Brother Clabon's Proposed Alterations In The Book Of Constitutions Affecting The Fund Of Benevolence.

nature of their existence , extraneous to , and no part of , Free-Masonry . Sixty-four years after the foundation of the Board of Benevolence—you will excuse me using the bettor known name—i . e . in 1788 , the Chevalier Busp ' mi founded tho Eoyal Cumberland School—the present Girls'

School—Her Koyal Highness the Duchess of Cumberland was its patron and warm friend , hence its original title—for tho daughters of Freemasons . Seventy-four years after tho foundation of the Board of Benevolence , and ten years after the Girls' School , was founded a school for the sons of Freemasons . Now what

wo term , in short , the Boys' School . One hundred and eighteen years after the foundation ofthe Board of Benevolence , that brilliant Masonic light , the late Bro . Dr . Cruccfix , founded in 1842 , " The Eoyal Benevolent Institution for Aged Masons , " And here I must entreat your pardon for a short digression . Having heard it stated , in Grand Lodge , that the M . W . G . M . had founded this CUavifcy , I was somewhat startled by tho

assertion , as I knew better , but not oaring to correct the speaker then , I now take the opportunity of doing so . "Tho Eoyal Benevolent Institution " was , so far from being founded by the Eight Honourable the Earl of Zetland , K . T ., M . W . G . M ., & c , that , for years , it was looked upon with a degree of disfavour totally unaccountable . Nay ,

so far was this carried , that it was only very recently it obtained His Lordship ' s permission to have an annual , instead of a tri-anuual Festival , and this boon was not granted until Bro . Henry George Warren , by the pressure he brought lo boar , in tho pages of the FJIEKHASOXS ' MAGA ' / . LXE , wrung the reluctant admission at Just .

One hundred and twenty-five years after the foundation of tho Board of Benevolence , viz ., in 1849 , "The Widows Fund " was originated , iu connection with "The Royal Benevolent Institution , " These are tho principal charities administered b y Free "

masons . Bvo . Cooke gives his reasons why neither the Girl ' s School or the Boy ' s School should be subsidised .

And while on these topics of revenue and surplus lot us see what other societies think of tho matter . When Bro . Clabon brought forward his plan last June th re was a curious coincidence of subject mentioned in the newspapers that very day . I shall not state it in my own words but , in case you might not have noticed it ,

reproduce the paragraph : — "On Monday , Juno 1 st " ( 1808 ) , "the annual moveable Committee of Odd Fellows—the Supreme Governing body ofthe Manchester Unity—commenced its deliberations at Cheltenham . Tho Grand Master of the Order , Mr . George Walker , of Durham , presided , and upwards

of two hundred delegates attended as representatives of the various districts . In the course of the Grand . Muster ' s Inaugural Address , ho said , there had been an Increase of . 12 , 290 members during the year ; £ 200 , 000 hud been distributed in sick pay , and £ 68 , 000 in funeral benefits . Tho revenue of the society had exceeded half n , million sterling , and £ 200 , 000 had been added to the - iccuiiiulated capital , which now amounted to £ 2 , 400 , 000 .

The expenses of the year had been £ 1 , 181 17 s . S | d , The number of members on January 1 st . ( 1868 ) , was 417 , 422 , being an increase of 12 , 290 during the year . " The contrast is surprising . These working men are evidently aware of the value of accumulated capital , and their expenses in distributing the really large sum of

£ 268 , 000 was a little under £ 1 , 200 . I will say no more , as you are quite as able as I am to draw the comparison between Freemasonry , in England , and its costly organisations , to effect about a tithe part of the amount o ^ relief expended by the Odd Fellows . Bro . Clabon ' s scheme is entirely educational , and its

manifest bias must be obvious to every one . It ignores our duty , to which wo have pledged ourselves by an oath , to succour first , our indigent brother , then his wife , his sister , and his daughter ; but Bro . Clabon prefers our poor brother ' s male offspring , to the disadvantage ofthe brother himself , and every female of the family , making it appear that in all families the son , or sous , are the first , and only objects of interest .

Bro . Clabon ' s scheme savours much of Paley ' s hateful doctrine of expediency . It confounds right and wrong , and sets forth the dubious policy of doiug evil that good may result from it . If it were only a a- protest against such mischief we ought to give it every opposition in our power , but when we are asked to

compromise a sacred trust , for such specious morality , the obligation is increased to the last degree , and we should be false to all our pledges did we not resist it to the uttermost . This expediency , too , is a most subtle foe . As with the larger measure of national plunder so it is with our case . Tho same clamour that is being raised on

behalf of the schools can as easily be brought to bearif it should bo deemed necessary—for any other object , and as we can exact no pledge from the innovators making them , to define when , or whore , they will stop , there is no security that the thin end of the wedge being once inserted , they will not proceed to confiscate every shilling , be it either reserve , surplus , or accruing income .

The real question at issue is : —are we to do a grevious wrong , involving a gross breach of honour and probity , merely to benefit two institutions that have neither , as yet , applied for aid ? If so I cannot congratulate Bro . Clabon on tho aptitude of the time of his proposition : His pot institution has just cleared £ 12 , 000 by its festival

this year . This amount will free the mortgage on the building and leave something pretty handsome for current expenses until next March , when , if it does but secure one half as much as it has done this year , can any reasonable person assert it likely to be in want ? And I would go even further and say , that neither school

asking the Grand Lodge , officially , for such aid , the forcing on a question of this kind by one brother is an indirect censure upon the governing bodies , a most undeserved slight to that well-known brother , who by his personal exertions , may be said to have revivified and brought to the highest pitch of success the institution with which

he is connected , and an undue interference with the ri ghts of every brother Freemason . Wo must not let the matter drag its slow length along , if we menu to deserve success . The question is one for