"Old Charges" Of British Freemasons.

' * Cole" ( 47 ) , MSS ., which are to be found most palpably in MS . 8 , but to my mind it would be reversing the order to term them the f ' Spencer Family ; " my verdict being that they belong to the "Inigo Jo nes Family . " The " Dodd MS . " ( 48 ) , is of still less value than No . 32 , for beyond being a typographical curiosity , its Masonic value as a text , is simply dependent on such Versions as No . 8 .

However we may differ for the time , I should like to speak most favourably of Dr . Begemann ' s researches , for the facts he is accumulating are of great critical value , and though some of us fail to follow him in his inferences and applications , we are amongst the heartiest of those who appreciate and esteem his labours as one of the industrious student class connected with the " Ouatuor Coronati" Lodge . W . J . HUGHAN .

The History Of The Royal Masonic Institution For Girls

THE HISTORY OF THE ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR GIRLS

FROM ITS ORIGIN , 1788 , TO ITS CENTENARY , 1888 . As tlie sclieme for erecting a larger School house was longer in coming to maturity , we shall briefly describe tlie feAV events of consequence that occurred during its progress first , so that our account of it may be as nearly as possible continuous . In September , 1792 , apropos of a resolution of the House Committee in reference to the

case of one of the children whose friends appear to have been dissatisfied with her situation , the General Committee expressed a very decided opinion " that leave of absence from the School ought not to be granted to any Child on any pretence whatever , as the preservation of good Order in the School and the Health and Morals of the

Children essentially depend on their never being suffered to go home to their Friends while under the Protection of this Charity . " They therefore endorsed the action of the House Committee in respect of this particular child , and ordered that the Secretary should acquaint her friends that , in the event of their again soliciting leave of

absence for her , she would be dismissed . Such a resolution strikes us as being harsh in the extreme , but we mnst credit the Committee with knowing what was the best policy to pursue in such circumstances . They were evidently too desirous of promoting the welfare of tlieir young charges to dream of acting towards them unkindly . In October the General Court decided that no more children could

be admitted till a new School house was erected . This , however , was non-confirmed at the Court in January , 1793 , and a recommendation of thc General Committee for the admission of three additional girls agreed to , a Special Court being held on the 25 th of the same month , when , for thc first time , the ballot was

brought into requisition , and the three children were elected from an approved list of 23 candidates . In April , Sir Peter Parker , Bart ., D . G . M ., was elected Treasurer in place of Bro . C . Carpenter , to whom a vote of thanks for his services was unanimously accorded . In May following Bro . Callendar resigned the Collectorship ,

apparently in consequence of a resolution of the Committee limiting his commission to the " Annual Subscriptions collected" by him , and in July his successor , in the person of Bro . Edmonds was elected by a large majority of votes over Bro . Lindsey . In Juno a girl was expelled for refractory conduct , whose father had apparently

interfered in somo objectionable manner in the presence of thc whole School , and refused to apologise for his misconduct . It was evidently no easy task to govern the Institution in these early clays . The Committee seem to have been compelled to enforce discipline not only amongst the children but among the parents and friends likewise ,

and this and other similar instances will go a long way towards accounting for the stringency of thc resolution againstjgranting leave of absence which has been already noticed . Yet a little further , and wo are greeted with entries of a more agreeable character . In the minutes of August , 1793 , occurs a letter

from Bro . Dunckerley , announcing the remittance of certain contributions , * and on the same occasion the ( Secretary announces that earlier in the month he had attended , b y invitation of tho same distinguished brother , the Provincial Grand Lodge of Essex , at Chelmsford , in honour of the Prince of Wales ' s birthday , that Bro . Dunckerley ,

after speaking strongly in recommendation of the Charity , had given him a draft of £ 21 , to be placed to the credit of thc Charity , in the name of " Tho Prince of Wales ' s Grand Legion of Knight Templars ;" that the Lodge of Good Fellowship—whicii Dunckerley had

consecrated on the occasion—had given him £ 10 10 s . ; and that the W . Masters of many other Lodges in Essex , Cambridge , and Suffolk had promised to assist the Charity , f For these contributions the Committee passed the usual vote of thanks .

Nor were these thc only instances of generous support occurring at this time , for both at this and the meeting in September the Secretary announced the receipt of contributions from the Madras Presidency , amounting to £ 40 in the case of the Lodge of Perfect Unanimity , No . 1 , Madras , and to £ 126 in that of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Coromandel . For these donations votes of thanks

were passed and are recorded in thc minutes , and it was also resolved in the case of the Lodge of Perfect Unanimity—and in that of all country lodges following its example—that " it be recommended to the next General Court that the said Lodge shall have the Privilege of nominating a RepresentatiA r e in tlieir behalf at the usual meetings of this Charity , such Representative being a Free Mason and a

Governor in his own right . " In November the W . Master of the Stewards' Lodge attended the Committee , and handed in a donation of £ 21 to constitute its Past Master a Life Governor in perpetuity . The donation was accepted on tbe condition attached , and as no such , arrangement was provided for in the Regulations , it was agreed at

the next meeting " that any Lodge who shall contribute a Second Donation of 20 guineas to this Charity and choosing to give the second vote ( whicii such Lodge is entitled to in consequence thereof , according to the Regulations of this Institution ) to any one of their Officers pro tempore , that they shall be at liberty so to do . "

But a still more momentous consideration became present to thc minds of the brethren on the Committee at this period . The School had been in working order foi * five years , and as the age for the girls to leave the School had been fixed at 15 years , it was necessary they should take counsel as to the measures to be adopted in order to

provide for them in their after career . A Sub-Committee , consisting of Bros . Tenbroecke , Forssteen , William Preston , Birch , and A . Gordon , was therefore appointed for the purpose of drawing up a series of regulations , and in December , 1793 , their Report , which was to the following effect , -vvas submitted , and received the unanimous approval of the members present : —¦

This excellent Charity having been established near Five Years , and every day proving more and more its utility , and some of the Children drawing near the Age of Fifteen Years , the period afc which ifc was originally the design of the Governors to place them ont in the World—your Committee examined the several Regulations by which the Institution is conducted for their guidance , aud not finding any Specific Rule to this point , fchey beg leave to submit the following Regulations to your Consideration as fit to be adopted on such Occasions : —

iurst— that three Months previous to any Child having attained the Age of Fifteen Years tho Secretary do make Enquiry into tlio Character and Situation in Life of such Child ' s Parents , or Friends in case she has no Parents , and shall give them Notice to attend the first House Committee which shall meet after such Enquiry has been made , in order thafc the Committee may be enabled to judge Jiow will

- far it - be proper to recommend the General Court that such Child bo returned to her Parents or Friends on her time being completed in the School , whicii shall be certified under the hand of thc Matron , fcho Houso Committee shall bo empowered to give such Child any sum not exceeding Four Guineas to bo laid out in the purchase of Plain Clothing and other necessaries whicii may be thought proper on quitting the School .

Second—That wherever ifc shall be found fchat a Child lias no Relative 01 Friend living , or that they arc either incapable or improper to bo entrusted with the future Management of such Child on her quitting tho School , She shall be bound an Apprentice for Four Years as a Domestic Servant in somo reputable Family residing in Great Britain where another Female Servant is kept . Ancl

that the Characters of the Masters and Mistresses of all Families apply ing for a Child from this Charity shall be previously strictly enquired into and approved of by the House Committee , who shall also be empowered fco give such Child any Sum not exceeding Five Guineas , to bo laid out in her Cloafching and other necessaries proper for hor on quitting thc School .

Third—That no Master or Mistress of a Roys' Academy or Single Gentleman or any Porson who Letts Furnished Lodgings cither to Single Men or others , or who are themselves only Lodgers , shall be deemed proper Persons to take an Apprentice from this Charity . Fourth—That if a Child labours under any Infirmity which incapacitates her from Domestic Service , such Child shall be placed out , at tho Discretion of the House Committee , to any Trade or Business which they shall think prudent , with Premium not

a exceeding Ten Pounds , One Moiety whereof shall bo paid to tho Master or Mistress at the expiration of the first Three Mouths after such Child lias been Apprenticed , and tho remainder of the aforesaid Foe shall be paid when half the Term of Years for which such Child is Apprenticed shall have expired , the Committee being satisfied that such Child has been and is properly taken caro of . And thc House Committee shall be also empowered to give such Child any Sum not exceeding Four Guineas , to be laid out in her Gloat ' hing and other necessaries previous to her being bound Apprentice .

liftli—lhat tho Expences of all Indentures shall be paid by fche Person to whom any Child shall bo bound Apprentice . Sixth . —That , in Order to encourage the Children to behave well and servo fcheir Apprenticeships faithfully , tlio Treasurer shall be authorised to pay any Child that shall have been Appointed from this Charity a sum not exceeding Five

Guineas on her appearing at thc General Court , after the expiration of Iter Apprenticeship , to return tho Governors Thanks for tho Benefits she has received from this Institution , and producing at the same timo Satisfactory Testimonials from her Master and Mistress , or both , if living , of her good behaviour during her Apprenticeship .

Your Committee , after having submitted the before-mentioned Regulations for your Consideration , felfc ifc their duty to represent that there is no existing ' Rule to enable them to remove any Child whoso vicious Conduct may unfortunately require expulsion from the School . They , therefore , beg leave to

recommend—That the General and House Committees be respectively empowered iufiifcu 1 ' " to remove any Child from the School whoso Conduct , after the strictest Investigation , shall appear to merit such said disgrace , in order to prevent tho dreadful Effects of a bad Example , ancl protect the Morals of the innocent and unguarded from being contaminated thereby . All which is submitted .