Early History Of American Freemasonry, Once More.

than I do . Our brother seems to be totall y unaware , that this Price question Avas discussed in several journals . My remarks about Price in the A pril No . of this Magazine seem to have startled him , ancl my allusion therein to Bro . Gardner ' s

address , induced him to read it , and IIOAV armed Avith the logic of said address , he comes foi'Avard to squelch me . My friendly opponent ' s first onslaught is the date of Price ' s Deputation . The petition to constitute the first Boston

Lodge , gives the date of Price's Deputation , April 13 th , 1732—5732 . The figures 2 Avere altered into 3 , so that it now reads 1733 ; but on the record the Deputation of Price reads April thirtieth . That the numerals Avere altered some years after

the petition Avas written , is evident on the original copy , the loAver curves of the tAvo figures 3 being black , Avhile the upper parts are yellow and faded . The date " thirtieth" is found in the record once onlyAvhile in other parts of the record

, , the date of Price ' s Deputation corroborates the date on the petition . Of this , Bro . McCalla himself has unconsciously and innocently furnished an instance . The

Deputation of Rowe quoted by Bro . McC . on page 4 , reads "April 13 th . " It Avas Avritten by the G . S . of England , and cannot consistently be imputed to a clerical error . Ancl furthermore , if I needed assistance on that point , I really believe

that Bro . Gardner himself Avould join with me against Bro . McCalla . Bro . McCalla ' s quotation from Bro . Gardner ' s address , viz ., "In the year 1734 , our record states Price received order ; from the G . M . of England" etc . is utterl

, , y Avorthless . If " our records" bad been genuine , they might haA'e been cited as evidence , but they are not genuine ; they Avere manufactured in 1751 ; there is even no copy in the record of the Cranford Deputationnor the date ivben issued .

, Here is the paragraph from the record about the Cranford Commission : — "June 24 th , 1734 . About this time , our W . Bro . Franklin , from Philadel phia , became acquainted Avith our Rt . W . G . M . Mr . Pricewho further instructed him in

, the Royal Art . And said Benjamin Franklin on his return to Philadel phia called the brethren there together , who petitioned our Rt . W . G . M . for a continuation to hold a Lodge , ancl our Rt . W . G . M .

having this year received orders from the G . L . in England to establish Masonry in all North America , did send a deputation to Philadelphia , appointing the Rt . W . Benj . Franklin first Master , Avhich is the beginning of Masonry there . " Bro . Moore ' s version in his life of Price

, is as folloAvs : ( Mass . Cons . 1857 ) . " The first Lodge in Pennsylvania ; the authority for it was granted to his intimate personal friend , Benj . Franklin , AVIIO was its first Master . The warrant bears date June 24 th , 1734 . * * * And in explanation

of this , it is proper here to state , that early in the year 1734 , he had received authority from the G . L . of England to establish Masonry in all North America * * " :: " as Avere also his tAvo immediate successorsRobert Tomlinson

, in 1736 , and Thomas Oxnard in 1742 . " This is a fair specimen of our "text Avriters . " Price received his second deputation early 1734 . Tomlinson ' s Deputation was for all North America . The truth

is , Tomlinson s Deputation Avas for NCAV England ancl its territories only . If Price had received a deputation for all North America , Avhy was Tomlinson ' s Deputation for N . E . only ? There is not a particle of' evidence to sustain that second deputation ; except the article in the Boston prints which Franklin refers to , there is no copy of it in the record . Both Franklin and the Boston record state that the

G . L . of England granted the deputation . But the Earl of Cranford was so busy Avith other matters , as to find no time to come to London to hold a Lodge during the year 1734 . Ancl yet my opponents Avant to persuade me that tbe G . M . did come to London ancl took the trouble to

get the officers of the G . L . together , in order to make Henry Price , an illiterate and ignorant tailor , G . M . of all America . Ancl this Henry Price Avas evidently so little impressed AATth the mark of distinction conferred upon himas to

for-, get tbe date of such an important deputation . The article from the Boston prints which Franklin refers to Avas doubtless a bare-faced fraud . Price did not send a Warrant to Franklin June 24 th , 1734 , as Bro . Moore saysnor did he send any

, Warrant afterAvards . Franklin asked for a Warrant in November 2 Sth , 1734 , on account of haAdng read in the Boston prints , that Price ' s poAvers were extended