Quarterly Court Of The Girls' School.

QUARTERLY COURT OF THE GIRLS' SCHOOL .

rpilK ( hiurtorly Court of the Governors and Subscribers ot tho * lloyul . Masonic Institution for Girls was held last Saturday , at I'lvi'ina-iim-i' Tavern . Colonel Creaton , Grand Treasurer , presided . After lire , ivu'iiti- -.. mi c-. - . olimatio'A of tho minutes , Dr . Ramsay moved the fnUowiri' -:

-" Ai / i i i :. \ I ' IOX ot' lli : r . K LX 1 . "That every eaiMutaie for admission to the School shall , previously to nominal io ,:, present a certiiicato that tho child can read and write English , ami work one of the lirst four rules of arithmetic , signed by a clergyman ium-dorr . ; or a certificated schoolmaster . " Bro . Raynham W . Stewart !' . ( . ! . D . seconded tho motion , and said that several

children were sent up who wero hardly tit to go to an Infant School . Thero wore two boys sent to tho Boys' School who could not write a word of the Lord's Prayer or spell the word "father . " When such children got into the School they were keeping other better ones out , aud it was turning the Institution into an Infant School . Bro . Wyatt , Newport , Isle of Wight , opposed the motion , as

in several cases tho parents of candidates were too poor to give them an education which would render them fit to pass such an examination as was contemplated by Dr . Ramsay ; In some cases , too , the father and mother had educated the children , but that education wonld not be able to bo continued when tho parents died , and if they went before a clergvman or schoolmaster to be examined they wore

so nervous that they could not pass . The standard of Dr . Ramsay was too high , and children , otherwise deserving , would be excluded . The opposition was seconded by Bro . A . J . Duff-Filer P . G . S . B ., who reminded the brethren that , under the rules of the Institution as they at present stood , a child though elected might be sent back if she could not answer the requirements of the Committee . These rules worked very satisfactorily , as well at this Institution as at tho

London Orphan Asylum , where they were the same . Bro . Joshua Nunn said that children had moro than once been sent back , though it had been certified by a clergyman that they could read . Dr . Ramsay , iu reply , thought that his proposition wonld relieve the Committee from a great deal of difficulty . Thoy were sometimes nnder tho painful necessity of sending a child back , bnt his proposition would relieve them of that . The motion was nut and lost .

Bro . A . H . Tattershall moved tho following : — "ALTERATION OE LAW XXXVII . " That tho members of the House and Audit Committees be elected for three years , and that one-third of the number retire annually , but shall be eligible for re-election . "

Bro . Raynham W . Stewart P . G . D . seconded the motion , which was put and almost unanimously negatived , without discussion . Bro . Joshua Nunn P . G . S . B ., on behalf of Bro . E . 0 . Mather , moved—• ' That the following words be added to Law 72 , after the word ' provision , ' viz ., ' and in cases of exceptional merit and necessity the General Committee are authorised to increase tho sum to an amount not

exceeding £ 40 . '" Thero were cases , he said , in which the larger sum might be given with considerable benefit to the children and to the Schools . Bro . Frank Richardson P . G . S . seconded the motion . Bro . Henry Smith , Provincial Grand Secretary , West Yorkshire , opposed . Tlie Institution was already put to au additional £ 30 a year expense by the children being allowed to be in the School a year longer than

they formerly were , and £ 20 was a very handsome sum . There seemed to bo a des re on the part of some brethren to spend a good deal of money . Bro . C . F . Matier supported Bro . H . Smith . Bro . Tattershall said the proposition was really a result of the Royal Masonic Pupils' Assistance Fund , the Committee really wanting to do what tlio Assistance Fund wished to do . Iu reply to Bro . Brackatone

Baker , Bro . Raynham W . Stewart said that the proposed amount was not to be given to every child when she left the Institution . It was merely proposed that the Committee might go as high as £ 40 in a case of exceptional merit ancl ability . It might not occur once in three or four years . The Committee would use great discretion in giving the £ 40 . Bro . Joshua Nunn said only once in three years had

the Committee given the £ 20 . The Committee looked after the moneys very carefully , and did not give them away just because they had the power . Tho motion was then put and lost , and the meeting proceeded to elect forty-two . girls out of an approved list of fifty-fonr candidates . At tho declaration of the poll , the following was declared to bo the result : —

SUCCESSFUL . ^• on Names * Forward To-day Total 3 Cecil Emily Alford - - - - 1184 338 1422 5 King Emily Beatrice - - - 1097 306 1403 15 Bridgeman Rose Agnes - - - 961 318 1279 41 Wyatt Eleanor Beatrice — 1162 1162 36 Lewis Edith Mabel ( last ) ... — m * 7 my 16 Owens Annie Adelaide - - - 953 43 996 7 Pelham Rosa Paulino - - - 264 716 980 18 Bennett Sarah . Jane 172 678 850 19 Bartrum Sarah Grace Kilvcrfc - - 763 74 842 23 Watson Ada Edith .... 734 92 826 9 Coalcs Clara Eliza 237 585 822 4 Hill Annie Elizabeth- - - - 187 613 800 11 Riley Sophia 751 49 800 24 Carey Rosina 515 281 796 26 Skelton Mary Ann Elizabeth - - 655 137 792 21 Evans Edith " 347 443 790 48 Lee Gertrude Elizabeth ( last ) - - — 772 772 38 Hogg Jessie Madeline ... — 764 764 40 Gough Minnie Maud — 763 703 44 Moryan Elizabeth Gertrude - - — 758 758 12 Ashtoir Ada Ellen .... 24 725 749 10 Stcwini Altec Maria Louisa ( last ) - 506 206 712 39 Smith Elizabeth Sophia ... — 709 709

Quarterly Court Of The Girls' School.

28 Gibson Eva Gray .... 631 70 701 13 Crow Caroline Ada .... 16 683 699 32 flartop Charlotte -- - -- — 699 699 51 Spalding Mary Emma ... — 682 682

25 Ford Annie Louisa 371 283 6 o 4 13 Heaton Margaret Eleanor - - — 653 653 -12 Prideanx Nina Evelyn ... — 650 650 30 Riddell Florence ( last ) 128 502 630 17 Meo Kate Sarah .... 264 354 618

34 Pope Alice Lilian .... — 615 615 19 Ashworth Gertrude ( last ) — 609 609 47 Okoll Mildred ( last ) .... — 605 605 29 Popkiss , Florence Emma - - - 214 387 601 8 Oberdoerffer Fanny Maria Ignaco - 265 329 594 46 Delafons Ellon Jane .... — 591 591

6 Drake Mary Cranch .... 22 567 589 45 Wilkinson Inga Edith ... — 584 584 54 Bradford Gertrude Edith ... — 582 582 52 Shelper Ada Minnie .... — 576 576

UNSUCCESSFUL .

27 Thomings Sarah Maria Walton ( last ) - — 542 542 50 Williamson Lelia .... — 532 532 37 Allison Anne Athalinda ... — 364 364 14 Deacon Emily 181 133 314 53 Townsend Emma Mary A - — 305 305 2 Brown Edith 91 2 93 1 Parker Elizabeth Minnie ... 75 17 92 22 "Nicholls Augusta Helen ... 27 50 77 35 Tamer Annie Elizabeth ... — 9 9 20 MoKinney Margaret .... 2 6 8 31 Fry Martha Jane Chonles - — — — 33 Gane Mary Larwill .... — — —

Votes of thanks to the Scrutineers and the Chairman closed the pro ceedings .

Quarterly Court Of The Boys' School.

QUARTERLY COURT OF THE BOYS' SCHOOL .

THE Quarterly General Court of the Governors and Subscribers of the Royal Masonio Institution for Boys was held on Monday , at Freemasons' Tavern , Colonel Creaton in the chair , and a large number of brethren attending . The brethren confirmed the indemnity granted by the General Committee to the defendants in the action brought by Bro . Stephen Barton Wilson for professional charges in connection with the building of the enlargement of the School at

Wood Green . Bro . Dr . Ramsay withdrew his two motions—1 . " That the members of the House and Audit Committees ba elected for three years , and that one-third of the number retire annually , bnt shall be eligible for re-election 5 " and 2 , "That every candidate for admission to the School , shall , previously to nomination , present a certifidate that he can read , write , and work the first four rules of

arithmetic , signed by a clergyman in orders or a certificated schoolmaster ; and Bro . 11 . 0 . Levander's motion , " That for the convenience of brethren , especially those from the Provinces , attending tho elections of candidates for the two Masonic Educational Institutions , the Quarterly Courts of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys be held ou the second Saturday in January , April , July and October , instead

of the following Monday , as at present ; and that bye-law 29 be altered accordingly , " was not brought forward , he having written to say he could not be present . Bro . Binckes said with reference to the case of Arthur Collingwood , the boy who stood No . 52 on the list of candidates for that day's election , he expressed his regret at the strong observations which had appeared in print with regard to the

candidature of this boy . It had been alleged publicly , aa well as privately , that the boy was ineligible for the benefits of the Institution , inasmuch as there had been property left by the father , which rendered the mother not the necessitous person she was said to be . The friends of the boy had told him that there was no truth in these allegations , that the case was one of very great distress , and

that they were prepared to prove , if required to do so , that the case was admirably eligible for admission to this Institution . In a Court like the present it was hardly possible to do the inqairy justice , or to see whether the charges were correct or not . The merits of the case had been considered by the General Committee , and he had made personal inquiries of the brother who had put the case before the

Committee , and if it was referred to a Committee now , he felt sure that brother would put the case right . On the other hand , statements were made equally forcible against the case , he admitted , and he had a letter from a brother in Yorkshire , asking him to state to the meeting whether an inquiry would be held to test the truth of the state , ments on the one side or the other . He had therefore sketched out a

resolution which , if approved by tbe Court , might get over the difficulties of the case , and meet the views of all parties . Bro . Binckes then read the resolution , which was to the effect that the case be referred to the House Committee to consider and report upon to the Quar . terly Court on the 10 th January next . Bro . 0 . F . Matier moved the resolution , which was duly seconded ; bnt Bro . Dr . Ramsay said the

result of the remarks that had been made wonld probably be that the candidate would not be elected at all . Bro . Rev . A . F . Woodford thought the step proposed was a very serious one . They were going to put this candidate at a disadvantage on the faith of statements which were utterly unknown to the great mass of the brethren in the room , and were apparently known only to the Secretary . The

meeting , as a body , had had no opportunity of considering the allegations . The candidate had been formally accepted ; nothing was then said as to such allegations as had since been made ; and if there was snch charges they onght to have been properly brought forward before . He ventured to assert that they were setting a very serious precedent , if at a Quarterly Conrt certain allegations having been made against a candidate , however true or however untrue , after being