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Chairman had not this advertisement before him whei he did that , and so this great mistake arose . If thi : was referred back to the Committee , they would see tht matter as he had , that the limiting of the distance hac the effect of keeping off some of the best men . Thesi gentlemen were ready , at whatever distance , to do theii

best for the Institution . Distance was now annihilatec about London by the facilities there were for getting about , and all these gentlemen were prepared to waivt that subject of distance , that came forward with thc understanding to come and fight their own battle thinking nothing of distance . On the question oi

getting the best man for the Institution , from his own knowledge of their qualifications , the Committee hac the means of keeping off some ofthe best men from tht Institution . That was a misfortune for the Institution , He was about to move that this question should be referred back to the Committee for their re-consideration .

and that they should bring up a report and recommendation . Bro . HAWKINS ( Balham ) said although the Chairman had read the rule that they should report on the candidates , it did not mean that they should report on all of them . He believed the subscribers and donors had

confidence in the Committee ; but they objected to have one man foisted on them for the office ; they did not want it , and they would not have it . ( Hear , hear . ) The custom was for the Sub-Committee to make a selection of three or six , but to give the general body of subscribers , who found the funds , an opportunity of

selecting a man . It was the course of public bodies when electing any officer for a Sub-Committee to select a certain number , and they were to present their testimonials to the general body that elected the officer . If that had been done , Bro . Scurrah would not have had any suspicion . He did not say there was cause for

suspicion , but there was just an element of suspicion , and , keeping in view the recent history of this Institution , they were justified in encouraging that suspicion , and therefore should be given the opportunity of electing one of three , or one of six . If this course was adopted by the Committee , it would have done , but

they had not reported . There was another point . The advertisement stated that a candidate was to enter on his duty on the 19 th October ; but how could that be if he was only to be elected on the 25 th . ( Hear , hear , and laughter . ) The CHAIRMAN -. He cannot be elected till the 25 th .

Bro . HAWKINS : That advertisement should have been carefully examined . ( Hear , hear . ) The CHAIRMAN : We have no right to control the operations of a Quarterly Court . A BROTHER said several of the brethren understood that tbe qualifications of those applicants who resided

beyond the radius of a mile were not considered at all by the Committee . ( Hear , hear . ) The CHAIRMAN : Everyone of them was . You had 15 , you had 10 , you had 6 . It was reported to the Quarterl y Court , and it is competent for the Quarterl y Court to select out of those 35 . It was considered that

whoever was appointed ought to be within a mile . Bro . HAWKINS : You have not explained to me whether I was wrong about 19 th October . ( Cries of " Chair . " ) The CHAIRMAN . He cannot enter on the 19 th , but he will on the first available opportunity after the

appointment . ( Hear , hear . ) If the 19 th is in the advertisement I am not responsible for it . A BROTHER wished to remind the Chairman of Dr . Hogg ' s remarks . The CHAIRMAN said he did not think the House Committee wished to have the matter referred back to

them , but they did wish to do justice to all . If one candidate had better qualifications than the others , by all means let him try . If any brethren felt sli ghted let them go before the Quarterly Court . ( Hear , hear . ) Dr . Hogg ' s motion was then seconded b y Bro . W . M . STYLES .

Bro . C . H . WEBB said it was proposed to send the whole of the candidates to the Quarterl y Court ; but he would propose that six should be selected , and that their testimonials be printed . Bro . J AMES STEVENS seconded . The CHAIRMAN : You have no right to shut out the

other 30 . He then put the motion of Bro . Scurrah : " That a letter be sent by the Secretary to all those candidates for the office of medidal officer , telling them that their applications are not dismissed , and that their applications will be laid before the General Court , and

to send back their testimonials in order that they may be put before the Quarterly Court . " Dr . HOGG asked whether the matter should not be sent back to the Committee . The CHAIRMAN said he did not think the Committee wished to have the matter referred back to them .

Bro . J AMES BRETT , P . G . D ., asked whether the Quarterly Court knew who the candidates were . He thought the motion of Bro . Scurrah would answer every purpose . The CHAIRMAN put the motion again in these words " That these 35 candidates be requested to send in their

testimonials to be submitted to the Quarterly Court , " to this Dr . Hogg ' s amendment that the matter be referred back to the Provisional Committee . The Committee divided . On a show of hands , the CHAIRMAN declared there were none for the amendment . He then put the motion , when there appeared

For the motion ... ... 26 Against ... n . 6

The announcement was received with cheers . Bro . ALFRED DURRANT asked the Chairman whether the meeting was going to be a party to the recom-

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mendation , the result of which was that the head master should have no support . The CHAIRMAN said they had not come to that part of the report yet . Bro . BINCKES then read the House Committee ' s minutes , and the Finance Committee ' s report . Two petitions from the friends of candidates for election

into the School were considered , and deferred for further information by the lodges in which the fathers ' of the candidates were initiated ; whether at the time of their initiation the brothers were in such a position in life as to justify their admission in the Order ? Two grants of £ 5 each for outfits for two ex-pupils of the Institution who had since obtained situations were then eranted unanimously .

Bro . J GLASS afterwards rose , and said that following on the recommendations of the report of the Provisional Management Committee which was laid before the brethren in July last , paragraph No . 6 of which was— " The Committee has under its consideration the various recommendations of the Committee of

Inquiry , with a view to carry them out as desired by the General Court . It has not lost sight of the question of the Head Mastership , but deems it advisable to reserve this , with other important subjects , for further deliberation . " Since July the Committee had devoted real and anxious consideration

to this question , and , after full deliberation , they passed unanimously a resolution in a very large Committee meeting that this proposition should be laid before the brethren to-day . It was not his duty to comment upon it in any way ; he only reiterated what the Chairman had already mentioned—that they

had , in the best interests of the Institution , given this grave matter their very best attention , and whether the brethren approved of it or not was of course a matter for them . The Committee believed that they had in this instance done their duty faithfully , fearlessly , and well , and they asked the brethren to support them .

( Hear , hear , and cheers . ) The proposition that he now moved was— " That the Provisional Committee be authorised to terminate the appointment of Dr . Morris , the head master , in accordance with the terms of agreement , dated 20 th August , 1 S 75 , and that the said Committee be further empowered to take such steps as they

may deem desirable to appoint -another head master in accordance with the laws of the Institution . " ( Hear , hear , and cheers , together with expressions of dissent . ) Bro . J . S . CUMBERLAND rose with pleasure to second the proposition for more reasons than one . He would go back to what he stated before , viz ., that they elected

the Committee to submit to them certain recommendations , and this was one , and , he might say , one of tbe most vital in connection with the Institution . Pie was not going to speak of the brother as a brother , he was going to speak against the system which had been carried on at the Institution , which had to some extent

grown within his knowledge . He could not help thinking that all these little matters which had cropped up from time to time , and come before the monthly meeting , showed that there had been a great want of discipline . He thought that there was no greater proof of want of discipline than the reports which had been

brought up from time to time of what was going on at the Institution , and the position the Secretary had taken up—a position which he ought not to have taken upwith regard to the master . But if the master was worth his salt he would have at once brought the question before the Committee , and if they did not listen to his

complaints and the explanations of the Secretary , and then bring the whole matter before the Craft , he ought to have done so , and he would be wanting in his duty to the Institution if he did not do so . ( Hear , hear , and cheers . ) He hoped the brethren would agree with him . What he was doing was in the interests of the

Institution , and he had nothing to gain from any brothei there for the position he was taking . In his opinion , the time had arrived , and they could bear this in mind at the Quarterly Court when the resolution was proposed that only the Secretary should be sent about his business , there was a groat cry of " Make a clean

sweep . ( Cries of Hear , hear , No , no , and confu . sion . ) He challenged any brother to say that that was not right . ( Hear , hear . ) They were now going to place the Institution under the control of a master ; they wanted a strong master . ( A VOICE : " Find him . " ) Notwithstanding the un-Masonic interruption of that

brother , he would say they would want a strong master . If they elected another Secretary they might have a brother not acquainted with the commercial interests of the Institution , and on that ground he would say they would want a still stronger master . ( Hear , hear , and applause . ) He had no hesitation at all in

seconding the resolution that had been proposed b y Bro . John Glass . He would even go further than that , and say that the brother elected to fill the place of the head master would be recommended to them as a general body . He would not be elected by the Committee , and those to find the money would have the

appointment . Bro . BRITTEN said he thought the Provisional Committee was expressly appointed to carry out the report of the Philbrick Commission , and that report was in favour of Dr . Morris . They said that the discipline of the School under Dr . Morris was satisfactory , and he should move as an amendment that , in face of the Philbrick

report and the questions 45 and 46 , " Phis Committee is of opinion that the services of Dr . Morris should be retained . " Bro . W . H . SAUNDERS seconded the amendment . The CHAIRMAN said there was no necessity for the amendment as it was a direct negative . Bro . J ONES thought that by the resolution passed at

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the June Quarterly Court the whole of the admini tive officers of the Institution were to resign or ten l ' " their resignations . He could not conceive how Y monthl y Committee could upset a resolution of . \ '¦ Quarterly Court . To his mind a Quarterl y Court w ° of far more importance than these monthl y meetirY At the Quarterly Court they had brethren who s jk '

scribed their guinea and their five guineas . At th ' " they had the Life Governors . The Committee , he con * tended , with all respect to Bro . Britten , was appointe d ¦ to carry out the resolution passed by the Quarter ] , ¦ Court , which was that the whole of the officers of th , Institution should be got rid of . ( Hear , hear , antlcr ; „ .

of " Question . " ) In the face of that resolution it H .,. the duty of the Committee to carry it out . He waYr the same opinion as Bro . Cumberland , that if Q Morris and Bro . Binckes had not done their duty in M \ '¦ past —( renewed cries of " Question " )—if Bro . Bincfep , had not done his duty in the past , he was certain Dr

Morris had not done his . ( A VOICE : " False . " ) It ' not false . There was not sufficient disci pline in t ] , „ School , more especially considering the amount of money spent on the School . ( Oh , oh . ) He had had the expenses before him and he knew . He did not sec how they could refuse to get another master ; it was a

conundrum to him that one Committee could upse [ another . He hoped the Committee would support the Provisional Committee to the very letter . ( Hear , hear and cheers . ) ' Bro . ALFRED DURRANT could not allow any statement to be made on this occasion or in any public bod y

reflecting on the management of the Institution by Dr , Morris . ( Hear , hear . ) Pie had had many opportunities of seeing and knowing how discipline was maintained at the School , and he most unhesitatingly said , and he was ready to bring evidence of it , that that School far as the head master was concerned was well managed

and that its discipline was excellent . Dr . Morris occupied a very high position in the educational world , and his character was too hi gh to be attacked b y persons who had no shred of evidence to support their charges . ( Hear , hear , and cheers . ) Bro . SPRATLING would like to say that the state of the School at the time Dr . Morris became master was

very different to what it was now . From his own knowledge and from information of a friend of his who was second master in the School he could say this . The state of the School now , educationally , was very far higher indeed than it was when Dr . Morris undertook it . He would not say it was very high , but he did not

think any similar schools could stand by it . As to discipline , he thought that if the monthly accounts were gone over it would be found that John Jones was a naughty boy one day and Tom Smith a naughty boy another day . It would be found to be the case in every school , but that did not prove the discipline was bad . If

Bro . Cumberland meant that , there was not much in it . Without throwing stones at anybody else the difficulties must have increased if one 30 th or one 50 th part of what they heard was true . He thought Dr . Morris had held his own pretty strongly and firmly . He ( Bro . Spratling ) had had some conversation with Bro .

Philbrick and Bro . Pope , and they agreed it was all very well to swop your horse but you must not swop it in the middle of a stream where the horse , the waggon , and the man would come to grief . They were going to change a very important part of their administration ,

in fact to alter the whole thing . If they wished to do so they should pause and consider what they were about , and let they School feel its feet first . Dr . Morris might not be the best man , but he was free to do what he liked .

Bro . SAUNDERS and Bro . HAWKINS both rose to speak . The feeling of the meeting was with Bro . HAWKINS , who said—as one of those who joined in advocating the making of a clean sweep of the officers , and in the entire administration of the School and supporting various charges then found—they were

not conscious that Dr . Morris had been insufficient as far as the discipline of the School was concerned , and that he had been weak in not coming to the House Committee to protest against the Binckes control . This statement had been made , and they were told that ; as soon as he had come to the House Committee he

was not supported there . ( Cries of " No , " and hear , hear . ) They never heard of that until he came before the Philbrick Committee . Now , either Dr . Morris did go to the House Committee and complain of i ' lter * '' ference with his administration , or he did not . Jf did he was ris-ht , if he did not he was wrong . H .

( Bro . Hawkins ) would like to know whether he d ' j The Philbrick Committee held that the educational ; condition of the School was good , he heard practically ; the same Commission , consisting of the same gentlemen , recommending unanimously that Dr . Morr ^ . should be dismissed . Did those gentlemen accede t ° .

that report ? Was any information obtained f" ° ; Bro . Philbrick or Sir Reginald Hanson or others , as W ) whether Dr . Morris had had the opportunity of carrying on the Institution with another staff . It seemed to him that Dr . Morris had no real opportunity of hen ' ., the Governor of the . School . ( A VOICE : " 0 "" °

ri ght . " ) Was the Provisional Committee , a ? Y many years of Dr . Morris ' s services , going to g' - ' u ' Morris a six months' notice or six months' salary on ;> when they were going to give another a g igantic p sion ? ( Hear , hear . ) He was surprised at such co

duct . There was no reason in the thing . They ree mended the pensioning of the officer at £ S ° ^ Y more than the salary which they were going t 0 = > his successor . ( Interruption . ) The CHAIRMAN : So long as Bro . Hawkins coi- " ' - himself to Dr . Morris he is in order .