Provincial.

head than all the other schools , simply because of the limited number of boys . " Whereas in the London Orphan , with 145 girls and 290 boys , the office expenses are £ 3 12 s . 3 _ d . per head , or . in round numbers £ 1 , 520 ; in the Commercial Travellers , with 125 boys and 66 girls , in all 191 , £ 7 7 s . 5 d . per head , in round numbers £ 1 , 400 ; in the Clergy Orphan , with 83 girls and 96 boysin all 179 £ 4 4 s . 8 Jd . in round numbers £ 751 . Our boys '

, , , School is £ 9 Is . lOJd . per head , in all £ 909 9 s . 9 d . for 100 boys . If the number of boys could be increased to 150 , and eventually to 200 , this expenditure would not be increased in the aggregate , and would show a reduction per head of from four to five pounds . "As regards clothing , the expenditure of the boys is larger per head than all the charities mentioned . We give the bovs

two suits of good clothing a year , an extra pair of trousers , and linen and underclothing in great liberality . This is unusual in other schools but has tended much to the health oftlie boys . As regards food—wo give the boys of the best , and the consequence is an infirmary always empty , and a school of healthy active , and ha ] ipy lads , of whom their medical man says , they are both a pleasure and a marvel .

As It may interest the Provincial Grand Lodge to know what is the amount per head spent in food by the other Charities , the committee append a tabular statement , and if an average s t ken of these eight schools it will appear to be £ 13 14 s . 6 d ., or 1 2 s . 4 f d . in excess of what is paid iu the Boy's School—£ 12 12 s . 2 fd . per head .

Loudon Orphan . W S ciS . clcr ? V Orphan . ; llritish Orphan . 145 Boys . 35 Girls . 83 Girls . 69 Girls . 290 Girls . 76 Boys . 96 Boys . 106 Boys .

425 112 179 175 £ 10 8 s . 4 id . £ 12 0 s . lOd . £ 17 ' 12 s . 5 Jd . £ 15 12 s . 2 d . Eoyal Medical Commercial „ . «„„„ ., Freemen ' s Benevolent Travellers ft . Amies . Orphan

. . . 150 Boys pay . 125 Boys . 322 Boys . 127 Boys and Girls . 50 „ free . 66 Girls . 200 191 £ 19 3 s . lid . £ 10 10 s . 7 Jd . £ 10 lis . ll £ d . £ 13 15 s . 9 d .

"As regards the educational and general position of the school , your Committee think it right to stato that it is , they have reason to believe , very satisfactory . " Eecent visits to the school could not fail to leave a most pleasing impression on the minds of the visitors , the cleanliness and good order of the boys , their cheerfulness and propriety of demeanour , and all the arrangements for their comfort and

convenience are deserving of all praise , while your Committee have reason to know that their progress in educational attainments has kept pace with all the other improvements . "As an illustration of this , it may be well to mention , that of the two only candidates sent up to the Oxford Local Middle Class Examination , June 1867 , both obtained a first-class in honours , and of the six candidates sent up to the Cambridge Examination for the last

same object December , one obtained third-class honours and two received certificates . And though it is true that of four sent up to the Oxford Examination this year one only has succeeded , one of the six candidates for the Cambridge Examination iu December next , the Committee hope to make a satisfactory report at the annual meeting in 1869 . " It is interesting to state that of the 16 boys who left the school at the close of 1867—4 went back to their friends ; 4

became Educational Assistants ; 2 Clerks in Banks ; 2 Clerks to Solicitors ; 1 Railway Clerk ; 2 Clerks in Mercantile Offices ; 1 apprenticed to a Gold Chaser . "This isas practical a comuieniaiy on the value of the education given as your committeo could desire to furnish , ancl iu this province we have had several opportunities afforded us of late years of thoroughly appreciating the education afforded to the boys we have successively sent to the school .

"Your Committee have every reason to believe that the advantages of the Institution are now fully realised by tbe order at large , and yearly increasing applications for admission prove a long existing want among our brethren which is only to be fully and fitly supplied by enabling the Committee of the Boy ' s School still furf-her to increase the number of inmates . "It must be borne in mind that the building lately erected

can be made to receive 200 Boys at a comparatively small outlay for additional dormitory accomodation on /// , and your Committee hope that in process of time , by the increasing support of the order , the Eoyal Masonic Institution may be enabled to receive all qualified candidates . " Looking then , of this state of things , and having regard to the present amount of the building debtthe Charity

Com-, mittee would venture treating it as an altogether exceptional one , to recommend the Provincial Grand Lodge to vote 500 guineas from its funds . " They believe that the present amount to the credit of the province is £ 1 , 200 , and that before the 500 guineas will have to be paid , £ 300 will be received by the P . G . Treasurer , still leaving an available balance of about £ 1000 .

, " Tho Charity Committee would further recommend that each lodge should open a subscription list , and that one Steward at least from every lodge in the province be sent if possible to the Anniversary Festival . The following brethren have already kindly consented to act as stewards : —

W . M . STEWARDS EOR MARCH 10 TH , 1869 . " The Right Hon . the Earl de Grey and Ripon , D . G . M ., and Prov . G . M . j Bros . Bentley Shaw , J . P .. S . G . D ., and D . Prov . G . M . ; Rev . J , Senior , L . L . D ., P . M ., 208 aud 425 , Prov . G . C ., P . Prov G . W . ; R . K . Nelson , P . M ., 201 , 827 , 1042 , P . D . Prov . G . M ., Prov . G . Sec ; H . Day , P . M ., 208 , Dewsbury ; J . W . H . Richardson , P . M ., 229 , P . Prov . G . W . ; G . II . Westerman , P . M .,

154 , P . Prov . G . W . ; Thomas Robinson , P . M ., 521 , P . Prov . G . W . ; T . A . Haigh , P . M ., 149 , P . Prov . G . D . ; W . H . Porritt , W . M ., 289 , Leeds ; Jonas Craven , W . M ., 290 , Huddersfield ; Manoah Rhodes , P . M ., 302 and 974 , P . Prov . G . W . ; Thomas Hill , P . M ., 302 , P . Prov . G . D . ; W Ibbetson , W . M ., 302 ; Benjamn Brouglitou , . 302 ; James Green , 302 ; J . D . Sugden , 302 ; McGowan , 302 ; C . Pratt , P . M ., 1 , 034 ; W . Beanland , P . M ., 1 , 034 ; S . Rhodes , 1 , 034 ; E . Woodhouse , W . M ., 521 ; Capt . J . Wordsworth , P . M ., 387 , P . Prov . G . S . of W .: John Wright , P . M ., 1 , 001 , Prov . J . G . D .

"In conclusion , the Charity Committee would apologise to Provincial Grand Lodge for the unusual length of this report , trusting , however , that the urgency and importance of the subject may form their best excuse . " They are convinced that Provincial Grand Lodge will give them credit on this and all other occasions for being actuated by one consideration , and one only , in the recommendations they have ventured to make from time to timeand especially

, to-day , namely , an anxious desire to promote the honour and dignity of the Province , the advancement and welfare of our great Masonic Institutions , and the faithful development of the genuine and unchanging principles of our useful and benevolent Order . " A . F . A . WooDroRD , Chairman . " R . E . NELSON , Prov . G . Sec .

The motion of which Bro . Henry Smith , P . M . 387 , P . Prov . G . D . had given notice , was then brought forward for consideration , viz : — "That the sum of one hundred guineas be voted from the funds of the Prov . G . Lodge , to assist in paying off the mortgage debt on the Boys' School . " This was supplemented by tbe following amendment , which was unanimously carried : That in order to reduce the debt on the Boys' Schooland to

, render the advantages of the Institution available for a larger number of inmates , the sum of live hundred guineas be voted from the funds of the Prov . G . Lodge to the Eoyal Masonic Institution for Boys . " The D . Prov . G . M . moved"" That a committee , consisting of the W . M . s of each lodge in the province , be appointed to