Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode-Island, Connecticut, Vermont, and New-York; or with any committee or committees, duly appointed and authorized by any or all of said chapters, and to deliberate upon the propriety and expediency of forming and establishing a grand chapter of royal arch masons, for the government and regulation of the several chapters within the said states."

M. E. THOMAS SMITH WEBB was chosen Chairman.

Comp. WILLIAM WOART, Scribe.

The convention, having taken the matter into consideration, came to a determination to forward to each of the chapters within the six states, be fore mentioned, a circular letter, expressive of their opinions on the subject, which letter was in the words following, viz.

COMPANIONS,

(CIRCULAR.)

BOSTON, OCT. 24, 1797.

"FROM time immemorial, we find that Grand Lodges of Free and Accepted Masons have been established whereever masonry has flourished; for the purpose of granting warrants for instituting private Lodges, as well as for establishing certain general rules and regulations for the government of the same.

"It is an opinion generally received, and we think well authenticated, that no grand lodge of master masons can claim or exercise authority over any convention or chapter of Royal Arch Masons; nor can any chapter, although of standing immemorial, exercise the authority of a grand chapter: We therefore think it highly expedient for the regular government of all chapters within the said states, who exercise the rights and privileges of Royal Arch Masons, and to prevent irregularities in the propagation and use of those rights and privileges, that there should be a Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons established within the said states: And whereas this convention has received official information from our companions at Philadelphia, that the several chapters within their vicinity have recently assembled, and established a Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons for

their government; in conformity to their example, we think it our duty to recommend to the several chapters within the said states of New-Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode-Island, Connecticut, Vermont and New-York, to unite and form a Grand Chapter for the said states.

"The local situation of the states before mentioned, the easy and frequent intercourse between their several principal towns and cities, as well as the similarity of habits, manners and customs, as citizens and as masons, which prevail throughout the said states, induce us to believe that a union of all the chapters therein in one Grand Chapter will have the most useful, lasting and happy effects in the uniform distribution and propagation of the sublime degrees of Masonry, They therefore take the liberty of recommending to the consideration of your Most Excellent Chapter, the propriety of appointing one or more delegate or delegates, to represent your chapter, at a meeting of the several chapters before mentioned, to be holden at the city of Hartford, in the state of Connecticut, on the fourth Wednesday of January next ensuing; investing them with full power and authority, in conjunction with the other delegates, to form and open a Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons, and to establish a Constitution for the government and regulation of all the chapters that now are, or may hereafter be, erected within the said states."

In consequence of this address, the several chapters within the states therein enumerated (with the exception of two or three chapters only) appointed delegates, who assembled at Hartford, on the fourth Wednesday in January, 1798, and after several days deliberation upon the subject they formed and adopted a constitution for the government of the royal arch chapters, and lodges of mark masters, past masters, and most excellent masters, throughout the said states; and having elected and installed their grand officers, the grand chapter became com pletely organized.

CHAPTER II.

·Powers vested in the General Grand Officers.

AGREEABLY to the General Grand Royal Archi Constitution, Grand Royal Arch Chapters were established in the several Northern States, where there were royal arch chapters existing; and in every instance the private chapters have united with, and acknowledged the authority of, the. said grand chapters.

The long desired and necessary authority for correcting abuses, and regulating the concerns, of royal arch masonry, in the northern states, being thus happily established, the sublime degrees soon became flourishing and respectable. Royal arch masons in the southern states (where there were no grand chapters) observed with pleasure and satisfaction the establishment of grand chapters in the northern states, under the authority of a general constitution, and became desirous of uniting with them, under the same authority. Applications were accordingly made for the privilege of opening new chapters in the southern states; but there being no provision made in the constitution for extending its authority beyond the limits first contemplated, the state grand chapters took the subject into consideration, and passed a concurrent decree, vesting power and authority in the three first general grand officers, or any two of them, conjointly, to grant and issue letters of dispensation for the institution of lodges of mark masters, past mas

ters, most excellent masters, and chapters of royal arch masons, within any state in which there was not a grand chapter established. By virtue of this authority, on the first day of December, 1804, the general grand officers granted a letter of dispensation for forming and holding a chapter of royal arch masons in the city of Savannah, in the state of Georgia, by the name of GEORGIA CHAPTER; and on the first day of March, 1805, they granted a letter of dispensation for forming and opening a new royal arch chapter in the town of Beaufort, in the state of South Carolina, by the name of UNITY CHAPTER

At the succeeding meeting of the general grand royal arch chapter, the powers before mentioned were confirmed and made permanent in the general grand officers, by the ninth section of the first article of the general constitution; and the proceedings of the general grand officers under the decree before mentioned were approved and confirmed.

CHAPTER III.

THE GENERAL GRAND CHAPTER.

On the ninth day of January, 1799, the grand chapter of the northern states met, by adjournment, at Providence, in the state of Rhode-Island, and revised their constitution.

The second section of the first article of the constitution, as revised, directed that the general

grand chapter should convene septennially, for the choice of officers, and other business. A meeting was accordingly holden at the city of Middletown, (Conn.) commencing on the 9th day of January, A. D. 1806.

Present

Representatives from the respective grand chapters of the states of Rhode-Island, Connecticut, New-York and Vermont.

The general grand chapter resolved itself into a committee of the whole upon the general grand royal arch constitution, when sundry alterations and amendments were proposed and considered, and afterwards ratified and confirmed, by the general grand chapter.

Among other amendments of the constitution was the following, viz. The style or title to be "The General Grand Royal Arch Chapter of "the United States." The jurisdiction was declared to extend throughout the United States, and to any state or territory wherein no grand chapter was regularly established.

A communication was presented from Rutland, in the state of Vermont, informing this general grand chapter of the formation of a grand royal arch chapter in the said state, and subjoining a copy of their regulations, and also a certificate of the appointmont of a proxy for the grand high priest of the said grand chapter.

A communication was also received from the secretary of the grand chapter of the state of New-York, containing the report of a committee appointed by the said grand chapter upon the