AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



EDITED AND PUBLISHED BY SAMUEL WAGNER, WASHINGTON, D. C. 



AT TWO DOLLARS PER ANNUM, PAYABLE IN ADVANCE. 



Vol. VI. 



^X^ITCM, l^T^l. 



No. 9. 



[Fro u the Cinciunati Gazette.] 



American Bee Keepers' Convention, 



FIRST day's proceedings. 



Various States of the Union, either singly or 

 two or three of them united, have formed bee- 

 keepers' associations, but hitlierto no national 

 association has existed in this country. The 

 impetus given to bee culture by the discoveries 

 of Huber, the distinguished Geneva apiarian, at 

 the close of the last century, has sent hundreds 

 into that pursuit. The progress of skill and 

 knowledge in it has not lagged behind the ad- 

 vance made by science and skill in other depart- 

 ments of knowledge and industry since the blind 

 Huber died. The necessity of associated action 

 and effort for the benefit of bee culture has been 

 widely felt, and that feeling has been manifested 

 in forming numerous local associations. About 

 a year ago two of these associations, at nearly 

 the same time, conceived the idea of issuing a 

 call for a convention to form a national organiza- 

 tion. One of them was the Michigan, the other 

 the Northeastern Bee Keepers' Association. 

 The North American Bee Keepers' Association, 

 organized at Indianapolis last December, and 

 the American Bee Keepers' Association, organ- 

 ized here yesterday, are the results of calls issued 

 by the above local bodies respectively, viz. : the 

 Michigan and the Northeastern. Between the 

 Michigan and the Northeastern there has been 

 some controversy — witii but little, if any, ill feel- 

 ing — as to the claim of priority in issuing the 

 call for the national convention. The conven- 

 tion called by the Michigan Association met in 

 December last ; that called by the Northeastern 

 Association is the one in session now in this city. 

 Two national organizations have grown out of 

 the enterprise of the two above named local 

 organizations. Both associations have the same 

 man, the Rev. L. L. Langstroth, of Oxford, for 

 President. Many members of the association 

 formed yesterday are members of the North- 

 western formed at Indianapolis. 3Ir. Lang- 

 stroth, of the Michigan body, in retiring from 

 the active duties of the chair last evening, called 

 to officiate as Chairman of the American, the 

 Rev. Mr. Van Slyke, of the Northeastern Asso- 

 ciation. It will be seen by reading the proceed- 

 ings of the meeting of delegates yesterday (prin- 



ted below, ) that the union of the two national 

 associations at their next meeting, which, for 

 both, is at the same time and place, is a moral 

 certainty. 



AFTERNOON SESSION. 



About one hundred and fifty delegates from 

 various States assembled in convention at one 

 o'clock, yesterday afternoon, at the Templar's 

 Hall, No. IGO Elm street, in this city. An organi- 

 zation was efiected by electing Rev. Wm. L. 

 Clarke, of Toronto, Chairman. 



Gen. D. L. Adair, of Kentucky, moved to adopt 

 a constitution, which he presented, and make 

 this convention an association, to be known as 

 the American Bee Keepers' Association. 



This was objected lo as needless, since we 

 have already a North American Bee Keepers' 

 Association. Mr. H. A. King, of New York, 

 favored General Adair's motion. This would be 

 the first step toward uniting the North American 

 Association and the one proi)Osed to organize 

 here. 



Dr. Bohrer, of Indiana, a delegate to the con- 

 vention that met at Indianapolis, December 21, 

 1870, spoke in favor of maintaining good feeling. 

 He desired that there should be but one associa- 

 tion — i. e., the North American or the American, 

 as should be agreed. 



Mr. R C. Otis, of Wisconsin, moved, as an 

 amendment to Gen. Adair's motion, to appoint 

 a committee to negotiate for union with a like 

 committee of the North American Bee Keepers' 

 Association. 



Mr. H. A. King, of New York, moved to amend 

 the amendment, that the convention should first 

 organize by adopting a constitution, and then 

 propose a imion. 



By carrying the previous question, the debate 

 was cut off. 



Mr. King's amendment to Mr. Otis' amend- 

 ment was adopted. 



The convention avoided the parliamentary 

 form of adoi)ting the amendment of Mr. Otis as 

 amended, and proceeded with the constitution. 



There was first a free debate upon the question 

 of adopting a constitution, in which many quite 

 original views were presented, both upon par- 

 liamentary usage, and the propriety of forming 

 an association here. 



The constitution was adopted article by article. 



A motion was made to insert in article 4, ' ' bee- 



Eatared according to Act of Congress, iu the year 1870, by Samuel Wagner, in the office of the Librarian of Congress 



Wasliiugton. 



