plumb, and among its members are the best men of the place, noted for their intelligence, moral worth, and true devotion to the ancient land-marks of our order. In their custody a copy of the Book of the Law is safe.

In constituting these two Chapters I was accompanied by M. E. Williams, E. Smith, H. P. of Genesee Chapter, who rendered me valuable assistance, and for this act of true, fraternal benevolence and devotion to the craft I return him my kindest regards.

On the 7th of June I visited Alpena, constituted its Chapter and installed its officers. I remained with these Companions two days, and had the pleasure of seeing them work on all the degrees. It was an excellent hall, its members are well skilled in the royal art, and although in a great measure isolated from us, it speaks the same mystic language with as much ease and purity as if it were within convenient hailing distance. Its craftsman's work will never be thrown over among the rubbish.

NEW CHAPTERS.

During the past year I have granted six dispensations for the formation of new Chapters, located at the following named places :

On the 4th of March, I granted a dispensation to Isaac A. Shingledecker, High Priest; Asa Kingsbury, King; Charles W. Clisbee, and a constitutional number of Companions, to form and open a Chapter at Cassopolis, to be called Cassopolis Chapter, No.-.

On the 21st of March a dispensation was granted to Cornelius Deitz, High Preist; Henry G. Rotherell, King; William McLeneran, Scribe, to form and open a Chapter at Au Sauble, to be called Iosco Chapter, No.-.

On the 25th of May a dispensation was granted to Myron Rider, High Priest; John Lewis, King, and Morton Shearer, Scribe, to form and open a Chapter at Greenville, to be called Greenville Chapter, No.

On the 6th of July a dispensation was granted to Bela Cogshall, High Priest; Daniel Seeley, King, and Theodore W. Lockwood, Scribe, to form and open a Chapter at Holly to be called Holly Chapter, No.

-.

On the 7th of July a dispensation was granted to Andrew J. Kinne, High Priest; J. B. Peters, King, and M. Yeater, Scribe, to form and open a Chapter at Colon, to be called Colon Chapter, No.

On the 6th of November, I also granted a dispensation to Earl T. Church, High Priest; Sylvester Collins, King, and Daniel P. Sagen

dorph, Scribe, to form and open a Chapter at Charlotte, to be called Charlotte Chapter, No.-.

These several applications for new Chapters were accompanied by such proper vouchers and recommendations as are required by the provisions of the Constitution, and recommended by the Chapters nearest the places where they were to be located. The several petitions, recommendations and certificates, upon which I granted these dispensations, are herewith submitted for your inspection. The Companions to whom they have been issued will submit for your consideration and approval the work done by them, and applications will be made for charters at your hands as permanent Chapters; which request I respectfully recommend be granted.

Thus I have recited in brief the gradual advancement and increasing strength of that benign influence which under the fostering care of our Royal Art, is being felt and acknowledged in every section of our State-introducing strangers among workmen to aid and assist in rebuilding the house of the Lord. And so in every part of the civilized globe our ancient institution is keeping rapid step with the advancing prosperity and the intelligence of the age in which we live. In its noble career of benificence, its gentle blessings continue to disarm prejudice and silence slander-crushing sectarian bigotry in its mighty tread, and firmly establishing a proud claim to pre-eminence among those whose duty it is to soften the asperities of life and lead hope to brighter gleams of eternal sunshine. From this proud eminence upon which our institution now stands we can witness the development of its work and the practical fruits of its mission. Harmony and brotherly love prevail throughout its borders, and not a zephyr disturbs the surface of its moral field. The truth of its principles, the purity of its work, and the eminently practical nature of its operations, taking the victorious past as our guarantee, will in the long future continue to wed to its fraternal ranks the wise and good of all conditions in the family of man.

OFFICIAL VISITS.

Article XIV, of the by-laws of the Grand Chapter makes it the duty of the Grand High Priest to examine the work of the Chapters, and to the utmost of my ability, I have endeavored to obey its mandate. Under this injunction I have officially visited the following named Chapters:

On the 15th of February I visited Peninsular Chapter, No. 15, at Detroit, and witnessed their work in the P. M. and M. E. M. degrees, which was exceedingly well done, and assured me that its officers were fully conversant with the ritual, as they did "good work.”

On the 21st of February, in company with R. E. A. J. Sawyer, Grand Scribe, I visited Capital Chapter, No. 9, at Lansing, and was pleased to witness the R. A. degree conferred in a beautiful and impressive manner, in which M. E. Companion Chapman proved himself well skilled in architecture and the different arts and sciences; while his P. S., Companion Davis, acquitted himself with equal excellence. In every respect the hall may be said to be a capital one, and a credit to the capital of Michigan.

On the 13th of July, by special invitation I visited Genesee Chapter, No. 29, at Fentonville. Here the workmen conferred the R. A. degree in a superior manner-M. E. Companion Colbrath acting as High Priest, M. E. Companion Wm. E. Smith as P. S., and Companion Thomas E. Padley as C. H. These Companions are among the foremost in teaching our symbolic rites with a zeal and sublimity that makes a deep impression never to be forgotten. Wherever you find the work of Genesee Chapter, you will find it "square."

On the 14th of August I visited, by request, Gate of the Temple Chapter, No. 35, on Lake Superior. The Companions of this Chapter were exceedingly anxious to have the Grand High Priest visit them and inspect their work, which had never before been officially inspected. They expressed the assurance that such a visit would do good; and, though they were entitled to it, under these circumstances I deemed it especially my duty to visit this Chapter and assure it that this grand body cherished its offspring in the copper regions of the north with the same affections that it did those in the southern peninsula of the State. I prolonged my visit with the Companions two days, and witnessed work on all the degrees, and was highly pleased to find their work of the first order. M. E. Thomas D. Meads is an excellent ritualist and performs his work with great correctness-the introduction of strangers among the workmen being done by the P. S., R. H. Breisford, in a manner which I have never seen equalled. the performance of this sublime ceremony there was a natural ease and fluency, which suggested to the mind the grace and dignity of a gentleman of culture, strolling through his pleasure grounds with a party of friends, to whom he fascinatingly explains, as he passes along, the rare beauty of tree and flower, and the culture of every shrub. I refer to this fact with more than ordinary pleasure, not only as an incentive to exertion on the part of others, and a generous spirit of emulation, but to render to true merit its just reward. It is also the special pride of the "Gate of the Temple" to fit ully observe every law, rule and edict of the Crand Chapter, and any Companion visiting it will always find a hearty and fraternal welcome.

In

On the 16th of August I visited Marquette Chapter, No. 43, also on Lake Superior, which has been dormant since the destructive fire of 1866, when nearly the whole of their beautiful city ("the Naples of the Lakes") was destroyed. I have resuscitated the Chapter, officers have been elected, and it is now at work. It has good rooms for its meetings, a new set of regalia and robes, and its members, among the best and most substantial citizens of Marquette, are esteemed for their moral worth and strict integrity. I passed a very pleasant evening with the Companions of this Chapter, and inspected their work, which I had no hesitancy in pronouncing correct. From the known intelligence and zeal of the craftsmen, I am confident they will send up no work but such as has passed the overseer's square, and has been pronounced good work and true.

While on Lake Superior I should have visited Ontonagon Chapter, but learned masonically at Hancock that the officers of the Chapter were not at home-that on account of the great depreciation in copper the village of Ontonagon had become nearly depopulated. This is the only Chapter in this jurisdiction which is not in a prosperous condition.

On the 18th of October I visited Holly Chapter, U. D., at Holly, and witnessed the conferring of the R. A. degree. There were present a large number of Companions from Genesee, Austin and Corunna Chapters, and all seemed pleased with the proficiency and skill exhibited by the workmen. The fact, however, that Companion Bela Cogshall is the High Priest, is a sufficient guarantee that no defective workmen will be permitted among the craft unless they are the true descendants of the noble Giblemites.

Here ended my official visits, which, I assure you, would have been much more extensive, had not a most urgent private business prevented. To this fact may be added the extensive fires which prevailed for a time in my own immediate section—all of which debarred me from the pleasure of other visits that I had contemplated and in which I had hoped to meet the Companions of this jurisdiction within the veils of the sanctuary, where I might interchange those fraternal feelings that none but the members of our order can appreciate.

MONROE CHARTER ABSTRACTED.

On the 15th of February I received official information from M. E. Companion Joseph E. Rhodes, High Priest of Monroe Chapter, No. 1, located in Detroit, that the charter of that Chapter had been wickedly abstracted from the hall. Upon this information, I issued a special dispensation, authorizing and empowering the High Priest,

King and Scribe to pursue their labors as fully and to all intents and purposes as if said charter was actually remaining in the Chapter room --such power to continue in force until the close of the present Grand Convocation, unless sooner revoked. I cordially recommend that a new charter be issued to Monroe Chapter free of charge, and of such tenor as this Grand Body, under the peculiar circumstances, it may deem proper. I can hardly conceive that amount of fiend-like depravity in the breasts of those wearing the semblance of humanity as to prompt them to a theft that can do the thieves no good, and only despoils that venerable Chapter of an heir-loom that had become precious to the entire jurisdiction. Of this transaction enough is known that the robbery is another proof that the rubbish which has accumulated around the temple is being removed by the cleansing process and searching power of a strict morality.

JURISPRUDENCE.

During the present year I have answered many questions on Masonic jurisprudence, of which the following are the most important, and are submitted for your judgment:

I. Question-A candidate is elected to take the Chapter degrees, and is advanced to the honorary degree of a Mark Master, and is prepared to receive the next degree, when a Companion objects to his further advancement. What is to be done in such a case:

Answer-By our Constitution, when a Chapter elects a brother to receive the degrees, he is entitled to all the degrees without further ballot. An edict of this Grand Chapter provides "that when a candidate shall have been duly elected, but hefore he receives a degree, if objection shall be made to his advancement by a Companion who was not present at the election, such objection shall operate as a rejection of the candidate, and his money shall be refunded.

This edict treats the question how a candidate shall be disposed of after election and before he is made a brother. When he crosses the threshold, and receives one or more degrees, he has the right to set in the Lodge in which he has received Masonic light, whatever that may be he now stands as a brother-not as a candidate. If he applies for advancement and is refused, he has a Masonic right to know what is the cause of the confusion among the craft, that he may have a chance to meet the accuser face to face-meet the accusation, and have the judgment of his peers. I must, therefore, decide that when a Companion objects verbally to a brother receiving the Past Master's degree, being acknowledged a Most Excellent Master, or being exalted. to the Holy Royal Arch, the High Priest shall request the objector to