Committee Meeting Of The Benevolent Institution.

COMMITTEE MEETING OF THE BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

THE Committee of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution met on Wednesday at Freemasons' Hall . There were present : — Bros . Colonel Creaton ( in the chair ) , Dr . Jabez Hogg , Colonel H . S . Somervillo Burney , Capt . N . G . Philips , R . H . Giraud , John Newton , F . Adlard , A . H . Tattershall , W . Clarke , Edgar Bowyer , S . Rawson , Griffiths Smith , J . A . Farnfiold , J . M . Case , James Brett , William Stephens , C . G . Dilley , J . G . Stevens , J . H . Leggott , T . J . Barnes ,

C . F . Hogard , Charles Atkins , and James Terry ( Secretary ) . After tho reading and confirmation of tho minutes , Bro . Terry announced that tho day which the Prince of Wales had appointed for the next Festival of the Institntion happened to be Ash Wednesday , and that , on communicating with tbe Earl of Zetland—who was to preside—he found that he wonld prefer the 9 th of February . He ( Bro . Terry )

thereupon wrote to Lord Carnarvon , requesting him to lay tho Earl of Zetland ' s suggestion before the Grand Master , and he had no doubt that assent would bo given to it . Bro . Terry informed the Committee of the death of one male and one female annuitant during the last month , and that an accepted candidate had also died . Bro . Rccknell's letter , thanking the Committee for increasing his salary ,

and assuring the brethren of his constant desire to discharge his duties efficiently , as Chief Clerk in the Secretary's office , was read . The Chairman was authorised to sign cheques for annuities , salaries and accounts . Half her lato husband ' s annuity was granted to the widow of a deceased annuitant , and nine new candidates were placed on the list . The petition of one candidate , which stood over from

the last meeting for enquiry , was refused for ineli gibility . Bro . Leggott brought before the Committee a proposition for enlarging the asylum of the Institution , by adding wings , in which an infirmary , chapel and committee-room could be built , as he did not consider the present building was adequate to tho wants of the Craft . He thonght there would be no difficulty in raising funds for this purpose ,

if an appeal was made to the Craft , and he promised to send in a notice of motion for next meeting , when tho subject conld be considered . The Chairman informed Bro . Leggott that even the presont buildings were very rarely fully occnpied , and Bro . Terry added that they had been full only five times since they had been erected . The Committee thon adjourned .

Mark Masonry.

MARK MASONRY .

DUKE OE CONNAUGHT LODGE OF MARK MASTER MASONS , No . 199 .

AN emergency meeting of this Lodgo was h .-ld at the Bell Tavern , High-street , Shoroditeh , on Thnsday , the 6 th inst . Bro . J . B . Shackleton , the W . M ., opened his Lodge at the appointed hour , assisted by Bros . H . S . Meyer S . W ., W . Fieldwick J . W ., W . J . Meek M . O ., W . Beasley J . O ., B . Meyer P . M . aud Treas ., James Hill Sec , A . P . Little S . D ., J . J . Gould J . D ., F . Bonner R . M ., J . Marsh Tyler , and the following members , viz ., V . W . Bros . D . M . Dewar P . G . M . O .

and Assist . Grand Sec , James Stevens P . G . J . O . and John Constable Hon . Members , aud Bros . E . M . Adams , W . A . Need- * , & c , tfcc . Tbe Lodge having been duly opened by the W . M ., and the minutes of the previous meeting read , Bros . George Andrews , of Crutt Lodge No . 1420 , W . H . Edwards of the Beadon Lodge , and B . Marshall of Lodge No . 81 ; , were advanced to the honourable degree of M . M . M .

by Bro . James Stevens , at the request of the W . M . Refreshment followed labour , and a very enjoyable evening was spent in social harmony , the toasts being very ably proposed by the WM ., and as happily responded to by Bros . Dewar , Constable , and others . Some capital songs and recitations by Bros . Stevens ( "Masons'Vows" ) ,

H . S . Meyer , Constable , and other members , enlivened the proceedings , which terminated at a reasonable hour , and the brethren separated highly satisfied therewith . This Lodge promises to become , under the present able management , ono of the best of the many excellent Lodges connected with this flourishing degreo .

Old Kent Mark Lodge Of Instruction.

OLD KENT MARK LODGE OF INSTRUCTION .

A MEETING of brethren , convened by Bro . Tanner , was held at the Trocadero , 6 Broad-street-buildings , on Monday , the 27 th ultimo , for the purpose of establishing a Lodge of Instrnction in this degree . Bro . Tanner was voted to the chair , and the following brethren were also iu attendance , viz .: —Bros . Dewar , Turquand ,

Mather , Silvcstre , Gimiugham , Nicholson and Venn . After a resolution had been passed , affirming the desirability of forming a Lodgo , Bro . Turquand was unanimously elected its first Preceptor . Bro . Tanner was appointed Treasurer , and Bro . Gimingham Secretary . It was further resolved that tho evenings of meeting should be tho first

and third Mondays iu every winter montb , from September to March inclnsive ; the time to bo 0 . 30 p . m . Accordingly , on the 3 rd inst ., the following brethren attended and formed the first regular meeting ,

viz .: —Bros . Venn , Moon , Ramsay , Silvestre , Mather and Tanner , witti Bro . Turquand ( Preceptor ) aud Bro . Gimingham ( Secretary ) . The minutes of the preliminary meeting having been duly read and

confirmed , the ceremonies of opening and closing the Lodge were worked three times , Bros . Turquand , Venn and Moon occupying the chair in succession . At a subsequent discussion , the Bye-laws of the Lodge were agreed to , and , all Masonic business being ended , the Lodge was closed in peace and harmony , and adjourned until Monday , the 17 th inst ., at 6 . 30 , when tho attendance of all brethren interested in this degree is requested .

Impostors In Masonry.

IMPOSTORS IN MASONRY .

FROM "THE LIBERAL FREEMASON . "

AN impostor is said to be ono who imposes on others , or a person who assumes a character for the purpose of deception . He is said also to be a deceiver under a false character . To the average mind , such a person is abhorrent ; and yet , on reflection , we have to admit that imposture is practised , in somo form or other , by far too many people who would bitterly resent the charge . The roan who travels from place to place , and from Lodge to Lodge , under the

guise of Masonry , and solicits aid from Lodge or member , without any definite plan or intent of repaying , is , in point of fact , no more of an impostor than he who smirches the good name of a brother Mason , from no higher motive than envy , suspicion or distrust . Beyond a doubt , many a brother speaks disparagingly of another without any intent to injure him in business or reputation •bnfc suoh

a course gives encouragement to the malicions and nngenerous , and to those who would prey upon the good name of tho really worthyimposture , therefore , is not practised sfllely by design , but sometimes by neglect . It is an imposition , too , and one which should not be tolerated , for Masons to mislead their families as to any of the duties or obligations of tho Craft , proper for the profane to know , and

surely no worse delusion or trick can be played upon a wife than for a husband to assert that , in case of death to him , the Masons will look after his widow , and secure her from want . This sort of imposition should never bo practised even by inuendo ; show the wife the nature of the bond , that she may see to what extent , no fnrther , she can claim . Let her see how absurd must bo the preliminary declaration , by her husband , that he has sought tho privileges of

Masonry through" a sincere wish to bo serviceable to his follow , creatures " if he teaches her forthwith to hold out her hands in demand . Such , however , is the natnre of the contract that , if poverty and decay comes—especially if they come in spite of the prudent and careful efforts of a brother—his widow and children have a right to expect sympathy and relief , as far as lies in a brother ' s power , without injury to himself or family . Not to afford this is a form of imposition that " fills the heart with pain , "

" And maketh even the little child In bitterness complain . " Masons know full well how frequent—and how pressing , too—are the calls for charity , from within the limits of their own Lodge circle ; and they know , quite as well , how constant and persistent are the many which como from without . These latter demands are pressed

so skilfully , that their success frequently confounds the former , pushes the honest claimant aside , and leaves her to the pain of a bitter disappointment . It is not nnfreqnently that notices , in print or by letter , aro sent to Masonic centres , warning the brotherhood against A . B ., who has been imposing upon the Craft , in a certain section , by fraudulent representations of his dire necessity and his

nnimpaired Masonic standing . To delay , under such circumstances , seems unjust—even cruel ; the coveted aid is given , the fraud pro gresses , until checked by the discovery of his truo character , and thon he is posted as an impostor . Women have occasionally played tho role of a Mason's widow PO skilfully—adding , at times , one or moro orphan children fo their presentments— that Charity Committees have

come to regard such applicants , if personally unknown , with immediate distrust . Thus it comes to pass that successful knavery may sometimes cause the doors of charity to be closed against the really worthy . But even the worthy may become impostors in Masonay , without intending for a moment to fill such a character . If it be granted that Masonry is founded upon the principles of universal

philanthropy and benevolence , it must also be granted that every step taken in it is to be sustained by industry . The maimed cannot be admitted , for the general reason that Masons should be self , supporting , and not a charge upon the fraternity . The benevolence of the institution , however , recognises the fact of poverty , in con .

sequence of ago or decay , and also because of widowhood and orphan , age : but , in justice to all , it also expects that all who come within its circlo in any degreo should raako some effort to bo as light a burden as possible upou its generosity . Evidently , therefore , it is an imposition to appeal to the Craft without making an effort for self-support , when will only is wanting . We havo in mind a case whero a brother

was discharged for non-payment of dues ; at tbe time , he owed for several years , persistently neglected to pay his dues , declined to plead poverty , and apparently found time and money for personal indulgence . About six years later , he died ; when , behold ! his widow straightway beset the organisation for a large amount of money , claiming that her husband was a Mason , though he had paid nothing in aid of the character for eleven years . This is a double form , of imposture—first , by exacting money where none is duo j and second , by

the notoriety which an honest refusal—or even a limited aid—receives by gratuitous circulation on tho part of tho family acquaintances , to the prejudice of Masons . It ought to be apparent to the profane , as it is to tho brotherhood , that the regulations of Masons should be observed by its members , to entitle them or their dependants to the benefit of any charitable consideration preferable to those of a

common humanity . Aud it ought also to bo the chief care of overy Mason to maintain tho character which ho professes with strict iutegrity , and never to deviate from the minutest principle thereof

so that , if imposition shall be put upon Masonry , it shall always come from elements outside of tho Society .

The annual meeting of the Whittington Chapter , No . 862 , was held on Monday , at Anderton ' s Hotel , Fleetstreet , when Comp . W . J . Murlis was installed M . E . Z . for the coming year .