1834. GRAND LODGE OF THE UNITED STATES. 115 few Past Grands, and that the lodges located in the city of New York are without a proper representation in the Grand Lodge; and they wish the Grand Lodge to be restored to New York. Rep. Pearce, of New York, then submitted the following: Whereas, It has been represented to the Grand Lodge, that Odd Fellowship is suffering in the state of New York, by reason of the Grand Lodge of that state meeting in Albany; and that the good of the Order will be promoted by the Grand Lodge meeting in the city of New York :-Therefore, Resolved, That the Grand Lodge of the state of New York shall in future meet in the city of New York. On motion, the resolution was laid on the table. On motion, the resolution as submitted, to fine absent Officers and Representatives, was taken up for consideration, and was decided in the affirmative. An appeal of C. B. F. Oneal from the decision of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, was presented, and, on motion, referred to Rep's Pearce, of New York; Keyser, of Maryland; and Robinson, of Delaware. On motion of Rep. Borrows, of District of Columbia, it was Resolved, That all necessary travelling expenses of the Officers of the Grand Lodge, shall be paid out of the funds of the Grand Lodge. On motion of Rep. Borrows, of District of Columbia, it was Resolved, That the dues now owing by the subordinate lodges of New Jersey, be paid into the treasury of the Grand Lodge of said state. On motion, the Grand Lodge then adjourned, to meet at the city of New York, August 16th, 1834. HOWELL HOPKINS, Grand Secretary, pro tem. equally destitute of allusion to the subject of removal, as those of the following year are silent on the subject of a new charter in lieu of the one obtained in 1823. Under the constitution in force at the time, the sessions were provided to be held monthly, and so soon as three sessions had been held there, the offices filled by those brothers not residing in Albany were declared vacant, and were sup plied by residents at the new seat of the Grand Lodge. From all of which, we must conclude that neither the consent of those grand officers, nor of those who elected them, had been obtained for the removal. The succeeding transactions are most remarkable for exhibiting a disreputable scramble for the grand offices. In the course of 1829, no less than three formal elections were held in the Grand Lodge, when as many different candidates were elected Grand Master, etc., and claimed office. The well-being of the subordinate lodges, on which principally the solid prosperity of the Order rests, received so little attention, that at a session held on June 4th, 1830, it became necessary to receive back the charters of lodges Nos. 3, 5 and 7, being all that were located at Albany, and consolidate the members into one body; for which a free charter was granted as "Union Lodge, No. 8." At the same session, lodge No. 2, in Dutchess county, surrendered her charter. But the Grand Lodge failed to learn efficiency even by such lessons; the same spirit continued to influence which had misdirected its previous conduct. During the year extending from the time of the election of August 6th, 1830, to August 5th, 1831, when eleven sessions were provided to be held, apathy or discord prevented more than one meeting to assemble where a quorum of five members is recorded as present; two sessions were organized by four members, one by three, and the remaining seven failed to organize by reason of "there not being a quorum present." Such is the pitiable history of the situation of the Grand Lodge of New York, furnished by its own records. Very little can be obtained from the same source relative to the condition of the subordinates under its charge. The receipts of per centage afford the only means by which to judge, and from that testimony it would appear, that no portion of the jurisdiction maintained an enviable prosperity, unless viewed comparatively. Within the year ending November 1st, 1833, embracing the period alluded by the worthy Grand Representative on whose report we note, the payments acknowledged were as follows: From lodge No. 1, at New York, $20 83; lodge No. 4, do., 810 00; lodge No. 9, do., $13 12; lodge No. 10, do., $16 00; lodge No. 6, at Columbiaville, $7 34 lodge No. 8, at Albany, $8 96. ADJOURNED SESSION OF THE GRAND LODGE OF THE UNITED STATES, Held at the City of New York, August, 1834. SATURDAY, August 16th, 1834. The R. W. Grand Lodge convened this day at Masonic Hall, city of New York, pursuant to a resolution of the Adjourned Session held at the city of Washington, D. C., January 9th, 1834, when the following were present JAMES GETTYS, ROBERT NEILSON, SAMUEL PRYOR, THOMAS MORSE, P. G. HOWELL HOPKINS, G. M. JOHN PEARCE, P. G. Sire, THOMAS WILDEY. M. W. G. Sire. R. W. D. G. Sire. The credentials of P. G. M. George Keyser, and D. G. M. Henry S. Sanderson, as Representatives from the Grand Lodge of Maryland, were presented. Also, communications were presented and read from the Grand Lodges of District of Columbia and Delaware, authorizing the Grand Sire to appoint Proxy Representatives to represent the said Grand Lodges at the Adjourned Session to be held at the city of New York, August, 1834. Whereupon, the Grand Sire appointed D. G. Sire, Robert Neilson, Proxy Representative for the Grand Lodge of District of Columbia, and P. G. Dominick McDonald, Proxy Representative for the Grand Lodge of Delaware. A communication was also presented and read from Proxy Rep. Samuel Lucas, of Louisiana, deputizing P. G. Andrew E. Warner to act for him. On motion, the credentials and communications were referred to a special committee. The Grand Sire announced as the committee, Rep's Hopkins, of Pennsylvania, and Pearce, of New Jersey. Rep. Hopkins, of Pennsylvania, from the special committee to whom was referred the credentials of Representatives, communications, &c., submitted the following report. To the R. W. Grand Lodge of the United States: The committee to whom was referred the credentials of Representatives and Proxies report-That the credentials of the Representatives of the Grand Lodge of Maryland are correct. That the communications from the Grand Lodges of District of Columbia and Delaware, also the communication from the Representative of Louisiana, are informal, and not according to the Constitution; and ought not to be received. They submit the following resolutions for adoption. HOWELL HOPKINS, JOHN PEARCE. Resolved, That P. G. M. George Keyser, and D. G. M. Henry S. Sanderson, be acknowledged as the Representatives of the Grand Lodge of Maryland. Resolved, That the communication from the Grand Lodges of District of Columbia and Delaware, authorizing the Grand Sire to appoint Proxy Representatives for them, and also the one from Proxy Rep. Lucas, of Louisiana, authorizing P. G. A. E. Warner to act for him, are informal and cannot be received. On motion, the report was accepted, and the resolutions adopted. Rep. Sanderson, of Maryland, then appeared and took his seat. MONDAY, August 18th, 1834. The Grand Lodge met pursuant to adjournment: Present, the same Officers and Representatives as on Saturday. The credentials of P. G. John F. Engold, Representative of the Grand Lodge of New York, were presented. On motion, the credentials were referred to the committee on credentials. Rep. Hopkins, of Pennsylvania, from the committee on credentials, presented the following report, which was accepted. To the R. W. Grand Lodge of the United States: The committee on credentials report, That the credentials of Rep. Engold, of New York, are correct, and he regular Representative from said state. should be acknowledged as the HOWELL HOPKINS, The proceedings of the Adjourned Session, January 8th and 9th, 1834, were read and found correct. Rep. Pearce, of New Jersey, from the special committee appointed to procure a Seal for this Grand Lodge, submitted the following report. To the R. W. Grand Lodge of the United States: The committee appointed to procure a Seal for the Grand Lodge, respectfully report-That they have complied with the resolution, and that the Seal is finished. They also present a bill for the same, amounting to $7 50. JOHN PEARCE, • The resolutions adopted.-On the day the vote was taken adopting these resolutions, there was no quorum in attendance; and it is doubtful, on a strict construction, such as was afterward observed, whether a constitutional quorum was present during the session. The matter of decision contained in the last resolution was manifestly sound, although necessity had in previous cases seemed to justify a different construction of the Constitution On motion, the report was accepted, and the Seal approved as the Seal of this Grand Lodge, and that an order be drawn on the Treasurer for $7 50, the amount of the above bill. Rep. Pearce, of New Jersey, from the special committee to whom was referred the appeal of C. B. F. Oneal, January 9th, 1834, presented the following report. To the R. W. Grand Lodge of the United States: The committee appointed at the last meeting of the Grand Lodge of the United States, on the appeal of C. B. F. Oneal from the vote of expulsion of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, beg leave to offer the following report: That they have attended to the duty of their appointment, and after hearing both parties, they have every reason to believe that the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania has not acted in conformity with its own Constitution and By-Laws, as regards the rights and privileges of the applicant; particularly with the Seventeenth Article of the By-Laws, which requires notice to be given to the offending brother before he can be legally expelled from the Order. This does not appear to have been complied with. The resolution, March 2d, as recorded in the minutes of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, was passed after a report was made by the committee appointed to hear the case of the appellant, which requires the committee to act a second time on another and entirely new complaint, as will be seen by the minutes of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. That the said committee made a second report at the same meeting of the Grand Lodge, at which new charges were preferred, while it appears the appellant had not the opportunity of a defence, and consequently was expelled at the same meeting at which the resolution was passed preferring the charges. Your committee do not deem it any part of their duty to inquire into the cause of the expulsion of the appellant from the subordinate lodge of which he was a member, and which occasioned his appeal to the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania in the first instance, as the Grand Lodge of the United States has no jurisdiction over subordinate lodges where a state Grand Lodge exists. Your committee beg leave, therefore, to offer the following resolution: Resolved, That brother C. B. F. Oneal is entitled to a fair and impartial hearing, and a new trial by the Grand Lodge of the state of Pennsylvania; and that he be restored to all his rights of membership in the said Grand Lodge for that purpose; and that the vote of expulsion passed on the 23d of September, 1833, be and the same is hereby annulled by this Grand Lodge. All of which is respectfully submitted. JOHN PEARCE, On motion, the report was accepted and the resolution adopted. A petition was presented from Sidney L. Lyon, James E. Shaw, Marshall Halbert, J. Y. Dashiell, Alexander Pringle, James Lyman, H. Baker, A. W. R. Harris and Charles Welford, praying for a charter to open a lodge at Louisville, Kentucky, to be hailed "Chosen Friends Lodge, No. 2.” On motion, the petition was referred to a special committee of two. The Grand Sire appointed P. G. Sire, Wildey, and Rep. Pearce, of New Jersey, the committee. A petition was presented from P. G's James Clark, James Coates, Wm. Schaffer, E. C. Robinson, William McGraw, Peter Callan, and James P. Quainar, of Virginia Lodge, No. 1, at Harper's Ferry, and Washington Lodge, No. 2, at Norfolk, Virginia, praying for a charter to establish a Grand Lodge for the state of Virginia, to be located at Harper's Ferry. On motion, the petition was referred to a special committee of three, with directions to report at the next Annual Communication. The Grand Sire appointed as the committee, Rep's Sanderson, of Maryland; Ridgely, of Ohio; and Lucas, of Louisiana." A petition was presented from Joseph Barclay, Stephen Barclay, Thos. H. Brice, H. Wolford, George Scott, John Hawkins, Joseph Metcalf, F. Samiento, William Hunt, W. P. Canby, H. H. Moray, and Patriarch J. J. Roach, praying for a charter for an Encampment of Patriarchs, to be located at Louisville, Kentucky, and hailed as "Mt. Horeb Encampment, No. 1." On motion, the petition was referred to a special committee of two. The Grand Sire appointed Rep's Hopkins, of Pennsylvania, and Sanderson, of Maryland, the committee. A petition was presented from Patriarchs Frederick Leise, John A. Kennedy, James M. Connelly, James R. Bogert, John F. Engold, Anthony Buckenberger, and Charles Mowatt, praying for a charter for an Encampment of Patriarchs, to be located at the city of New York, and hailed as "Mt. Hebron Encampment, No.-" On motion, the petition was referred to a special committee of three. The Grand Sire announced as the committee, Rep's Sanderson, of Maryland; Hopkins, of Pennsylvania; and Pearce, of New Jersey. A petition was presented from brother and others, praying for a charter for a lodge, to be located at St. Louis, Missouri, and hailed as "Travellers' Rest Lodge, No. 1." On motion, the petition was referred to a special committee of two. The Grand Sire announced Rep's Engold, of New York, and Pearce, of New Jersey, the committee. P. G. Sire Wildey, from the special committee to whom was referred the petition of Sidney L. Lyon, and others, presented the following report. To the R. W. Grand Lodge of the United States: The undersigned, to whom was referred the petition of Sidney L. Lyon, and others, praying for a charter for a lodge, to be located at Louisville, Ky., and hailed as "Chosen Friends Lodge, No. 2," report that they have considered the subject referred, and submit the accompanying resolution for adoption. Resolved, That a charter be granted, as prayed for. THOMAS WILDEY, On motion, the report was accepted, and the resolution adopted. Rep. Hopkins, of Pennsylvania, from the special committee to whom was referred the petition of Joseph Barclay, and others, presented the following report. |