Early History Of American Freemasonry, Once More.

know that any records existed , and if even so , they might have contained testimony against his theory , as witness the Boston records , wherein it says that Franklin was appointed , not G . M . but first Master , and that it Avas " the beginning of Masonry there . " Fortunatel y for Bro . McCalla ' s

Mieory , the said record is unreliable . Besides which , this mode ol reasoning about lost records smacks too much of our " popular text writers '" style of logic , and it is high time to discountenance it . There is , hoAvever , a better argument

for Bro . McCalla ' s theory , ancl I am surprised that he overlooked it . " Masonic Magazine , " Vol . 1 , page 168-9 . The Pennsylvania !! G . M . advanced the Cox ' s theory , and he cited a letter which , if true , would settle the question . But statements

of American Grand Masters should be received Avith caution ; they are too apt to be carried away by pride and conceit to put forward groundless statements . But yet , it should be inquired into . I will here add , that the Boston record of the last century contains some remarks of an inquiry then made relative to Cox ' s Deputation , ancl Bro . Titus , the G . M . promised me to hunt

it up . I haA'e already mentioned two dbcoveries made since my revieiv of Bro . Gardner ' s address appeared in the Freemason , viz ., the Halifax charter , and the date assigned in the record to the constitution of the first lodge . These two discoveries furnish

additional testimony to the worthlessness of the record . But Bro . Gardner did not only appeal to the said G . L . record , but also quoted from a record of the first lodge , Avhich was said to have been lost . Bro . Moore ' s version was that he borrowed the

record from Bro . Whiting , Secretary ot St . John's Lodge , ancl after he copied some extracts , he returned it , and that it Avas burnt with the Temple in 1864 . The successor of Whiting , ' "however , assured me that after Bro . Whiting ' s deathhe carried

, aA \ 'ay all that belonged to the lodge , from the AvidoAv ' s house . That no such a book Avas there , and no book of his lodge Avas burnt in the Temple . KnoAving the proclivity of Moore to stick to books that he borrowedT expressed my firm belief that

, the book was still in Bro . Moore ' s house . Among other matters furnished by Bro . Moore for tbe Price address of Bro . Gardner , was the following : — "I , C . W . Moore ,

certify that the above is a true copy made by me of the Bye-Laws of the first lodge in Boston , from the first record book of said lodge . I further certify that said record book commenced on the 30 th of July , 1733—5733 , " etc . The Bye-Laws

are p rinted Avith Bro . Gardner ' s address , and are dated October 24 th , 1733 . The question ivhether the lodge adopted the Bye-LaAvs at the above date , or later , does not in the least influence the main questionviz . Avhether Price received a

deputa-, , tion or not . I never disputed the statement of the G . L . ancl lodge having been organized July 30 th , 1733 , and therefore the lodge might have adopted those Bye-LaAvs as stated . But the Bye-Laws themselves seemed as if they could not have

been adopted so early ; and for certain reasons given in the Freemason , August 17 th , 1872 , I charged Bro . Moore with Avith mis-stating the date , altering 1753 into 1733 .

I had no doubt that a first lodge record did once exist . It Avas lost and recovered either at the close of the last century , or the beginning of this . But for reasons Avhich Avill be explained , I came to the conclusion that that lodge record Avas also manufactured by Chas . Pelham ; but it

ivas not manufactured until after the G . L . record was finished , and I predicted again and again , that should the first lodge record ever be recovered , it will bo seen , that from July 30 th , 1733 , to the close of 1753 , Avould all be in Pelham ' s hand writing . The

reasons that led me to that conclusion , are as follows : —That the G . L . record was Avritten at the close of 1751 , there can be no doubt . NOAV , among the loose MSS . I found the following slip : " Sept . 2 , th , 1751 . On the 13 th of April 1750 our

, , Rt . W . G . M . called a Grand Lodge , consisting of the P . W ., the Grand Officers , ami Masters and Wardens of the several Lodges , when it was determined to hold four

quarterly communications in a year , viz ., the second Friday in April , July , October , and January ; and the Grand Committee of Charity , consisting of the Rt . W . Grand Officers ancl Masters of several Lodges , shall meet eight clays before the G . L ., Avhich has been regularly observed to this time

[ Sept . 25 th , 1751 ] where has been quarterly contributions of charity from the several lodges , and the business of Masonry in general transacted to the satisfaction and