Eminent Masons At Home.

he leaves you to your own opinions , to condemn—if condemnation is in your heart . You confess to much sympathy with Bro . Binckes , not that you think he has used the utmost tact in his connection with various officials of the Institution , but because his twentyeight years' successful labors on behalf of the Institution should stand

him in good stead now that a change is necessary . The question of the pension , which the greater number of the subscribers are anxious to offer him during the remaining years of his life , is extraneous to the point at issue . It is his honor to the Craft and the Institution that interests him most , but he feels , with all those

who are anxious to brighten the completion of his Masonic career , that the opposition to his pension being granted is in itself an impeachment of that honor . Whether that pension will ever be his or not , cannot for one moment tarnish the memory of those brethren who have in days

gone by received material benefits from his hands . It is so easy to condemn , that these , at least , will make some effort to praise . They will find out affairs in his life which can add only lustre to the obligations of brotherhood he has fulfilled since he first entered a Masonic Lodge five-and-thirty years ago . They will forget , as all

true Masons should , many of the trivial circumstances upon which opinions may not differ , and they will find in Frederick Binckes , and his lifetime services at Freemasons' Hall , a man who has not } 'et been surpassed in his energies for the benefits of Freemasonry , and a tenure of officialdom which has not been equalled since the sacred lamp of the Order was lit , centuries ago , in the Temple of King Solomon .

The Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

THE ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS .

THE Committee of the above Institution held Hs usual monthly meeting on Saturday , the 51 I 1 ult ., under the chairmanship of Bro . Richard Eve , P . G . T ., when there was a very large attendance of subscribing brethren . The lime will come , perhaps , when tlie affairs of the school and its administrative department will emerge from ihe unfortunate position in which they now are , and nothing but a clean sweep of all the officials from the highest to the lowest will , perhaps , effect this . Whenever the affairs of a charitable

institution is left somewhat in the bands of the general body of supporters , the result is always chaos , and the antagonistic influences which seem to be floating among the subscribers of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys have not spared this Institution from drifting into such a condition . In the course of the proceeding 1 ; Bro . John Class moved the following proposition : —

That the Provisional Committee be authorised to terminate the appointment of Dr . Morris , the head master , in accordance with the terms of agreement , dated 20 th August , 1 S 75 , and that the said Committee be further empowered to take such steps as they may deem desirable to appoint another head master m accordance with the aws of the Institution . Bro . J . S . Cumberland had pleasure in seconding him . Bro . Biitten was of the strong opinion that Dr . Morris should be retained , and moved an

amendment to that effect . Bro . Jones strongly upheld the resolution passed at the June Quarterly Court , that the whole of the administrative officers of the Institution were to resign , or tender their resignation . He thought there was not sufficient discipline in the school , and hoped the General Committee would support the Provisional Committee and its recommendations to the letter .

Bro . Alfred Durrani , on the other hand , could not allow any statement to be made in any public body reflecting on the management of the Institution by Dr . Morris . He had had many opportunities of seeing and knowing how discipline was maintained at the school , and he most unhesitatingly maintained that the school , as far as the head master was concerned , was well managed , and that its discipline was excellent . Dr . Morris occupied a very high position

in the educational world , and his character was too high to be attacked by persons who had no shred of evidence to support their charges . As one of those who adhered to the report of the Provisional Committee , Bro . Hawkins remarked he was not conscious that Dr . Morris had been insufficient as far as the discipline of the school was concerned , and that he had been weak in not coming to the House Committee to protest against the

ISinckes control . This statement had been made , and they were told that as soon as he had come to the House Committee he was not supported there . They never heard of that until he came before the Philbrick Committee . Now , either Dr . Morris did go to the House Committee and complain of interference with his administration , or he did not . If he did he was right , if he did not he was wrong . He ( Bro . Hawkins ) would like to know whether he did . The

Philbrick Committee held that the educational condition of the school was good ; he heard practically the same Commission , consisting of the same gentlemen , recommending unanimously that Dr . Morris should be dismissed . Did thoFc gentlemen accede to that report ? Was any information obtained from Bro . Philbrick , or Sir Reginald Hanson , or others ,

The Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

as to whether Dr . Morns had had the opportunity of carrying on the Institution with another staff ? It seemed to him that Dr . Morris had no real opportunity of being the Governor of the School . Was the Provisiona l Committee , after so many years of Dr . Morris's services , going to give Dr . Morris a six months' notice , or six months' salary only , when they were going to give another a gigantic pension ? He was surprised at such conduct . There was no reason in the thing . They recommended the pensioning of an

officer at £ 50 a year more than the salary which they were going to give his successor . If Dr . Morris was to go , give him some solatium : do not turn him away . If Dr . Moms was such an incompetent master , such a bad scholar , how was it he ( Bro . Hawkins ) had read for years the repoits from the Secretary and Committee extolling Dr . Morris ? There must certainly be some arguments in his favor . He did not say keep him permanently , but give

him an opportunity of receiving something if they were going to turn him away at once . Eventually the motion of Bro . Glass was carried by 45 votes against 34 , and Dr . Morris will , therefore , surrender his position at Wood Green , and the resolution will be acted upon by the Provisional Committee . After a number of party questions had been made , and explanations , amid laughter and various

cries of disapproval given , it was reported that at the Quarterly Court , to be held on October 25 , the motion of a pension of , £ 330 a year to Bro . Binckes would be put for confirmation , and the brethren dispersed without passing a vote of thanks to the Chairman for presiding . The Quarterly Court was held at the Freemasons' Tavern on Friday , the 25 th ult ., when the Grand Treasurer presided . A large number of Brethren were present , and the report of the Provisional Management Committee contained the following clause : —

The Committee , acting upon the authority given to it at the last Quarterly Court to confer with the Secretary , Bro . Binckes , " as to the terms of la ' s retirement , and to arrange them , if possible , '' has , after deliberation , arranged with him that he shall retire from the office of Secretary at tlie end of the present year 1 SS 9 , upon a retiring allowance of , £ 350 per annum for life . This arrangement received the almost unanimous approval of the General Committee on August 10 last , and this Committee now asks the General Court to sanction and confirm the same .

Upon this question the discussion which ensued was peculiarly of a party nature . After Mr . W . E . Porter had been elected by a very large majority to fulfil the duties of Medical Officer to the Institution , the motion of Bro . Richard Eve That in accordance with the recommendation of the Provisional Management Committee , adopted by the General Committee , on Saturday , 10 th August 1 S 89 an allowance of £ 350 per annum for life be made to Bro .

, , Frederick Binckes on his retirement from the office of Secretary after a service of upwards of 28 years . was carried . The proposer laid his case before the Court in a concise but impartial manner . He called the attention of the subscribers to the recommendations of the Committee appointed by themselves . He detailed the work of Bro . Binckes during the great number of years he had held office ,

and laid much stress on the yearly increase of the funds of the Institution during that period . Bro . Eve , whose remarks were continually interrupted , finished by reading a letter he had received from Bro . Pope , P . G . D ., one of the members of the Investigation Committee , who " relied on the generosity of the Craft to recognise the undoubted services of Bro . Binckes , and to provide some such means of honorable or voluntary

retirement as is contemplated in 3 our resolution . " Colonel Brisbane seconded the resolution , which—after several abortive amendments had been moved , one of which was not seconded , and others not put to the vote—the Chairman eventually , amid great confusion and excitement , took a division on the original motion , with the result that it was carried by 220 votes to 213 , after which Brother Hawkins invited the Brethren to

subscribe to a fund of , £ 500 to carry the question to the Chancery Court . A motion to expend a sum of . £ 3 , 500 t 0 provide washing and swimming baths for the use of the pupils was also carried , and sixteen candidates having been elected to the vacancies in the school , a vote of thanks to Brother Edward Terry terminated the proceedings .

At the moment of going to press , we unfortunately hear that an application will be immediately made to the Courts to overthrow the resolution carried in favor of the pension to Brother Binckes .

Freemasonry includes within its circle almost every branch of polite learning . Under the veil of its mysteries is comprehended a regular system of science . Many of its illustrations to the confined genius may appear unimportant , but the man of more enlarged faculties will perceive them to be in the highest degree useful and entercsting . To please the accomplished scholar and ingenuous artist , Freemasonry is wisely planned ; and in the investigation of its latent doctrines the philosopher and mathematician may

experience equal delight and satisfaction . To exhaust the various subjects of which it treats would transcend the powers of the bri ghtest genius ; still , however , nearer approaches 10 perfection may be made , and the man of understanding will not check the progress of his abilities , though the task he attempts may at first seem insurmountable . Perseverance and application remove each difficulty ns it occurs ; every step he advances new pleasures open to his view , and instruction of the noblest kind attends his researches . In the diligent pursuit of knowledge ihe intellectual faculties are employed in promoting the glory of God and the good of men- — Alfred D . Kins ; .