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stitution of warrants, submitted the following report and resolution, which was accepted, and the resolution adopted.

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

The special committee appointed on that part of the Grand Corresponding Secretary's report, which relates to the substitution of warrants in place of charters, beg leave to report by resolution.

Resolved, That the Grand Sire, Deputy Grand Sire, and Grand Secretary, be authorized to prepare a form of warrant, to be issued in place of the charters now in use after the approval of the Grand Lodge is obtained, upon the dispensation issued during the recess of this Grand Lodge.

JOHN W. STOKES,
GEORGE I. DICKS,

ROBERT B. MCDONNELL.

The Grand Sire presented the subjoined communication from P. G. Sire Kennedy, which, on motion of Rep. Marshall, of Kentucky, was ordered to be spread upon the journal.

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

In compliance to the resolution of yesterday, the undersigned would respectfully submit, that the annual P. W. is provided by Article XIV, of the By-Laws, to be forwarded to the several states, "through the Grand Representatives at each session of the Grand Lodge"-that when no Representatives have been present from a state entitled thereto, or in cases where lodges and Encampments were acting directly under the Grand Lodge, such means for communication has been used as was most likely to ensure safety. The undersigned, while in the discharge of the duties of Grand Sire, deemed such safety best secured by making the D. D. Grand Sires, so far as could possibly be done, the medium of such commution. He had at the last session nominated a distinguished brother of Tennessee, as D. D. Grand Sire over that district, and had repeatedly and urgently requested the brother to qualify with the appropriate degrees. His failing to do so prevented his commission from being issued, and in like manner delayed the communication from being made. While the expectation remained that the brother would eventually comply, no other means was sought.

After having delayed as long as propriety justified, the P. W. was communicated through the Grand Secretary of Tennessee.

On the other branch of inquiry, it might only be necessary to remind the Grand Lodge, that the preparation of documents is solely under the care of the Grand Recording Secretary; but in this case a perfect recollection is had that the charter was signed, and arrangements made for transmitting it by the Grand Representative of Missouri, who engaged to have it safely delivered in Nashville.

Very respectfully,

JOHN A. KENNEDY, P. G. Sire. The Grand Secretary presented the Constitution of the Grand Lodge of New York, which was referred to the Committee on Returns.

Rep. Kneass, of Pennsylvania, submitted the following resolution, which was read.

Resolved, As the opinion of this Grand Lodge, that no brother can represent a Grand Lodge or Grand Encampment in this Grand Lodge, unless he resides in the state, district or territory, where the Grand Lodge or Grand Encampment, of which he offers himself as a Representative, is located.

The yeas and nays being required, appeared as follows:

YEAS-Rep's Hersey, Palmer, 2 votes; Vn Sickell, Harris, Hillyer, Stokes; Kneass, Skinner, McDonnell; Marley, 2 votes; Neilson, Webb, Segar, Campbell, Hurlbut, Seymour, Dicks, Kezer, Marshall, Shaffner, Stewart, Coleman, and Sherlock, 2 votes-26.

NAYS-Rep's Guild, Brown, Wilson, Treadwell, and P. G. Sires Wildey and Kennedy-6.

So the resolution was adopted.

Rep. Dicks, of Mississippi, asked and obtained leave of absence for the

remainder of the session.

On motion, the Grand Lodge adjourned until nine o'clock, to-morrow morning.

FRIDAY, September 22d, 9 o'clock, A. M.

The Grand Lodge met pursuant to adjournment: Present, the Officers and a due representation.

Prayer by the Grand Chaplain.

The journal of yesterday was read and approved.

Rep. Moore, of District of Columbia, from the Committee on the State of the Order, reported the following proposition as an amendment to the Standing Rules of Order, to be inserted immediately after the rule which provides for the appointment of the Standing Committees, which was read and adopted.

"The Grand Sire shall also appoint a committee, consisting of three members, whose duty it shall be to take in charge, and prepare for the action of the Grand Lodge, all business appertaining to state Grand Lodges or Grand Encampments which shall not be represented by the personal attendance of delegates."

Rep. Moore, of District of Columbia, from the Committee on the State of the Order, by direction of that committee, answers an inquiry from the State of Massachusetts, by saying that the proper regalia of a member who has taken only the initiatory degree, is simply a plain white apron, without collar or any other badge of distinction, which was read and adopted.

Rep. Moore, of District of Columbia, from the Committee on the State of the Order, reported the following By-Law, by direction of said committee, in compliance with the resolution of Rep. Treadwell, of New York, as recorded at page 522, of the printed proceedings: which was read and adopted.

"State Grand Lodges are prohibited from conferring the Grand Lodge degree for a pecuniary consideration, with a view to increasing their revenue, or for any other consideration, except the regular performance of the duties of the Noble Grand's chair; the said degree having been designed

as a reward for faithful service in the subordinate lodges, and cannot legitimately be reached by any other means."

Rep. Moore, of District of Columbia, from the Committee on the State of the Order, reported the following By-Law, by direction of the said committee, which was read and adopted.

"State Grand Lodges and Grand Encampments are required to provide laws to protect their brethren in adjoining or distant states, by prohibiting the lodges under their jurisdiction from initiating persons at places remote from their permanent residence, while lodges and Encampments are known to be located in their immediate neighborhood."

Rep. Sanderson, of Maryland, moved to re-consider the vote by which the By-Law reported by the Committee on the State of the Order, provid ing for the conferring the Grand Lodge degree, was adopted, which was decided in the negative.

Rep. Moore, of District of Columbia, from the Committee on the State of the Order, submitted the following report, which was concurred in.

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

The Committee on the State of the Order, have had under consideration the resolution offered by Rep. Hurlbut, of South Carolina, and recorded at page 522, in the following words: "That no dispensation be granted for opening any lodge or Encampment, in any state where a lodge or Encampment already exists, without the recommendation of the nearest lodge or Encampment accompanying the application."

The committee are of opinion that, wise as a provision of the kind proposed might be in some cases, it would be inexpedient as a general rule. Such a regulation would divest this Grand Lodge of part of its power, in denying it the exclusive right of judging where and under what circumstances it would grant warrants for lodges to work under its immediate jurisdiction. Another objection equally strong applies to the propositionand that is, it would be vesting too much power in the junior lodges and Encampments that might first obtain possession of a new district of country, a power very little short of that usually conveyed to Grand Lodges when originally instituted. For these reasons the committee deem the proposition inexpedient.

Respectfully submitted.

WILLIAM W. MOORE,
RICHARD MARLEY,
ALBERT GUILD.

Rep Moore, of District of Columbia, from the Committee on the State of the Order, made the following report, which was read and adopted.

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

The Committee on the State of the Order have considered so much of the Annual Report of the Grand Sire as relates to uniformity in the work of the Order, and in which reference is made to a prevailing anxiety amongst the members "for the personal visit of a proper officer of this Grand Lodge to impart instruction." The expression" proper officer," is somewhat ambiguous, and the committee are not certain that they cor

rectly understand it. The By-Laws make it the duty of the Grand Sire to visit the lodges once a year, either in person or by deputy. The committee presume that the intimation is not directed towards that officer, but is meant probably to indicate the necessity of creating a new officer for this special purpose. Regarding it in this light, the committee would hesitate to recommend such an appointment. Arduous and multifarious

as are the duties of the Grand Sire, it is very questionable whether an assistant of this kind would necessarily, as a matter of course, relieve him in any considerable degree. This would depend both on the capacity and disposition of the new officer. Evil might even grow out of a multiplicity of counsel. If the duties of each be not specifically defined, there is a possibility of their coming into conflict with each other; and if they be defined, then the responsibility of conducting affairs may be so divided, and the difficulty of finding out the legitimate source from which to obtain information so great, as to retard rather than advance our operations. Under the present system, the Grand Sire and Corresponding Secretary being both familiar with the laws and usages of the Order, all know to whom to apply for information; the chief officer, besides, has under his control, numerous District Deputies, to whom he can at all times communicate instructions. There is a possibility, therefore, of our getting along with some degree of uniformity with the additional aid which is afforded by the attendance of delegates from various states. This, the committee fear, could not be the case if we had more than one instructor, and especially if he should be a salaried and an elective officer, whose action would be independent of the Grand Sire. Such an appointment too, would have a tendency to lessen the dignity of our chief officer, and rather render the station one to be sought for the honors it conferred, than for the knowledge and experience to be acquired from a faithful discharge of its toilsome du

Our Past Grand Sires, instead of becoming counsellors, on whose wisdom we could rely, would merely have served their routine of office by presiding here, and would probably vacate the chair without having added one particle of practical information to what they possessed at the time of assuming it. There is a probability, also, that we should gain nothing from greater stability in the officer, because it being essential to the interests of the Order that the elective term be short, there could be no reliance placed on a repeated re-election. Under these circumstances, and in view also of the fact that the difficulties which have been heretofore encountered in disseminating correct information at a distance, are becoming more and more lessened, in consequence of a general attendance of delegates from almost all parts of the country, who can here be properly instructed, and who in time can communicate instruction to their respective Grand Lodges, the committee think it inexpedient to enter upon the proposed experiment at the present time, and decline to report a proposition authorizing the appointment.

Respectfully submitted.

WILLIAM W. MOORE,
ALBERT GUILD,
RICHARD MARLEY.

The Grand Lodge, on motion, proceeded to the consideration of the special order of the day, being the report and resolution submitted by the

Committee of Correspondence on Foreign Relations. The question being on the adoption of the same. The yeas and nays were required, and ap

peared as follows:

YEAS-Rep's Sherlock, 2 votes; Moore, McDonnell, Marley, Sanderson, Neilson, Webb, Segar, Campbell, Hurlbut, Seymour, Marshall, Shaffner, Stewart, Coleman, Guild, Hersey, Ellis, Palmer, Hinman, Brown, Wilson, Treadwell, Vn Sickell, Harris, Hillyer, Stokes, Kneass, Skinner, and P. G. Sires Wildey and Kennedy-32.

NAYS-0.

So the resolution was unanimously adopted.

P. G. Sire Kennedy submitted the following resolution, which was concurred in.

Resolved, That it be referred to Committee of Finance to report a suitable rate for the sale of installatlon books, and Grand Encampment books and lectures.

Rep. Hinman, of Connecticut, from the Committee on Petitions, submitted the following, which was adopted:

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

The Committee on Petitions report: that they have examined the docu ments in relation to the institution of the following Encampment, and finding them to be in due form, they respectfully submit the following resolution.

ROBINSON S. HINMAN,
THOMAS SHERLOCK,
SYLVESTER VN SICKELL.

Resolved, That the dispensation to "Washington Encampment, No. 2," at Columbia, Tennessee, be confirmed, and that a charter be granted to the same.

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

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

The Committee on Returns, to whom was referred the memorial of Widow's Friend Encampment, No. 5, of Virginia, report:

That they have carefully examined the matter referred to them, and find that some difficulties have occurred between Widows' Friend Encamp ment and the Grand Encampment of Virginia, held in the town of Portsmouth. From the protest it appears that Widows' Friend Encampment was opposed to the organization of the Grand Encampment, and preferred working under its own charter.

There was no evidence before the committee, that the Grand Encamp ment had any notice of the intention of this Encampment to memorialize this body, a requisite which the committee deem advisable to be pursued, in all cases of a similar character. The committee would, however, recommend that the whole matter be referred to the Grand Encampment of Virginia, with the request from this Grand Lodge, that it restore Widows' Friend Encampment to its proper functions as a subordinate to its jurisdic tion, upon due submission being made by that body to its authority.

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

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