Royal Masonic Institution For Girls.

houg ht that , having agreed to make this purchase , they ought to be satisfied " th that . Year by year the Institutions were increasing . He admitted that Masonry was increasing , but the question was whether they were not laving themselves open to many , many applications to be placed on the list

vhich would not be made unless it was thought what a grand thing it must he ( or our bo 3 's and girls . We did not know how many of these candidates re SUpported by their provinces . It did not follow that because they ame from a certain province they were supported by that province .

The C HAIRMAN said that each of these candidates was not only qualified according to the laws of the Institution , but was worthy of the benefits of the Institution , and , beyond that , every case was investigated by the General Committee and was found to be fit for our bounty .

Bro . J- S . CUMBERLAND said he knew the best information was given before a candidate was put on the list . But even then some of the candidates could obtain only 40 or 50 votes , and yet had no sympathy from their province . He knew a case of this kind from York . It was no criterion because they were on the list that they would receive support from their

province . Bro . SAMUEL H . PARKHOUSE observed that Bro . Cumberland had said it disarranged all the matter of voting and the exchange of votes , but in this case there would be no votes issued , because there was to be no election ; the cost of the election alone would pay for the maintenance of

five g irls for a year , and that was an argument against having the election . With reference to the question of election where the child did not get returned because the province did not support the candidate , on that ground alone he should vote for this scheme . He thought if the case was recommended by the province it must be a good case . It was , no doubt , a great p ity they did not get elected .

Bro . R USSELL said he had talked to Bro . Brown on the Stock Exchange on this subject , and they said what a fine thing it would be for the Institution to be able to take in the whole of the candidates ; they thought it would be one of the finest advertisements the Institution could possibly have . Bto . Brown said it would pay them over and over again , because they would get

increased subscriptions . The brother who had just spoken had brought formard the argument they had used to each other . If they could pass the resolution in time to avoid the expense consequent upon an election , they would do a very good thing . Although he did not wish to say anything which would savour of humbug or Pecksniffianism , he and Bro . Brown determined to leave no stone unturned to bring this about .

The CHAIRMAN said he himself was associated with other orphan establishments which were making a vigorous attempt to celebrate her Majesty Jubilee by taking in extra children . At the London Orphan Asylum the Grand Master presided , and one of the reasons of his doing so was that they were going to take in one hundred children instead of seventy .

Another Institution presided over by a member of the Stock Exchange got ~ ^ 4800 upon the same ground , and they were taking in one hundred children against the sixty-five in previous years . There was not a philanthropic Institution in the metropolis that was not going to take in an extra number , to give advantage to deserving candidates of the benefits of the Institution . He was sure it would be the desire of the liberal subscribers to this School on

this occasion , especially when they were taking in only an extra five , to do such an amount of good by saving the anxiety and trouble which must arise at a contested election . He did not agree with Bro . Cumberland ; he

hoped there would be many occasions when the same thing would be done again . There were always evils in every contested election . The most deserving did not always win j it wast he one with the . most friends got in , and the most deserving frequently went to the wall .

The motion was carried unanimously . Bro . ROBERT GREY , President of the Board of Benevolence , Patron , moved that the following law ( No . 56 ) be rescinded , viz .: " No girl shall be eligible for election or for admission by purchase , or otherwise , who has a sister in the Institution unless the number of vacancies is in excess of the

number of candidates . " He said he knew there was a difference of opinion on the point , but the House Committee had unanimously come to the contusion that it would be a good thing if the law were rescinded , as they had practically seen in the School the great amount of good it did to have two sisters educated in the same establishment . Having personally some

connection with other Institutions , he thought it was a system that did not obtain ! them to have sisters separated . They had the remedy in their own hands !; should ever seem to them not advisable to admit two of a family , because ' petition was brought up to the General Committee of a girl who had a sister tu ,. Institution if the number of candidates was so large that , although child

e was eligible , her admission would be doing an injustice to othersj . cou 'd refuse to put her on the list . In the last fifteen years he had seen _ went y-four instances of sisters being in the Institution . That only made n average of about one at each election . The spirit of Masonry was that J * nevolence knew no bounds but the bounds of prudencethenwas it

^ ; , anH f tter . nave sisters educated under the same roof than to have a hard last line by which they were to be separated , and not allowed the same Privileges ? ¦ sam ARTHUR E - GLADWELL , P . M . 172 , said he brought forward these hsn J ar § uments five years ago when the rule was altered ; why should their

do ' m ^ by a nar < i an ( i fast une when an opportunity was afforded of to ma ° ' ^ ' W EBB said this law was passed some years ago owing oeinrr " ^ ? ases occurring up to that time of several members of one family qUei ^ , ' Institution at onetime . Many deserving cases were conseshoulr / h •' ° " t in tne coIc 1 , ^ tnoug tne benefits of the Institution It woulrf i ?' Stri ^ ^ widely as possible , and not confined to one family , one chilri f tnou £ . be detrimental to the Institution to have more than Was inc femily in theS chool at the same time . The more the circle ° £ iri ^ f tlle - w ' ^ would the Institution be supported . If more than ' famil y was in the School at the same time , why not also have

Royal Masonic Institution For Girls.

more than one boy of the same family in the Boys' School ? There was a _ very large number of distressing cases . There were some influential parties to whom it was not a difficult matter to get a child in . It was not very long since a lady succeeded in getting a child in the Institution , and she gave 300 votes to the Boys , and the boy got in . The object of the Masonic Institutions was to extend their benefits to the largest circle possible , and to the most deserving cases .

Bro . C . F . HOGARD , P . M . and Sec . 205 , was sorry to have to differ from Bro . Grey . The strongest argument against this alteration had been announced from the chair . The Chairman said it was not always the most deserving cases , but those that had the most friends , got into the Institution . He agreed with that . Friends who could push in one candidate could push

in a second . He should not object to the admission by purchase of a child , but beyond that he could not go . There were so many applications for the Girls' but more particularly for the Boys' School , that he did not think they would be acting fairly to the other candidates if they took in more than one member of the same family unless there were more vacancies than candidates .

Bro . F . BINCKES , P . G . Stwd ., Secretary Boys' School , said he stood in a peculiar position , being Secretary of the Sister Institution , and did not usually attend these meetings , or take part or interfere in them , but on the present occasion he did not think himself out of place in being present and entering into discussion upon this motion . The law which was proposed to be rescinded was not one of detail applicable to one school and

not to the other ; he regarded it as embod ying an essential principle , and if altered , no doubt notice of motion for altering a similar law in the Boys ' School would be immediately given . These rules had been framed with great care , maturely considered some years ago when the question arose as to the desirability of extending the benefits of the Institution as widely as possible , and not allowing too many of a family to be in the Institutions to

the exclusion of the many other candidates . It was a matter of the gravest importance and should have serious consideration before the law was altered . The present law had worked advantageously to the distressed members of the Craft at large . There had been isolated or peculiar cases where it had been considered an absolute cruelty , and had borne hardly on deserving cases which by the existence of this law , had not been able to gain admission

to the School ; but he thought the general principle obtained , and that they must look to what he might call imperial interests rather than to the interest of special or isolated cases . It had occurred to him that there mi ght be some grounds for making a limitation that where a family exceeded a certain number this law should not obtain , because there were cases where there were 8 , io , or 12 children dependent on a widow or her friends to support ,

and in such case the distress of it commended it more nearly to the brethren than where there were only one , two , or three children . If the notice of'motion could be amended in that way the benefits of the Institution might still be extended—some member mi ght be affected ; but after all it appeared to him that the principle embodied in the law was one so important

that a hasty decision was unadvisable , and as the laws of each of the two educational Institutions were the same and were adopted after . very mature consideration by joint Committees , it was a question whether it would not ce better to adjourn this to another meeting , say six months hence , to see whether it might not include an exception in favour of families where there was a large number of children .

Bro . ROBERT GREY said he was prepared to delay the matter for six months as proposed , when a resolution could be formulated embod ying the suggestion of Bro . Binckes . The CHAIRMAN suggested that it be referred to a joint Committee of the House Committees of the Girls' and Boys' Schools to bring up a report thereon six months hence .

Bro . RUSSELL said it struck him that one point had been omitted . It might do to alter the rule as far as the election stood , because a child who had sufficient friends to get in No . 1 might not have the same friends to get in No . 2 , whereas No . 2 might get in by means of purchase or by presentation . He did not see why if it was a deserving case it should be shut out entirely . If they were allowed to come in by purchase or presentation it might be meeting the difficulty , and by a sort of compromise they might benefit children and not be detrimental to the Institution .

The CHAIRMAN said he should like to move that the consideration of this resolution be adjourned , and that it be referred to the House Committee of the Girls' School and the House Committee of the Boys' School to consider the same , and bring up a report thereon at the October Court this year . Bro . ROBERT GREY seconded .

Ultimately it was resolved that the report should be presented to the General Committee in July . The meeting closed with a vote of thanks to the Chairman .

Presentation To Bro. Capt. Philips. P.G.D.

PRESENTATION TO BRO . CAPT . PHILIPS . P . G . D .

Bro . Capt . Philips , P . G . D ., was on Saturday last , the recipient of a vefy interesting presentation , at the hands of Bro . Theo . H . Tilton , Past District Grand Master of New York . It consisted of a handsome jewel of the Society of Masonic Veterans of New York , of which Bro . T . H . Tilton is a member . During the past summer the then representative of the Grand

Lodge of England at the Grand Lodge of New York , Bro . Goodall , whose death we last week had the melancholy duty to announce , was in company with Bro . Tilton , the guest of the Master and officers of the Drury Lane Lodge , and at that meeting he expressed a desire to propose Bro . Capt . Philips as an honorary mem er of the Society of Veterans . Election followed , a , s a matter of course , and one of the last Masonic acts of our

worth y Brother Goodall was to send the certificate of membership with an intimation that the jewel of the Society would iollow . Bro . Tilion , to whom the duty of presenting the jewel was confided , carried out the wishes of his deceased friend by procuring a very handsome jewel , on which was the following inscription : " Presented to Ven . Bro . Capt . N . G . Philips ,

P . G . D ., by Ven . Bro . Theo . H . Tilton , P . D . G . M . New York , Dec . 14 , 1886 . " Bro . TILTON , in making the presentation , congratulated Bro . Philips on becoming identified with American Freemasonry , and expressed the pleasure he felt in having the privilege of being the medium of conveying to him , not only the emblem of their Society , but the hearty good wishes of the members .

Bro . Capt . PHILIPS expressed his thanks for the honour conferred , and said he should place it amongst his most valued Masonic treasures . We may mention that Bro . Tilton placed his own jewel in the hands of Bro . George Kenning to produce an exact copy , and the result was a perfect reproduction , which gave the greatest satistaction .