Homes For Little Boys.

Lord Napier and Ettrick , Earl Sydney , and Mr . John Walter , M . P . ; Mr . Robert Hanbury being the President . The Earl of Aberdeen is , as already stated , Chairman of the Committee proper , among whose members we note with pleasure Bro . Horace B . Marshall , CO , who is so loyal a supporter of our Charitable Institutions .

We will merely add , by way of conclusion , that we trust the occasion of to-day ' s ceremonial will pass off in all respects most satisfactorily , and that an Institution which for seventeen years past has been doing so much good will in the future have increased opportunities for proving its worth .

Our Institutions.

OUR INSTITUTIONS .

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR GIRLS . —The Quarterly Court of this Institution was held at Freemasons ' Hall , on Saturday last , under the presidency of Bro . Col . Creaton , Grand Treasurer , there being present Bros . Joshua Nunn , Frank Richardson , A . E . Gladwell , Lt .-Col . Peters ,

Bobert Grey , P . de L . Long , Kev . A . F . A . Woodford , H . Massey , H . A . Dubois , and others . Outside the usual business of sucb a meeting , there was a protracted discussion in the case of a motion submitted by Bro . A . H . Tattershall with a view to the amendment of Rule 56 , so that it should

read in future thus : "No girl shall be eligible for election or for admission by purchase or otherwise who has a sister in the Institution , unless the number of vacancies is in excess of the number of candidates . " Among those who took part in it were Bros . F . Binckes , Rev . A . F . A .

Woodford , Joshua Nunn , and Walter Hopekirk . In the result the motion was carried by twelve votes to nine . Bro . Hedges having announced that Her Majesty had been pleased to accept the position of Chief Patroness of the Institution , and had sent a donation of £ 50 , a motion

was unanimously carried to the effect " that this Court desires to record its grateful appreciation of the high honour conferred on the Institution by Her Majesty ' s gracious acceptance of the office of Chief Patroness . " The proceedings then closed .

EOYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOB BOYS . —The Quarterly General Court met on Monday , at 4 o ' clock , at Freemasons ' Hall , Colonel Creaton , Grand Treasurer , presiding . The other brethren present were A . M . Broadley , L . Ruf , Arthur E . Gladwell , William Roebuck , C . J . Perceval , Thomas

Cubitt , E . 0 . Massey , and P . Binckes Secretary . The minntes of the General Court of 10 th April last were read and verified , and the proceedings of the General Committee meetings held since that date were also read for information . The only business before the meeting was the

closing of the list of candidates for next election . The list presented by Brother Binckes showed that , deducting names of candidates withdrawn or become ineligible through lapse of time , aud adding the names of approved

petitions received since last election , there were now 62 eligible candidates , and on the notice of Bro . Roebuck , this list was now declared approved and closed . The number of boys to be eleoted is twelve .

ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION . — Colonel Creaton presided at the General Committee held at Freemasons' Hall , on Wednesday last , when there were also present Bros . W . J . Murlis , G . Bolton , C . A . Cottebrune , James Willing jun ., J . J . Berry , W . H . Goodall , Raynham

W . Stewart , J . H . Matthews , A . H . Tattershall , W . Clarke , Jabez Hogg , Edgar Bowyer , W . Hilton , Thomas Cubitt , James Brett , G . L . Moore , Frederick Adlard , E . C . Massey , and Bro . Terry Secretary . Four deaths of annuitants since last meeting were reported—one

had received £ 673 , another £ 351 , and another £ 10 . The fourth was Bro . J . H . Jones , who was elected in May last , and had not received anything at the date of his death . Following the custom in such cases the Committee ordered the name of Bro . Caffe—the next highest

unsuccessful candidate at last election—to replace the name of Bro . Jones . The Secretary submitted the report of the Finance Committee , which showed the following balances to the credit of the various funds : — Male Fund ,

£ 1 , 338 4 s 2 d j Widows' Fund , £ 1 , 059 12 s 7 d ; Sustentation Fund , £ 46 7 s 7 d ; together £ 2 , 444 4 s 4 d . The Secretary read a letter from the Provincial Grand Master of West Torkshire , suggesting that the votes of the subscribers resident in that Province should in future be sent

Our Institutions.

in a batch to the Grand Secretary of the Province , in irder that he might obtain the necessary signatures , as was lone by Bro . Binckes in regard to votes in the Boys ' School . Bro . Terry explained that the books of the two Institutions were differently arranged ; the subscribers to

the Boys' being arranged under Provinces , while in the Benevolent Institution they were kept in alphabetical order , and that on this account , the suggested alteration could not be properly carried out without making new registers . The Committee having considered the question

on its merits , decided to inform the Prov . Grand Master for West Torkshire that they did not see their way to complying with his request . Four petitions were considered , of which two were approved , one deferred for further inqoity , and one for the attendance of the

petitioner . The Secretary reported that contracts had been received for the alterations and repairs to the stone work at the Institution , and that the lowest ( £ 149 ) had been accepted . Bro . Terry further reported that a box

containing donations of tea and sugar to the inmates had been received ; that the contracts for coals had been executed , and that Bro . Matthew Cooke and his wife had entered upon residence at the Institution .

Malta.

MALTA .

PROVINCIAL GEAND MAEK LODGE OF THE MEDITEERANEAN .

THE first meeting of this Provincial Grand Lodge , as now consti - tuted , was held on the 27 th ult ., at the Masonic Hall , Valletta , Malta . By a recent decision of the G . M . M . the Province will , in lieu of being styled the " District of Tunis and Malta , " be designated the " Province of the Mediterranean , " now consisting of the three Mark Lodges in Malta , two Lodges in Gibraltar , and one in Sicily ; the Lodges in Tunis forming the Province of North Africa , under the

government , a 3 Prov . G . M . M ., of R . W . Bro . Thomas Pellowes Read 33 P . D . D . G . M . of Egypt . An emergency meeting of the Keystone Lodge , No . 107 was called at 7 . 30 p . m ., to receive Provincial Grand Lodge , at which hour there was a very large muster of Mark Masters resident in Malta , together ¦ with many Brethren from Sicily and Egypt . The Keystone Lodge

having been opened , the Prov . Grand Senior Warden , acting as Prov , G . M . M ., together with the Officers of the Provincial Grand Lodge , was received in the customary manner , and Provincial Grand Lodge was opened in ample form . W . Bro . W . Watson Provincial Grand S . Warden having assumed the gavel , the minutes of previous communications of Prov . Grand

Lodge , together with a very comprehensive report from the Board of General Purposes , were read and adopted . The patent of the M . W . Grand Mark Master , appointing Chevalier Edward Eosenbusch , Knight of the Eoyal Order of the Crown of Prussia , Knight of the Eoyal Order of the Crown of Italy , P . D . D . G . M .

of Malta , P . Z ., P . M . W . S . 18 , & c , & c , to the distinguished position of Prov . G . M . Master of the Mediterranean having been read , he was admitted and presented , by W . Bros . Glenday and Stilon , for installation , to the acting Prov . G . M . Master W . Bro . W . Watson P . G . S . W ., who addressed him as follows : —

" R . W . Bro . Eosenbusch—I must congratulate you on having been selected to fill the exalted and honourable office of Pro . G . M . M . of the Province of the Mediterranean—an office from which the power and prerogative may depart , on the expiration of your term of office , bnt the dignity and honour , except by your own act , never . " You cannot be insensible to the obligation which will devolve on

you as the ruler of this extensive and important Province , nor of your responsibility for the faithful and efficient discharge of the dnties appertaining to the office . The honour , reputation , and prosperity of the Province will , to a considerable degree , depend on the integrity , skill , and assiduity with whioh you may administer its affairs ; and the unity , peace , aad happiness of the members of the Province will

be generally promoted in proportion to the zeal , ability , and determination with which yon uphold , maintain , and propagate the genuine and sublime principles of our noble Institution . In inducting yon , therefore , into your chair of office , and investing you with tbe symbols of authority for the government of this Province , I am performing a most solemn duty , because , in committing to your hands

the superintendence and welfare of the Province , I invest you with powers and prerogatives of a very high order . " The good resolutions which , no doubt , you have formulated in your own mind , that these powers and prerogatives shall not be either abused or perverted in your hands , I would gladly strengthen by a few words of admonition .

" The very consciousness of the possession of power will make a gonerous and properly constituted mind cautious and gentle in » s oxercise . To rule has been the lot of many , but to rule well lias been the good fortune of comparatively few . To rule well should , therefore , be the continued aim of your honourable ambition . But alway bear in mind that it is not by the strong arm or iron will that

ooedience and order , the two chief requisites of good government , ar secured , but by holding the key to the affections and hearts of noon . Be it , therefore , your honest endeavour to obtain and hold this Key by ruling the Province with integrity , impartiality , and justice . _ " It will be your duty to uphold and maintain firmly the anC ' ° landmarks of our order and resolutely oppose any infringemen