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NAYS-Rep's Guild, Hersey, Ellis, Palmer, Brown, Wilson, Treadwell, Vn Sickell, Harris, Hillyer, Stokes, Kneass, McDonnell, Marley, Moore, Webb, Segar, Campbell, Hurlbut, Seymour, Salomon, Dicks, Kezer, Marshall, Shaffner, Stewart, Sherlock, and Earnest-28.

On motion of P. G. Sire Glazier, the Past Grand Sires were excused from voting on this subject.

So the amendment was unanimously negatived.

The next subject, on page 464, in relation to Grand Encampments, was considered and rejected-being one vote in the affirmative and twenty in the negative.

The next subject being on the property of the Grand Lodge, it was considered, and on motion, the committee allowed further time to make their report.

The Chair announced the following special committees on the subjects allotted by the committee on the Grand Sire's report:

Numerical Registry-Rep's Hurlbut, of South Carolina; Earnest, of Illinois; and Brown, of New York.

Reports of D. D.Grand Sires.-Rep's Seymour, of South Carolina; Salomon, of Alabama; and Guild, of Massachusetts.

Revision and Preparation of the Lectures and Charges.-Rep's Kneass, of Pennsylvania; Moore, of District of Columbia; and Segar, of Virginia. The Grand Treasurer submitted his annual report, which was referred to the Committee of Finance.

Rep. Hillyer, of New Jersey, from the Committee on Returns, made the following report, which was read and adopted.

To the R. W. Grand Lodge of the United States:

The Committee on Returns, to whom was referred the memorial of A. W. Mitcalf and others, members of the Grand Lodge of I. O. O. F., of the state of Pennsylvania, protesting against the election of Representatives to the Grand Lodge of the United States, and the Grand Lodge Officers at their last Annual Meeting, report:

That they have carefully examined the matters referred to them; that the protestants appeared before your committee, and were unable to substantiate the grounds of their protest, and your committee are of the unanimous opinion that the Representatives to this Grand Lodge, to wit: brothers Stokes and Kneass, are the legal Representatives, and that as far as your committee are able to ascertain, the Annual Grand Lodge Officers already installed into office, were duly and constitutionally elected.

Respectfully submitted.

E. T. HILLYER,
R. W. SEYMOUR,
WILLIAM G. WEBB.

Rep. Brown, of New York, offered the following amendment to Article XII, of the By Laws, which was considered and adopted:

To insert after the words "Grand Lodge," the words "Grand Encampment."

Rep. Hurlbut, of South Carolina, offered the following amendment to Article XII, of the By-Laws, which was considered and adopted: Article XII-to strike out "two" and insert" one."

On motion of Rep. Ellis, of Connecticut, the resolution passed yesterday, to meet in the afternoon, at half past three, was re-considered.

The resolution being under consideration, it was, on motion, amended by striking out half past three o'clock, and substituting four o'clock. On motion, the Grand Lodge adjourned until four o'clock, this after

noon.

WEDNESDAY, 4 o'clock, P. M.

The Grand Lodge convened pursuant to adjournment: Present, the Grand Officers and the same Representatives as of the morning session. The journal of the morning session, was read and approved.

Rep. Treadwell, of New York, from the committee, to whom was referred the report of the Grand Corresponding Secretary for allotment, made the following report, which was adopted.

To the R. W. Grand Lodge of the United States:

The special committee, to whom was referred the report of the Grand Corresponding Secretary, for the purpose of alloting the various subjects therein referred to, to appropriate committees, submit the following for adoption, viz:

That so much of the report as relates to the "communications from state Grand Lodges, relative to abolishing the proxy system, and to contribute in aid of the funds of this Grand Lodge, for the purpose of securing a bona fide representation from all the states," be referred to the Committee of the Whole.

That so much of the report as relates to the " furnishing of the Grand Secretary's office," be referred to the Committee of Finance.

That so much of the report as relates to the "presenting of valuable docurments by P. Grand Sire Wildey," be referred to the delegation from Maryland.

That so much of the report as relates to the "receipts during the recess of the Grand Lodge, and the state of the finances," be referred to the Committee of Finance.

That so much of the report as relates to the "correspondence and accompanying documents," to the Committee of Correspondence.

That so much of the report relating to the "reception of Constitutions and By-Laws of subordinate lodges and Encampments," be referred to the Committee on Returns.

That so much of the report as relates to the "Diplomas," be referred to the Committee of Finance.

That so much of the report as relates to the issueing of "warrants, &c. and reports of Deputies," be referred to the Committee on Petitions. That so much of the report as relates to the "substitution of warrants in lieu of charters," be referred to a special committee of three.

Respectfully submitted.

JOHN G. TREADWELL,
ZENAS B. GLAZIER,

A. K. MARSHALL.

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Rep. Kneass, of Pennsylvania, from the Committee of Correspondence, made the following report, which was concurred in.

To the R. W. Grand Lodge of the United States:

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The Committee of Correspondence beg leave respectfully to report: That they have examined the various letters and copies of letters, which have been submitted to them by the Grand Secretary, and have found nothing in them to which the attention of this Grand Lodge need be directed.

HORN R. KNEASS,

TALIAFERRO P. SHAFFNER,
WILLIAM S. STEWART.

Rep. Treadwell, of New York, offered the following, which was adopted.

Resolved, That the Committee on the state of the Order, be directed to report at this session, a general law, defining the general qualifications for membership of state Grand Lodges.

Rep. Hurlbut, of South Carolina, offered the following resolution, which, upon his own motion, was referred to the Committee on the State of the Order.

Resolved, That no dispensatton shall be granted for opening any lodge or Encampment, in any state, where a lodge or Encampment already exists, without the recoinmendation of the nearest lodge or Encampment, accompanying the application.

The Chair announced the appointment of the following select committee on substituting warrants for charters.

Rep's Stokes, of Pennsylvania; Dicks, of Mississippi; and McDonnell, of Delaware.

On motion of Rep. Marshall, of Kentucky, the Grand Lodge resolved itself into Committee of the Whole, upon the subject of the proposed amendment to the Constitution to abolish the proxy system. of Louisiana, in the Chair.

Rep. Lucas,

After some time spent in Committee of the Whole, the committee rose, when the Grand Sire having resumed the Chair, Rep. Lucas, of Louisiana, Chairman of the Committee of the Whole, reported that the said committee recommended that the subject be referred to the Committee on the State of the Order, and that the Committee of the Whole be discharged from the further consideration of the subject.

On motion of Rep. Treadwell, of New York, the report was adopted. Rep. Moore, of District of Columbia, from the Committee on the State of the Order, made the following report.

To the R. W. Grand Lodge of the United States:

The Committee on the State of the Order, to whom the papers were referred, have had under advisement communications from state Grand Lodges, as follows:

From Maryland, expressing the opinion that the proxy system is the only feasible system in the present financial condition of the Grand Lodge, throughout this republic.

From New York, expressing the opinion that the proxy system ought not to be abolished in the Grand Lodge of the United States, until each and every state Grand Lodge is able to send a Representative to said Grand Lodge.

From New Jersey, in favor of such a system of per centage as will be likely to insure a full attendance of Representatives, and that the proxy system be entirely dispensed with. ·

From the District of Columbia, in favor of the abolishment of the proxy system, and assenting to be taxed in order to effect the object.

From Ohio, in favor of the abolishment, and assenting to be taxed, provided each state send but one Representative.

From Missouri, in favor of abolishment, and assenting to be taxed. From Indiana, in favor of abolishment, and assenting to be taxed. From Tennessee, in favor of abolishment of proxies, and of this Grand Lodge paying the expense of Representatives, and assenting to be taxed for the purpose.

From Louisiana, against abolishment, unless other lodges are taxed so as to divide the general expenses according to the strength of each

state.

All the lodges above noted as assenting to be further taxed, in order to secure a bona fide representation on the floor, give their assent on condition that all the states be taxed in like manner, according to their respective proportions of members.

From the very limited number and nature of the responses (above cited,) to the resolutions on the subject of proxy representation, which were passed by this Grand Lodge at its last session, it is very evident to your committee, that the states whose population is the largest are unwilling to incur a full proportion of the additional expense that will be necessary to secure a full representation from the smaller states, and therefore there can be no further hope of effecting a reform in the proxy system at present recognized, by the means indicated in the report and resolutions of the last

session.

Under these circumstances, the committee have carefully considered the whole subject, and as they can discover but three modes of accomplishing so desirable an object, they present them altogether, with their opinion upon them, to the full view of this body, as follows:

The first is, to enable this Grand Lodge to pay the Representatives, by changing the existing basis of representation, and requiring of each state Grand Lodge a larger annual contribution, proportioned according to the whole number of contributing members that may be under its jurisdiction, or a fixed per centum on the whole amount of receipts in each state. Second, the conditional abolishment of the system, to apply to such states only as have upwards of -hundred members, and whose resources, if properly managed, ought to enable them to incur the expense of sending on their Representatives. Third, the unconditional abolishment of the entire system.

As regards the first proposition, it may be objected that, if the more popular states contribute the largest amount of revenue, they would naturally conceive that they should be entitled to a proportionate representation in this body; and such a claim appears to be so reasonable, that, even

if not yielded at the present day, it would unquestionably be conceded at no very distant period of time." Thus viewing the matter, there is cause to apprehend that the adoption of this proposition would not prove a wise measure, so far as economizing the time and funds of the Order is concerned. It would naturally result in the enlargement of this body, and the incurring of a much greater amount of expense in transacting its bus iness, all of which, no matter how the Representatives be paid, would necessarily fall on the state Grand Lodges, from whom the funds must be collected. Neither is it probable that such an augmentation of expense in securing legislation here, would have a tendency to lessen much, if at all, the burdens of distant lodges, which for a want of some other just and equitable rule, would have to bear their full proportion of taxation-for the additional revenue that might be received from the stronger lodges would be nearly all absorbed in defraying the cost of their additional Representatives, still leaving the weaker states to pay their own way at an increased price, or, if unable to do so, giving them much stronger grounds of complaint in being unrepresented, while some of their more fortuante sisters enjoyed even an increased representation. Therefore, both on the score of expediency and economy, the committee distrust the propriety of such a measure.

The second proposition is impracticable, because it could not be made to operate with equality on the different states which might be allowed a representation under it, inasmuch as a lodge in a middle state, with half the number of members proposed, would be as able to send a Representative to Baltimore, as a lodge having the full number which should be located in a southwestern or far west state. Independent of this objection, however, there is another yet stronger. Most of the Grand Encampments might claim to come under this system, (as they may claim to come under any other system,) which would be equivalent to giving them the privilege of proxy representation, and thus the evil that we desire to abolish would be prolonged for an indefinite length of time, as it is evident, this branch of the Order being much behind the other, that many years must elapse before Grand Encampments in the new states will be in a condition to enable them to send Representatives here.

The only objection which exists to the third proposition is the seeming injustice it would inflict on the smaller and distant states. This however, would not afford any real or substantial cause of complaint. They could not be denied a full representation, whenever they think proper to send their delegates, and this they would no doubt find means to do on all important occasions. Therefore, as an alternative, the committee deems the entire abolishment of the system, all things considered, as the most rational and practicable course that can be pursued, if this Grand Lodge be determined now to act upon the subject. There are at present but two states which are not represented, and, considering the rapid increase of the Order, in a short time they must possess sufficient strength to enable them to appear in person. In the intervening period, and at all times, they can of ficially communicate their views to the Corresponding Secretary, in the same manner as they now do to their proxies, and their communications would undoubtedly receive due consideration in this body. Indeed, there might be a committee raised, whose duty it should be to take special charge

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