A petition was presented from Washington Lodge, No. 2; Jefferson Lodge, No. 4; Old Dominion Lodge, No. 5; and Monroe Lodge, No. 8, of Virginia, praying for a charter for a Grand Lodge of Virginia, to be located at Richmond. A petition was presented from New Albany Lodge, No. 1, and Monroe Lodge, No. 2, of Indiana, praying for a charter for a Grand Lodge of Indiana, to be located at New Albany. A petition was presented from seven Patriarchs, praying for a charter for an Encampment of Patriarchs, to be located at Covington, Kentucky, and hailed by the title of "Olive Branch Encampment, No. 2." On motion, the aforegoing petitions were referred to the Committee on Petitions. P. G. M. Leise, of New York, who was present in the Grand Lodge, was called upon for information respecting the Work of the Order, to be printed in German, who reported that it was in progress, and would very shortly be ready for delivery to the lodges. Rep. Ridgely, of Maryland, called up the report of the committee on the business of the Order in the state of New York, which had been laid on the table, at his instance. The Grand Secretary made an explanation as to the report of the committee made at the Annual Communication, on the affairs of the Order in the state of New York, and was happy to inform the Grand Lodge, that he had become in possession of the original document, and that it was regularly recorded as originally reported by the committee, which was read. Rep. Ridgely, of Maryland, offered a substitute for the resolution appended to the report of the committee on the State of the Order in New York. On motion, the Grand Lodge adjourned until nine o'clock, to-morrow morning. WEDNESDAY, May 17th, 9 o'clock, A. M. The Grand Lodge met pursuant to adjournment: Present, the Officers and a due representation. Rep. Ridgely, of Maryland, asked leave to withdraw the substitute offered by him yesterday, for the purpose of amending the same, which was determined in the affirmative. Rep. Ridgely, of Maryland, renewed his substitute, after amending the same, which was read. Rep. Sanderson, of Kentucky, moved that the substitute be laid on the table, which was concurred in. Rep. Sanderson, of Kentucky, from the Committee on Petitions, presented the following report, which was accepted, and the resolution adopted. To the R. W. Grand Lodge of the United States : The Committee on Petitions have had before them reports of the opening and dedication of Madison Lodge, No. 6; Union Lodge, No. 7; and Monroe Lodge, No. 8, of Virginia, granted in the recess, by authority of the Grand Lodge of the United States-also, of the granting of a charter for the opening of Alabama Lodge, No. 1, located at Mobile, Alabama; also, of Wildey Lodge, No. 2, to be located at St. Louis, Missouri-all of which having been properly issued, your committee present the following resolution. Respectfully submitted. HENRY S. SANDERSON, Resolved, That the issuing of charters to Madison Lodge, No. 6; Union Lodge, No. 7; and Monroe Lodge, No. 8, of Virginia; to Wildey Lodge, No. 2, located at St. Louis, Missouri, and to Alabama Lodge, No. 1, located at Mobile, Alabama, be and the same is hereby ratified and confirmed. Rep. Sanderson, of Kentucky, from the Committee on Petitions, presented the following report, which was accepted, and the resolutions were adopted. To the R. W. Grand Lodge of the United States: The Committee on Petitions, to whom was referred several communications, have considered the whole, and beg leave to report: That an application has been made by Washington Lodge, No. 2; Jefferson Lodge, No. 4; Old Dominion Lodge, No. 5; Union Lodge, No. 7; and Monroe Lodge, No. 8, of Virginia, praying for a charter for a Grand Lodge, to be located at Richmond; the said application is in form, and properly attested, and your committee take pleasure in reporting favorably on said petition. A petition has also been made by seven qualified members of the Order in Covington, Kentucky, praying for a charter for an Encampment, to be called "Olive Branch Encampment, No. 2," and located at Covington, Kentucky, upon which your committee also are gratified to report favorably, and they therefore ask leave to submit the following resolutions. All of which is respectfully submitted. HENRY S. SANDERSON, Resolved, That the prayer of the several subordinate lodges for a charter for a Grand Lodge, to be located at Richmond, in the state of Virginia, be and the same is hereby granted, and the Grand Secretary is hereby authorized to deliver the same, upon payment by the Grand Lodge of all arrearages due by the subordinate lodges. Resolved, That the petition of the brethren of Covington, in the state of Kentucky, praying for a charter for an Encampment, to be called "Olive Branch Encampment, No. 2," to be located at Covington, Kentucky, be and the same is hereby granted, and the Grand Secretary is directed to deliver the same. Rep. Sanderson, of Kentucky, from the Committee on Petitions, presented the following report, which was accepted, and the resolution adopted. A Grand Lodge.-The Grand Lodge of Virginia was duly instituted at the city of Richmond, on the 19th August, 1837, on which occasion the following were duly installed Grand Officers, viz: George J. Roche, M. W. G. M.; Henry T. Cook, R. W. G. W.; James Nesbitt, R. W. G. Sec'y; George M. Bain, W. G. Chaplain. No installation of D. G. Master and G. Treasurer took place at that time. Neither of the above named brothers retained their offices until the close of the term; but owing to an expression of dissatisfaction, they simultaneously resigned at a subsequent session; when George M. Bain was installed M. W. G. M.; George J. Roche, R. W. D. G. M.; Richard Hazlewood, R. W. G. Secretary. To the R. W. Grand Lodge of the United States: The Committee on Petitions, to whom was referred the petition of a qualified number of lodges in the state of Indiana, praying for a charter for a Grand Lodge, to be located at New Albany, in the said state, have examined the same, and find it in proper form, and ask leave respectfully to report favorably thereon. HENRY S. SANDERSON, Resolved, That the prayer of the petitioners, praying for a charter to open a Grand Lodge, to be located at New Albany, Indiana, be and the same is hereby granted, and the Grand Secretary is directed to issue the same upon payment of all arrearages due. Rep. Sanderson, of Kentucky, offered the following resolution, which was adopted. Resolved, That on application for a state Grand Lodge, the Grand Secretary of this Grand Lodge inform the Committee on Petitions, whether the dues of the subordinate lodges are all paid up. Rep. Sanderson, of Kentucky, called up the substitute, laid on the table at his instance. Rep. Gettys, of District of Columbia, asked leave to withdraw the report offered by him, which was granted. P. G. Sire Wildey, from the special committee to whom was referred the situation of affairs in the state of New York, presented the following report, which was accepted, and the resolution adopted. To the R. W. Grand Lodge of the United States: The committee appointed at the Session of this Grand Lodge, October 5th, 1836, to examine into the situation of the affairs of the Order in the state of New York, and to make an effort to adjust the difficulties existing in the Order in that state, and to proceed for that purpose to the state of New York-beg leave to offer the following report: After the adjournment of the Grand Lodge, your committee addressed a letter to Daniel P. Marshall, of Albany, upon the subject of their appointment, requesting an interview with him and others concerned, in the city of New York. This interview he declined, (see his letter of the 9th January, 1837,) alleging that his official duties in this matter had expired, and he referred your committee to Jacob T. B. Van Vechten, of Albany. With this gentleman, your committee have had no communication. After having had an extensive communication with the members of the Order of the city of New York, and having seen a printed circular emanating from the members at the city of Albany, your committee have arrived at the opinion, that it is not in their power to adjust the differences, and restore harmony between the members of the city of New York and those of the city of Albany. Open a Grand Lodge.-The Grand Lodge of Indiana was instituted at New Albany, Angust 14th, 1837, when the following Grand Officers were installed, to wit: Joseph Barclay, M. W. G. M.; Richard D. Evans, R. W. D. G. M.; Henry H. West, R. W. G. W.; Jared C. Jocelyn, R. W. G. Sec'y; John Evans, R. W. G. Treas. Your committee will close this communication, by informing the Grand Lodge of the United States, that the subordinate lodges of the city of New York are prosperous far beyond any former example; and also, by offering the following resolution. All of which is respectfully submitted to this Grand Lodge. JOHN PEARCE, Resolved, That the committee be discharged from any further consideration of this subject. Rep. Ridgely, of Maryland, withdrew his substitute for the above resolution. Rep. Sanderson, of Kentucky, offered the following resolution, which was adopted: Resolved, That Rep's Ridgely, of Maryland; Pearce, of Pennsylvania; and Gettys, of District of Columbia, be appointed a committee to inquire into the expediency of forfeiting the charter of the Grand Lodge of the state of New York. On motion, the Grand Lodge adjourned until this afternoon, at three o'clock. WEDNESDAY, 3 o'clock, P. M. The Grand Lodge met pursuant to adjournment; Present, the Officers and a due representation. Rep. Ridgely, of Maryland, from the special committee, to whom was referred the subject of forfeiting the charter of the Grand Lodge of New York, presented the following report. To the R. W. Grand Lodge of the United States The committee to whom was referred the resolution of Rep. Sanderson, of Kentucky, directing them to inquire into the expediency of annulling the charter of the Grand Lodge of the state of New York, have considered the subject submitted to them, and ask leave respectfully to submit the the following preamble and resolutions for adoption by the Grand Lodge of the United States. All of which is respectfully submitted. JAMES L. RIDGELY, Whereas, At the Annual Session of the Grand Lodge of the United States, held in the city of Baltimore, on the third day of October, in the year 1836, among other proceedings, P. G. M. Leise, of New York, presented his credentials as Grand Representative from that state, and P. G. M's Marshall and Osborn, by authority of a meeting of some of the members of the Order in said state convened at Albany, did set forth at large the protest and remonstrance of said brethren against the right of P. G. M. Leise to a seat in the Grand Lodge of the United States, which said credentials and protest were respectfully referred to a committee, who having patiently and maturely heard the statements and examined the evidence submitted by the parties at several different meetings of the said committee, did unanimously report at large to the Grand Lodge of the United States, that the body purporting to be the Grand K⭑ Lodge of the state of New York, by which the said P. G. M. Leise had been elected, was irregular, its whole proceedings unconstitutional, and that P. G. M. Leise was therefore not entitled to a seat as the Representative from the state of New York; which report, with the accompanying resolutions, was concurred in and adopted by the Grand Lodge of the United States after full deliberation: And, Whereas, the body against whose constitutionality as a Grand Lodge, this decision of the Grand Lodge of the United States was solemnly pronounced, has declined and refused obedience to the authority thus unequivocally expressed, has protested by printed circular against the said determination, and has assumed to exercise the functions of a state Grand Lodge in defiance of the decision of the highest department of Odd Fellowship admitted and acknowledged in the United States, has persisted, and doth still persist in working and exercising the powers and jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge of the state of New York: And, Whereas, at the said meeting of the Grand Lodge of the United States, that body with a view to the amicable adjustment of the difficulties which existed in the Order in New York, did appoint a committee from its body, with instructions to proceed to New York if it should be found necessary, for the purpose of making an effort to reconcile the conflicting feelings there known to exist in reference to the local government of the Order, and did adjourn the Annual Session of said body, to meet again in the city of Baltimore on the 15th day of May, to receive the report of the said committee-thereby meaning and intending to suspend its ultimate action upon the affairs of Odd Fellowship in New York, until further advised by the information to be gathered by its committee, and designing to arrest the functions of all and every body, claiming and professing the authority of a state Grand Lodge in said state, till after the Adjourned Session of the 15th of May, 1837: And, Whereas, notwithstanding the premises, the body purporting to be the Grand Lodge of New York, at a session held in the city of Albany, did decline and refuse to adhere in good faith to this decision of the Grand Lodge of the United States, and did hastily and unceremoniously expel P. G. M. Leise from the Order, and suspend the functions of all the subordinate lodges meeting in the city of New York, without giving the committee charged with the investigation and reconciliation of the difference, any opportunity to examine or report the evidence as designed to this body-thus exhibiting great insubordination and open disobedience to the authority of this bodytherefore in view of the condition and deportment of the Order in New York toward their acknowledged head, Resolved, by the Grand Lodge of the United States, That the Grand charter of the Grand Lodge, of the 1. O. O. F., in the state of New York, is hereby forfeited and annulled; and the Grand Secretary is directed to demand a surrender of the said charter, books, funds, and all documents connected with the Order in said state. Resolved further, That a committee to consist of members be appointed, whose duty it shall be to repair to the town of Poughkeepsie, in the state of New York, having given at least one month's notice to brother Van Vetchten, of Albany, and brother Leise, of the city of New York, informing them respectively, of the purpose of said committee by authority of this Grand Lodge. to make an effort to re-organize the fraternity in that state, and requesting respectfully their attendance at Poughkeepsie on a day to be designated, and the attendance of all other Past Grands who may feel an interest in the subject-and that brothers Van Vetchten and Leise be also requested by the committee, to cause all the Past Grands in said state to be notified of the meeting of said committee at Poughkeepsie. Rep. Sanderson, of Kentucky, moved to fill the blank with five, as the number of the committee, which was determined in the negative by the casting vote of the chair. Rep. Ridgely, of Maryland, moved that the blank be filled with seven, which was adopted. Rep. Sanderson, of Kentucky, moved a re-consideration of the above vote, which was concurred in. Rep. Sanderson, of Kentucky, renewed the motion for five, which was adopted. Rep. Sanderson, of Kentucky, moved that the committee be appointed by the Chair, and that P. G. Sire Wildey be Chairman, which was concurred in. |