Masonic Charities.

committee to make the recommendation . The whole question turns upon whether tho word " which" refers to " observations" or to " expenditure . " The general rule of grammar is that the relative is to be taken with the substantive last expressed in the sentence , unless otherwise provided for by the punctuation : — " They arc to sec that all receipts and payments are correctly entered and registered by the Secretary , and all balances regularly brought forward , and that the subscriptions and donations are posted up , and report their proceedings to the Quarterly Court ,

with any observations regarding the expenditure which they may deem necessary . " In tho above sentence , if a comma followed " observations" and another followed "expenditure ; " then the " which" would , without doubt , belong to the former word ; but as the sentence is punctuated , " which" must be taken to belong to " expenditure ; " and with this reading we see no objection to the committee having acted in the manner complained of . Bro . Binckes then moved that Miss Kernott ' s salary should be

increased to £ 20 per annum . Bro . Barnes seconded the proposition . The Chairman said itwas usual for such motions to come beforcthe Court upon the recommendation of the General Committee , and as the present one was not so introduced , he could not put it for adoption . Tho Chairman , as Treasurer , then reported that he had , on the 14 th October , invested £ 500 at S 7 J in the Three Per Cent . Consols , making the total sum invested to the credit of the Institution in these securities £ 0 , 000 . He also moved , in order to avoid fractional

accounts , that £ 28 iSs . 7 d . should be paid from the General Fund , to increase the Building Fund to £ 2 , 200 even money . This was seconded , and after some discussion agreed to . Bro . John Hcrvey then moved the abolition of the new law which restricted the right of voting . Every member should , he maintained , have a vote for each vacancy , whereas the new law allowed him to vote for only one . Bro . Udall seconded the motion , as he considered tho limitation dishonest to the subscribers , who had paid their money in the expectation of having the more extended right . Bro . Robinson said he should not oppose the motion , but wished to explain that he had found that in several Institutions the single voting was now adopted . His wish had been to prevent trafficking

vn votes . Bro . White condemned the limitation as unfair . Bro . Davis moved as an amendment , ' ¦ That so much of the new law as provided for carrying forward the votes from one election to another should be retained . " Bro . Robinson seconded the amendment . The Chairman then put tho amendment to the meeting , which , on a show of hands , he declared to be lost . Bro . Binckes then moved— " That in order to meet the

educational requirements of the age , the education of the children be enlarged by the addition of French and Music ; and that it be referred to the House Committee to take measures for carrying the same into effect . '' Our worthy Brother , in advocating his proposal , said he would never have brought it forward if the children in the school were of that class whom a superior education would raise above their original level , and render them unfit to occupy tho same position in life which their parents filled . He , however ,

regretted that the committee bad admitted to tho school children of a lower class than that for which it was originally intended . Tho majority of the pupils , however , were the children of those who had seen better days , and the education winch those little girls received in the school was not quite up to the mark . Ho did not wish to unfit them for life , but to so far improve their education as to enable them , on entering the world , to look for higher situations than they were now competent to fill . He did not , he conceived , ask for too much when he called upon the Court to give the children

instruction in French and music . Such instruction was given to the children in the Commercial Travellers' Schools , and in the Schools of the St . Ann ' s and the Yorkshire Societies . The children in those Schools were , on an average , of the same class in life as the children in the Freemasons' School , and it was a downright cruelty to them to educate them to a point , below that which would enable them to regain in life the position which their parents had formerly enjoyed . Rev . Bvo . Lyall seconded the motion .

Bro . John Hcrvey thought that , before agreeing to the proposition , they ought to have some statistics of the employment of the children after they left the school . Bro . Crew said , that not one in fifty of them became a menial servant ; and that the widows of Brethren who had been in good circumstances actually shunned the school , as they did not wish i their daughters to be brought up as washerwomen . "

Bro . Taylor said that the education of the children had been already greatly enlarged under the now schoolmistress , but at the sacrifice of the needlework , which formerly brought in a consider " able sum annually for the support of the Institution . Bro . Crew denied that the children wore not still instructed in tho use of the needle . At present they annually made for the boys thirty-six dozen of shirts , and sixty dozen of collars , besides making all their own clothing . After some farther discussion , an amendment , referring the matter to the General Committee , was adopted , the chairman , on an equal division , giving his vote in favour of it . The proceedings then terminated .

ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION . On Friday , the 5 th inst ., a Special General Meeting of tho Subscribers of this Institution was held , in pursuance of a requisition , signed by upwards of twelve Life Governors— " To consider the propriety of having an Annual or Biennial Festival , in accordance with rule 29 , and to take such measures with respect thereto as may be deemed expedient . " Bro . John SavageV . P . was called to the chair .

, , Bro . Symonds stated , that as he thought it desirable to give an opportunity for the ventilation of opinions before any definite resolution should be proposed , for either a Biennial or Annual Festival , he had proposed a resolution with that object , which he had no doubt would pass unanimously . He then moved a resolution to the effect , that as the number of candidates , both Brethren and Widows , so far exceeded the number of vacancies , it was desirable with a view to increase the Funds to hold Festivals more frequently than once in three .

years The motion was seconded by Bro . Parkinson , P . J . G . D . Considerable discussion ensued . The question of an Annual or Biennial Festival was mooted , and one Brother ( Bro . Barrett ) seemed to object to any alteration of tho present practice of Triennial Festivals , but he did not persist in his opposition , and ultimately the motion passed unanimously . Bro . Joseph Smith , G . Purst ., moved a resolution to the effect , that in the opinion of tho meeting , tho future Festivals should be held Biennially . He stated that he considered it desirable in making any

change to proceed with caution , and as the M . W . G . M . was understood to have stated that he would offer no opposition to a Festival once in two years , he thought the meeting would do wisely to accept the proposition . Bro . Aldrick seconded the motion . Although wishing for an Annual Festival he thought it desirable to begin with a Biennial . Bro . Warren moved as an amendment , that the Festivals should be held Annually , and strongly urged the meeting to adopt this course . All charitable Institutions had their Annual Festivals , indeed , those

which had tried the experiment of collecting Funds in other modes had boon compelled to resume their Annual Public Dinners , finding that the discontinuance of these dinners had caused a considerable diminution of income . He saw no reason why this Institution should be an exception . He was told that if the G . M . did not give his consent the Festival could not bo held in Masonic clothing ; but for his own part , he would always infinitely prefer dining without his Masonic clothing than with it . Bro . Hewlett seconded tho amendment .

Bro . Symonds stated that after listening to the arguments pro and con , ho was decidedly of opinion that the best course would be to adopt the motion of Bro . Smith . He thought it very desirable to avoid discord , which must in the end have an injurious effect on the Charity , and to endeavour to secure , by adopting Biennial Festivals , the support of the G . M . and of the large number of influential Brethren wdio would bo guided by tho course taken by him . It was necessnrv to bear in mind that the two other Charities had held

annual festivals for years , and therefore had a kind of vested interest in them , and as it would hardly be wise to calculate on the certain continuance of the recent extraordinary prosperity of Masonry , any step which might operate to their detriment ought not to be taken without grave consideration . With reference to Bro . Warren ' s remarks on dining in Masonic clothing , he thought the wearing of the clothing , coupled witli tho power of introducing Ladies to the Gallery , had great effect in procuring Stewards . The amendment having been put to the vote was lost by a

considerable majority , and the original motion carried . It was resolved that tho arrangement of the period for holding tho Festival should be referred to the Committee , who were likewise instructed to request the permission of the M . W . G . M . to its being held in Masonic clothing . Thanks were voted to Bro . Savage for his conduct in the Chair , and tho Meeting adjourned .