Royal Masonic Institution For Girls.

would be doing a benefit to the child . He moved the proposition as printed . Bro . J AMES HENRY MATTHEWS , President of the Board of Benevolence , seconded the motion , but asked the Chairman , as a lawyer , whether the Court was in its right in taking the step proposed 1 He was very glad to think they had the power .

Bro . A . C . SPAULL said he thought they had the power without the Special General Court ; but having a doubt about it , they had a Special Court called . The duty of a Court was to elect girls , but the present case was an unusual one . The elections were in April and October , and this being so , he thought it right to call the Special Court in order to avoid any question about it . Law 54 said : " A Special General Court shall be

called by the Secretary on delivery to him of a requisition , in writing , of the President , a Trustee , the Treasurer , nine Patrons , Vice-Patrons , or Vice-Presidents , or by a resolution of the General Committee . Such Court shall be held within 14 clear days therefrom , notice of such Court being given by advertisement in three at least of the London daily papers . The business to be transacted must be specified in such requisition or resolution and

advertisement , notice must also be sent to every Provincial Grand Secretary . " That being so , they had complied with the law . There was a resolution of the General Committee that this special meeting should be called , and the meeting had been held within 14 days as required . As to new laws —Law 53 said : " No motion for a new law , or for the abrogation , suspension , or alteration of any existing law , or for a grant of money , or for an expenditure exceeding . £ 500 , shall be made at a General Court , unless

notice thereof shall have been given at a previous General Court or General Committee , and advertised in at least two of the London Masonic or daily papers , six days prior to such meeting , notice also being sent to every Provincial Grand Secretary . No such resolution shall take effect until the minutes have been confirmed . " Therefore , it was within their power to pass any resolution at a Special [ Court and ask a General Court to confirm He thought that answered Bro . Matthews' question . Bro . MATTHEWS said he was quite satisfied .

Bro . C . H . WEBB said he agreed with the motion to the fullest extent . If the brethren passed the resolution , they would be showing their loyalty to the Throne and to their Masonic professions . Bro . C . PULMAN said he thought the Masonic body were to be congratulated on their being no other candidates for the Institution caused b y the same circumstances . The motion was unanimously adopted , and a vote of thanks to the Chairman closed the proceedings .

The Quarterly General Court was held at 12 o ' clock , R . W . Bro . Sir Reginald Hanson , P . G . W ., Treasurer , presiding , with the remainder of the brethren present at the Special General Court being in attendance . Among the other announcements made by the Secretary was that Earl Amherst , Pro G . M ., would preside at the next festival of the Institution . The brethren adopted the resolution passed by the Special Court , admitting Audrey Rennett into the School without election .

On the motion of Bro . A . C . SPAULL , P . G . Std . Br ., Patron , seconded by Bro . W . G . KENTISH , P . G . Std . Br ., Vice-Patron , it was resolved " That the vacancies caused by the withdrawal of Beatrice Mitchell Williams and Nora Floyd , before the expiration of their term , be filled by the admission under Law 94 of Ada Emily Perry and Annie Lewell , the highest unsuccessful Candidates at the October Election . "

On the motion of Bro . A . C . SPAULL , seconded by Bro . CHARLES PULMAN , it was resolved that 22 candidates , for whom there will be iS vacancies , be approved for the next election .

liro . bir KEGINALD HANSON produced the statement of the receipts of the Institution for the year 1900 , which , he said , had appeared in the daily papers , and that , with the exception of the centenary year , the amount was the largest received by the Institution in any one year . The death of the Rev . C J . Martyn , PiG . Chap ., was then referred to . That brother took the chair for the Institution in 18 S 9 in the absence of the appointed Chairman , and his personal donations to the Institution had been very large .

On the motion of Bro . J . H . MATTHEWS , seconded by Bro . T . H GARDINER , P . G . D ., a vote of condolence with the famil y of the late Bro C . J . Martyn was unanimously agreed to . A vote ol thanks to the Chairman brought the Court to an end .

Obituary.

Obituary .

BRO . THE REV . C . J . MARTYN , M . A ., P . G . C . We refer elsewhere to the grievous loss which Freemasonry has sustained through the sudden death , tro-n heart disease , on Wednesday of Bro . the Rev . C . J . Martyn , Rector of Draglingworth , Cirencester , and Chaplain-in-Ordinary to her Majesty the Queen . Our deceased brother had been somewhat seriously ill ever

since his visit to Ireland to conduct the funeral of his friend and brother Mason the Earl of Donoughmore , Past Grand Warden ; but death came upon him suddenly at the last , and there only remains for us to give a brief record of the invaluable services he rendered to the Craft during the whole of his long and distinguished career .

Bro . Martyn was initiated in the Apollo University Lodge , No . 357 , Oxford in 1856 , and was thus a Mason of nearly 45 years' standing . In 18 57 he joined the Churchill Lodge , No . 478 , and about the same time was appointed Provincial Grand Secretary of Oxfordshire . The following year he was installed W . M . of No . 478 , and was elected a joining member of Lodge Foundation No . 82 , Cheltenham , in which he was chosen to fill the Worshipful Master ' s chair in 186 7 , having in the interim ( 1866 ) been

honoured with the appointment of Prov . Junior Grand Warden of Gloucestershire . In 186 9 and 1870 he served as G . Chaplain of United Grand Lodge , and seven years later was appointed Deputy Prov . G . Master of Suffolk by the late Lord Waveney , then G . Master of the province , and retained the position till the day of his death , his last appearance in the Prov . G . Lodge having been at its annual meeting in 1900 , when Lord Henniker , who had been for some time absent on ollicial duty as Governor of the Isle of Man , had the pleasure of presiding and hearing how ably the province had been administered by his Deputy . Bro .

Martyn also had the satisfaction of installing his Suffolk chief , Lord Henniker as Prov . G . Master of the Isle of Man , this being about the last important occasion in Craft Masonry at which he attended and took a prominent part in the proceedings . He was also a joining member of the Westminster and Keystone , No . 10 , of Faithful Lodt , 'e , No . 85 , Harleston , and of the Royal Alpha Lodge , No . 16 , which is composed almost entirel y of Grand Officers , and in which he had , if we remember ri ghtly , the pleasure and privilege of assisting at the initiation , by his Royal High-

Obituary.

ness the M . W . G . Master , who is permanent W . M . of the lodge , of the late Duke of Clarence and Avondale . In Royal Arch Masonry he was even more distingnished . He was a joining member of the Westminster and Keystone Chapter , No . 10 , P . Z . of Unanimity Chapter ; No . 82 , Cheltenham , P . Z . of White Rose Chapter , No . 1007 , Bury St . Edmunds , Past Prin . G . Sojourner in Supreme Grand Chapter , and had held the office of Grand Superintendent of Suffolk since

1877 . In Mark Masonry he served as Grand Chaplain in 1868 , and as Dep . Prov . G . Master of East-Anglia from 1883 to 18 94 . In the Order of the Temple he was P . E . P . of the Cotteswold Preceptory of St . Augustine , No . 72 , Cheltenham , and was appointed Great Prelate of Sovereign Great Priory in 1883 . In addition , he was a Past Grand High Prelate of the Order of Rome and the Red Cross of Constantine , and a member of the Grand Metropolitan Chapter ( Rose Croix ) ,

No . 1 , under the Supreme Council ^ , A . andA . Rite . But , aboveall , byhisdeathour Charitable Institutions have lost one of their staunchest and most generous friends and supporters . He was a Patron of all three , and the number of Stewardships he had served in their behalf approached very closely to 40 . In 1889 , when Lord Henniker , Prov . G . M . Suffolk , who had promised to preside at the 101 st Festival of the Girls' School , found himself unable at the last moment to fulfil his engagement , Bro . Martyn went to the rescue and discharged the duty of President with

his accustomed kindness and ability . But the important place he filled in Masonry in its several branches will know him no more , and all who had the privilege of his friendship or acquaintance , who were associated with him in lodge and chapter , and who had taken part with him in helping to promote the interests of our Institutions will mourn for him with as great sincerity as for one of their own kith and kin . Our reverend brother , now deceased , was one of the 1 best and brightest and kindest Masons of his day , and it will be long ere the void caused by his death in the hearts of his family and friends will be filled .

BRO . C . J . AXFORD , P . M . It is with deep regret that we have to announce the death of our esteemed Bro . C . J . Axford , P . M . After a severe illness , he died at his residence , " Eskdale , " Rydal-road , Streatham , on the 30 th ult . The funeral took place at Nunhead Cemetery on the 3 rd instant . Bro . Axford was a P . M . of the following

lodges : Brixton Lodge , No . 1949 ; Henry Levander , No . 2048 ; P . M . and founder of the Alleyn Lodge , No . 2647 ; and P . M . of the Panmure Mark Lodge ; also of the Prince of Wales and other Ack Mariner Lodges ; a P . Z . of the Hiram Chapter , No . 2416 ; and a brother generally respected , and whose loss will be felt by all who knew him .

Wills And Bequests.

WILLS AND BEQUESTS .

Bro . William Ryland , F . S . A ., of Rye Lodge , Nether Edge , Sheffield , managing director of Ryland ' s Electro-Plating Company , Limited , Eyre-street , Sheffield , who died on the nth October last , aged 57 years , left personal estate valued at ^ 44 , 359 ' 4 s ' ., the gross value of his estate being £ 58 , 370 14 s . 3 d . He disposed of his property by his will of the 13 th July , 1 9 00 , as follows : To his wife , Mrs . Clara Ryland , the use and enjoyment of Rye Lodge and its furniture .

an annuity during her widowhood of £ 1200 , and one-fourth of the income from the proceeds of sale of his pictures , which are to be offered for public sale first at Sheffield , then at Manchester , then at Newcastle-on-Tyne , and lastly at Birmingham , and those which remain unsold are to' be offered as a gift to the Birmingham Corporation for the Art Gallery , but unless the Corporation accepts all of the unsold pictures they are to become the property of Mrs . Ryland . He

bequeathed to the Sheffield Blind Institution , £ 500 ; to his nieces , Martha and Sarah Jane Burniston , life annuities of £ 52 each ; to George Holdaway , a legacy of £ 200 ; to David Hunton Porrett , solicitor , £ 100 ; to Hannah Batley , a life annuity of £ 26 , and after her death to Elizabeth Edwards , a legacy of £ 400 . Mr . Ryland's drawings for the Life of Shakespeare and his lecture on Shakespeare are bequeathed to the trustees of the Memorial Theatre at

Stratford-on-Avon , upon the express condition that they are to bear the inscription , " The William Ryland of Sheffield Bequest , " and he left the ultimate residue of his estate , subject to Mrs . Ryland ' s life interest , as to one-tenth , to the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , one-tenth to the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls , two-fifths to the Port of Hull Society Orphan Fund , and two-fifths to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution for four lifeboats , to be named the " William Ryland , " " Clara Ryland , " " Martha Ryland , " and " Lady Jane , " respectively .

The will of Bro . Charles Henry Driver , F . R . I . B . A ., A . I . C . E ., of 17 , Victoria , street , Westminster , has been proved by Mrs . Caroline Driver , the widow , the value of the estate being £ 1601 3 s . 3 d ,