Early History Of Freemasonry In America.

pleased to nominate and appoint a Provincial G . M . of the said provinces Now know ye , that Ave have nominated , ordained , constituted , and appointed , and do by these presents nominate , ordain , constitute , and appoint our R . AV .

and well-beloved Brother , the said Daniel Cox , Provincial Grand Master of the said provinces of New York , New Jersey , and Pennsylvania , Avith full poAver and authority to nominate and appoint his Deputy Grand Master

and Grand Wardens for the space of two years from the Feast of St . John the Baptist now next ensuing , after which time it is our Avill and pleasure , and we do hereby ordain that the brethren AVIIO do now resideor AVIIO may

, hereafter reside , in all or any of the said provinces shall , and they are hereby empoAvered every other year on the Feast of St . John tho Baptist to elect a Provincial Grand Master

who shall have the power of nominating and appointing his Deputy G . M . and Grand Wardens . And Ave do hereby empoAver our said Provincial Grand Master , and the Grand Master , Deputy Grand Master , and Grand Wardens for

the time being , for us and in our place and stead to constitute the brethren ( Free and Accepted Masons ) now residing , or AVIIO shall hereafter reside in those parts into one or more regular lodge or lodges , as he shall think lit , and

as often as occasion shall require . . . And lastly , Ave will and require that our said Provincial G . M " ., and the G . M . for the time being or his Deputy , do annually cause the brethren to keep the Feast of St . John the Evangelist

, and dine together on that day , and . . do recommend a general charity to be established for the relief of poor brethren of the said province .

" Given under our hand and seal of office at London , this fifth dav of June , 1730 , and of Masonry 5730 . " " [ The Italics are mine . ] NOAV COX , under this deputation , undoubtedly , as Provincial G . M . of New York , NeAV Jersey , and Pennsylvania ,

warranted the first lodges in Pennsylvania , in the same year hi which bis deputation Avas granted , and these lodges Avere the ones which Franklin ' s paper of December , 1730 , asserts Avere then in existence ; and , under the same

authority , given in the subsequent part of the deputation , tAvo years after the date ( June 5 , 1730 ) the brethren in any of the said provinces Avere empowered to elect a Provincial G . M ., which , as Franklin ' s paper of June 26 ,

1732 , states , the brethren in the province of Pennsylvania did , on June 24 , 1732 , the very earliest day Avithin their poAver , being at the close of the two years mentioned in Cox ' s deputation . All of these facts are borne out by the Masonic authority under Avhich they arose . No strained construction is

necessary . There Avas the deputation , on record in England , and actually issued ; there were the subordinate lodges and the Grand Lodge in Pennsylvania—public facts noticed in conteniporaneous newspapers , whose authenticity cannot be questioned—both were links in the same chain , and the evidence of both no reasonable man

can doubt . It has heretofore generally bean taken for granted , that because Cox made no return to the Grand Lodge of England of his having Avarranted any lodges , that therefore none Avere Avarranted ,

and his deputation Avas practically inoperative . But , as Grand Secretary Clark of the Grand Lodge of England , on April 10 , 1863 , wrote to the Historical Committee of Massachusetts : "At the period Avhen he ( Cox ) Avas

appointed , it ivas a rare thing for any reports to be made by the Provincial Grand Masters abroad of their doings . Brief details came in once or twice from Bengal , but I find none from any other foreign country . " This does aAvay Avith the objection that no returns meant no Avork .

Bear this fact in mind also—Cox ashed for his deputation ; it was not thrust upon him ; and it is fair to suppose that , after having received it he