Ad00903

_ ;! j 0plpit£0MtIttstittitiotrtim$>xxk, ST JOHN'S HILL , BATTERSEA RISE ,- S . W . INSTITUTED 1788 . Chief Patroness : HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN . Grand Patron and President : H . R . H IGHNESS THE PRINCE OF WALES , K . G ., & c , M . W . G . M . Grand Patroness : HER ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCESS or WALES . IN compliance with a requisition delivered to me , and signed by a Trustee and several other Brethren , being Patrons , Vice-Patrons , Vice-Presidents , Life-Governors , and Subscibers , a SPECIAL GENERAL COURT of the Governors and Subscribers of this Institution will be held at Freemasons ' Hall , Great Queen Street , Lincoln ' s Inn Fields , London , on Thursday , 30 th May 1889 , at three o ' clock p . m . precisely , to consider the following resolution , viz . : — " That the minutes of the Special Court , held on 16 th May 1889 , be , and the same are hereby , confirmed . " F . R , W . HEDGES , Secretary . OITICB—5 Freemasons' Hall , Great Queen Street , W . C . 23 rd May 1889 .

Ad00904

Boyal Masonio Benevolent Institution . BRO . H . 0 . KNILL desires fco thank his numerous supporters who , by their Votes , placed him at the head of the Poll at fche recent Election of the above Institution .

Ar00905

_ _ _ rzi H^^^^^P^^a TOggggWWWtfl ^ ^ SATURDAY , 25 TH MAY 1889 .

Correspondence.

CORRESPONDENCE .

We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of our Correspondents . All Letters must bear the name and address of the Writer , not necessarily for publication but as a guarantee of good faith . We cannot undertake to return rejected communications ,

THE ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS . To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Are we in the " silly season ' ' prematurely , or has the crop of " big gooseberries " failed ? The way the Report of the Boys' School Inquiry Commission has been

dealt with by the journals of the day , or the week , as the case may be , would lead me to suppose there ia nothing but stagnation afloat as regards topics of the day . I have not the honour of being personally acquainted with the redoubtable Secretary , " Bro . Binckes , " bnfc I should like to make his acquaintance . A man who can " lead by the nose" the members of his Committee , and keep them so

abjectly in control , as we are led to believe he has done , from my point of view is a man to be admired . I have heard him designated as " Our Hercules , " but that worthy , did he live in these degenerate days , would have to take a back seat as against Bro . Binckes . Free .

masons often dine out , are the members of Bro . Binckes ' s Committees the dummies or the imbeciles the writers for the hour would lead us to believe ? I know two or three of them 5—I say they are not . Yours faithfully , A LOOKER ON .

To the Editor of the FREEMASON ' S CHRONICLE . DEAR SIR AND BROTOER , —Will you allow me to reply to Bro . Tudor Trevor ' s first inquiry in hia letter of the llth inst ., viz ., " Had not Bros . Ramsay and Hogard , with each and all the members of their

respective Committees , ample opportunity and every facility afforded them of assisting in the recent investigations ?" I received an intimation from the Secretary of the Institntion that I , as a member of tbe Audit Committee , conld attend the meetings of the Committee of Inquiry , bnt on the 3 rd November 1888 , when I

presented myself at the meeting , I was informed by the Chairman , Bro . Philbrick , that they had decided tbat the inquiry was to be considered private , and that I could not be allowed to be present at tbat stage , but tbat I could do so when the question of accounts was under consideration . I heard nothing more until I received the following letter from the Chairman : —

" Lamb Building , Temple , " 19 th November 1888 . "D EAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Will yon , as a member of the Audit Committee of the Royal Masonic Boys' School , kindly attend the Committee of Investigation , at Freemasons' Hall , at 11 a . m . Tuesday

Correspondence.

27 th , or Wednesday 28 th , as best suits yourqonvenienoe , to explain to us the course of business adopted at the audits' , & o . " Yours faithfully and fraternally , " ( Signed ) FRED . A . PHILBBICK . " " 0 . F . Hogard , Esq .

I accordingly attended the Committee and explained all matters that were pat to me . I was not informed thafc any exception was taken to the accounts or the manner in whioh they were presented , either eaoh quarter or the annnal statement aa laid before the General Committee . This was the only invitation I received daring the course of the Inquiry . I remain , yours fraternally , CHAS . FREDK . HOGARD . 21 st May 1889 .

DEAR SIR AND BROTHER , —Since my letter to you of the llth inst . I have bad an opportunity of reading the whole of " The Report of the Committe of Investigation" appointed under Resolution of the Quarterly Court of the above Institntion , held on 27 fch July 1888 .

To the Editor 0 / the FREEMASON ' S CHUONIOIIE .

I have also read the reply , dated 13 th inst ., of V . W . Bro . F . A . Philbrick to the remonstrance addressed to him by W . Bros . Ramsay and Hogard , together with the rejoinder thereto , dated 16 th inst ., signed by Bros . Murray and Hogard respectively on behalf of the House and Audit Committees . May I , therefore , briefly state my nnln ?** .. ** ^ lin . n 4-IIMAA .-1 ...,, * M \ 'ifa 1 ir \ 1 r 1 !> .. » n . . . ao T liava fl 1 t . £ ian « UU UU 1 UUWU hWMM

.. U ^ IUIUU UUOOg QQ ¦ "i'lW , UUIUtUg U . V ., HO JL . UW . W M . J said , my final judgment until 1 have read " the shorthand writers ' notes of the evidence , " the immediate publication of whioh seems to be rendered imperative by the contradiction direct given by the House and Andit Committees to the conclusions of the Investigation Committee .

1 . The Report of the Investigation Committee strikes me throughout by its strictly judicial and moderate tone , and a painstaking desire to avoid all undue or unnecessary reflections upon individuals , and to confine itself to the allotted functions of the Committee . 2 . Bro . Philbriok ' s reply , dated 13 th inst ., to the remonstrance

addressed to him by Bros . Ramsay and Hogard , reveals a most trenchant fact whioh , as he pithily remarks , " speaks for itself , and needs no comment , " The inference of that remonstrance most undoubtedly was , that the evidence given before the Investigation Committee was unknown to the House and Audit Committees , either

as a whole or in part . Ifc now appears that fche Secretary of jthe Institution , Bro . Binckes , had possession of the whole 15 vols , of the notes of the evidence for six days before , and even at the very moment of penning the remonstrance in question . 3 . The rejoinder of the House and Audit Committees , dated 16 th

May , to Bro . Philbrick ' s reply of the 13 th inst . to their remonstrance , I find most difficult to characterise , My first impression of it remains undisturbed , though I have re-read ifc over and over again , and is

best described by the single word " shuffle . " If this view of it is justifiable , then I think the establishment of the truth of the con . elusions of the Investigation Committee has been materially assisted by this last utterance of the House and Audit Committees . Yours fraternally , TUDOR TREYOR , P . M . 2069 . Leeds , 20 fch May 1889 .

Royal Arch.

ROYAL ARCH .

—; u;—HARMONY CHAPTER , No . 309 . THE annual meeting for installation of Principals took place on Thursday , the 16 th inst ., at the Red Lion Hotel , Fareham , Comp . G . F . Lancaster conducting the ceremony , with his customary ability . The Principals installed were : —Comps . J . W . Gieve M . E . Z ., A . R , Holbrook H ,, and W . A . Hill J . The other Officers were appointed as follow : —Comps . the Rev . A . A . Headley Treasurer ,

H . Cooke S . E ., W . H . Bolitho S . N ., H . E . Bate P . S ., C . 0 . Smith and T . E . Smith A . S ., E . Izod Organist , T . H . Williams D . C , R . Eamea Janitor . Two interesting presentations have been made to the Chapter . Tbe retiring M . E . Z . ( the Rev . A . 0 . Hervey ) has presented

three candlesticks , made by himself from wood taken from the chancel of Fareham parish church , and estimated to be 800 years old . Mrs . H . Cooke has presented a very handsome pedestal cover , worked on white silk from a design by Comp . Lancaster .

The opening ceremony of the Al Fresco Fayre and Floral Fete , in the Albert HaU , has been fixed for three o ' clock on Wednesday , 29 fch inst ,, and the Committee have decided to keep the show open an extra day , namely , Saturday , 1 st June .

Star Chapter of Instruction , No . 1276 . —On Friday , the 17 th inst ., at Camberwell . Present : —Comps . Lyon P . Z . M . E . Z ., Moore Z . 169 H ., Neeld P . Z . 169 J ., C . H . Stone S . E ., Stone S . N ., T . Grummant P , Z . 1275 P . S ., C . Woods A . S . 1275 , and V . 8 . Murche

A . S . 1329 . The ceremony of exaltation was rehearsed , Comp . Woods candidate . Comp . Moore was elected M . E . Z . for the next meeting . Ifc was unanimously decided to close the Chapter during June , July , and August . A vote of thanks was accorded Comp . Woods for an act of kindness towards the Chapter .