Augest 2, 1788, we sent Ten Dollers for the Grand Charity, but have not had a anser wether you had Receved them or not, and the Lodge is uneasey with me on that acount, as I paid the money to Mr. Bengmen Greene, Jun., one of Captain James Scotts Merchents, and receved his recepte for the money to be sent to him whith the Letters for you, as I did not now were to derecte them to you, and if you receved them that must be the Reson: therefore, Sir, be so good when you send an ansear to this you would send me some word were to derect them, that you may have them, which we hope will be by the Berrer hearof. I have sent you a sermon, preched on St. Johns Day by our Brother John Marrant,† for our Grand Master, and another for you, which I hope you will receve Our Brother Sanderson is Dead. All the rest of our Br are in health. So no at pesent. But must bege leve to subcribe myself your vere humble servent and Br.

PRINCE HALL.

To the Right Worshipful, The Grand Master, Wardens, and Members of the Grand Lodge of England.

We your Petitioners, Sampson H. Moody, Peter Howard, Abraham C. Derendemed, John I. Hilton, James Jackson, Zadock Lew, Samuel G. Gardner, Richard Potter, Lewis Walker, and other Companions Who have been regularly Exalted to the Sublime Degree of Royal Arch Masons, SEND GREETING:

Our worthy and well beloved Brethren Prince Hall, Boston Smith, Thomas Sanderson, and several Brethren having obtained a Warrant from your Honourable Body, on September 23, 1784 A.D., A.L. 5784, when, under the Government of Thomas Howard, Earl of Effingham, Lord Howard, &c., &c., &c., acting Grand Master Under the authority of His Royal Highness Henry Fredrick, Duke of Cumberland, Grand Master of the Most Ancient and Honourable Society of Free and Accepted Masons.

This Warrant allowing us to confer but the three Degrees, and Finding it injurious for the benefit of our Body by having no legal authority to confer the other four degrees. And understanding that the seven degrees is given under the Warrent from the Grand Lodge, we, therefore, humbly solicit the Renual of our Charter to ourtherise us Legally to confer the same, as we are now getting in a flourishing condition. It is with regret we communicate to you that, from the Decease of our Well Beloved Brethren who obtain'd the Warrent we have not been able for several years to transmit Monies and holl a regulir Communication; but, as we are now permanently Established to work conformable to our Warrent and Book of Constitutions. We will send the monies as far as circumstances will admit, together with the money, for a new Warrant, Should your Honourable Body think us worthy to receive the same. We remain, Right Worshipfull and Most Worshipfull Bretheren. With all Due Respect, Yours fraternally, (Signed)

SAMSON H. MOODY, W.M.
PETER HOWARD, S. W.
C. A. DERANDAMIE, J. W.

† Ho was made in March last.

Given under our hands at Boston, in the year of our Lord 1824, January 5th (5824). WILLIAM J. CHAMPNEY, Secretary.

On motion of R.W. Br. Charles Levi Woodbury, the Address was referred to a committee consisting of R.W. Brothers Charles Levi Woodbury, John T. Heard, and Charles W. Moore, with authority to print the same.

The committee to whom was referred the complaint of Br. Henry Crippen of Franklin Lodge, made the following report, which was accepted:

IN GRAND LODGE, March 9, 1870.

To the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of Massachusetts :· The committee to whom was referred the complaint of Br. Henry Crippen, respectfully report: That the name of Brother Crippen was neither upon the original petition. for, or Charter of, Franklin Lodge, which was destroyed by conflagration, and consider that his complaint is made without just cause.

GEORGE E. STACY.
E. A. WADleigh.

The committee on the communication from the Grand Orient of Italy, was granted further time.

The committee to whom was referred the amendment to Part I., Article 3, Section 1, of the Grand Constitutions, made the following report, which was accepted:

GRAND LODGE OF MASSACHUSETTS,
BOSTON, March 9, 1870.

The committee to whom was referred the amendment to the Constitutions, proposed at the Annual Communication in December last by Br. N. T. Merritt, respectfully report:

That the object of said amendment was to discontinue the holding of Quarterly Communications of this Grand Lodge, and

authorize the holding of only one Stated Communication in each year.

This practice has been adopted in some of the larger States, where the population is much scattered, and consists principally of farmers, or in which the place of meeting was difficult of access. In such cases it has been found expedient to assemble annually, at some convenient season, and hold a session of several days. No such reasons exist in this State. The place of meeting is easily reached from almost any part of the Commonwealth, and the occupations of our members are so various that few would find it inconvenient to attend at any particular season. To most of them it would be much less troublesome and expensive to visit Boston four times a year and return home the same day, than it would be to come only once, and remain several days.

Furthermore, our present practice tends to the diffusion of masouic information more frequently and rapidly than the one proposed. Now, all the brethren can be advised of what is doing or proposed in Masonry at short intervals, and can exercise a corresponding control. In the other case, our affairs must be left more to the management of individual officers.

The present system was copied from the Grand Lodge of England, is still in use there, and always has been in this Commonwealth; to change it would be like breaking down the ancient laudmarks.

Your committee recommend that the proposed amendment be rejected.

Respectfully submitted,

C. C. DAME,

SERENO D. NICKERSON,
Majority of Committee.

The same committee to whom was referred the amendments to Part I., Article 8, Section 9, and Part III., Article 1, Section 1, of the Grand Constitutions, made the following report, which was accepted:

GRAND LODGE OF MASSACHUSETTS,
BOSTON, March 9, 1870.

The committee to whom was referred the amendments to the Constitutions, proposed at the Annual Communication in December last, by the Committee on the Records of the Grand Lodge, respectfully report: That they have duly considered both of said amendments, and heartily recommend their adoption.

Respectfully submitted,

CHARLES C. DAME.
N. T. MERRITT.

SERENO D. NICKERSON.

Article 8, Section 9, as

The amendment to Part I., follows, "He shall also be the custodian of the original record books of the Grand Lodge, receiving from the Recording Grand Secretary cach volume, as soon as completed, and keep the same in some secure place, to be approved by the Board of Directors of the Grand Lodge," was then adopted, two-thirds of the members present voting in the affirmative.

The amendment to Part III., Article 1, Section 1, as follows, "They shall also, annually in November, examine the Records of the Recording Grand Secretary, see that they are properly kept and accurately transcribed, and report thereon at the Annual Communication," was adopted by a vote of two-thirds of the members present.

The committee to whom was referred the communications from the Grand Lodges of Canada and Quebec, made the following report, which was accepted :—

SUPREME GRAND LODGES OF CANADA AND QUEBEC. The committee to whom was referred the communication from the Grand Lodge of Canada, and other papers emanating from parties assuming to be the Grand Lodge of Quebec, report,

That prior to the late acts of the Parliament creating the new organization of British Provinces, called the Dominion of Canada, the Grand Lodge of Canada was the recognized Orient of the ·Province geographically composed of Upper and Lower Canada. These acts abolished that Province of Canada, and formed from its territory two political Provinces, Ontario and Quebec, which, together with the Provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, were included in the new federate "Dominion." A portion of the Lodges in the Province of Quebec, in the month of October last, undertook to set up a Grand Lodge for the Province of Quebec against the will of the "Grand Lodge of Canada," and this Grand Lodge of Massachusetts is now called upon, by each party in the controversy, to express its views of the legality of their status in the dispute. The precedents already established by this Grand Lodge as its rules for eliminating the way of justice in such controversies, are entirely applicable to the case before us, without seeking for any new light.

The new political confederation, called the Dominion of Canada, includes within its limits two Provinces which never appertained to the Grand Lodge of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, and each of whom have now an independent Grand Lodge, recognized here and in the "Dominion." The accidental similarity in name of the Masonic Grand Lodge of Canada with that of the new political "Domiuion" should not create any confusion as to the extent of its jurisdiction, nor does it furnish any ground to enlarge its powers. The Territories of Ontario and Quebec were both in its jurisdiction, and directly represented in its organization, at the time of their political separation from each other. All the Lodges of Ontario, and a large number of those of Quebec, still adhere to this joint organization, while a considerable and respectable fraction of the Quebec Lodges have undertaken to separate and form a new Grand Lodge. The situation seems analogous to the first effort to establish a Grand Lodge in Nova Scotia by a part of the Lodges there, while the greater part still adhered to the mother Grand Lodge in Great Britain.