MUNCE EDWARD ISLAND. 203 Ont., by M. W. H. C. Cordes . One of the charter members of Court Dufferin and a representative to this session of the was the present supreme chief ranger, Dr. Oronhyatekha . The most worthy high chief in his annual report referred to the admission of this brother, now known as the greatest fraternal society man in the civ¬ ilized world, in the following words: "During my visit to Canada in February last I had occasion to visit the courts in London, Ont., and while there, upon the so¬ licitation of nearly every member of the Order in that locality, I issued a special dis¬ pensation to Court Dufferin, No. 7, of Lon¬ don, Ont., allowing said court to initiate one Doctor Oronhyatekha , a gentleman of In¬ dian parentage, who was highly recom¬ mended by everyone who knew him. This act I have never regretted as he is one of the hardest workers of the Order in Canada , and, by his labours, Independent Forestry is spreading throughout the Dominion. At the last meeting of the of Ontario, he was elected as its presiding officer. I therefore ask this High Body to approve of said act in granting said special dispensa¬ tion." This course it seems was necessary as Dr. Oronhyatekha was not a white male and the doors of the Order were not open to . any applicants unless their skin was white. This is the law of many of the fraternal so¬ cieties of the present time. The action of the most worthy high chief was unanimously approved. At this session the old and cumbersome method of collecting and paying over to the widows and orphans of deceased Foresters the benefits of the Order was repealed, and the contributions were to be sent to the most worthy high treasurer. Some changes were made in the endowment laws and the Mor ¬ tuary Benefit «^hi40 members was increased to $2,000 and $3,000. Jwlp. William B. Hoke , of Kentucky , was elected most wuithy high chief ranger, Col. Caldwell most worthy high secretary and Henry Griffin , of Rochester, N. Y. , most worthy high treas¬ urer. This man had filled the office of most worthy high chief ranger and was very pop¬ ular. He defeated J. Saunders by a large majority in the election for the office of most worthy high treasurer, but in two months from the date of the session he was a fugi¬ tive from justice, with over $17,000 of the funds of the Order in his possession. When the old law requiring the assessments to be sent to the treasurers of the courts was re¬ pealed and the new law enacted to have the funds sent to the supreme treasurer, there was not that provision now found in the Constitution of every well regulated institu¬ tion to have the drafts, cheques, orders, etc, made payable to some bank. This explains why Griffin had so much money in his pos¬ session at one time. Notwithstanding the fact that the loss was relatively a small one, being a trifle over one dollar for each mem¬ ber in the Order , and although the bonds of the treasurer were good for part of the sum, his absconding created a great panic and was the cause of what is known as the Secession Movement. Griffin was expelled from the order on January 28, 1879, and soon after imprisoned for his crime, and a new treas¬ urer in the person of J. T. Hickman , of Ken¬ tucky, was elected to the office before Feb¬ ruary 1st. Though the most worthy high chief ranger, Judge Hoke , and Secretary Caldwell did everything possible, they could not altogether allay the feeling of conster¬ nation pervading the ranks. Courts and states called meetings and declared against sending insurance money out of the states.