The Quarterly Courts.

Committee , and the dnties of tho General Committee would be lessened to that extent . Besides , the hour of four had already been advertised in tbo Calendar , and it wonld be very hard if brethren who supported a petition which had been unfavourably reported upon were to

come up at four o ' clock , and then to find that the Committee had met at two . For the next 12 months , at least , he thought the hour should remain fonr . Brother W . A . Scurrah seconded . Many of those who took an

interest in the Institutions were business men , and some were large employers of labour , who had to see to the payment of thoir men . Consequently tbey could not leave their offices till half-past two . Ho had found that four o ' clock worked well for the convenience of nine-tenths

of tho brethren . Brother J . S . Cumberland opposed the change , as also did Bro . Jones , who thought it was unjust to attempt to alter the time of theso monthly meetings . Bro . Le Feuvre , for the convenience of the country brethren , desired that tho hour should bo an early one .

Bro . Slyman supported . He thought the minutes should be confirmed as tbey were , and that Bro . Glass should on a future occasion have the matter discussed at a Quarterly Court , in April or October , where the brethren could have their say on the matter . Four o ' clock was decidedly

inconvenient for brethren from the North , as half-past five was the laat train to Liverpool and other parts of Lancashire . Bro . James Brett said many years ago these

Committees were held at three , and , as that was found inconvenient for Provincial brethren , it was altered to four . Whatever alterations wero now made they would not suit all the Provincial brethren . The Londoners had fallen

into the views of the Provincial brethren , but be thought it was asking too much to request them to bo going backwards and forwards—first three , then two , then four . He hoped Bro . Glass ' s amendment would be carried . Bro . J . Strachan , Newcastle-upon-Tyne ,

hoped the Court would not look on this question as one of London brethren against Provincial brethren . As subscribers to the Institntion , let them see what would bo most conducive to the interests of the Charity , and not have it a question of wavering . He understood that the

Committee had carefully considered the matter , and had suggested an hour for the meetings . To those brethren who came from a long distance it was not a question of

half an hour or an hour ; it was a question of days , because when a brother got up to town and then went by five in the afternoon , and travelled all night , it took a day out of him . Two o ' clock would be much bettor than four for the

country brethren . A brother from Northumberland , if he wished to bo at his work the next morning , must leave London by tho 5 * 40 o ' clock train . If the meeting was on a Saturday , he could not practically get home till Monday , unless ho were to travel all the day on Sunday . Bro .

Masters said the provincial brethren at last Quarterly Court asked to have the meetings on Friday . That was lost . Then two o ' clock was asked , and it was granted as an honourable compromise . It was unfair on au occasion

like this to attempt to alter any arrangement come to at a fall Quarterly Court . Bro . Bourne said the Londoners would do everything they could to suit the convenience of the Provincial brethren . Bro . G . Gardner said it did not seem to matter what the hour was .

Ho had attended many of the meetings , and he did not see large attendances . Those who did attend should be considered , whether they lived in London or in the Provinces . For the Provincial brethren no doubt it was very inconvenient to get home . He would support the two

o ' clock meeting . Bro . C . H . Webb said the meetings generally consisted of bufc a very small number of brethren . He thought fonr p . m . was the better hour . It was ultimately agreed upon , as a compromise , that the hour should be three o ' clock . The Chairman then brought forward his motion : "That the pension granted to Miss

Hall ( formerly Matron of the Institution ) by the Quarterly Court on the 13 th July 1885 , of £ 75 per annum 'for her sole and separate use' be reduced to the sum of £ 50 per annum , in consequence of Miss Hall having since married . " Alter some discussion pro and con , the motion was seconded , and carried . The recommendation from the

General Committee : " That 28 boys be elected at fche Quarterly Court on Friday , 10 th April 1891 , from an approved lisfc of 45 candidates was agreed to . " A vote of thanks to the Chairman closed the proceedings . In consequence of this new arrangement the meeting to-day ( Saturday ) will be held at three p . m .

The Quarterly Courts.

THE Quarterly Court of the Governors and Subscribers of tho Royal Masonic Institution for Girls waa held on Saturday , 31 st ult ., at Freemasons' Hall , Bro . Alfred C . Spaull presiding . There were also present Bros . J . S . Cumberland , C . H . Webb , James Brett , H . Massey , J . H .

Matthews , W . H . Saunders , E . M . Money , J . Strachan , H . F . Nash , and F . R . W . Hedges ( Secretary ) Bro . J . H . Matthews , for Bro . Henry Smith P . G . D . D . P . G . M . West Yorks , Treasurer and Vice-Patron , upon the recommendation of the House Committee , moved : —

"That the equivalent of £ 21 , via ., 2 Votes , be given to tho Eccleston Lodge , No . 1621 , in consideration of the Harmonium offered by them to the Institution , " He said the Harmonium was a luxury , not a necessity , and the Institution wonld not be justified in going to the

expense of buying one . As , however , it had been presented , it was thought by the House Committee that it should be accepted , and therefore they proposed thafc the gift should be recognised by a grant of votes . Bro . Cumberland , in seconding the motion , said it was a very

handsome present , and ought to be recognised . In answer to a qnestion , Bro . Matthews said Broadwoods had valued it at 20 guineas . It had cost £ 2 10 s to put it in order . Bro . Saunders thought the more the Institution had of

these presents the better it woold be . Tho motion was carried . Bro . J . H . Matthews P . G . Std . Bearer P . D . G . D . C . Patron , upon tho recommendation of , tho House Committee , moved : —

" That in consideration of tho good service rendered to tho Institution by W . Bro . Frank Richardson P . G . D ., and Patron , in conducting to so sue cessfnl nn issue the negotiations with the London , Brighton , and South

Coast Hallway Company , whereby amongst other advantages the funds of the InRUuition have beou beneUted to tha substantial extent ot £ 5000 , and as a slight acknowledgment , that tho rank and privileges of an Honorary Patron be conferred on Bro . Richardson . "

He said it was a long story to travel to go through the whole of the circumstances , but , to cut the narrative short , when the Committee got the £ 5000 they thought they should mako Bro . Richardson some recognition . The negotiations with the Railway Company were very difficult ,

and involved a great deal of time and trouble on tho part of Bro . Richardson . He was fought by the Company , which came before him from time to time , but ultimately he succeeded in coming to an arrangement . The Committee did not want tbe Institution to lose its ground , which was

too small in any case . Well , it got nearly half an acre more than it had before , and the railway took none of the old land . Since terms had been arrived at , the Company admitted that though they fought hard , tooth and nail , the Institution had made a vory fair arrangement indeed . Afc

firsfc they laughed at the Institution asking £ 5000 . In the Committee £ 10 , 000 had been suggested , because it could be reduced if the Company objected ; but the Committee came to the conclusion that £ 5000 would be a fair sum to ask , and it was obtained . This was not the only matter

for which they had to thank Bro . Richardson . The Parish of St . Mary , Battersea , in tho autumn of 1889 , behaved very badly to the Institution with respect to a bridge they were building , and they were extremely disagreeable . Bro . Richardson fought them and brought

them to terms , and the Institution was enabled to make a road . One other matter Bro . Richardson had fought for them . Tbe parish had raised the rateable value of the School premises , and the Institntion appealed , and the appeal was given against the Institution , in the { first

instance . The Institution then appealed to a higher Court , where no doubt tbe assestment would bo reduced very considerably if it was heard , bnfc it was thought the parish would not drive them to that . Taking all these things into consideration , especially the affair with the

Brighton Railway Company , tho House Committee proposed the recognition of Bro . Frank Richardson ' s services in the form contained in the notice of motion .

The motion was seconded , aud carried unanimously . Tbe Chairman , for his brother—Bro . W . H . Spaull , J . P ., P . A . G . D . C . P . P . G . W . and Prov . G . Secretary Shropshire , Vice-President , moved : —

" That' Thursday before the second Friday' be substituted for ' Saturday following the last Friday , ' in line 3 of Law 29 . " " That 'Thursday immediately before' bo substituted for 'Saturday imroetlintely following' in the 4 th lino of samo law . " ' That the word ' next' in 5 th lino of same law be omitted , and tho word ' week' be added after Saturday in same line .

He pointed out that this would be going back to the old days of election , and was intended for the convenience of brethren from the provinces , who would be thereby enabled to get home on the Saturday . Bro . Cumberland seconded the motion , which was carried , and a requisition signed