comed in any Commandery of Ohio, and that the pleasant and warm fraternal relations that exist between our Sister Jurisdictions may ever continue.

With my kindest wishes, I am,

Courteously and Fraternally yours,

LA FAYETTE LYTTLE, Grand Com'd'r. It will doubtless seem apparent, Most Eminent Sir, that the reply of the distinguished Frater, the Right Eminent Grand Commander of Ohio, is in no sense a definite answer to the direct question, and that the very courteous sentiments expressed by him towards the membership of the Grand Jurisdiction of Kentucky would lead to the inference that the Statute in question would be no bar to the fraternal visitation of Sir Knights from other Jurisdictions.

On the evening of March 14. 1887, I, being Grand Commander of the Grand Jurisdiction of Kentucky, visited Cincinnati Commandery, No. 3, of Cincinnati, Ohio, in whose Asylum I have often heretofore sat as a welcome guest.

Upon this occasion, however, its Eminent Commander, Sir Knight H. L. Stanton, was pleased to inform me that by reason of my affi liation with the W. H. Peckham Cerneau Scottish Rite, it was inadmissible that I should be received as a visitor in his Commandery; and the Eminent Commander was particular to state that the only ground for his decision that I should be excluded as a visitor was the construction which had been placed upon the law of the Grand Commandery of Ohio by its Grand Commander, and was under no circumstance to be construed as an objection under Article 45 of the Code of Statutes of the Grand Encampment of the United States, and read the letter of the Grand Commander of March 10, 1887, which hereafter follows in the transcript hereto attached:

ASYLUM CINCINNATI COMMANDERY, No. 3, KNIGHTS TEMPLAR, }

14,

Transcript from the Records of Cincinnati Commandery, No. 3, Knights Templar, of the Stated Assembly, March 14, 1887, of all matters of record relative to the objections against Sir John S. Lyle, Grand Com. mander of Kentucky, as a visitor to said Commandery.

Sir John S. Lyle, Grand Commander of Knights Templar of the State of Kentucky, having presented himself as a visitor, and having taken his place at the base of the triangle for the purpose of saluting the Eminent Commander, the latter inquiring of Rt. Em. Sir Lyle if it were true, as he had heard, that Sir Lyle was a member

of the Peckham Scottish Rite. Sir Lyle replied that it was true, and that he did have the honor of belonging to that Rite.

The Eminent Commander then proceeded to say substantially as follows: Sir Lyle I wish to inform you that there is among the Statutes and Regulations of the Grand Commandery of Ohio a section which defines what are considered legitimate Masonic Degrees and those that are clandestine. The Grand Commandery of Ohio has seen proper to designate as clandestine the Order of which you are a member, and has made it obligatory upon every Commandery in this Jurisdiction to exclude from their Asylums all visitors who are in any manner connected with such clandestine degrees. It, therefore, becomes my painful duty as Eminent Commander to refuse to allow you to sit in Cincinnati Commandery as its guest.

It is a painful duty to be compelled to exclude any visiting Sir Knight from the Asylum, but to refuse Knightly courtesies to the Rt. Em. Grand Commander of the Grand Jurisdiction of Kentucky, and he a personal friend, is doubly painful to me, and I hope, Rt. Em. Sir, it is unnecessary for me to state that I am not actuated by any personal feeling in doing this, but simply enforcing the law of the Grand Commandery of Ohio.

You have often been a visitor and guest in our Asylum, but the knowledge of your membership in the Peckham Body made me fear that a reasonable interpretation of the Grand Commandery Regulations would render your visits illegal, and perhaps subject this Commandery to discipline. With the view of getting an official interpretation of the law I wrote to Rt. Em. Sir La Fayette Lyttle for a decision as to how far Section 13, Article I, of the Rules and Regulations affected the question of permitting you to continue your visits. His reply is as follows. It was received on last Friday, and will now be read by the Recorder :

GRAND COMMANDERY OF KNIGHTS TEMPLAR OF OHIO. OFFICE OF THE GRAND COMMANDER, TOLEDO, O., March 10, 1887.

SIR H. L. STANTON,

Em. Commander Cincinnati Commandery, No. 3, K.T., Cincinnati, O. : EMINENT AND DEAR FRATER-Your courteous favor of the 9th inst., is at hand. The only Scottish Rite degrees conferred in the United States that are acknowledged and recognized as regular by the Grand Commandery of Knights Templar of Ohio are those conferred by and under the authority of the Supreme Grand Councils

of the Sovereign Inspectors General of the 33°, for the Northern and Southern Masonic Jurisdictions of the United States, and at present presided over respectively by Brothers Henry L. Palmer and Albert Pike.

Scottish Rite degrees conferred in this country by or under any other authority must therefore be deemed irregular degrees under the assumed name of Masonry, and no Council or Commandery in this Grand Jurisdiction is permitted under Section 13, Article I, of our Statutes and Regulations to receive into their respective Bodies any visitor who is in any manner, or in any wise, concerned in or with such clandestine degrees.

The duty of a presiding officer in such cases cannot be mistaken. All visitations, except by those who are entitled to demand official recognition are merely matters of courtesy.

Article 45 of the Code of Statutes of the Grand Encampment of the United States prescribes that "No visiting Knight can be ad mitted to any Asylum if one only of the regular members present objects, and he cannot be required to disclose his reasons for such objections."

With Knightly regards and best wishes for the prosperity of your Commandery, I am,

Courteously and Fraternally yours,

LA FAYETTE LYTTLE, Grand Commander. Sir Lyle, in reply, thanked the Eminent Commander for his kind reference to his former visits to this Commandery, and gracefully acknowledged that nothing was left to the Eminent Commander but to obey the law as interpreted by the Grand Commander of Ohio. Before withdrawing he wished to ask the favor of having a transcript from the Records of the Commandery of all matters pertaining to the subject of his visit to the Commandery, the letter of the Grand Commander, and the decision of the Eminent Commander, that he should not be permitted to remain as a visitor.

On motion, this request was unanimously granted, and the Reccrder was instructed to prepare and deliver such transcript, under seal, to Rt. Em. Sir Lyle.

Sir Lyle then withdrew.

Fearing that the above motion and the action thereon might be illegal, because taken in the presence of Sir Lyle, the said action was, on motion, reconsidered, and a motion to allow Sir Lyle a transcript as requested was then unanimously agreed to.

I certify that the foregoing is a true copy from the Records of Cincinnati Commandery, No. 3, K.T., of March 14, 1887-the Stated Assembly-of all matters referring to Sir Lyle's visit and objection thereto. J. H. BROMWell,

[SEAL.]

Recorder Cincinnati Commandery No. 3, K.T.

I would not presume to criticise the law of a Sister Grand Jurisdiction, well-knowing and freely conceding that they are emVol. 67.-No. 4.—3.

powered to enact such laws as may be necessary for the good of the Order, but subordinate to the Constitution of the Grand Encampment.

The Constitution of the Grand Encampment provides, as one of the duties of the Grand Master, "That he shall see that the work and discipline of Templar Masonry every where are uniform throughout the Grand Encampment."

I would courteously submit. Most Eminent Sir, that I have reasonable grounds for doubting the right of any Subordinate Grand Commandery to enact and enforce laws of such general application as would subject to contumely and reproach members of other Grand Jurisdictions who are, in accordance with the Statutes and Regulations of their immediate governing bodies, as well as that of the Grand Encampment, in good standing.

An now, Most Eminent Sir, there are two questions which I de sire to submit to you for official decision :

Ist. Can the Grand Commandery of any State, by provision of its Statutes and Regulations, or Resolutions, deprive Knights Templar of other Jurisdictions, against whom no personal objection is made, and in good standing under the laws of their own Grand Commanderies, of the right of recognition, visitation, and other usual courtesies in the Commanderies of their former Grand Jurisdiction?

2d. Is the Resolution of the Grand Commandery of Ohio, construing Section 13, Article I, of the Statutes and Regulations of said Grand Commandery, in conformity with the spirit of Templar Masonry, as defined by the Constitution, Statutes and Regulations of the Grand Encampment of the United States?

I assume that the questions involved are of such grave character that it would redound to the interest of the Order at large if enabled to receive your decision thereon to present with my report to the Grand Commandery of Kentucky at its next Annual Conclave, to be held on 18th of May next.

I have the honor, Most Eminent Sir, to remain, Courteously and Fraternally yours, JOHN S. LYLE, Grand Commander.

I hereby certify that the above is a correct transcript of the original papers now on file in my office.

[SEAL.]

Attest:

L. D. CRONINGER, Grand Recorder.

THE OLDEST LODGE IN THE UNITED STATES.

The States of Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania have been successively named as those within whose borders the first American Lodge was founded. I now propose to present a brief synopsis of the claims of each, after which, I believe, an impartial jury will have no difficulty in rendering a verdict. In Bro. Gould's "Guide to the Royal Arch Chapter," a monitorial work of great and deservedly good repute among American Masons, it is stated-quoting from "Peterson's History of Rhode Island and Newport"-that: "In the spring of 1658 Mordecai Campennell, Moses Peckeckoe, Levi, and others, (in all fifteen families) arrived from Holland at Newport. They brought with them the first three degrees of Masonry, and worked them in the house of Campennell, they and their successors, and continued so to do to the year 1742 " This assertion, ante dating as it does the earliest record of the three degrees being worked in England, attracted the attention of Bro. W. J. Hughan, and is referred to in that learned author's "Origin of the English Rite," page 12; but, in consequence of an investigation made of the matter by Past Grand Master Gardner, of Massachusetts, and others, he rejected it as being uncreditable. The papers in the case, and Bro. Gardner's address thereon, are contained in full in the "Proceedings of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts for 1870." Bro. Hughan gives these proceedings as 1871, in a foot note in the "Origin of the English Rite," which may be attributed to the fact that, while they are printed in 1871, still among American Masons the proceedings of a Grand Lodge always date the same year the Lodge is held. Rejecting then the claim of Rhode Island as untenable, we proceed to consider that of Massachusetts. It would appear that on July 30th, 1733, Henry Price convened ten brethren at the sign of the Bunch of Grapes, in King street, Boston, and by virtue of a commission from Viscount Montague, then Grand Master of England, instituted a Provincial Grand Lodge, which, having been regularly opened and organized, proceeded to make nine candidates Masons. The brethren then petitioned the Provincial Grand Master to organize them into a Lodge, which was done, and it was known for some time as that at the Bunch of Grapes, until it moved to the Royal Exchange. Its number on the first calendar of the Grand Lodge of England was