every American Grand Commandery except New York and West Virginia. We append a list of States reviewed: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, Grand Priory of England and Wales, Canada. ALABAMA. The Twenty-first Annual Conclave of the Grand Commandery was held at the Asylum of Mobile Commandery No. 2, at Mobile, commencing Wednesday, May 18, A.D. 1881, A.O. 763. Sir Stephen Henry Beasley, R. E. Grand Commander. Six subordinate Commanderies were represented. The Grand Commander opens his address as follows: Beyond the power of words to express, it gives me pleasure to announce that during the year just added to those which have gone before, happiness, peace, prosperity and harmony have prevailed among us, as well as among the people of the State. Everywhere the assurance is given to purify, elevate and strengthen the Order. This state of affairs is a source of congratulation, for it has made the term of office with which you honored me, pleasant and agreeable, and it is no doubt in a great measure due to the ability of the officers of the subordinate Commanderies, and the great love of the Order by all the members. Yet all has not been sunshine; as if in prosperity we might forget that our participation in the affairs of earth is but temporary, death has invaded our ranks and taken away some whom we all loved. They have laid aside the sword for the last time, and received the crown of life everlasting. fitted for the Grand Commandery above. Let us hope that they were well The Grand Commander feelingly alludes to the death of certain Eminent Sir Knights of the sister jurisdiction of Georgia, and the committee to whom that part of his address was referred, say: Your Committee were much struck with the handsome tribute of affection paid by the Grand Commander to our departed confreres. Some of your Committee knew the deceased Sir Knights well. They were without fear and without reproach. They served the Order to the best of their ability, and the example they have left behind for the guidance of those who survive them, will not be without influence in the coming years. Death is generally a terror to the living, and it is not often that one of a well-balanced intellect rushes voluntarily into its embrace; but he who has acted well his part in this life and has performed as best he could the part the Great Creator assigned to him, who leaves no voluntary stains upon his escutcheon, who has never drawn his sword to do injustice, to injure the weak and the helpless, or to oppress the widow and the orphan, has some claim to the consideration of the Grand Master when he comes to judgnient in the last day. And thus your Committee commend to the careful consideration of the members of the Order in this jurisdiction the example left them by our deceased Companions. Of the meeting of the Grand Encampment in Chicago, the Grand Commander says: It was the great event of this age. None of those present will ever forget the genial interchange of courtesies and hospitalities, the hearty, genuine, and cordial greetings among the members of our Order. Sir Knight Daniel Sayre, Committee on Foreign Correspondence, reviewed in his usual courteous and knightly manner the Proceedings of thirty sister Grand Jurisdictions, including Michigan. Under his review of Georgia, he says: It is scarcely necessary to say that Sir Knight Armstrong made an efficient Grand Commander. Of course he did. He is a little poetical in his address, but good poetry is a good thing. And he closes with a very apt quotation: "And in the ending - when these fraternal ties shall be broken and I shall be sleeping the last sleep, and the echoing requium shall be wafted over my final resting place in yonder beautiful necropolis, still these heart-felt, inspiring emotions will survive, and "Shall thus resist the empire of decay, When time is o'er and worlds have passed away; Cold in that dust the perished heart may lie, But that which warmed it once can never die." Melancholy, Sir Knight Armstrong, very melancholy; we wish you had substituted something a little more cheerful. It is a little bit melancholy, but Sir Armstrong was only considering how melancholy it was to step down from the position of Grand Commander and all its attendant glories to that of Grand Recorder. Excuse him, Brother Sayre. Michigan is kindly reviewed, and in referring to the many dispensations granted to Commanderies to appear in public in our State, he says: As to some of these it appears to us that it is somewhat enlarging the purposes for which dispensations should be granted, but no objections seem to have been made to them. And then he concludes by quoting from Sir.Knight Hunt of New Hampshire, the following remarks on this same subject: "The subject of dispensations has been discussed by so many Knights, and our own views have been so often expressed, that it is hardly in good taste to repeat them here- - but we insert these instances as showing how dangerous the unrestrained exercise of the power is becoming. Let the members of the Order look for a moment at the remarkable authority given to the Port Huron Commandery by this R. E. Grand Commander, “to appear in public at such times during the year as the Eminent Commander might deem for the good of the Order." We say such an attempt to confer authority is utterly without sanction in law, and equally violates the canons of common sense. It is one of the most arbitrary and unwarrantable assumptions of power that we have ever seen in connection with the Order, and ought to call forth the indignant protest of every Templar in the land who has the safety of our Institution at heart. The Grand Commander was very conservative in his decisions, particularly on the subject of a dimit-and rightly so- and if he had exercised the same caution and prudence in the matter of dispensations, he would have done the Order a good service. We beg to say to Sirs Hunt and Sayre that Port Huron Commandery did ask the privilege as quoted above, but that it was not granted, which entirely spoils the "jist" of the matter, at least so far as Michigan is concerned. He concludes his report as follows: And thus we bring our labors to a close. We have written under many disad vantages, but we have held communication with some of the best spirits of the Order. With the views of all we have not always agreed. But if we had, we should have had very little to say. It is diversity of opinion that makes intercourse pleasant. Where we have differed from others, we trust we have differed conscientiously. It is the conflict of opinion that makes light. The steel and the flint are of opposite natures, but when they strike, fire is the result, and fire is light. Sir Stephen Henry Beasley of Montgomery, was re-elected R. E. Grand Commander. Sir Daniel Sayre of Montgomery, was re-elected E. Grand Recorder. ARKANSAS. The Tenth Annual Conclave of this Grand Commandery was held in the city of Little Rock, commencing on Thursday, November 24, A.D. 1881, A.O. 763. Sir Raphael M. Johnson, R. E. Grand Commander. Sir James A. Henry, E. Grand Recorder. Three subordinate Commanderies were represented. Four Past Grand Commanders were present. The Grand Commander addresses himself to the Sir Knights as follows: Those of us who are well stricken in years, whose experiences and memory extend back many decades down the dim vista of the past, will take pleasure in recalling with our cotemporaries scenes and incidents in our Masonic life which can never so well be discussed and enjoyed as in our annual reunion within the guarded recesses of our Asylum. Who is there among us who cannot derive pleasure and profit from the reminiscences and experiences of the past. The past is a book with pages well covered by wisdom and experience; the future a volume with folios quite blank; therefore, let the younger Frater acquire knowledge, integrity and virtue from his elder brother, that he may inscribe it upon the tablets of his memory for the benefit of future generations. Let us all remember that our duties to protect and defend the destitute widow, the innocent maiden, the helpless orphan and the Christian religion should not be lost in mere idle words, pretensions and vows; rather let our swords remain rusting in their scabbards, our vows remain forgotten and our Asylum be forsaken, than that it should be said of our Order, it is but a pretense for pompous parade, idle professions and intemperate conviviality. The Grand Commander lays before the Commandery the following letter received from Sir Bruce B. Lee, Grand Commander of California, on the Grand Representative question: "SAN FRANCISCO, March 23, 1881. "Right Eminent R. M. Johnson, Grand Commander of Arkansas: "DEAR SIR AND FRATER- Your favor of March 12th received. I take great pleasure in replying to your request, and have instructed the Grand Recorder to make out appointment for Sir Walter S. Houdlette. I am opposed to this purely ornamental system. I have never seen where it could be made of the least use. If there is any difficulty between Arkansas and California, I rather think you and I can settle it better than any Grand Representative. I shall endeavor to get our Grand Commandery to drop the whole matter. We will receive you in 1883 in a knightly manner, and I trust will make the meeting one of vast benefit to the Order. Courteously and fraternally, And in doing so says: "BRUCE B. LEE, "Grand Commander." It seems that the present Grand Commander of California, Right Eminent Sir Edward R. Hedges, does not hold the same opinion in regard to the utility of Grand Representative as his predecessor: [ COPY.] "SAN FRANCISCO, June 9, 1881. "Right Eminent Sir R. M. Johnson, Eminent Commander of Knights Templar of Arkansas: "DEAR SIR KNIGHT AND FRATER - In order to avoid any trouble or confusion attending the accommodation of our visiting Sir Knights at the Triennial in 1883, to be held in San Francisco, and also to prevent any imposition or unusual prices being charged by the hotels, boarding and lodging houses, it is absolutely necessary that all arrangements or applications for accommodations be left exclusively in the hands of the Grand Commandery of California. We would therefore earnestly request you to issue an order to the several Commanderies of Sir Knights under your jurisdiction prohibiting them from applying for or securing quarters or accommodations of any kind in San Francisco for the Triennial in 1883, except through the Grand Commandery of California, or the Secretary of the Triennial Committee. We will thus be able to dictate terms, and provide ample quarters for all at reasonable rates. The Triennial Committee is now organized and ready |