembled congregation, that it has caused the Odd Fellows who were benefited by it, to open a spirited subscription for a piece of plate, as a token of their respect to that worthy minister of the Gospel. The day was unusually fine, and a great many attended from neighbouring and remote Districts, which swelled our numerical strength to nearly 3000; and our friends from the Districts of Addingham, Barnsley, Bradford, Bromley, Dewsbury, Halifax, Holmfirth, Horsforth, Huddersfield, Keighley, Knaresborough, Peterborough, Pontefract, Ripon, Selby, Skipton, Wakefield, and York, must here accept our brief thanks for their ample support, good conduct, and high zeal manifested on that important day, which has won for us, and them, and charity, an imperishable memorial in the recollection of the public of Leeds. It was truly a proud day for Odd Fellowship in Leeds, and I cannot better describe the effect, than by giving the opinion of an impartial observer, a gentleman from London, who did not know that such an Order was in existence. He exclaimed, "What a respectable body of men! What are they? What are Odd Fellows? What are their principles? I am astonished! I never saw such a numerous body of philanthropists before in my life; they are a credit to your town, and an ornament to society. This will be a topic worthy of consideration when I get to London." The same good order prevailed after service, which had characterized our proceedings throughout, and our unostentatious dispersion and peaceable return to our homes and families, left an impression on the minds of 20,000 spectators, which will remain for years to come. I cannot lay down my pen without informing you of the gratification I feel, on observing the improvements already made and intended in the Magazine, and I think it will have a powerful effect upon the Order in general. Our Lodge only used to take one number of the Magazine, until I turned canvasser for that work, and explained the change, and the object to be attained by its increased circulation, and in two Lodge-nights, I got forty-one subscribers to that valuable work; other Lodges in this District are equally active in promoting the sale, and I have no doubt, it will clear away the mists which have enveloped our Institution, and extend it to every corner of the empire. That such may be the case, and its patrons live to see their expectations realized, is the desire of your well-wisher and obedient servant, Briton's Pride Lodge, Leeds. P. G. WILLIAM ALEXANDER. THE FOLLOWING LETTER HAS SINCE BEEN ADDRESSED TO THE REV. MR. SCALES, MINISTER OF QUEEN-STREET CHAPEL, DEAR AND REVEREND SIR, LEEDS. WE beg leave to communicate to you, through the medium of our District Officers, a vote of thanks for your friendly and christian-like conduct to us as a body, and more especially, for the valuable sermon you so kindly delivered to us on Sunday, November 8th inst.; hoping that the precepts and divine injunctions then imparted, will not be erased from our minds, but that the instructions "to do good and to communicate," will be held in perpetual remembrance. We also feel grateful for the valuable assistance of the enlightened trustees, and other influential members of your chapel, for their assiduity and furtherance in this "labour of love," and cause of benevolence. With these sentiments allow us to subscribe ourselves on behalf of the Leeds District, of the Manchester Unity of Independent Odd Fellows, Your's, very respectfully, and very gratefully, WILLIAM MYERS, PROV. G. M. SAMUEL NORTON, P. PROV. G. M. and C. S. KENDAL, though not the county town of Westmoreland, is an ancient corporation, and the most populous and flourishing place of that original boundary, and is pleasantly situated in a valley, on the banks of the river Kent; on the opposite of which, on a beautifully rising eminence, stand the ruins of its once noble castle, the birth-place of Catherine Parr, the eight and last wife of Harry the VIII, of whom it was well-said, "that he spared not man in his anger, nor woman in his lust." Immediately above the town, environed with trees, and directly opposite the castle, is a stone pillar, bearing the following inscription, SACRED TO LIBERTY, THIS OBELISK WAS ERECTED IN THE YEAR 1788, IN MEMORY OF THE REVOLUTION OF 1688. From this situation, a delightful view of the valley is obtained. Kendal has many good buildings, the houses are principally rough-cast, and covered with blue slate, which gives the town a neat and clean appearance; the principal streets are spacious, well paved or macadamized, and lighted with gas. The church situated in Kirkland, is a spacious building of plain gothic architecture, consisting of a nave, chancel, and four side aisles, and is capable of accommodating from 2000 to 3000 persons. It boasts of a fine organ, and a peal of ten bells, generally allowed to be one of the most harmonious in the kingdom; it is also embellished with numerous marble monuments to the memory of departed worth, to "Men by whom impartial laws were given, And saints who taught and led the way to heaven." The Odd Fellows' Hall stands on the rising part of Highgate, on the very identical spot where the Nelson Lodge was opened in 1820. It is an elegant stone building, and besides the necessary accommodations of a respectable inn, contains the Lodge-room, the entrance to which from the street, is wholly unconnected with the house, and as such used on Lodge-nights and public occasions. It consists of a noble room, 46 feet long by 28 wide, and 18 feet high, lighted by two windows of stained glass at the extreme end; and two circular domes, 27 from the floor. At the other end is a music gallery; the room is tastefully fitted up, and adjacent, are two commodious antirooms, used for the purposes of the Lodge. There is, perhaps, no District in the Unity, that has had more difficulties to contend against than Kendal, but it has with infinite labour triumphantly overcome them all. The foundation stone of the hall was laid on the 19th of February, 1833, by Edward Greenhow, Esq., (the then Secretary to the Lodge) amidst hundreds of spectators, whom the novelty of the scene, and the procession had drawn together, and several excellent speeches, explanatory of the principles of Odd Fellowship, were delivered by our friends Carter, Greenhow, and R. Wilson. So zealous were the members in proceeding with this good work, that the hall was opened on the 21st of October, 1833, being the anniversary of the original opening of the Lodge, with a most splendid procession, consisting of upwards of 500 persons, and on which joyous occasion, the G. M. of the Order (J. R. White) and numerous visitors from the neighbouring Districts, and the more distant ones of Liverpool and Manchester added to the number, of whom 261 afterwards dined together in the hall, (besides a numerous party at the Orphans' Protection Lodge-house) and the proceedings of the day will long be held in remembrance by the "guid folk" of Kendal. That a single Lodge should accomplish, at an outlay of nearly £3000, a work so desirable in every District, is truly astonishing, and can only be accounted for in the perseverance and unity of spirit which actuates it on all and every occasion; let other Districts but follow the example, and put their shoulders manfully to the wheel; bury trivial matters of opinion in the grave of all the Capulets," and the day will not be far distant, when every District will possess its hall, which will not only be a lasting benefit to themselves, but a credit to the Order to which they belong. That such may be accomplished, is the sincere wish of, Your's, fraternally, Cumberland Lodge, Manchester, Dec. 1835. JOHN S. MYERS. |