Notes On American Freemasonry.

881 ; died , 148 ; rejected , 406 ; number of members , 12 , 784 . DELAWARE . The Grand Master states that he received , on the 25 th of August , 1868 , a communication from

the W . M . of Harmony Lodge , No . 13 , inquiring if this Lodge was bound to accept and be governed by the By-Laws as altered and returned by the Committee of the Grand Lodge ; and if this Lodge could hold meetings weekly and

transact business . He answered , that if their By-Laws had been approved hy the Grand Lodge , their Lodge was bound to be governed by them , and could hold no meetings of the Lodge for the transaction of business , only as specified by their By-Laws . He also received a communication from the

Grand Secretary , enclosing a notice from Corinthian Lodge , No . . 20 , of the suspension of a member of that Lodge , by the power of the gavel , without tried , and asking if he should notify the Lodges of such a suspension . To which he

answered that he should not notify the Lodges of such a suspension ; that it was his opinion such a suspension was an assumption of power by the Master of a Lodge , that was not warranted by the laws and usages of Masonry ; and that a Master of a Lodge could not suspend a member of his Lodge at will , and without trial .

The Grand Master also reports that his business engagements have been such during the past year as to prevent him from visiting all the Lodges under his jurisdiction , but so far as his visits extended , they were found to be in a prosperous

con elision . The . Committee appointed to examine Seals report that they ilnd them iu accordance with the ancient landmarks of Masonry ; with the exception of Union Lodge , No . ' 5 , which has the letters A .

Y . M ., which your committee would recommend be changed to A . P . A . M . Bro . BUDD , of Union Lodge , No . 5 , objected to having their Seal mutilated , stating that the letters objected to appear in the centre of their new Seal , or in other words ,

they have a fac simile of their old Seal surrounded by a new one , with the words A . P . A . M . engraved thereon , and hoped this would satisfy the Grand Lodge ; they would like to hold their Seal for its antiquity , it being nearly a century old . On motion the report of the Committee was

adopted , with the exception of that part requiring Union Lodge , No . 5 , to change their seal . The following was offered and tabled : — A resolution passed at the session of this Grand Lodge in 1867 , reading thus : —

" Resolved , That Lodges under this jurisdiction are positively prohibited from initiating , passing , raising , or admitting to membership , or the right of visitation , any negro , mulatto , or coloured person of the United States . This prohibition

shall be an obligation , and so taught in the Third Degree . " And whereas , This resolution is in perfect contradistinction to the rules , regulations , edicts , and ancient landmarks of Ancient Free and Accepted Masonry ;

" And whereas , Our obligations cover the whole ground of clandestinity , and do most positively and conclusively punish every member for a violation of any of them ; "Ancl whereas , We must acknowledge the

universality of Ancient Free and Accepted Masonry ; so that in every nation , a Mason finds a friend , and in every climate , a home ; therefore , "Resolved , That the foregoing resolution be declared null and void , and be treated the same

as though it had never passed . " But on motion , the resolution adopted June 27 th , 1867 , and printed with the proceedings of that year , on pages 25 and 26 , in reference to entering , passing , raising , and admitting to membership , be expunged . "

The Committee on Foreign Correspondence state that they have received a , nd examined the reports of the Grand Lodges of thirty-four States , and those of Canada and New Brunswick . In the report on jurisdiction , they complain

that the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia claim the right to confer degrees upon persons living within the bounds of other jurisdictions , and declare that " this disregard of the rights and interests of others evinces a most unfraternal

disposition , that cannot be too strongly denounced , and if persisted in should be met by Grand Lodges in the most decided manner . " In pursuance of this expression of the Grand Master's opinion , the following resolution was adopted :

Resolved , That this Grand Lodge holds the practice of the Grand Lodge of the District of Columbia , in permitting hei subordinates to initiate , pass and raise non-residents , to be an act of in-