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Subordinate Lodges under its jurisdiction, shall, at all future meetings of this Lodge, bring with them their respective Jewels of their offices, and wear them at the session of the Grand Lodge.

The Grand Lodge proceeded to the election of Grand Officers for the ensuing year, when the following brethren were declared duly elected to the offices opposite their respective names:

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M. W. JEREMIAH MOORS, Grand Master.
R. W. JOHN BARBER, Deputy Grand Master.
JOHN STEWART, Senior Grand Warden.
"W. H. McOMBER, Junior Grand Warden.
JAMES FENTON, Grand Secretary.
LEVI COOK, Grand Treasurer.

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"A. C. SMITH, Grand Visitor and Lecturer.
"and REV. E. M. CRIPPEN, Grand Chaplain.
"G. W. THOMAS, Grand Senior Deacon.
"A. TREADWAY, Grand Junior Deacon.
A. P. HOGARTH, Grand Marshal.
"E. PRATT, Grand Sword Bearer.
"G. C. MUNRO, Grand Pursuivant.

"S. CASWELL, Grand Sentinel and Tyler.
"N. B. CARPENTER, Auditor of Accounts.

Soon after his election for the second term, Brother Moors visited Lansing, where he consecrated, constituted and installed the officers of Lansing Lodge in ample form. In reporting this action to Grand Lodge, he says:

The ceremony was public and took place in the Capitol, the members of the Legislature very kindly giving us the use of their Representative Hall, for the occasion, many of the members of the Legislature belonged to the Order and joined in the ceremony. The whole was conducted with a due degree of solemnity and good order, the arrangements having been previously made by Bro. Peck, the Worshipful Master of that Lodge, whom, I am happy to say, I found to be well skilled in the art, and the officers generally I found to be well informed, and I am pleased to say, the Lodge stands amongst our brightest lights.

In conjunction with the Grand Lecturer, he divided the state into five districts, instead of four as recommended, finding that to be a more equable division.

On the Fourth of July, 1850, he laid the corner-stone of the new

Firemen's Hall in Detroit, being assisted by Zion and Detroit Lodges and such Grand Officers as resided in that city.

By instructions given him at the annual meeting of the Grand Lodge in 1850, he had a Bill drawn up incorporating the subordinate Lodges of Michigan, and visited Lansing for the purpose of having it presented to the legislature for action. On investigation it was thought by the best authorities that the Supreme Court would hold such an Act unconstitutional, and the bill was not presented.

In January, 1851, the Grand Lodge met in annual session with twenty-eight Lodges represented. Immediately after the opening exercises the following communication was received from Zion Lodge, No. 1:

DETROIT, December 18, 1850.

At a Special Communication of ZION LODGE, No. 1, held this date, the following resolutions were unanimously passed:

Resolved, by the Master, Wardens and Brethren of Zion Lodge, No. 1. That the free use of our Hall be and is hereby tendered to the Grand Lodge of the State of Michigan, and that they be and are hereby respectfully invited to make use of said Hall for their ensuing Annual Grand Communication.

Resolved, That the Grand Lodge of this State be and are hereby invited to dedicate this Hall to Masonic uses, at such time, during its present Grand Annual Communication, as may suit their convenience.

On motion of Bro. Lee, it was

Resolved, That this Grand Lodge accept with pleasure the invitation so generously given by Zion Lodge, No. 1, to occupy their Hall during our present session. Resolved, That this Grand Lodge will proceed to DEDICATE the new Hall of Zion Lodge, No. 1, to-morrow at high twelve.

Grand Master Moors, in his opening address said,

It is graifying to me to be able to say, that nothing to my knowledge has transpired since our last Communication, to disturb the harmony of the several Lodges. The sound of the gavel throughout the State, hails as noble a band of Brothers as ever saw those "Hieroglyphics bright;" and that no discordant tongue or incited mind may ever arise to destroy the happiness of the Craft throughout this State, is my sincere prayer.

*

I stated to you at the last meeting of this Grand Lodge, on accepting the high office which you were pleased again to confer on me, it was my intention to retire from it at this time; and I again repeat it, and doubt not but you will select some

brother more worthy and competent than I am, to discharge the high and responsible duties, which become more and more arduous as the Lodges increase. And here permit me to express my sincere and lasting gratitude for the honor you have seen fit at two successive elections to confer on me. It is one that kings have coveted, and were proud to receive. Although I consider myself incapable of discharging the duties annexed to this important office, with that skill of ability that it deserves, still I trust the affairs of the institution have been steadily progressing during the time I have had the honor of presiding over it. And if I have been instrumental in the smallest degree of promoting the interest and welfare of our Ancient and Honorable Order, and also of being thought worthy by you, it will be a source of consolation that will last as long as the vital spark.

And let me again express my thanks to you all, for the kind indulgence you have manifested to me on all occasions.

The Grand Lecturer, Brother Abner C. Smith, in presenting his annual report, among other things, said

By the resolutions adopted at the last session of the Grand Lodge, it was made the duty of the Grand Master to divide the State into lecture districts, and authorized the several Lodges to elect each an officer to be termed a Lecture Master, who were authorized to meet the Grand Lecturer at a given point in his district, for the purpose of instruction,

&C.

The undersigned recommended, at your last session, the adoption of an imperative system of this kind in lieu of that which had for some years prevailed, and it is believed that had the Grand Lodge done so, it would have proved far preferable to the old system.

All experience has proved, that an enviable uniform system of work and lectures cannot be maintained, except by the direction or through the edicts of the Grand Lodge.

In 1846, our plan was like that of some of the other States—merely permissive. We had a Grand Lecturer, one of the best workmen in the State; our Lodges were authorized to call for his services, and pay therefor; but being permissive merely, on both sides, the result was that the Grand Lecturer had no duty to perform, and there were but two or three Lodges in the State whose work could bear inspection.

The system was then made imperative, and within three years past, most, if not all of the Lodges then chartered have promptly adopted the work approved by the National Convention; and it is a matter of

just pride to the Grand Lodge, that the operative Masonry of the fraternity of Michigan, is equal if not superior, to that of any other State. The rapid increase of Lodges rendered the itinerant operations of the Grand Lecturer onerous in the extreme; and in consequence of this increase of labor and traveling expense, the system was proposed to be changed for that of Lecture Lodges. The last Grand Lodge, however, preferred merely to authorize the change, permitting the new, without repealing the old-dispensing for the time being with the peremptory, and permitting the Lodge system-which has resulted, during the past year, in a comparative failure of both.

I say failure, because the new Lodges of less than two or three years' existence, embracing nearly half the entire Lodges in the State, and the ones most needing the services of the Grand Lectu rer, feeling the least able, have usually neglected to send Lecture Masters. I speak of the three Lecture Lodges, held at Lansing, Mt. Clemens and Jackson. Judging from the failure of the system in those, it was deemed inadvisable to incur further expense to the Grand Lodge, with a prospect of a like result.

The undersigned deems it important that the Grand Lodge should, during its present session, peremptorily establish the new, or at once return to the old system, that the work believed to be well begun, should not fail for the want of the proper channel of instruction.

Hitherto the Grand Lodge has felt unable to pay, adequately, for for the service necessary to a faithful discharge of the duties of Grand Lecturer, in visiting the Subordinate Lodges; and perhaps it would be well, in returning to the old system, if the Grand Lodge should think proper to do so, to authorize the Grand Lecturer to receive voluntary contributions, over the expense account, from such Lodges or brethren as may choose to make them, in addition to the salary paid by the Grand Lodge.

The experience of the undersigned has proved, that the liberality of many Lodges, would have materially enhanced the compensation of the Grand Lecturer, had he felt authorized to accept it.

In accordance with his recommendation, the following resolutions were adopted:

Resolved, That the resolutions of the last session of this Grand Lodge, relative

to Lecture Lodges, and the dividing of the State into Lecture Districts, be and the same are hereby repealed.

Resolved, further, That the Grand Lecturer be and is hereby authorized to receive, in addition to the salary paid by this Grand Lodge, such further compensation as the several Subordinate Lodges visited, may choose to make-the said Grand Lecturer reporting the amounts so received, annually, to the Grand Lodge.

Resolved, That the Grand Master be, and he is hereby authorized to dispense with the services of the Grand Lecturer among such Lodges as, in his judgment, do not require such services.

Resolved, That the Grand Lecturer enter upon the performance of his duties immediately after the close of this session of the Grand Lodge.

On riction, the resolution lying over from last year, to amend the constitution by striking out section 12, article 6, was taken up, and said section in the following words, was stricken out: "It shall be the duty of the Grand Master to visit, at least once in each year, the several Lodges under his jurisdiction, giving ten days' notice to the Master of the Lodge he intends to visit."

At high twelve of the second days session, the Grand Lodge proceeded to dedicate the new Hall of Zion Lodge, No. 1, according to ancient form and usage, to MASONRY, VIRTUE, and UNIVERSAL BENEVO

LENCE.

The throne of grace was invoked by Rev. Grand Chaplain, after which an address appropriate to the occasion, was delivered by Rev. Bro. S. S. Brown.

A procession was then formed, and the Grand Lodge, accompanied by Zion and Detroit Lodges, proceeded to Johnson's Hotel, where a sumptuous dinner had been prepared.

labor.

After dinner the Grand Lodge returned to the Hall and resumed

The subject of a revision of the constitution had now been before the Grand Lodge annually for three years, but no definite results had been reached. Now on motion of Bro. Levi Cook, it was

Resolved,

That Bros. J. Moors, E. S. Lee, John Mullett and A. C. Smith, be and they are hereby appointed a committee to prepare a general revision of the Constitution of this Grand Lodge, and that the said committee cause a sufficient number of their report to be printed, to furnish each subordinate Lodge within the jurisdiction of this Grand Lodge, one copy each, and also one copy for each member of the Grand Lodge at its next session, and that the copies be transmitted to the sub

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