1780] REV. WILLIAM SMITH, D. D. 33 



importance to the whole United Fraternity of these States may require 

 it. What other powers may be given to the Grand Master General, 

 and how such powers are to be drawn up and expressed, will be the 

 business of the convention proposed. 



For want of some general Masonic authority over all these States, the 

 Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania, ex necessitate, have granted warrants 

 beyond its bounds to the Delaware and Maryland States, and you have 

 found it expedient to do the same in New Hampshire, but we know that 

 necessity alone can be a plea for this. 



By what has been said above, you will see that our idea is to have a 

 Grand Master General overall the United States, and each Lodge under 

 him to preserve its own rights, jurisdiction, etc., under him as formerly 

 under the Grand Lodge of Great Britain, from whence the Grand 

 Lodges in America had their warrants, and to have this new Masonic 

 constitution and the powers of the Grand Master General fixed by a 

 convention of committees aforesaid. 



Others we are told have proposed that there be one Grand Master 

 over all these States, and that the other Masters of Grand Lodges, 

 whether nominated by him or chosen by their own Grand Lodges, 

 should be considered as his deputies. But we have the same objections 

 to this that you have, and never had any idea of establishing such a 

 plan as hath been suggested before. 



This letter is now swelled to a great length. We have therefore only 

 to submit two things to your deliberation : 



First. Either whether it be best to make your election of a Grand 

 Master General immediately, and then propose to us a time and place 

 where a committee from your body could meet a committee from ours 

 to fix his powers and proceed to instalment ; or, 



Second. Whether you will first appoint such a place of meeting and 

 the powers of the proposed Grand Master, and then return home and 

 proceed to the election, and afterwards meet anew for instalment. This 

 last mode would seem to require too much time, and would not be so 

 agreeable to our worthy brethren of the army, who are anxious to have 

 this matter completed. 



As you will probably choose the first mode, could not the place of 

 our meeting be at or near the headquarters of the army, at or soon after 

 St. John's day next? At any rate, you will not fix a place far north- 

 ward on account of some brethren from Virginia who will attend, for 

 we propose to advertise the business and the time and place of meeting 

 in the public papers, that any regular Grand Lodges Avhich we may not 

 have heard of may have an opportunity of sending representatives. 



Your answer as soon as possible is requested under cover to Peter 

 Baynton, Esq., Postmaster in Philadelphia. 



I am, etc., William Smith, Grand Secretary. 



To Joseph Webb, Esq., Grand Master of Massachusetts. 

 3 



