Expansion Of Our Girls' School.

EXPANSION OF OUR GIRLS' SCHOOL .

MORE than ordinary interest attaches to the proceedings of the Special General Court of the Governors and Subscribers of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , which was convened ou Monday last at

Freemasons' Hall , in compliance with a requisition delivered by the Treasurer and other prominent members of the Executive . Por a considerable time past it has been obvious that , if the Institution is to bo maintained in its

efficiency , care must be taken to provide against the encroachments which has recently been threatened upon the premises of our School grounds by the " progressive builder . " The question is one that has been already many

times before the Craft , and arguments have been advanced both in favour of and against the purchase of additional land , in order to ward off the erection of buildings in too near proximity to our Schools . These discussions , which

have received frequent consideration in our columns , have in the main tended towards the _ upport of the proposal to extend the boundaries of the existing area at Battersenrise , and the chief objection urged by tho economists has

been that of the excessive price asked for the small plot of ground required to meet the exigencies of the case , Unquestionably the figure asked—two thon . niul five hundred pounds—for a little corner piece of land abutting

on the Wand . worth-road is a large one ; yet at the same time it must bo considered that of recent years land available for building purposes has enormously increased in value in all our suburban districts , and St . John ' s Hill is

no exception to the rule . Being aware of this—as all men of business must be—the owner , Mr . William Evill , finds himself in the happy position of holding the trump card in his hand ; and , without describing the transaction as on all

fours with the demand for fabulous compensation often made when property is required for public purposes , we do not see there is much reason to complain that he requires what he considers a reasonably good price for the

plot of ground needed for the special uses of the Institution . It is rightly considered by the Executive that it would be highly advantageous to make this addition to their existing property ; and after negociations and

deliberations it has at length been resolved , on the motion of Bro . Ralph Clntton J . G . D ., who is one of the Vice-Patrons of the Institution , that the negociations between the Houso Committee and Mr . Evill for the purchase of the

two houses and grounds adjoining the Junior School ° f this Institution , for the sum of two thousand five hundred pounds be approved , and that the Trustees be authorised to carrv the same into effect . There is no doubt

that now , the matter is left in the hands of a practical and business-like set of men , we shall speedily hear of a satisfactory settlement of the whole question , and that the

wirls School will be in possession of sufficient space for the development of its advantages and the inaintainance of the thoroug h efficiency of the Institution at any rate for some years to come .

. Several other matters more or less important and interesting to the Craft generally were brought up at thu Meeting , foremost amongst which was the motion by tho

« rand Registrar , Bro . P . A . Philbrick , Q . C ., to alter aw XXLV . in such a way as to provide that no candidate ior ; admission to the School shall be disqualified b y reason her age exceeding eleven years at the time of election , in

Expansion Of Our Girls' School.

cases where such excess would not have arisen had the election been held on the second Saturday in April of that year . We can only assume that cases of this description would occur but very seldom , and the resolution being

prompted no doubt by an instance that actually cropped up , iu which the age was limited to tho week or day , the proposition was so fair ancl equitable , on the face of it , thafc there could be no reason why it should not be adopted .

The manner in whioh the Jubilee year of Her Majesty the Queen should be commemorated was the next subject brought under the notice of the Special Court , on a motion

by Bro . W . Brown , Vice-President . In the absence of the brother who had given notice of the motion , ifc was formally brought forward by Brother Horace Brooks Marshall Past Grand Treasurer . It was to the effect ;

that in commemoration of Her Mijosty ' s Jubilee , five further vacancies be declared for the election in April nexfc , thereby admitting of the whole of the candidates on the list without contest . This is gratifying news all round—to the subscribers ancl others who take an interest in the

Girls' School , to the candidates and their friends , and to none more than the Executive themselves . It will also stand on record as a graceful and beneficent means of celebrating an event which is to be marked in some way or

other by almost every public institution in the kingdom , and will be for more satisfactory to the Craft generally than would have been any proposal for a festivity in which only a small section of the brethren could participate . The

only drawback to the otherwise unqualified value of this proposition is thafc the upsetting of the election , even under exceptional cases , is c . lculated to lead to some confusion so far as regards those who hold accumulated votes . Many

brethren , adopting a system which we do not hesitate to deprecate in every shape and form , —of borrowing and forestalling votes , —have incut-fed heavy responsibilities ; and this " walk over , " if we may so speak , will completely

revolutionize the arrangements that may have been made for the exchange or repayment of borrowed votes . Por instance , a brother holding five hundred Girls' votes which he wished to exchange will , in the absence of an

election , find them worthless ; so thafc practically his entire capital in the way of voting power has been " barked . " Thus , wbile congratulating the Executive aud fche Subscribers alike upon a scheme which will place the

advantages of fche School afc the feefc of five additional candidates , there is reason to fear thafc the absence of an election will cause confusion in individual voting operations which ifc will take a considerable time to adjust .

Probabl y , however , the proposal by the President of fche Board of Benevolence , Bro . Robert Grey , to rescind Law LVI ., viz .: — " No giri shall be eli gible for election , or for admission by purchase , or otherwise , who has a sister in

the Institution , unle . s the number of vacancies is in excess of the number of candidates , " formed the most debateable part of the proceedings of the Special Court on Monday last . This matter had been thoroughly considered and

fought out long since , and a rule was passed some five years ago that two children of the same famil y should nofc be admitted into the School . Bro . Grev , in advancing 1 his proposition , admitted thafc the whole subject had been well

aud carefully weighed , and the result was that the plan applied only under exceptional cirenmstanees . It must be obvious to all that it is most advantageous for two sisters fco be educated in the same school , to say nothing of the stronger tie of mutual affection that would bind them