to African Lodge at Boston, Mass.

PRINCE HALL GRAND LODGE OF MASSACHUSETTS HAS NEVER PRESENTED OR SHOWED THE CHARTER OF AFRICAN LODGE, TO ANY PERSON.

For many years the members of the Masonic fraternity have asked to see the charter of African Lodge No. 459. That Prince Hall Grand Lodge members of Massachusetts say that they had in their possession, and when committees after committees have called and asked for to see it they have been denied the opportunity and that one time they said in Boston, Mass., to the committee that the charter had been destroyed by fire, and another time they told the committee that they could not find the charter. Don't you think and believe that if they had a charter for African Lodge in Massachusetts that they would have that historical Lodge on their roll in their printed proceedings? If you can find the name of African Lodge in any of the Masonic printed proceedings of the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts it is more than any body else can find. See and read the printed Masonic proceedings of the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, and see if you can find the name of African Lodge printed there?

PRINCE HALL GRAND LODGE OF MASSACHUSETTS IS NOT RECOGNIZED BY THE GRAND LODGE OF ENGLAND.

Bro. John G. Jones, 33,

Grand Master of Masons of Illinois,

London, Eng., Dec. 20th, 1907.

Dear Sir and Brother—We have remained here in London, England, longer than we intended to, and since writing to you I have made a visit to Dublin, Ireland. A large number of people in Dublin, Ireland, are doing fairly well, but from time to time there is a large number of people there leaving and going to United States. The other day I went to the Masonic headquarters here in London, England, to find out and investigate for myself if the Grand Lodge of England recognized the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts as I had always heard that our Masonry in America among Colored people came from Grand Lodge of England and the officials of the Grand Lodge of England who were very courteous to me took the occasion to inform me that the Grand Lodge of England does not recognize or affiliate with the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. How is that Bro. Jones, that some of the Colored Masons keep saying in America that they got their charter from the Grand Lodge of England, when the Grand Lodge of England says that they do not recognize the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, and it was at Boston, Mass., that the Colored Masons in Massachusetts have stated that they got a charter for a Lodge from the Grand Lodge of England?

I want nothing more to do with any of the members that belong to the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts. Our Colored brethren in United States should be informed about this matter.

Yours Fraternally, H. S. COLLINS, 33.

THIS IS WHAT MAKES THE PRINCE HALL GRAND LODGE OF MASSACHUSETTS SPURIOUS AND CLANDESTINE.

1—Prince Hall, Boston Smith, Thomas Sanderson and their associates of Boston, Mass., could not have been made Master Masons in a Lodge in General Gages Military Regiment on the 6th day of March, 1775, at Boston, Mass., for General Gages Military Regiment was not in the United States at that time.

2—Prince Hall of Boston, Mass., never was appointed provincial Grand Master in the United States by the Grand Lodge of England.

3—The Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts having connected itself with the spurious National Compact Grand Lodge of North America in 1847 surrendered all of its rights if it had any as a Grand Lodge.

4—The White Masonic Grand Lodge of England that African Lodge No. 459 obtained a charter from was a clandestine and unlawful Grand Lodge of Modern Masons in England.

5—The Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts styles themselves as Modern Masons and Modern Masons are those Masons who refused to follow and adhere to the ancient laws, rules and regulations and the landmarks of Freemasonry. Those Modern Masons are Masonic innovators.

JOHN G. JONES, 33.

Grand Master of Masons of Illinois.

EXTRACTS FROM THE PROCEEDINGS AND SOME OF THE DECISIONS OF THE VARIOUS MASONIC CONGRESSES AND NATIONAL MASONIC CONVENTION HELD AMONG THE COLORED MASONS IN THE UNITED STATES SINCE AUGUST 11th, 1820.

Chicago, Ill., April 8, 1908.

To All Whom This May Concern, Greeting:

The management of the International Masonic Bureau of Information of the world wishes to state that we have devoted much time and labor in collecting this much needed information which gives the time and place as well as the decisions and also a brief account of the proceedings of the various general Masonic congresses and National Masonic Convention that has been held among the Colored Masons in the United States of America since June 11th, 1820.

THE FIRST NATIONAL CONVENTION OF COLORED MASONS OF UNITED STATES HELD JUNE 11th, 1820, AT PHILADELPHIA, PA.

A resolution was adopted recommending to the Grand Lodges that it was unlawful and un-Masonic for any subordinate Lodge or Grand Lodge to meddle with the degrees of Royal Arch Masons.

The convention after some other Masonic discussions adjourned.

SECOND NATIONAL CONVENTION OF COLORED MASONS IN THE UNITED STATES HELD AT BOSTON, MASS., JUNE 24th, 1847.

John T. Hilton, Wm, A. Bruce, Henry Harris of the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, James Richmond, James Bird, Samuel Van Brackle, Phillip Buchanan, John Anderson, James Powell of Pennsylvania, and Alexander Elston, Wm. H. Clark of New York issued a call for National Masonic Convention to meet in Boston, Mass., June the 24th, 1847, and it was agreed and they did organize the National Compact Grand Lodge of North America. John T. Hilton of Boston, Mass., was elected M. W. N. Grand Master Wm. E. Ambush was elected National Grand Secretary. This National Grand Lodge of North America adopted a constitution claiming and exercising power and authority over every Grand Lodge of Masons in each state in the United States and Canada.

This National Compact Grand Lodge in violation of all Masonic law proceeded to issue charters to Grand Lodges in the United States which was a Masonic law and rule that they adopted that was unheard of among Masons of any nationality in any country or any land. This National Compact Grand Lodge sowed the seed of discord and dissension among Colored Masons in this country whose record has covered one of the blackest pages in Masonic history. This National Compact Grand Lodge continued to meet and elect officers for some years thereafter placing heavy assessments upon subordinate Lodges and Grand Lodges throughout the country.

THIRD NATIONAL CONVENTION OF COLORED MASONS HELD IN UNITED STATES WAS AT NEW YORK CITY OCT. 12th, 1848.

James Barnett, Jacob Gibbs and several others of New York State called a National Masonic Convention to meet in New York City, Oct. 12, 1848. James Barnett was elected president of the convention.

Arnold Hicks offered a series of resolutions which was adopted bitterly denouncing the National Compact Grand Lodge of North America that was organized at Boston, Mass., June 24th, 1847. He claimed that the whole National Compact Grand Lodge was a fraudulent and unlawful organization.

Chas. Hooten offered a resolution which was adopted that the organization of African Grand Lodge of Modern Masons of Massachusetts, June the 24th, 1791, at Boston, Mass., with only one Lodge that such Grand Lodge was irregular and unlawful.

The Grand Lodge representative system was discussed and properly