1780] REV. WILLIAM SMITH, D. D. 3 1 



I do not remember of more Grand Masters being appointed when we 

 were under the British Government than South Carolina, North Caro- 

 lina, Pennsylvania, New York, and Massachusetts, but now it may be 

 necessary. 



I have granted a Charter of Dispensation to New Hampshire till they 

 shall appoint a Grand Master of their own, which suppose will not be 

 very soon, as there is but one Lodge in their State. Inclosed I send 

 you a list of the officers of our Grand Lodge, and have the honor to be, 

 with great respect and esteem. 



Your affectionate Brother and humble servant, 



Joseph Webb, Grand Master. 



This communication was laid before the Grand Lodge of Penn- 

 sylvania, at a special Grand Communication on the i6th of October; 

 and a committee, consisting of Dr. Smith and Colonel Palfrey, was 

 appointed to prepare an answer, which was as follows : 



\Niiiiam Smith, D. D., to Joseph Webb, Esq. 



Philadelphia, October 17th, 1780. 



Respected Sir and R. W. Bro. : Your kind and interesting letters 

 of the 14th and 19th, by some delay in the Post-office, came both to 

 my hands together, and that not before the loth inst. They were both 

 read and maturely considered at a very full Grand Lodge last evening, 

 and I have it in charge to thank you and all the worthy members of the 

 Grand Lodge of Massachusetts for the brotherly notice they were pleased 

 to take of the proposition communicated to you from the Grand Lodge 

 of this State. 



We are happy to find that you agree with us in the necessity of 

 having one complete Masonic jurisdiction under some one Grand Head 

 throughout the United States. It has been a measure long wished for 

 among the brethren, especially in the army, and from them the request 

 came originally to us, that we might improve the opportunity which our 

 central situation gave us of setting this measure on foot. From these 

 considerations, joined to an earnest desire of advancing and doing 

 honor to Masonry, and not from any affectation of superiority or of 

 dictating to any of our brethren, we put in nomination for Grand 

 Master over all these States (and elected, so far as depended upon us) 

 one of the most illustrious of our brethren, whose character does honor 

 to the whole Fraternity, and who, we are therefore persuaded, would be 

 wholly unexceptionable. When our proposition and nomination should 

 be communicated to other Grand Lodges, and ratified by their concur- 

 rence, then, and not before, it was proposed to define the powers of 

 such a Grand Master General, and to fix articles of Masonic union 

 among all the Grand Lodges, by means of a convention of committees 

 from the different Grand Lodges, to be held at such time and place as 



