Sect. 5. The grand and deputy grand masters severally shall have the power and authority (during the recess of the grand encampment of which they are officers) to grant letters of dispensation under their respective hands and private seals to a competent number of petitioners, residing within their respective jurisdictions, (possessing the constitutional qualifications) empowering them to form aud open a council and encampment, for a certain specified term of time, not extending beyond the next meeting of the grand encampment. And in all cases of such dispensations, the officer granting the same shall make report thereof at the next meeting of the grand encampment, who may either continue or recall the same, or may grant the petitioners a charter.

Sect. 6. The several state grand encampments shall possess authority, upon the institution of new councils and encampments, within their respective jurisdictions, to require the payment of such fees as they may deem expedient, which said fees shall be advanced and paid before a charter of letters of dispensation shall be issued.

Sect. 7. The state grand encampments severally shall have power to require from the several councils and encampments within their respective jurisdictions, such reasonable proportion of sums received by them for the promotion of candidates, and such certain annual sums from their respective members, as may be necessary for supporting the grand encampment with propriety and respectability; which said dues shall be made good, and paid over, by the councils and encampments respectively at such times as the said grand encampments may direct.

Sect. 8. No charter shall be issued for constituting a council of knights of the red cross, excepting upon the petition of at least seven knights of that order; nor for constituting an encampment of knights templars and knights of Malta, excepting upon the petition of nine knights of those orders; and the petitioners must be recommended by the council or encampment in the same state, nearest the place where the new council or encampment is to be established.

Sect. 9. The grand recorders shall severally make an annual communication to each other, and also to the general grand recorder, containing a list of grand officers, and all such other matters as may be deemed useful for the mutual information of the several grand encampments. And the said grand recorders shall also regularly transmit to the general grand recorder a copy of all their by-laws and regulations.

Sect. 10. The jurisdiction of the several state grand encampments shall not extend beyond the limits of the state in which they shall respectively be holden; excepting any case wherein, before the formation of this constitution, a grand encampment had been formed by a united representation of the encampments in two adjoining states.

ARTICLE III.

OF SUBORDINATE COUNCILS AND ENCAMPMENTS.

Sect. 1 All regular assemblies of knights of the red cross are called Councils; and all regular assemblies of knights templars, and knights of Malta, are called Encampments. Every council and encampment ought to assemble at least quarterly, for busi ness and improvement. Every encampment shall consist of a grand commander, generalissimo, captain general, prelate, senior warden, junior warden, treasurer, recorder, warder, standard bearer, sword bearer, and as many members as may be found convenient.

Sect. 2. No encampment shall confer the orders of knighthood for a less sum than twenty dollars, nor upon any one whe shall not have regularly received the several degrees of entered apprentice, fellow craft, master mason, mark master, past master, most excellent master, and royal arch mason. The rule of succession in conferring the orders of knighthood shall be as fol lows, viz. knight of the red cross, kuight templar, and knight of Malta.

Sect. 3. Every council and encampment shall have a charter or warrant from the grand encampment of the state in which they may respectively be holden, or from one of the first four general grand officers. And no council or encampment that may hereafter be formed and opened shall be deen ed legal, without such charter or warrant; and communication is hereby interdicted and forbidden, between any council or encampment under this jurisdiction, or any member of either of them, and any council, encampment or assembly, that may be so formed, opened or holden, without such charter or warrant, or any or either of their members, or any person introduced into such illegal assembly.

Sect. 4. The grand commander of every encampment and Council has it in special charge to see that the by-laws of his council or encampment are duly observed, as well as the general constitution and the regulations of the grand encampment; that accurate records are kept, and just accounts rendered; that regular returns are made to the grand encampment, and to the general grand recorder, annually, and that the annual dues are promptly paid; he has anthority to call special meetings at pleasure; and it is his duty, together with his second and third officers, to attend all meetings of the grand encampment, in person or by proxy.

Sect. 5. It shall not be deemed regular for any encampment or council to confer the orders of knighthood upon any sojourner whose fixed place of abode is within any state in which there is an encampment regularly established; and in case any encampment shall confer the said orders contrary to this section, such encampment shall on demand pay over to the encampment situate nearest the candidate's fixed place of abode the whole amount of fees received for his admission.

Sect. 6. The officers of every council and encampment under this jurisdiction, before they enter upon the exercise of their re spective offices, and also the members of all such councils and encampments, and every candidate, upon his admission into the same, shall take the following obligation, viz. "I, A. B. do promise and swear, that I will support and maintain the Constitution of the United States' General Grand Encampment of Knights Templars and the Appendant Orders.”

I hereby certify, that the foregoing is a true copy of the Constitution of the United States' General Grand Encampment, adopted and ratified in convention at the city of New-York, on the 21st day of June, A. D. 1816. J. J. LORING,

General Grand Recorder.

List of General Grand Officers, elected June 21st, A. D. 1816; to. continue in office until the third Thursday in Sept. A.D. 1819.

M. E. and Hon. DEWITT CLINTON, Esq. of New-York,
General Grand Master.

THOMAS SMITH WEBB, Esq. of Boston, D. G. G. Master.
HENRY FOWLE, Esq. of Boston, G. G. Generalissimo.
EZRA AMES, Esq. of Albany, G. G. Captain General.
Rev. PAUL DEAN, of Boston, G. G. Prelate.

MARTIN HOFFMAN, Esq. of New-York, G. G. S. Warden.
JOHN CARLILE, Esq. of Providence, (R. I.) G. G.J, Warden.
PETER GRINNELL, Esq. of Prov. (R:I.) G. G. Treasurer.
J. J. LORING, Esq. of Boston, G. G. Recorder.

THOMAS LOWNDES, Esq. of New-York, G. G. Warder.
JOHN SNOW, Esq. of Prov. (R. I.) G. G. Standard Bearer.
JONATHAN SCHIEFFELIN, Esq. of N.Y. G.G. Sword Bearer.

CHAPTER 11.

Grand Encampment of Knights Templars and the Appendant Orders, for the States of Massachusetts and RhodeIsland.

A Grand Convention of Knights Templars was holden in Providence, R. I. on the 6th day of May, A. D. 1805 ;

when the following measures were proposed, and adopted unanimously, viz.

"Resolved, as the sense of this convention, that the formation and establishment of a grand encampment of knights templars would tend to promote the honour and interests of the orders of knighthood, and of masonry.

"Resolved, that a committee be appointed to devise and report a form of constitution, explanatory of the principles upon which a grand encampment shall be opened.

Resolved, that the convention be adjourned until Monday, the 13th instant, then to meet again in Masons' Hall, in Providence."

MONDAY, 13th MAY, A. D. 1805. The convention met, agreeably to adjournment, to take into consideration the report of the committee appointed on the 6th instant, for devising and preparing a form of constitution; which being read and amended was unanimously approved and adopted.

The convention then proceeded to a choice of officers, who were installed in ample form. At an assembly of this grand encampment, holden in Boston, n the month of May, A. D. 1816, it was resolved that three delegates be appointed on the part of this grand encampment to meet a general grand convention, to be holden in the city of Philadelphia, or the city of NewYork, in the month of June, A. D. 1816, for the purpose of forming a general grand encampment of knights templars for the United States, and a constitution for the government of the same; and the M. E. Thomas Smith Webb, M. E. Henry Fowle, and M. E. John Snow, were appointed accordingly.

The delegates proceeded to the city of New-York,.

where a convention assembled, consisting of the representatives of nine encampments and councils.

The convention, after mature deliberation, formed and adopted a constitution, and opened a general grand encampment of knights templars and the appendant orders, for the United States.

CHAPTER 111.

LIST OF ENCAMPMENTS.

Massachusetts.

Encampment of K. T. Boston.
Encampment of K. T. Newburyport.
Council of K. R. C. at Portland.

Rhode-Island.

St. John's encampment of K. R. C., K. T. and K. of M. meets at Masons' Hall in Providence, on the first Monday evenings in March, June, September and December. Newport encampment of K. R. C., K. T. and K. of M. meets at Newport.

New-York.

The old encampment, city of New-York.