Bro. The Rev. A. F. A. Woodford's Resolution.

BRO . THE REV . A . F . A . WOODFORD'S RESOLUTION .

WE cannot say the result of the meeting , on Monday , of the Quarterly General Court of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys is as satisfactory as we could have wished . True , the resolution of which Bro . tho Bev . 'A

F . A . Woodford had given notice , was duly moved and seconded , and , after a long discussion , carried , by an overwhelming majority . This resolution , be it remembered , was one of unabated confidence in tho House Committee

and Executive ; and tho fact of its acceptance by the Court maybe regarded as , prima facie , closing the recent series of disputes which owed their origin to the publication , about a year since , of Bro . Tew ' s pamphlet . So far , so good ; and had the discussion which ensued on Bro . Woodford ' s

motion been concluded in the ordinary fashion , we should not have felt ourselves called upon to offer a single remark other than of thankfulness at the termination of a somewhat bitter controversy . As the matter stands , however , at this moment , we do not see how the result can

legitimately satisfy any of the parties concerned . Bro . Woodford , whose motion was brought forward in the interests of peace , must feel that its success was due to a mere numerical superiority . The West Yorkshire brethren must feel

aggrieved that the debate was not continued to a legitimate end ; and the House Committee and Executive will hardl y congratulate themselves upon a vote of confidence carried by sheer weight of numbers .

We are extremely sorry that tho success of Bro . Woodford's motion was wanting in completeness instead of being decisive . The majority were a great deal too demonstrative with theirshoutsof " Vote ! Vote ! " " Divide !"

It was not Masonic to refuse a hearing to any brother , and Bro . Moss , of West Yorkshire , though he stood his ground obstinately , was unable to mnke himself heard . The brethren who spoke in favour of the motion were listened to , if not uninterruptedly , at least in comparative quiefc .

One brother only had risen to oppose the motion , and though it is very possible that such arguments as he adduced might have been repeated by other speakers , it was equally possible that other reasons might have been urged against the .-motion . Yet , when the next opponent

rose to say his say , he was resolutely shouted down , and not a syllable that he uttered reached the ears even of those who were close beside bim . The majority wonld have acted more generously had they heard him out , and then proceeded to vote . Instead of this , the time that would

have sufficed for a short speech was wasted in discord , and Bro . Moss , and those who think with him , have it in their power to say , " You out-voted , but you did not outreason us , for you would not hear what we had to say . " It was inevitable that some who proposed to submit their

views to the meeting should be disappointed , for every discussion must terminate sooner or later , and on this occasion there was other most important business—the election of sixteen boys—which could , under no circumstances , be delayed even for a single hour . This was known

when the Court met , but , though it was arranged the debate should be prolonged till two o ' clock , much valuable time was spent in howling , when it would have been more

profitable to listen to argument . Hence it is we regret not the vote which was accepted , but the manner oil its ' reception . It had too much the appearance of being earned overbearingly , as though the majority were deter-

Bro. The Rev. A. F. A. Woodford's Resolution.

mined to win in spite of all argument , instead of by its help and agency . And yet tho motion was well and temperately urged by Bro . Woodford and those who spoke on its behalf . Our

Rev . brother proclaimed it to be his object to re-establish peace after so much dissension , and above all things to assure to tho Institution complete immunity from harm both now and in the future . Ho arsrued the case on its

merits , and questioned the justice of the conclusions at which the Investigation Committee of West Yorkshire had arrived . He maintained the appointment of any such Committee was in violation of all precedent , and as regarded the comparative expenditure of the Masonic Boys' and other

similar Schools , and especially their office expenditure , he insisted that no portion of the money spent on the former was spent extravagantly , while in the case of sundry beads of service the Boys' School compared favourably with the other institutions . He referred to

similar complaints by West Yorkshire in 18 G 9 , and quoted , at some length , from the report , signed by himself , as chairman of the committee appointed to investigate tho charges made , and then concluded an effective speech by commending his resolution to the acceptance of the Court .

Bro . Strachan ( Northumberland ) seconded , and in tho course of a few well-chosen and pertinent remarks , condemned the publication of the pamphlets , the charges

contained in which , in his opinion , should have been submitted to tho School Committees instead of being made public . Bro . Gill ( P . G . S . W . West Yorkshire ) having mentioned tho extreme reluctance with which ho had at

length consented to serve on tho Investigation Committee , denied the justice of many of Bro . Woodford ' s statements , and especially that the evidence was furnished , or the Committee packed , by the principal pamphleteer . The evidence , he said , was based on , in fact would

be found in , the published annual reports of the School , and he justified every figure , and the conclusion arrived at in the Report of the West Yorkshire Committee . He demurred emphatically to the passing of the resolution , especially as Bro . Woodford had intimated that it would be tantamount to a censure on West

Yorkshire . [ Bro . Woodford explained that he never intended or desired that his motion should convey censure on a province with which he himself was so intimately connected . ] Ho pointed out that his province had nobly done its duty towards the Boys' School , having contributed one-seventh of the

funds of the Institution . He earnestly pleaded that the provinces should be admitted to a share in the government of the School . They took as deep an interest in its welfare as the metropolis , and if a due proportion of provincial brethren were placed on the Committee , the province

would be as well assured as he was himself that there was nothing to conceal as regards the management , financial or otherwise , of this Institution . A suggestion from the chair , that perhaps West Yorkshire would accept the resolution , provided the words , " having in view recent

imputations cast on the administration of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , " was firmly , yet respectfully declined by Bro . Gill , who earnestly appealed to Bro . Woodford to withdraw his motion , otherwise he and the members of West Yorkshire who thought with him must

meet it by a direct negative . Bro . Ridgway ( Devon ) thought the General Committee had clone right in taking no action whatever , and that as no attack had been made on the Committee a vote of confidence was unnecessary . But the motion having been made , he felt bound to support it . He condemned the publication of the pamphlets , as a