Mark Grand Lodge.

The M . W . G . M ., in reply , said I assure you I value most highly the kind manner in which you have received this toast , as I value the confidence which the brethren have placed in me in raising me to the chair which I occupy , and who have kept me in that chair for the last two years . I

assure you , brethren , that I shall only be too thankful , and shall have felt that I have no cause to be disappointed with the success of my labours in the chair if I am able to hand over the degree to my successor in no way falling short of the condition in which it was when I was

p laced in the chair which I occupy . I believe , brethren , I have every reason to trust that that will be the . case since by the labours of several very excellent brethren whom I could name , as you heard in Grand Lodge , subsequent to our last meeting not less than four new lodges have

been constituted . I have signed the warrants for two more , which in a very short time will be constituted . That speaks well for the progress of the degree . Our brother has alluded to our visit to various important centres of Masonry . As far as I am concerned ,

and I know as far as those who accompanied me were concerned , those visits were visits of the very greatest pleasure . It was a great pleasure to see how our Order has flourished in those important places ; and it was the greatest p leasure to have the kind reception which we

had at every one of them . I dont know anything that could have been more gratifying to any one holding the position I do , than to see that most magnificent meeting which we had at Manchester ; and although , of course , the other two meetings were to a certain extent inferior in

numbers they were by no means inferior in energy and promise . As I said it was a very great p leasure to pay those visits , and I only trust that I , as long as I continue in office , and afterwards my successor may have a continuance of that friendship which we experienced

on those occasions . All the other toasts were then given and responded to , and the brethren separated after spending a very pleasant evening .

Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

ROYAL MASONIC INSTITUTION FOR BOYS .

The General Committee of the subscribers to this Institution held their December meeting ou Saturday last , in the Board Room , freemasons' Hall . Bro . W . Hyde Pullen presided , ami there were also present Bros . John XV . Dennison , II . Browse , S . R . iwsnn , II . Massey ( "Freemason " ) , George Free , W . Pans , Thomas Meggy , K .

Adlard , XV . I * . C . Moutric , George J . Palmer , 1 . J . Hooper Wilkins , Jesse Turner , II . G . Warren , Walter Hopekirk , Robert 13 . Webster , John Boyd , Dr . Ramsay , J . W . Doscll , Chailes Horsley , and I " . Binckes , Secretary . The reading of the minutes of different committee meetings occupied a considerable time , after which Bro . I . | . Hcopcr Wilkins gave notice of motion for next

committee meeting : " That in consideration of the past services of Bro . Edward Harris , as collector to the institution for a period of 20 years , who has now tendered his resignation , he be granted a pension of £ 120 per annum from ist of January , 1877 . " On this Bro . Henry G . Warren enquired what would be about ihe amount of Bro . Harris ' s returns , when he

was informed that Bro . Harris ' s commission on subscnptions he collected vaiied from £ 150 to £ 160 , £ 170 , and £ 180 . It was also stated that Bro . Muggeridge , the Collector to the Girls' School , on his resignation , was awarded a pension of £ 150 . The report of the Special Committee on the office duties and emoluments of the Collector was then read . It was

very short , and it stated that as Bro . F . Binckes , the Secretary , had expressed his readiness to undertake the collection of all subscriptions , the Committee recommended that the office of Collector be abolished , and that the Secretary be allowed un additional clerk in his office at a certain salary . Bro . II . Browse , P . G . D ., moved , and Bro . Dr .

Ramsay seconded , that the report of the Special Committee be received , approved , and adopted . Bro . Jesse Turner asked whether it was not a part ol the plan of the Masonic Institution that the rules of the Boys' and Girls' School should be on all fours , unless a grave and proper reason existed why the rules of one Institution should vary from the other .

Bro . Binckes said that that was the rule , but the fixing of the salary of the clerk would not interfere with the general uniformity of the laws of the two Institutions . liro . II . G . Warren , P . G . S ., said it had been held at the General Committee of the Girls' School that an additional clerk could ndl be appointed without going to the

Quarterly Court , and this question was raised by Bro . Thomas XV . White , the chairman of the last meeting of that General Committee . liro . lirowsc remarked that that was overruled afterwards . Sonic further discussions on the point having been had , Dr . Ramsay thought that it was quite beside the

Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

question . The subject before the committee was the approval or rejection of the Special Committee ' s report . Bro . Warren said he had brought before the General Committee of the Girls' School the advisability of increasing the amount of security to be ' given by the Secretary , as that officer was to receive all the subscriptions . He thought it should be at least as much as ' . he Secretary and

Collector combined gave , viz ., £ 300 and £ 200 . Bro . H . Browse observed that this was a question for the House Committee . All the present meeting had to do was to confirm the report of the Special Committee . Upon the report of the House Committee the subject of the securities would come to the General Committee . Bro . Warren having suggested that the clerks who

wcre to be employed in collecting should give security , Bro . Binckes said that whatever clerks were employed , they would not be Collectors ; the Secretary would be the Collector . Dr . Ramsay mentioned that it ought not to go forth to the world that the clerks wcre to be the Collectors , for Bro Binckes , if the report of the Special Committee were

adopted , would be the Collector , only he would have what aid he wanted in the duties of Collector . Bro . Binckes said it was distinctly laid down in the report that the Secretary was to be the Collector . Bro . Warren again contended that the present amount of security given was too low , and he should propose at next meeting that it be increased .

The report was then adopted . In reply to a question , Bro . Binckes said that the subsciiptions for the present year already received amounted to £ 14 , 400 , and of this sum the Collector had got in about £ 33 °° - Four petitions of widows for their boys to be placed on the list of candidates for next election in April were then

read and received . Bro . Binckes read a letter from Bro . John Symonds , P . G . D ., enquiring whether Bro . Binckes ' s notice of motion before Grand Lodge on the 6 th inst . emanated from any of the committees of the Boys' School , or whether it emanated from himself as an individual . The letter was written to Bro . Binckes , but as it contained a request that it

should be read to the General Committee , Bro . Binckes complied with Bro . Symonds' request . Bro . Binckes said that when he gave the notice of motion at the Board of Masters he was unaware that a meeting of the Special Committee on the subject of the commemoration had been held at Lord Carnarvon ' s house the day before . It had been kept entirely from him , but if

he had known of the meeting , and that Lord Carnarvon had said he would call a Special Grand Lodge to consider the report of the committee when made , he should not have given his notice . He had given his notice in ore ' er to be in time ; had he deferred it he would have been too late ; and it was only after he had given notice that he was told of Lord Carnarvon ' s intention . When Grand

Lodge met he should under the circumstances withdraw or postpone his motion . He added that his notice was given solely by himself as an individual member of Grand Ledge , and not at all as coming from any committee , or authorised or suggested by them . He did not say one word in his notice as to how the money proposed to be irivcn should be applied , but left it to be arranged by the

committees of the institutions between which he suggested that it should be equally divided . No discussion of this subject was entered upon . Bro . Binckes then read the draft of a circular for proposing Stewards to send to brethren from , whom they desired subscriptions for the festivals of the Institutions . In the circular reference was made to Bro . Binckes ' s new

scheme for establishing . a preparatory school for 100 little boys , the sons of Freemasons . Bro . Binckes said £ 10 , 000 would be required to build this preparatory school , and if this sum was not found it could not be built . He had no doubt it would be found . The following letter in reference to the last election was read by Bro . Binckes : —

" , Old Jewry Chambers , E . C , London , 15 th Nov ., 1876 . " To the Chairman and brethren of the General Committee of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys . Worshipful Sir and Brethren , —On the iCth October last , the day of the election of candidates into the school , I attended with several friends interested in the case ol

Herbert Pattison Wisby , for the purpose of promoting his success . At the close of the poll I calculated that 1220 votes ( including some sent to the office ) had been put into the box on his behalf . " When the result of the poll was declared by the chairman of the meeting , 1 heard with astonishment that only 1124 votes had been recorded in his favour , being 96

below what I considered he was entitled to . I immediately demanded a scrutiny , which has resulted in three errors having been discovered , viz ., a bundle of 28 found on the floor not entered at all ; a bundle of 45 found inside a packet belonging to another case , and a split proxy included in another bundle , of which one was for the case , making a total of 74 votes to be added to the 1124

recorded , and thereby bringing up the total to 1198 . "There still remain 22 votes unaccounted for . " It was ascertained that the box in which the greater part of the votes polled by me were placed burst open on its way upstairs , thus accounting for some of the votes having been found in other bundles , and also shewing a possibility of others being missing .

"The total of 1220 votes would have placed Herbert Pattison Wisby on the list of successful candidates , as the last elected , viz ., Beck , only polled 1217 votes . And 1 now venture to ask you to take into consideration the fact of such mistakes having been made , and the possibility of the other votes having been put into the box ; and to allow him to be received into the school should a vacancy occur before the next election .

Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

" His widowed mother has been left in most disastrous circumstances , and the utmost commiseration and sympathy has been expressed for her , which was evidenced by the number of votes polled on this the first application , and it is the opinion of many who know the foregoing circumstances , and it is my duty to call your attention to this case and to ask your committee to relieve the widow of the

expense and anxiety which must attend a further candidature . ' I remain , Worshipful Sir and Brethren , yours fraternally , ( Signed ) "THOS . MEGGY . " Bro . Meggy then rose and said that the facts having been very fully set out in this letter , he would not detain

the brethren by recapitulating them . He could not claim that the case should be taken as an elected one ; still his friends advised him to ask the Committee to take the matter into their favourable consideration , and should a vacancy occur before next election , to admit the boy into the school instead of letting him go to another election . This Committee had the power of recommending this

course to the Quarterly Court in January . Bio . S . Rawson , P . Dist . G . M . for China , as one of the scrutineers , could not agree with the statement in Bro . Meggy ' s letter , that because three mistakes had occurred there might have been more , and that if these additional mistakes had not been committed the boy would have been successful .

Bro . Jesse Turner thought that to adopt the course proposed by Bro . Meggy would be to open the door to fresh applications of the same sort , and it was not unlikely that after next election it would be used as a sort of precedent . The best way would be for Bro . Meggy , with the large influence he had in [ the Craft , to use it at next election for the same candidate , and with the 1220 votes brought

forward he would be certain to carry the boy in . The course proposed by Bro . Meggy seemed so very irregular that it would be unwise to adopt it . The Chairman said the question was whether the Committee had the power or right to do it . Bro . Meggy could give notice of motion for the Quarterly Couit to the effect he proposed . Bro . Meggy then gave notice of motion embodying his

. A letter from Dr . Jabez Hogg , P . G . D ., was read by the Secretary , | stating that the boy Packwood's sight would soon be restored , and that he would soon be able to enter upon the active duties of life . The proceedings , which had lasted over an hour-and a half , were then brought to a close by a vote of thanks to the Chairman .

Obituary.

Obituary .

THE LATE BRO . T . WYLIE , P . P . G . REGISTRAR . The brethren in the Province of West Lancashire will hear with deepest regret that Bro . Thomas Wylie , P . M . 86 , & c , P . P . G . Registrar , died at his residence , Vhe Hermitage , Peter-street , Southport , near Liverpool , on Tuesday , the 28 th ult . Our deceased brother was closely identified with Masonry in neatly all its leading branches ,

and was a keen and active worker , especially in the sacred cause of charity . His name will long be remembered as being prominently identified with tinerection of the Masonic Hall in Liverpool , of which he was one of the trustees , and his hand was ever ready to give help to a brother or lodge when occasion required . His loss in connection with lodge consecrations will be

specially felt , as on these occasions no one gave more ready and more valuable help . While holding the office of P . G . Registrar he invariably showed talents ot the highest order , and he elicited the admiration of every one by the sterling honesty and uprightness of his character and dealings . Almost his last Masonic appearance was at the recent meeting of the West Lancashire Provincial

Grand Lodge , where his voice was heard pleading strenuously , wisely , and to good purpos- 'or the liberality of the brethren in connection with the gift of a scdiiia to Chester Cathedral . His counsel and help on many occasions were greatly prized , and therefore his loss will be universally felt throughout the province . It may be interesting to many to know something of the career of our deceased

brother . Nearly a century ago Bro . Wyhe ' s father came from Scotland and settled in Liverpool , where he carried on a good business as a stonem ason and contractor On his decease , Bro . Thomas Wylie succeeded to the business , but it proving uncongenial to his tastes , he turned his attention to the profession of a surveyor . Nearly a quarter of a century ago he was elected a

member of the select vestry , and continued for many years to take a very prominent part in the administration of parochial affairs . When the extension of the parochial offices of Liverpool took place , and the parish assessment rendered it necessary to appoint a surveyor , Bro . Wylie resigned his seat at the select vestry , and was ) chosen as the parish surveyor . He continued to hold this office until about

ten years ago , when he resigned and resumed his old occupation as an estate agent and surveyor . It was , however , in the last-mentioned capacity that he became most signally successful , and in nearly all cases of arbitration , whether enforced or voluntary , his extensive experience and sound judgment rendered him a valuable ally , and

his services were much sought after . He took a great interest whilst residing in Liverpool in all that related to the progress of Congregationalism , and up to the close of a useful and active life was in religion , politics , and educational matters one of the advanaed thinkers and workers .

We are compelled , through the great press of matter , to hold over the Report of the Grand Lodge of Scotland , and of many other reports of Scotch lodges .