Boston, Wednesday Sept. 11, 1833-10 o'clock, A. M. FOUR HUNDRED AND NINETEEN DELEGATES, chosen by the Antimasonic people of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, from eleven Counties, (in pursuance of a resolution passed at a meeting of the Antimasonic members of the Legislature and others, held in March last,) assembled this morning, at ten o'clock, in the REPRESENTATIVES HALL, of the State House, "for the purpose of consulting upon the common good, seeking redress of wrongs and grievances suffered from Secret Societies, nominating candidates for Governor, and Lieutenant Governor, and generally to transact such other business as the cause of Antimasonry may require." The meeting was called to order by GEORGE ODIORNE of Boston, and the Convention organized, by the choice of JOHN BAILEY of Norfolk, President. BENJAMIN HALLETT of Barnstable, 1st Vice President. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN HALLETT of Boston, HERMAN ATWILL of Concord, DANIEL HENSHAW of Lynn, AMASA WALKER Of Boston. On it being suggested that many members of the Convention were advanced in years, it was voted that it be considered in order for members, who may wish to sit covered, to wear their hats. Rules and Orders. The Rules and Orders of the National Antimasonic Convention, held at Philadelphia in 1830, were adopted. 4 REPORT OF THE STATE COMMITTEE. Prayer. On motion of George OdiorNE, it was voted, that Rev. Mr. PIERPONT of Boston, who is present by invitation for that purpose, be requested to address the throne of Grace. A fervently eloquent, and emphatic prayer, for a blessing on the deliberations of the Convention, for charity to all mankind, and that the hidden things of iniquity might be brought to light, was offered by the Rev. Mr. PIERPONT. Accommodation for Reporters. On motion of B. F. HALLETT, voted, that accommodations be provided for gentlemen connected with the press, who may wish to be informed of the proceedings of the Convention.. Number of Members present. Messrs. MANLY of Middlesex, BARNES of Suffolk, BUFFUM of, Essex, PORTER of Norfolk, ADAMS of Plymouth, CASE of Bristol, LOVELL of Barnstable, DowLEY of Worcester, RICHARDS of Hampshire, FULLER of Hampden, and WHITAKER of Franklin, were appointed to examine the certificates of members elect, and prepare a list of the members of this Convention, who may be present and take their seats, designating the towns and counties to which they belong. This Committee afterwards reported, That the whole number who had taken their seats, was 419, from eleven Counties, viz: REPORT OF THE STATE COMMITTEE. The following Report from the State Committee was read by the Secretary, accepted, and referred to a special Committee. The State Antimasonic Committee, appointed by the State Convention held at Worcester, Sept. 5th, 1832, to continue their services until another Committee should be appointed, request permission to present the following relation of the principal transactions connected with their duties, for the past year. REPORT OF THE STATE COMMITTEE. 5 The State Committee was first organized and appointed, by the State Convention assembled at Boston in 1829, " for the purpose of diffusing such information, holding such correspondence, publishing such documents and papers, and otherwise attending to all the objects of this Convention, as they may think proper." The same Committee has been reappointed every subsequent year, by the State Conventions, with the addition of two members to the Committee in 1832. The State Committee are not a distinct body, but a part of the whole Committees for state, counties, towns and wards, having no more power than any member of either of those Committees. An examination of the organization of this Committee, will show that it was rendered as republican and as directly amenable to its constituents, as it is possible to constitute any Committee for any public purpose. We rehearse the proceedings of the Convention of 1829, which first organized the several Committees. "On motion of Gen. Epaphras Hoyt, of Franklin, "Voted, That Messrs. Oliver, of Essex; Congdon, of Bristol; Lazell, of Plymouth; Peters, of Worcester; Williams, of Franklin; Thacher, of Norfolk, and Adams, of Middlesex, be a Committee to take into consideration the expediency of organizing State, County, Town and District Committees, who subsequently reported; That as the great object of this Convention is to spread information before the people on the subject of Free Masonry, it is obvious that assistance must be employed in various parts of this Commonwealth. They, therefore, respectfully recommend, that the gentlemen composing the Suffolk Committee, be appointed a State Committee, for the purpose of diffusing such information, holding such correspondence, publishing such documents and papers, and otherwise attending to all the objects of this Convention, as they may think proper. Further, they recommend, that a County Committee be appointed in each county, (where they are not already chosen,) in such manner as the people in those counties shall determine. And that it be the duty of each Antimasonic County Committee in this Commonwealth to correspond with the State Committee, and Ward or Town Committees, within their respective counties, collect and diffuse information on the subject of Free Masonry; call meetings and otherwise attend to the objects of this Convention as they may think proper; and also, that each Committee, appointed under this organization, fill their own vacancies; and when any member, or members of either State, County, Ward, Town or District Committee, shall be present at the meeting of either of the above named Committees,he or they shall be considered members of the same, and act accordingly. The above Report was unanimously accepted." It will thus be seen that all the members of state, county, and town committees, have concurrent powers, in all matters of deliberation, and that the State Committee can at any time, be outvoted by members of other committees, who have a right to take part in all the proceedings of the State Committee, when holding their meetings. For the sake of convenience alone, the State Committee have heretofore been selected from the county of Suffolk, because it was supposed that if the members lived remote from each other, they could rarely be called together for any purpose, and thus many occasions for placing the subject 6 CHALLENGE TO THE GRAND LODGE. of Free Masonry in its true light before the people, would be lost. Your Committee however think that an addition of members from the country, would be advantageous and not inconvenient. The main object of a State Committee, is to constitute a responsible organ, for the diffusion of information, and to carry into effect the resolves of State Conventions, publishing the necessary calls for public meetings, and holding such correspondences, as they deem may best advance the cause of Antimasonry, subject to the approval or disapproval of the Convention. This duty the State Committee have endeavoured faithfully to discharge, the past year. It has been one great object of Antimasons, to convince the public of the plain fact, that the disclosures made of Freemasonry, as it actually exists, are true. The Rhode Island Investigation, and the unanswered challenge to the Grand Chapter and Grand Lodge of this state to disprove the specific allegations against Masonry, have well established this first important point in our cause. No Mason, possessing any character for truth and veracity, now dares deny that the oaths and penalties and signs and ceremonies of Freemasonry, are such, to the letter, as the Antimasonic Convention of this Commonwealth allege them to be. If any such Mason exists, your Committee invite him, as they have invited the Grand Chapter and Grand Lodge, to step forward in his own name, and place his finger on a single allegation against Freemasonry, charged and sanctioned by the State Convention or its committee, which he dares deny. In order to bring to a distinct issue the question of fact us to the disclosures relating to Masonry, the last State Convention adopted full and minute allegations disproving every assertion and denial (but one) made in the Declaration of the 1200 Masons of this state, and that Convention voted, that the State Committee be a Committee to act as the Representatives of the Antimasonic Republican Convention, in asserting and pledging themselves to sustain the truth of the allegations against the Masonic Institution, adopted by said Convention, and to tender to the 1200 signers of the Declaration or to any or all, of the Masonic bodies in this state, their Grand Officers, Lecturers, Orators, or Committees, a trial by Jury or a trial by the Legislature to test the truth of the 38 specific charges, preferred against the Institution. In pursuance of this authority, the State Committee, on the 11th of September, 1832, addressed a letter to the presiding officer of the Grand Chapter, and also of the Grand Lodge, which letters were severally placed in the hands of the proper officers of the Chapter and Lodge, and from whiʼn we make the following extract : Holding themselves subject to the verdict of public opinion, and presuming that no body of men in this country can fairly claim to be above it, the Antimasonic Convention have proposed an issue, to test, so far as facts are concerned, the question between Antimasons and Masons, which now divides the community, by offering on their part to appoint a committee who should assert the allegations contained in the said reply to be true. They also proposed that either the twelve hundred, or any of the grand bodies or officers of the Masonic Fraternity in this State, should appoint a committee on their part, who would |