Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-05-13
JUDAISM.
Our Hearts in Our Hands,
B'Nai Births Annual Grand Con-
vention for District No. T.
The Second Days
Legislation.
Brief Sketch Of the Order-The
Presidents Report, Etc.

ton OF the l. y. Is. b. was called to
order shortly after 9 o'clock this
morning, by the grand president,
Samuel Ullman, of Natchez, Miss.
Several congratulatory dispatches
were read from various bodies within
the district. One or two in foreign
languages were ordered to be t%ransla-
ted and spread on the minutes.
A resolution was offered to alter the
constitution 20 as to elect a grand
chaplain each year to serve the dis
trict grand lodge. The matter at
tractcd considerable discussion. Rabbi
Sam6eld opposed the resolution,
claiming that regular prayers are set
down to be delivered at the opening
and close of the sessions, which any
minister or layman may deliver. Some
member of the body should be called
upon to deliver the ritual prayer.
President Ulman was compelled to
stop the confusion that resulted by a
few remarks of warning to bring them
to a proper sense of orderly duty.
The resolution was voted down under
a call for the previous question.
A resolution was offered against ex-
acting charges of So for initiating
members in the district grand lodge.
1t was claimed by a member that the
constitutional grand lodge at its re-
cent session in Philadelphia abolished
this fee. The resolution passed its
first and second readings.
The committee on appeals reported
in favor of sustaining Mr.. Besthoff, of
Hidikel Lodge, in a case wherein he
was interested regarding informal and
irregular proceedings on a trial. The
committee were in favor of reversing
the action Of the lodge in the matter.
A motion was made to sustain the ap-
peal and order Mr.. Besthoff a new and
impartial trial. Messrs. Seelig, D.
Dalsheimer, Meyer, Holland and Ber-
helm, the appeal committee, said their
report had been made after careful
consideration and no other report
could be made. Rabbi Samfeld said
a few clerical or unimportant errors
in a trial ought not to be considered.
The matter was on a vote postponed
until 10 o'clock tomorrow,
In the case of an appeal Of Martin
Cohen and others, regarding an
amount of dues claimed to have been
oyerpaid by having settled claims in
two lodges, a committee reported in
favor of ordering the excess returned
to Mr.. Cohen. The minority report
favored his paying dues to both lodges,
bat only one set of dues to the grand
lodge. The latter was adopted.
An amendment was offered to article
nine, section seven, of laws governing
trials. 1t was referred to the commit
tee on laws.
The committee on representation
made their report-frst, shall the
representation be altered; the com
mittee are decidedly in favor of re-
ducing the number to one representa-
tive, instead of three, as is
now allowed. Under the pres
ent system, the lodges located
near the place where the district grand
lodge meets. 1t gives the closely
located lodges undue preponderance
over those at a distance. The num-
Der Of delegates will then be reduced
to 81, the present number Of lodges in
the district, and the committee favor
a reduction of a quorum from 30 to
20. The report pitched into the sys.
TEN Of running the convention around
on wheels, to places where members
show a desire to have a good time at
banquets and frolics. The report was
signed by Messrs. Labatt, Strauss,
Brown, Sturm and Spiro. The milage
and per diem of the delegates wa also
discussed at length. The article was
changed in accordance with the report
to make one delegate only a legal
representative from each lodge to the
'listrict grand lodge, and it passed on
its second reading, the yeas and nays
being recorded-64 in favor and 6
against.
On the question Of reducing the
quorum from thirty to twenty the vote
was unanimously passed on its second
reading aud the names@ere so record
cd. On the mileage and pei
diem question Chairman Labatt
spoke at length in favor of abolishing
the mileage and per diem charge
: for when the members go home they
r would have to inform their brethren
that they have taxed them $6 pei
quarter for the endowment fund anC
81 per quarter as a per diem charge
: Chairman Labatt stated, in reply to
question, hat his lodge in Galveston
sends two delegates to the district
y grand lodge aud pays their actual cx
penses. The same is calculated al
9 about SO each, or a total Of $3.50