ORANGE LODGES. (Hansard, 4 August 1835)

§ Mr. Hume

rose to call the attention of the House, to the evidence taken before the Select Committee appointed to inquire respecting Orange Lodges, as regards their establishment in the army, and to submit resolutions thereon to the House for consideration and adoption. He confessed, that he felt great anxiety as to the result of his Motion, being fully sensible of the great importance of the subject. Ireland 59 had long been distracted by different kinds of clubs and societies, the effect of which was to rouse the people, and almost to unhinge the frame of society. If they looked back for the last fifty years, they would find that, under different names, there had been innumerable societies, having different objects in view, but all tending to the same thing—the utter disorganization and destruction of social order. He found, among others, that there were Levellers, Ribbonmen, United Irishmen, Whitefeet, Blackfeet, Orangemen, and many others. The existence of one of these societies, in fact, led to the existence of others to counteract it. He had looked, therefore, with great interest to the period when, by a new system of Government, they had begun to give peace to Ireland—when they had done away with the penal laws under which the country had so long groaned, in the hope that the change would bring a diminution in the number of those societies. He regretted that he had been disappointed. It was necessary that he should explain to the House, why he had thought it right that a Committee should be appointed to inquire into this subject. Not being a Member of the Committee which sat on the subject of Orange Lodges, his attention had been first drawn to the subject by the Irish newspapers, which published a portion of the evidence taken before that Committee. It was stated, in that evidence, that from thirty to forty regiments of the line had Orange Lodges, on the authority of warrants from the Grand Lodge. The statement appeared to him so extraordinary, that he could not at first believe it, till he had inquired of a Member of the Committee, and found it to be quite correct. It appeared by the evidence, that lodges were formed in many regiments, and it was doubtful to what extent they existed. Even recently, had they not seen the reckless conduct of those Orange Societies, and how the unfortunate affair at Belfast occurred, which had originated with the Orangemen. ["No, no!"] He only stated what he had read in the newspapers. He had received a letter in which it was stated, that Orange Lodges were spreading to a great extent in England as well as in Ireland. He was induced to think that the Government was not aware of the extent to which those associations extended. He thought it impossible that 60 the Commander-in-Chief could have noticed such dangerous combinations, without having taken steps for putting a stop to them. He had endeavoured to ascertain how far such associations were inconsistent with civil and military law, and for that purpose he had called for a return, from which he found that any officer, being a member of a lodge, was liable to dismissal; so that it was evident that they were forbidden by the military laws. But, it was unnecessary for him to show that those associations were in their nature illegal. He would admit that they might not be dangerous in quiet times, but in disturbed times, and among armed bodies, who might be made the tools of designing persons, he considered them peculiarly dangerous; besides which, the military order to which he had alluded showed them to be against military law. Then, as to their illegality under the common and statute law, he found that by the 9th Clause of the 39th of George 3rd, every society having branches or corresponding societies, or having branch committees was illegal; and every member of such society was liable to certain penalties. Thus it appeared, that the unfortunate Dorchester labourers were not one-tenth so guilty as some gentlemen of high pretensions whom he could name—and some of whom were, perhaps, nearly allied to the Crown. Yet these great delinquents escaped, while the unfortunate Dorchester labourers languished in exile. Was not this drawing a distinction between the rich and influential and the poor and ignorant? Why should not a prince of the blood, or a peer of the realm, have the same measure of justice meted out to him as the ignorant, who had not the opportunity of being acquainted with the laws. In 1831, a proclamation was issued by his Majesty's Government, cautioning persons against joining in illegal associations. This was intended to put down the Trades' Unions. When this proclamation was issued, the hon. Member for Stafford and the hon. Member for Warwick, severally rose in their places, and asked the noble Lord, then Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether it was not the intention of the Government to put down those Trades' Unions? In his opinion, as lie had stated it at the time, the Government had no right to put down those societies, as they were not illegal—they had no oaths of secrecy, or signs and 61 passes to render them so, and, therefore, it was probable that the proclamation was issued rather as a warning to the too zealous members of those bodies not to be guilty of a breach of the law, than for any other purpose. When he recollected the opinions then enforced on the opposite side of the House, he could not help expressing an earnest hope, that he should have the assistance of those hon. Gentlemen who had spoken so strongly against Trades' Unions, in his endeavours to put down the Orange Associations, the constitution of which, he had no hesitation in saying, was contrary to law. In order to put the House in possession of the subject, he had delayed for some time bringing it forward, that the evidence taken before the Committee might be printed and in the hands of Members. The part of the evidence on which he should chiefly rely, were the Records of the Orange Lodges, printed in the appendix of the Report, and the evidence of the Members of the Grand Lodge of Orangemen. He intended, on the present occasion, to confine himself as much as possible to that portion of the evidence having reference to the establishment of Orange Lodges in the army; and, therefore, he should refer particularly to the evidence of Mr. Swan, Deputy Grand Secretary, and Mr. Blacker, Assistant Grand Secretary to the Grand Lodge of Orangemen. It appeared, from the evidence of these gentlemen, that there were 1,500 Orange Lodges in Ireland, and in some parishes there were as many as three or four Lodges. In some regiments, also, there were as many Lodges. He need hardly say, that the existence of such lodges in regiments must be prejudicial to the service, and the object of the resolutions he intended to propose was, to declare that such was the case. The first resolution he intended to move, was— That it appears, from the evidence laid before this House, that there exists at present in Ireland more than 1,500 Orange Lodges, some parishes containing as many as three or four Private Lodges, consisting of members varying in number from 16 to 260, acting in communication and correspondence with each other, and having secret signs and pass-words as bonds of union, and all depending on the Grand Lodge of Ireland. Mr. Swan stated that there were 1,590 Orange Lodges, and Mr. Blacker said that there were about 1,600. The latter gentleman said that the number of warrants at present on the books was 1,843, but 62 that many of the lodges were now dormant, so that the present number was about 1600. The greatest number of lodges in any county was 229. In the county of Down there were 200 lodges; in Antrim, 229; in Armagh, 212; and also upwards of 200 in Tyrone; and about the same number in Fermanagh; and in Londonderry there were 150. In Tipperary there were only two lodges, and in Westmeath there were only two. In some of the southern counties there were no Orange Lodges, and in others only a few. The population of Armagh was 300,000, and in the 212 lodges in it there were near 21,000 Orangemen. No one was admitted as an Orangeman under the age of eighteen, and therefore they were generally in robust health, and they were all armed one way or other. All of them might be called into active service at the will of the deputy grand master. On several occasions they had been mustered and reviewed, and every one of them was bound to obey the summons of the deputy grand master. A great portion of the nobility and gentry of the north of Ireland were members of these societies. Members of trades' associations, who were comparatively innocent, had been severely punished for offences against laws, of the existence of which they were ignorant. Such a plea, however, did not avail them when they appeared at the Bar. The gentry and magistrates, however, who entered Orange Lodges, could not make such an excuse, for they must be aware that they offended against the laws of their country. The lower members of the Orange Lodges, knowing that they had the magistracy to back them, were encouraged to the commission of the most serious offences. The members of these lodges were an exclusive class, as no Catholic was admitted. There could be little doubt but that these societies drew a line of distinction between the great body of the people of the country and the magistracy, to whom they ought to look up for protection, which led to the commission of outrages whenever the two parties were brought in contact. This, therefore, was a question which concerned the public peace, and which it behoved the House to take up without delay. He had no hesitation in saying that the manner in which the Orangemen were bound together made their societies illegal; and he was sure that most of the members of 63 them were fully aware of it. The members were not admitted without a religious sanction. The next Resolution he had to propose stated this: it was That the Orange institution of Ireland is unlimited in numbers, and exclusively a Protestant association; that every member must belong to a private lodge, to which he is admitted under a religious sanction, and with a religious ceremony, carrying a bible in his hands, submitting to certain forms and declarations, and taught secret signs and passwords. The religious ceremony was described in the evidence of the Rev. Mr. O'Sullivan, page 48, question 773. It was as follows:— The applicant shall be introduced between two sponsors, namely, the brethren who proposed and seconded his admission, carrying the Bible in his hands with the book of rules and regulations laid thereon. Two brethren shall precede him. On his entering the room, a chaplain, if present, or in his absence, a brother appointed by the master, shall read the whole or part of what follows:—'O Lord God of our fathers! art thou not God of Heaven, and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen, and in thy hand is there not power and might, so that none are able to withstand thee? Who is like unto thee the Lord among the Gods? Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? Thou in thy mercy hast led forth thy people which thou hast redeemed. Thou hast guided them in thy strength into thy holy habitation. Lord, thou wilt ordain peace for us, for thou hast wrought all our works in us. O Lord our God, other lords have had dominion over us, but by thee only will we make mention of thy name; wherefore, glorify ye the Lord in the fires, even the name of the Lord God of Israel in the isles of the sea.' During the reading of this the candidate shall stand at the foot of the table, the brethren all standing also in their places, and strictly silent. The Master shall then say, 'Friend, what dost thou desire in this meeting of true Orangemen?' and the candidate shall answer, 'Of my own free will and accord I desire admission into your loyal institution.' Master; 'Who will vouch for this friend that he is a true Protestant and loyal subject? (The sponsors shall bow to the Master, and signify the same, each mentioning his own name). Master; 'What do you carry in your hand?' Candidate; 'The Word of God.' Master; 'Under the assurance of these worthy brothers, we will trust that you also carry it in your heart. What is the other book?' Candidate; 'The book of your rules and regulations.' Master; 'Under the like assurance, we will further trust that you will study them well, and that you will obey them in all lawful matters. Therefore we gladly receive you 64 into this order. Orangemen, bring to me your friend.' The candidate shall then be brought by his sponsors before the Master, the two brothers standing at each side of the centre of the table; during this the Chaplain or brother appointed shall say, 'Many shall be purified and made whole and tried, but the wicked shall do wickedly, and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand. Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to the thousand three hundred and thirty days; but go thou thy ways until the end be, for thou shalt rest and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.' The candidate shall then kneel on his right knee, and the Master shall invest him with the decoration of the order, and Orange sash. Then the Chaplain or brother appointed shall say, 'When thus it shall be in the midst of the land, among the people thou shalt be as the shaking of an olive tree, and as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done. They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the Lord; they shall cry aloud from the sea. When the mountain of the House of the Lord shall be established on the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills, and the people shall flow into it; and this shall be for a token upon thine hand, and for a frontlet between thine eyes; for by strength of hand the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt. Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in his season from year to year.' Then the Master shall say, 'We receive thee, dear brother, into the religious and loyal institution of Orangemen, trusting that thou wilt abide a devoted servant of God, and true believer in his Son Jesus Christ, a faithful subject of our King, and supporter of our Constitution. Keep thou firm in the Protestant Church, holding steadily her pure doctrines, and observing her ordinances. Make thyself the friend of all pious and peaceable men, avoiding strife and seeking benevolence; slow to take offence and offering none, thereby, so far as in thee lieth, turning the injustice of our adversaries into their own reproof and confusion. In the name of the brotherhood, I bid thee welcome, and pray that thou mayest long continue among them a worthy Orangeman, namely fearing God, honouring the King, and maintaining the law.' Then the Master shall communicate, or cause to be communicated, unto the new member the signs and pass-words of the brotherhood, and the Chaplain or brother appointed shall say, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good-will towards men.' After which the brother shall make obeisance to the Master, and all present shall take their seats, the certificate of the new brother being first duly signed and registered. Was not this a profanation of the Scriptures? What were the details of these Orange Lodges? They might truly be said to be written in blood. They arrogated to themselves the assumption that 65 they exclusively were Protestants, and they censured and condemned all who did not follow the course they marked out. A great portion of the police in Ireland were Orangemen, and it was impossible that they could discharge their duty with impartiality, or that they would forget the ties that bound them in this brotherhood. It was not possible that the people should rest satisfied as long as this state of things continued. He would ask the noble Lord whether he would refuse to support the Resolutions, and continue to keep in New South Wales men who had not been guilty of one-tenth or one-hundredth part of the criminal acts committed by these Orangemen. Books were kept in every lodge containing records of its proceedings, and copies of these books were sent up to the Grand Lodge. The manner, also, in which orders were communicated to these Lodges was not always by letters, but oral communications were made, which it was alleged in the evidence were considered either unsafe or improper to be sent in writing. This latter circumstance ought to excite a great degree of suspicion, and should awaken the attention of the Government to the subject. He did not intend to go beyond the year 1825 in the proceedings of the Orange Lodges, when they framed new rules and regulations, and when they got rid of the oath they had previously used. The general rules of this Orange Association to which he requested the attention of the House were as follows:—

"1. The Orange Institution consists of an unlimited number of brethren, whose admission is not regulated by any other test than those of their religious character and principles.
"2. No person who at any time has been a Roman Catholic can be admitted into the Institution, except by special application to the Grand Lodge, or Grand Committee, accompanied by certificates and testimonials, transmitted through the Grand Secretary of his county, which shall be so perfectly satisfactory as to produce a unanimous vote on the occasion.
"3. Any member of the Orange Institution who shall print or circulate anything connected with the Institution affecting its character, or the character of any of its members, without the sanction of the Grand Lodge or of the Grand Committee, shall be expelled by the Grand Lodge.
"4. That every member of the Orange Institution shall belong to a private Lodge, and that no person shall be proposed as a member of a committee unless the Lodge to which he belongs is mentioned."

66 Was not this sufficient evidence that they were an exclusive association, and illegal in every sense of the word. He had on former occasions expressed his dislike of Orange Lodges; but he was not aware of the extent of their mischievousness until he had read the evidence taken before the Committee. The next Resolution which he had to propose was:— That no Lodge can be constituted without a warrant of the Grand Lodge of Ireland, signed by the Grand Master and Office-bearers for the time being, and having the seal of the Grand Lodge thereto affixed.