be so amended as to fix the time of Annual Grand Communication on the fourth Tuesday of December in each year.

After some discussion in Grand Lodge this report was rejected, and the time of annual meeting was left unchanged.

SPECIAL COMMITTEES.

The Grand Master then announced the appointment of the following special committees, authorized by several resolutions of the Grand Lodge already adopted:

On Education-T. H. Logan, J. H. Brownfield, G. M. Beltzhoover, Geo. Baird, O. S. Long.

Minturn Lodge No. 19-Frank Rex, C. R. Wickes, G. W. Atkinson.

Payment of Representatives-Geo. Baird, O. S. Long, K. D. Walker.

Revision of Constitution-The special committee heretofore appointed to revise the Constitution and General Regulations of the Grand Lodge, consisting of Bros. Logan, Baird and Long, was continued, and Bros. K. D. Walker and J. G. Schilling were added thereto, with instruction by the Grand Lodge to avoid radical and sweeping alterations, and to present the present Constitution and Regulations in more convenient and better codified form.

The following resolution, offered by Bro. Logan, was, on motion, adopted by the Grand Lodge :

Resolved, That the special committee on Expenses of Delegates be instructed to report upon the expediency of so amending section 10 of chapter 3 of the Constitution as to provide that the amount paid to any one delegate on account of expenses, shall not exceed the amount paid by his Lodge as Grand Lodge dues.

PLACE OF MEETING.

The resolution offered on Tuesday night looking to the selection of Martinsburg as the place of the next Grand Annual Communication coming up for action, was, by consent of the Grand Lodge, withdrawn.

FINAL RESOLUTIONS.

The following resolutions were offered and severally concurred in by the Grand Lodge:

Resolved, That the Grand Secretary be authorized to publish five hundred copies of the proceedings of this Grand Annual Communication and to distribute them in accordance with existing order.

Resolved, That the Grand Treasurer be authorized to pay all

accounts due or that may become due during recess for printing, postage, stationery and other necessary expenses of the Grand Lodge.

Resolved, That the thanks of this Grand Lodge are hereby tendered to the officers of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company for their generosity in carrying delegates to the Grand Lodge at half the usual fare; and also to the proprietors of the several hotels in Wheeling for reduction of rates of boarding.

No further business appearing, the Grand Lodge of West Virginia was closed in AMPLE FORM and with prayer by the Grand Chaplain, until Tuesday, November 9, A. L. 5875, A. D. 1875, or during the will and pleasure of the M. W. Grand Master. ROBT. WHITE,

O. S. LONG,

Grand Secretary.

Grand Master.

APPOINTMENTS BY THE GRAND MASTER.

District Deputy Grand Masters.

1st District, R. W. Victor Rosenberg, Wheeling; 2d, Frank Burt, Mannington; 3d, H. M. Gamble, Moorefield; 4th, Geo. S. Eyster, Charlestown; 5th, C. R. Wickes, Toll Gate; 6th, Geo. Ross, Weston; 7th, J. H. Riley, Ripley; 9th, J. W. Harris, Lewisburg; 11th, J. D. Sedinger, Guyandotte. No appointments were made for the Eighth and Tenth Districts.

APPOINTMENTS BY THE GRAND LECTURER.

Deputy Grand Lecturers.

Wor. C. H. Collier, Wheeling; S. B. Bendell, Clifton; J. V. L. Rodgers, Wheeling; C. R. Wickes, Toll Gate; J. L. Rinehart, Wheeling; K. D. Walker, Fairmont.

Returns of membership in and work done by Lodges numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 80, 91, 93 and 117 are published with the proceedings, together with those of Joppa U. D. and Princeton U. D.

The list of the dead during the preceding year embraces the following names:

William Clohan, Ohio Lodge No. 1; George Downy, Ohio, No. 1; Wm. H. Dunlevy, Ohio, No. 1; Daniel Murray, Ohio, No. 1; Jacob M. Warden, Ohio, No. 1; James S. Wheat, Ohio,

No. 1; John B. Wilson, Ohio, No. 1-date not given. Alexander Latimore, Wellsburg, No. 2, October 8, 1874; Isaac W. Montgomery, Mt. Olivet, No. 3, February 20, 1874; E. B. Wentz, Morgantown Union, No. 4, February 6, 1874; John F. Baer, Wheeling, No. 5, February 22, 1874; Jacob Grosscloss, Wheeling, No. 5, May 8, 1874; L. Rheinstrom, Wheeling, No. 5, April 28, 1874; Conrad Strobel, Wheeling, No. 5, February 14, 1874; J. B. M. Williamson, Marshall Union, No. 8, October 10, 1874; Emory R. Snyder, Fairmont, No. 9, July 2, 1874; Morris Shank, Weston, No. 10, March 27, 1874; Spencer R. McKay, Ashton, No. 12; March 17, 1874; George R. Porter, New Cumberland, No. 22, August 19, 1874; N. S. Duncan, Mannington, No. 31, January 5, 1874; H. F. McCabe, Wetzel, No. 39, March 16, 1874; Hiram C. Beall, Fairview, No. 40, January 4, 1874; Lewis C. Henley, Fort Union, No. 42, January 19, 1874; Moorman B. White, Fort Union, No. 42, August 13, 1874; Levi Capp, Equality, No. 44, January, 1874; John C. Fisher, Equality, No. 44, March 6, 1874; George W. Lashorn, Equality, No. 44, May 3, 1874; John Stewart, Friendship, No. 56, November 8, 1873; Samuel Myers, Malta, No. 80, May 14, 1874; John W. Dalgarn, Malta, No. 80, January 9, 1874; A. C. Timberlake, Malta, No. 80, June 26, 1874; J. S. Billmyer, Mt. Nebo, No. 91, March 7, 1874; W. L. Herrington, Mt. Nebo, 91, April 17, 1874; Thomas Link, Elk Branch, No. 93, April 21, 1874; John G. Myers, Triluminar, No. 117, February 18, 1874.

The recapitulation presents the following statistics :

Lodges enrolled, 63; Lodges chartered at this communication, 4; whole number of working Lodges, 64; Lodges making returns, 63; Lodges represented, 60; initiated, 327; passed, 279; raised, 281; admitted, 99; dimitted, 127; expelled, 2; suspended for unmasonic conduct, 8; suspended for non-payment of dues, 83; reinstated, 25; died, 35; rejected, 102; whole number of members reported, 3113; increase since last report, 150.

PROCEEDINGS

OF THE

M. W. GRAND LODGE

OF

ANCIENT, FREE AND ACCEPTED MASONS,

OF THE

STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA

NOVEMBER, 1875.

IN GRAND LODGE.

A Special Communication of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of West Virginia was begun and held in Masons' Hall, in Parkersburg, Wood county, W. Va., on the 1st day of May, A. L. 5875, A. D. 1875, at 1 o'clock P. M., for the purpose of laying the "corner stone" of the United States Court House and Postoffice.

There were also present the officers and members of Mount Olivet Lodge No. 3; of Ripley Lodge No. 16; of Wirt Lodge No. 45; and Volcano Lodge No. 49, with officers and members of American Union Lodge No. 1, of Marietta, Ohio, and Harmar Lodge No., of Harmar Ohio, and various brethren from other jurisdictions.

The Grand Lodge of West Virginia was opened in DUE FORM by the Acting Grand Master. A procession was formed in the usual manner, and upon the street was joined by the various societies and invited guests, and the Grand Lodge, escorted by these several bodies, repaired to the site of the proposed build ing and laid the corner-stone in accordance with the usages and customs of the Masonic fraternity.

An appropriate address was delivered by the Acting Grand Master, after which the Grand Lodge returned to the Lodgeroom, and was closed in DUE FORM and harmony.

THOS. G. GORDON,

Grand Secretarg pro tem.

O. S. LONG,

Grand Master pro tem.

IN GRAND LODGE.

A special communication of the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of West Virginia was held in Masonic Hall, in the city of Wheeling, on the 18th day of September, 1875, A. L. 5875.