Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS .

The Ouarterly Court of the Governors and subscribers of this Institution was held on Monday last , at the large hall , Freemasons' Tavern . Col . Creaton , Grand Treasurer , ? resided , and amongst other brethren present were Bros . . Wordsworth , Thomas Hill , Henry Smith , Prov . G . S .

West Yorkshire ; James A . Birch , hast Lancashire : J . L . Hine , East Lancashire ; Dr . F . W . Ramsay , John Walhngford , Arthur E . Gladwell , G . P . Biockbank , J . Vaughan , Raynham VV . Stewart , C . F . Matier , lohn G . Stevens , G . Bolton , H . Hacker , H . T . Goodall , Thos . Bradley , Leopold Ruf , J . P .-Platt , VV . Hammond , R . B . Webster , W . Downing , A . J . Duff-Filer , Wm . Roebuck , H . Young , E

Hopwood , Col . Henry Basevi , 1 « . Cohu , Coi . James Peters , John F . Walker , John French , George Rake , R . P . Spice , Samuel H . Parkhouse , VV . Douglas Dugdale , C . E . Soppet ( Audit Committee ) , H . G . S . Goodall , Henry C . Burt , Robt . Wylie , VV . H . B . Tomlinson , H . M . Levy , S . Rawson , James Weaver , G . R . Shervill , George Brown , Andrew Middlemass , A . Tisley , Rev . A . F . A . Woodford , J . VV .

VValdron , S . Rosenthal , Thos . Cochrane , Charles Lacey , VV . H . Saunders , T . Mount Humphries , H . A . Dubois , Thomas Cubitt , Richard Eve , VV . F . C . Moutrie , VV . Drage , C . Pulman , J . Robins , John Constable , F . Adlard , Thomas Meggy , Hyde Pullcn , Thos . F . Harvey , F . B . Davage , Edward B . Grabham , S . George Homfray , Jas . Terrv . George Davcv , Thomas Hewson , Aaron Stone ,

Wm . J . Smithson ( Harrogate ) , Vv * . B . Burnand , lGCjand 1766 ; C . H . Webb , VV . A . Thurp , Win . Groome , J . K . Lc Feuvre , -J . J . Berry , Thos . J . Barnes , Robert Roberts , Joyce Murray , Malcolm Stotlart , Thomas Orger , VV . Stephens , VV . Hopekirk , Walter Sowdon , Andrew G . Soutter , John C . Davis , II . Godtschalk , F . Binckes ( Secretary ) , and H . Massey ( Freemason ) .

After the reading and confirmation of the minutes of the Quarterly Court of last July , and the reading of the minutes of General Committees since held , Bro . BINCKES said that a question had been raised whether the General Committee of September had power to grant the indemnity against personal costs to the Trustees and House Committee in the action brought against them by Bro . S . B .

Wilson . He had no doubt himself about the power , but it had been thought better to make the matter perfectly safe by asking the Ouarterl y Court to grant the indemnity ; and , therefore , the subject was now brought before the Quarterly Court . Bro . RAYNHAM VV . STEWART , P . G . D ., then moved , and Bro . A . I . DUFF-FILER , P . G . S . B ., seconded , that the

defendants in the action be indemnified against costs . The motion was carried . The next business was the consideration of Dr . Ramsay's two motions : — Alteration of Rules XXXVI . and XLV 1 I . : — 1 . "That the members of the House and Audit Committees be elected for three years , and that one-third of the number retire annually , but shall be eligible for

re-election . " Alteration of Bye-law LXI .: — 2 . " That every candidate for admission to the School shall , previously to nomination , present a certificate that he can read , write , and work the first four rules of arithmetic , signed by a clergyman in orders or a certilieel schoolmaster . " Dr . RAMSAY said , in reference to the first , as that had

been rejected on Saturday by the Quarterly Court of the Girls'School , he would now withdraw it ; and , with reference to the second , although he withdiew it as it had also been lost on Saturday , he wished to say that he believed its purport was entirely misunderstood . If the motion had been passed it would have relieved the friends of the candidates of a great deal of difficulty and trouble which under

the present system arose . As stated at the nicotine , ' nf the Girls' School , there had been two children who were found to be totally unfit b y the House Committee when the day came for their admission , and if it had not been for the great distance from which they came they must have been sent back . It frequently occurred that the children could not read so well as it had been certified they could , and for

this reason lie thought it ought not to be left to the House Committee to have to send children back . It was true that the powers they had were very satisfactory , but it was throwing a burden on them which they ought not to have to bear . However , as it was a rule that the laws of the two Institutions should be identical , and these two motions were rejected at the Girls' School , he should withdraw

both now . Bro . F . BINCKES read a letter from Bro . H . C . Levander , stating his inability to attend to bring forward he following motion : "That for the convenience of brethren , especially those rom the provinces , attending the elections of candidates for the two Masonic Educational Institutions , the Quarterly Courts of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , be helel

on the second Saturday in January , April , July and October , instead of the following Monday , as at present;—and that Bye-Law XXIX . be altered accordingly . Bro . BINCKES inquired whether some other brother would bring forward the motion in Bro . Levander's name . This , however , was not responded to , and the motion fell to the ground . Bro . BINCKES then said , that with reference to the case of

Arthur Collingwood , the boy who stood No . 52 on the list of candidates for that day's election , he was sure the Court would bear with him while he expressed his regret at the strong observations which had appeared in print with regard to the candielature of this boy . It had been alleged , publicly as well as privately , that this boy was ineligible for the benefits of the institution , inasmuch as there had been

property left by the father which rendered the mother not the necessitous person she was said to be . Now the friends of the boy had told him ( Bro . Binckes ) that there was no truth in those allegations , that the case was one of very great distress , and that they were prepared to prove , if required to do so , that the case was admirably eligible for admission to this Institution . In a Court like that it would

hardly be possible to elo the inquiry justice , or to see whether the charges were correct or not . He did not sec how they were to be inquired into by that Court . 'The merits had been considered by the General Committee . The CHAIRMAN said he supposed he might take it for granted that the Committee who had the name put on the list went thoroughly into the case . Bro . BINCKES said they did so , and he had made personal

Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

enquiries of the brother who put the case before the Committee , for he hael every reason to be positive he would put the matter in its just light when it was referred . On the other hanel statements were made equally forcibly against the case , and he had a letter from a brother in York asking him to state to the meeting whether an enquiry would be had to test the truth of the statements on the one side or the other . He had , therefore , sketched out a resolution , which ,

if approved by the Court , might get over the difficulties of the case , and meet the views of all the parties . If it did not , the brethren could suggest how it should be altered . The resolution was as follows : "That it be referred to a Committee to consider and enquire into the allegations against the eligibility of Arthur Harvey Collingwood , No . 52 on the list as a candidate for admission to the Institution . 'That the House Committee of the Institution be such

Committee , who shall , after enquiry , report to the General Committee , by whom a recommendation shall be submitted to the Quarterly General Court , to be held on Monday , the 10 th of January , 1 SS 1 . That the result of the ballot this day , so far as it may effect Arthur Harvey Collingwood , shall be determined by resolution of the Quarterly General Court on 10 th January , 1 SS 1 . "

Bro . C . 1 * . MATIER said he would be happy to propose the resolution . It behoved every one to ascertain the truth or the falsehood of such allegations as had been made . The motion having been seconded , Bro . Dr . RAMSAY said that probably the result of what had been alleged against the candidate would be that he would not be be clectetl at all .

The Rev . A . F . A . WooiiKoun , P . G . C ., said , with great deference to the brethren who hael spoken , he really thought the step proposed was a very serious one . 'They were going to put this candidate at a disadvantage on the faith of statements which were utterly unknown to the great mass of the brethren then present . ' 1 he-y wore apparently known only to the Secretary , but the meeting as a body had hael no opportunity of consielering these allegations . The

candidate had been formally accepted ; nothing was then said as to such allegations as had since been made ; and if there were such charges they ought to have been properly put forward before . He ventured to assert that they were setting a very serious precedent , if at a Ouarterly Court certain allegations having been made against a candidate , however true or however untrue , after being placed on the list , and secured a large amount of suffrage from hisfriends ,

his case was to be refcrrcel to a committee , lie ventured to suggest that , the case having gone so fir , they ought at any rate to give the candidate the benefit of the doubt , whatever the doubt might be , ami not to encourage such a system as , if persevered in , might lead to serious disadvantage . He , therefore , heggetl to move as an amendment " That the name of Arthur Collingwood remain on the list as printed . " 'lhe CHAIRMAN said the name would remain , and , if

elected , the boy ' s case would be investigated by the Committee . They hael hael very strong arguments sent to them , which they could not altogether ignore . He went with Bro . Woodford a long way , but after what had been saitl he felt there must be an inquiry . 'The name would anyhow remain , and if the boy was elected , and it turned out there was nothing in the allegations against ( he boy , he would go into the School .

The Rev . A . V . A . Wooni-oun asked whether there was any precedent for the course proposed . Bro . HENRY HACKER said about two years ago he brought forward a resolution of the same kind , but he was defeated by a majority of one ; but for all that he still held that a candidate had no right to be placed on the list if his friends were in such circumstances as to be able to educate him . The present case ought to he struck out if the

allegations made were true . If the father ' s personalty was sworn under £ < jooo the child ought not to have been put on the list . Bro . RAYNHAM VV . STEWART , P . G . I ) ., thought the buy ought to be allowed to poll as many voles as he ccnld in the meantime . They had had some cases in which after a child had got into the School he- had been removed . It

might be true that when a boy had been once got in there was a difficulty in getting him away . 'This boy would not be injured in any shape whatever . If he was no v elected he would not be admissible till January . If he was fouml by the Committee not to be a deserving boy another child would be put in his place . The boy highest on the unsuccessful list would be taken in his stead .

Dr . RAMSAY thought gross injustice might be done by such allegations being made in the newspapers , and being attended to . Great wrong might be done unless they passed a distinct resolution that no communication of that sort should b- ; attended to unless made to the authorities of the Institution . Bro . F . BINCKES said , in answer to a question of Bro . WOODFORD , that no case had arisen for a precedent for the

course proposed by Ins draught resolution . I he reason he wished for a committee of inquiry was that he had every confidence in the brethren who supported the case , who were most reliable . He felt sure they would justify the confidence he had in them . If the enquiry took place and the result was made known it would have much more effect than if it was looked into by a meeting like the present .

Bro . A . J . DUFF IMI . ER said a statement had been made by Bro . Hacker that the personalty of the father of this boy had been sworn under £ 9000 . He did not like a statement of that sort to go aliroad without something being saitl upon it . According to the law , whatever a person may apparently die worth had to be stated , and administration was granted for that amount . But the whole of that amount might have to go in payment of

debts . He thought it most satisfactory to leave the case in the hands of the Committee , who , he was confident , would make full inquiries . The motion was then put and carried , and the matter was referred to the House Committee . Scrutineers of votes were chosen , and the brethren then proceeded to elect sixteen boys out of a list of seventy candidates . At the close o ! the day the following was found to be the result :

SUCCESSFUL . Name . Votes . William Henry Palmer ... ... ... 1 994 Richard Arthur Grave ... ... ... ... 1921 Alan Talbot Haworth ... ... ... ... 1 S 33 Ernest lies ... ... ... ... ... 179 G Wilfred Herbert Knott ... ... ... 1779

Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

Name . Votes . Arthur H . Collingwood ... ... ,., 1750 Arthur Alban Gee ... ... , „ ... I 740 William James Saville . ' , ' " . ' . ' . ' , ' 1678 John Wm . James Hurst ... ... ... 1674 Sydney Earle Loveridge ... ... ... i ( 5 c 2

Sydney James Crich ... ... ... ... i ( 5 I 2 Francis Arthur Unwin ... ... ... . „ I 0 bi George Sanders Hooker ... ... "j 1592 Charles Edward M yring ... ... ' , ' , 15 S 0 Harvey George Darling ... ... . ' . ' . ' ^ 09 Sidney Wm . F . Richardson ... ... ... 1493

UNSUCCESSFUL . James Bray Frost ... ... ... ... i Sg William Leslie Wilson ... ... ... ... 123 S Robert Norton Hobbs ... ... ... .. , 1206 Edmund Charles Lucas ... ... " . 96 S Stephen Darcy Carey ... ... ... ... 040 Alfred Lucas Lewis ... ... ... ... 025 Alexander Allan rt . rt f \ iu . vaiiuci Jiuail

... ... ... .. QIO Charles Nathaniel Estlin ... , ' , " \ 80 , 6 Walter H . Woollons S 03 Charles Aubrey Gurney ... ... ... 761 Frederick Rowley Bladon ... ... ,. ' . 742 Heury A . Ecclcstone ... ... ... „ , 741 Arthur Fellows ... ... ... '" 71 . Sidney Edward Lee ... ... .. ' " G 62

, Frederick Arthur Clark ... ... ... 555 George Wortley ... ... ... ][[ 542 Ernst Colville C . Wilton ... ... ... " 4 6 S Frederick Thomas Tanner ... ... ... 422 George Frederick Gauntlett ... ... ... 416 Frederick John Neville ... ... ... 409 William Pearse Gunnell ... ... ... -1 71

John Tom Gouldsbiough ... ... ... 33 S Charles Edward Webb ... ... ... 330 William Isaac Williams ... ... .. ] 320 Harry Samuel J . Crane ... ' ... ... 316 George William King Hill ... ... ... 294 Hugh Lloyd Jordison ... ... ... ... 264 William Renwick Watson ... ... ... 0 . 11 .. iiiitiiii IM ; UHII . K WiltSUIl ... ... 243

,,, Cleophas C . B . Jones ... ... ... ... 237 Frederic Booth ... ... ,., iif , 07 James Langdon ... ... .,, ,. tgj George W . Steinhauer ... ... .. , 17 S George A . Thomas ( withdrawn ) ... ... 177 Edward Thomas Ball ... ... ... . „ 163 Chas . S . Ventris Field ... ... ... "' , 13 6

Joseph William Long ... ... ... , „ 113 Charles Leopold Escott ... ... " , g 4 Kmile Wallace Belsham ... ... ... 84 Walter John Sisley ... ... ... ... 66 Robert L . Ibbs ( withdrawn ) ... ... ... 62 Charles Percy Liversidge ... ... ... 5 6 Clement William Thompson ... ... ... 45 Tom Walcot Crabb ... ... ... 43

„ , John Read ... ... ... ,., # l > 34 William Bryant Stanford ... ... ... 32 James Collinson ... ... ... ... 26 Edwin Ernest Hawke ... ... ... . '" 16 William Taylor Jobson ... ... ... 16 Wm . Vincent B . Jones ... ... ... 15 Herbert Lawson Laing ... ... ... 14 John Humphrey ... ... ... u

Harold Thomas Burgess ... ... ... 6 Robt . VVilliamson Pratt ... ... ... 2 T . P . Simpson ( withdrawn ) ... ... ... 2 Ethelhert Farrar ... ... ... ... Reginald Aug . L . Hill ... ... ... , . 1 William Robert D . Foot Votes of thanks to the Scrutineers and Chairman of the day closed the proceedings .

Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

The monthly meeting of the Committee of this Institution was held on Wednesday at the Freemasons' Hall . Colonel Creaton , Grand Treasurer , presided . There were present Bros . C . A . Cottebrune , ] ames Brett , John G . Stevens , Richard Herve Giraud , Thomas Good , Thomas

Cubitt , W . Clarke , James Kench , Col . H . S . Somerville Burney , S . Rawson , ( . A . Farnfield , A . J . Duff Filer , A . F . A . Woodford , William Hale , J . L . Hine , William Stephens , Henry G . Warren , Charles John Perceval , William Hilton , C . H . Webb , Charles Atkins , C . G . Dilley , James Terry ( Secretary ) , and H . Massey ( Freemason ) .

After the reading and confirmation of the minutes , the Finance Committee ' s report was read , as well as the report of the Warden , Bro . Morris . Authority was given to the Chairman to sign cheques . Bro . Terry reported that he had received £ 70 from Grand Lodge , the amount voted to provide coals for the inmates of the Asylum for the coming winter . He also stated that he had made a contract with Messrs . Hall and Co ., of Croydon , to supply the coals so

voted . Petitions were read from six male candidates for the next election in May , 1 SS 1 , and from two widows . One of the former was refused , and one was deferred . The remainder were declared to be in order , and four male and two female candidates were p laced on the list . The proceedings closed with a cordial vote of thanks to the Chairman .

St . Michael ' s Lodge of Instruction , No . 211 , held at Bros . Kingston and Fromm ' s , the Moorgate Tavern , Moorgate-sticet , E . C . The ceremony of installation will be rehearsed in this Lodge of Instruction on Thursday evening , 21 st October , at S o ' clock , by the Preceptor , Bro . George King . Bro . Joseph Lavender ( Aldersgate Lodge , No . lfl 57 ) ls : l canelulatc for the office of surveyor to the parish

of St . Botolph , Aldersgate . The decorations of the Order of Leopold , conferred upon the Lord Mayor , Bro . Sir F . W . Truscott , Bro . ex-Sheriff Woolloton , and Bro . ex-Sheriff Bayley , and the aldermen who visited Brussels on the occasion of the recent Independent Fetes , was handed to them on Wednesday at the Mansion House by the Belgian Minister on behalf of his Majesty the King .