Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

. -Aether we do require an alteration of tho Laws . If you read the Laws very carefully it may be that you will see whether it is necessary at all to alter the Law * and whether we havo not the power vested in us already without troubling Grand Lodgo at all . If you will tako your books you will see the Rules .

Rule 23 i & ko first , and go on by steps . It is a question which I should liko to have the opinion of some of you gentlemen upon who are lawyers . Take Rulo 23—well , Brethren , if you will kindly read carefully Rule 23 you will see it is as follows :

" A Lodge , Chapter , or Masonic Society subscribing Fifty Guineas in one sum or in sums of not less than Five Guineas each , shall during its existence be entitled to ten Votes for Annuitants on the particular Fund to which the or

donation is paid , and the Master or First Principal of such Ljd . ^ jo Chapter for the time being shall be a Vice-President of the Institution in right of such payment ; and for every additional Ten Guineas to such particular Fund shall bo further entitled to four votes at each election . "

Now , I may tell you , Brethren , that that has been the Law since the year 1842 , and has never been altered . If you go a little bit further , at Rule 25 you will find that :

" Every Vice-President , upon completion of a further donation of Fifty Guineas to either Fund , or partly to each Fund , in one sum or iu sums of not less than Five Guineas each , shall become a Vice-Patron of tho Institution .

A Brother : Every one' ! Bro . J . A . Farnfield : Yes ; every Vice-President . Now , Brethren , if since 1842 wo have made a Brother Vice-President , in right of his Lodge paying a certain sum , Vice-Patron , and as Rulo 25 says that a Vice-President on doing something more shall be a Vice-Patron he comes under the definition of " every ; " and then you go on :

" Every Vice-Patron , upon completion of a further Donation of Ono Hundred Guineas to either Fund , or partly to each Fund , in one sum , or in sums of not less than Ton Guineas each , shall become a Patron of the Institution , with twelve votes for every Ton Guineas thereafter subscribed . " Now , then , I put it to you looking at what was said in Grand Lodge at

the last meeting ( and I suppose there is a certain amount of opposition on the question ) , have we any right to tamper with the Law as it is here ? Our Law , as it appears to me , reading it in its strict sense , is perfectly good for everything that is required . It is a question for you—I am in the hands of you—whether it is not oettor to leave well alone than alter the Laws . The

Sub-Committee you have appointed have recommended to put instead of " Every " " A , " and in the first line after the word President to insert " being an individual donor " in the amendments we have made ; but this is to be a motion that we may not be able to cany in Grand Lodgo . We would rather rest quietly on tho Law as it is and not seek to alter it at all . It would be

better to bear the ills we have than fly to those we wot not of . I am speaking to many who are solicitors , who know the law better than I do . It is a question whether we should alter tho Law . What we suggest is that the privilege be granted to Lodges or Chapters or their Master . I put that forward to you jiist to put your thoughts in that frame , and I shall be glad to listen to anything that may be said .

Brother John Glass P . M . 453 : May I ask if the construction that you suggest applies to this Law has ever been acted on in tho manner you have suggested ? Bro . Farnfield : Yes ; Lodges and Chapters which have paid the amounts are having the votes and are Vice-Patrons , but wo wish to make it moro

clear , because we havo not any Patrons . We have now Vice-Patrons by this rule . The rule says " Every Vice-Patron . " Then you seo according to this reading of the law we aro clothed with power in everything of that kind . Tho question is whether you will let well alone or go to Grand Lodge to alter the Law . I am in your hands .

Brother John Glass : I should like clearly to understand that this 25 th Law has been put in practice—common practice—with regard to Lodges and Chapters and Masonic Societies—that the privileges had been exercised and votes given in respect of payments made under that Law . I understood the Chairman to say yes;—I mean the existing Law .

Bro . J . A . Farnfield * . I do not think I used the word " common " at all . Our Brother Secretary will explain as to what that may be . Brothor Terry , what would it be as to Lodges qualified in your opinion under the 25 th Law ?

Bro . Terry : Four votes for every Ten Guineas . Bro . A . C . Spaull : I do not think that a single Lodgo has been called a Patron or Vice-Patron . Brother Farnfield : We have not the power except to givo them votes .

Bro . A . Q . Spaull : As regards this Law have there been Patrons or Vice Patrons ?

Bro . J . A . Farnfield : If you take the Book of Rules and Regulations you will see we do hot call Lodges and Chapters Patrons . They never have been . Take the list you have before you and look at pages 4 and 5 you will see thero are a great many persons put down as Vice-Patrons , a multitude of them . I do not know whether that answers Bro . Glass .

Bro . Glass : No . The question is whether according to the construction of the Law this very Law has been put in practice , and if your contention bo correct that every extra donation of Fifty Guineas to either Fund , or partly to each Fund , in one sum or in sums of not less than Five Guineas each shall constitute the donor a Vice-President of the Institution . I understand from you that thero is no Lodge or Chapter a Vice-Patron .

Bro . J . A . Farnfield : Not on the balloting papers . Look on pages 5 , 6 , au " 'he Rules . You will seo the numbers put down . Do not take my word for it . Look at pages 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 and 9 . Brother John Glass : If you tell me this Law has been so construed and acted upon then I have no more to say .

Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

Bro . James Terry : We give four votes for every Ten Guineas . Brother Sir J . C . Dimsdale G . T .: The Lodges get the same votes M individuals . Bro . James Terry ; No ; half the number .

Bro . Richard Eve P . G . T .: In seems like a conundrum to give it in that peculiar form , and I should hopo that those who called this meeting had threshed this matier thoroughly out and had followed it out by a proposition .

Bro . J . A . Farnfield : This question was submitted by a Sub-Committee to the Committee of Management . When submitted to us we came to the conclusion that looking at the Laws it was unnecessary . I put that forward because iu the letter you wrote to us you are suggesting that a Committee of

the three Institutions should be formed . In our opinion it was unnecessary because the Law was sufficient . I thought you and other gentlemen had not considered it in the aspect I put forward , I do not like to tako you by surprise , and therefore before any motion was made I thought it necessary to call your attention to it .

Bro . Richard Eve : It has escaped my attention . But even supposing your contention is right , which I do not ty any means admit , it does not appear that this has been acted upon altogether according to the Law you havo laid down . As I put it you have now half the privileges to Lodges that

individuals havo , you say wo ought not to havo any alteration . Bro . J . A . Farnfield : Wo are only giving them half under the new ones . Bro . Richard Eve : Bro . Terry says he does not give twelve votes to a Lodge or Chapter . Bro . James Terry : Not to a Lodge or Chapter .

Bro . Richard Eve : If you continue your course of action in the future as in tho past I have nothing more to say . All I personally feel is in the expressions made use of in those letters from the Hampshire Province , in which I take great interest , and of Sir Offley Wakeman . They express the views of all that there should bo no undue preference to either of the Masonio Institutions .

Bro . J . A . Farnfield : I quite agree with you ; but we are now taking the Law as it has been ever sinco tho Institution has been founded ; we are not taking it from you . I am waiting for a motion . It is not for me to do anything . Bro . Richard Eve : Then wo come to clause 25 " A Vice-President being

an individual donor . " Really tho Lodges are not Vice-Presidents ; they are only Vice-Presidents in a sense ; they merely contribute for an Officer ex-officio . A Vice-President or a President being an individual donor . So long as it is liko that I am satisfied ; if that is what it means I should be only too pleased to find the matter so settled . If you do not propose there is nothing to

oppose . Bro . Edward Terry P . G . T .: Aro these proposals to be withdrawn ? Bro . W . F . Smithson : Are these to be withdrawn to-day and are we to

go back to the old Law ? Bro . J . A . Farnfield : I think so . We must go back to the old Law . We shall keep it as it has been all tho way through ; we shall not alter it at all .

Bro . W . F . Smithson P . G . D .: I have como here from West Yorkshire , and I say expressly this is in the best interests of the Institution . It is the best course to follow not to have anything but a fair and honourable rivalry among the Institutions , and you cannot get it by taking money out of the Brethrens' pockets or out of Societies and giving them the same privileges as you give to individual donors .

Bro . J . A . Farnfield : I regret that at the last meeting I was not able to preside , and I was taken aback at Grand Lodgo when I had to propose the resolution , not having gone into it . It appears to me better to leave things as they are—allow matters to remain as they are ; it will allay any irritation there may have been , which I trust may cease now ; and 1 think the only

thing necessary to put forward is the last paragraph . The House Committee is only five . Bro . Perceval died , and one is ill . On the Finance Committee too , one is dead , and we think if tho place can be filled , up at the next Committee it will save any trouble . In Arctic weather like this some might bo laid by , and we might bo in a position of unreadiness .

Bro . W . F . Smithson : I have been looking up the statistics as one who has taken part in the elections for fifteen or sixteen years and never missing a meeting at the elections ; and I find thero was a time when 474 votes were successful . That was the case in 1874 . I am coming now to the fact that last year at the last election 5 , 000 was not elected . At one time 450 would

elect an old man . Now it takes 3 , 000 to elect him . The voting power has gone on so on account of tho generous support of the Craft that it makes it very difficult to know when a case will be successful . I have felt several times very deep sympathy when Brethren have come up for an old man or an old woman and they do not know where to stop . Sometimes it takes

three years to carry a case , and it cannot perhaps be done in under 6 , 000 votes . The case may be a strong one and come from strong Provinces in the north or south of England . On that ground I do not think wo should increase the voting power . I might go further and take some statistics I worked out a few nights ago , with regard to the support

given to the Institutions . From 1882 to 1893 the Boys School received £ 227 , 200 ; tho Girls School £ 236 , 537 ; tho Benevolent Institution £ 310 , 186 . Those are the figures taken from Grand Lodge , and I therefore think that the Chairman and the Board of Management of

the Benevolent Institution has every reason to be grateful for the support afforded to the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution . I am certain that if we go and givo lavishly these extra votes and extra privileges it will be detrimental . I know that there are many Provinces with small organisation