Early History Of American Freemasonry, Once More.

OA-er all North America by a G . L . held there in August last . But the record of Massachusetts and Bro . Moore tell us that the Warrant was sent to Franklin on the 24 th June that year . This is "putting the cart before the horse with

a vengeance , " ancl it is only on a par AAith Price having sent a deputation to Halifax before 1740 ; Avhile in reality no Halifax existed in Novia Scotia before the close of 1749 . Ancl yet the advocates ancl defenders of Price ' s Grand Mastership cite the record as evidence .

The other arguments of Bro . McCalla are equally baseless . They have all been tested and weighed , ancl like a counterfeit coin , have been found either of short Aveight , alloyed with base metal , or made exclusively of dross . But before Bro . McCalla rashes into this controversy , he should inform himself of what had been

said on the other side . I , therefore , refer him to the following pages of the Freemason , 1870—viz : 68 , 80 , 105 , ancl 308 . On page 80 , are Bro . Hughan ' s comments on the former . Page 105 , he will read Franklin ' s letter ; and in the last , he will

see that I fully admitted the genuineness of Franklin ' s letter . The long depositions on oath b y Bros . Moore and Lewis before the Hon , Charles R . Train , Attorney-General , Justice of Peace , etc ., Avere simply superfluous . And Bro . Trainwhen I told

, him that I did not dispute the authenticity of the letter , regarded all that swearing as mere clap-trap . I next refer Bro . McCalla to a series of seven articles in the American Freemason edited by Bro . Brennan at Cincinnati . The

first article appeared February , 1870 , ancl thencontinuedmonthl ynntilfinished . Next , to page 434 of the Freemason containing Bro . Hughan ' s remarks on the above . Next , to the Freemason , August 10 th and 17 th , 1872 . There he will find Bro Gardner ' s

address reviewed . Next , to a review of the Henry Price controversy , in the addenda to the G . L . proceedings of Illinois , 1872 . The above review is from the pen of Dr . Joseph Bobbins , S . G . W . and Chairman of the Committee of Foreign Correspondence of

the above G . L . And last , I refer him to my communication , viz ., " Origin of Masonry in N . S . " in the October No . of this Magazine , 1873 . I also promise to give him any explanation or information as far as I can , and Avhen my brother has fully

informed himself on the subject at issue , I believe that he will once more come forward and display the same kind of generosity as he did in his last communication , acknoAvledging that the popular text writers have misinformed him about Massachusetts Masonry .

Bro . McCalla deserves credit for hunting up the fact of the Masonic celebration in 1730 , ancl for shoAving the succession of Grand Masters AVIIO succeeded Franklin . But all this does not piwe that Price sent to Franklin his deputations authenticated

by tbe Wardens ancl Secretary of Boston . Again , if the Boston record is reliable , Benjamin Franklin Avas appointed only as first Master , not G . M ., nor does the said record mention that the successors of Franklin were confirmed by the Boston

G . M . Nor do I feel satisfied with Bro . McCalla's deduction , that because . Major Cox received a deputation from the . Duke of Norfolk in 1730 , for N . J . Pen ., ancl N . G ., that the Philadelphia Lodge of 17 B 0 must necessarily have been chartered by

the said Cox . First , if such had been the case , Franklin , Avho had already visited England , Avould have applied on the expiration of Cox ' s Deputation , db-ect to tbe G . M . of England for a renewal thereof . Secondlythe record of Boston distinctly

, says , " Avhich is the beginning of Masonry there . " NOAV , either Franklin never informed Price about Cox ' s Deputation , or Bro . McCalla must admit that Price falsified in the record . And thirdly , does our Brother knoAv Avhether Cox did not die in

Europe ? or Avas not drowned at sea ? In short , has he any evidence that Cox ever returned to America after he received his deputation . Tomlinson AA as lost on his passage to America ; the same might have occurred to Cox . Our Brother shoidd

search the records of the toAvn Avhere Cox lived , and of the locality where his landed property Avas located ; search the record of the Court of Probate , Avhere his will may be found ; the records of deeds of landed property . There he may ascertain

something about Cox's life and when he died , or Avhether he died abroad . Or let him produce some testimony that Franklin , or bis Masonic jiredecessors , kneAv anything of the Cox Deputation , The arguments of Bro . McCalla about lost records is simply fallacious . He does not in the first place