THE BASE-BALL CONVENTION.

HELD DECEMBER 9TH, 1863.

The eighth Convention of Base-Ball players took place at Clinton Hall, Astor place, New York, on the evening of Wednesday, December 9th, fifty-five delegates being present as representatives from twenty-eight different clubs, located in New York, Brooklyn, Newark, Philadelphia, Washington, Albany, Goshen, and Newburgh; the names of the clubs and their delegates being as follows;-Those with * attached voted for the fly game, those with ~ against it.

NEW YORK CLUBS.

• Active - J.S. Pagel~, H.A. Rogers~.
• Eagle - P.J. Cozans~, S.F Baker~.
• Empire - Thos. Miller*, R.E. Selmes*.
• Gotham - Judge Van Cott*, A.J. Duplgnac*.
• Henry Eckford - Dr. Bell*, H. Dalton*.
• Jefferson - J. Ross Postley*, E.W. Kirby*.
• Mutual - S. Burns~, A.H. Williams~.
• Metropolitan - E.H. Brown~, J.P. Lacour.
• Mystic - C.H. Glover~, W.H. Kelly~.
• New York - G.T. Hewelett~, W. Brower~.

Delegates in favor of the fly game, 8; against it, 11.

BROOKLYN CLUBS.

• Atlantic - F.K. Boughton~, P.O'Brien*.
• Constellation - E.W. Richardson~, W.L. Foster~.
• Eckford - F. Pigeon*, W.A. Brown~.
• Excelsior - Dr. Jones*, J.B. Leggett*.
• Enterprise - W.H. Murths~, W. Dick~.
• Hamilton - E.R. Wilbur*, C.J. Bergen*.
• Olympic - L.Fern~, A. Melville~.
• Resolute - A.A. Rogers~, F.H. Cowperthwaite~.
• Star - M.M. Kelly*, H. Chadwick*.

Delegates in favor of the fly game, 8; against it, 10.

CLUBS IN OTHER CITIES.

• Union, of Morrisania - W. Cauldwell*, D. Milliken*.
• Hudson River, of Newburgh - J.W. Miller Jr.*.
• Newark, of Newark - C.H. Dawson*, E.C. Thomas*.
• Athletic, of Philadelphia - Col. Fitzgerald~, E.H. Hayhurst~.
• Keystone, of Philadelphia - J.Duffy~, H.D. Mulholland~.
• Knickerbocker, of Albany - G.H. Turner*, R. Headlum*.
• National, of Washington - C.C. Walden*, A.P. Gorman*.
• Monitor, of Goshen, NY - B.R. Champion*, E. Dikeman~.

Total delegates in favor of the fly game, 27; against it 26.

Clubs in favor of it, 11; against it, 11; divided 5.

The vote by delegates stood 25 against, to 22 in favor, five delegates being absent.

The following clubs being in arrears over two years, and no efforts being made on their behalf to reinstate them were erased from the roll of membership. Most of them have ceased to exist, the majority being merged into other organizations:

Putnam, Exercise, and Powhatan of Brooklyn; Social and Alpine of New York; Liberty of New Brunswick; Adriatic of Newark; Equity, Winona, Benedict United and Olympic of Philadelphia; Quickstep of Bergen, N. J., The New Rochelle Club, Baltic of Bellville, Continental of Jersey City, the Eaglewood Club, Union of Elizabeth, Bowdoin of Boston, Excelsior of Baltimore, and Fleety, city of Rochester. The Baltic, Charter Oak, Continental, Harlem, Independent, Knickerbocker, Union of Brooklyn, and Victory of Troy, all of which were represented at the last Convention, failed to send delegates this time.

Unless they are represented next year, they will cease to be members of the Association, and therefore not eligible to play in matches with clubs that are.

In addition to the above, the Jefferson and Metropolitan clubs have not played in matches for a year or two past, neither has the Hamilton of Brooklyn. Whether they are in existence or not we can not say.

The Convention was duly called to order by Colonel Fitzgerald, the President of the National Association, who briefly addressed the Convention relative to the object of the meeting.

After the reading of the Minutes of the last Convention, the report of the Treasurer was read, showing a balance in the treasury of $159.44. The Committee on Nomination then reported in favor of the admission of the Active club of New York and Monitor of Goshen, both of which were duly elected. The report of the Committee on Rules and Regulations being next in order, Dr. Jones, the chairman, read the report, and as each amendment was presented to the Convention for indorsement, it was promptly acted upon and adopted almost without a dissentient voice - with the exception of the rule in relation the fly game - so ably had the Committee discharged their duties, and so well did their sentiments accord with those of the majority of the members.

The Committee, in their report, heartily recommended the system of scoring detailed in Beadle's Dime Book of Base-Ball, edited by H. Chadwick, to the attention of scorers, as by it the facilities for arriving at correct data in making up the averages at the close of the season would be greatly increased.

When the question of the fly game came up for action, it elicited considerable discussion. On putting the question to vote, it was decided in the negative by a vote of 25 to 22.

It was a noteworth fact that all, or nearly all, of those opposed to it belong to the muffin fraternity, whose fun the fly game would put a stop to altogether.

The usual vote of thanks to the retiring officers was passed, and on motion, fifty dollars was allowed for the publication of five hundred copies of the rules and regulations. Those clubs not receiving their books after having sent their addresses to the Secretary, will obtain redress by writing to the Treasurer on the subject, whose address is, P. J. Cozans, 122 Nassau street.

The sum of fifty dollars was awarded as compensation to the Recording Secretary for his services during the year. On motion the Convention then adjourned, to meet again the second Wednesday in December, 1864, at the same place.

The number of clubs represented at the Convention of 1857 was sixteen; in 1858, twenty-five; in 1859, forty-nine; in March, 1860, sixty-two; in December, 1861, thirty-four; in 1862, thirty-two; and in 1863, twenty-eight.

The Rules: 1864 National Association of Base-Ball Players Continued

The Rules of the Game: A Compilation of the Rules of Baseball 1845–1900