Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

in which it would be found that there was a voucher from every boy for every farthing of the total sum of £ 314 5 s . This was laid upon the table amidst the enthusiastic cheering of the entire meeting . ) He most urgently asked and wished the committee to examine these documents , and then see if he had not completely clcareel himself from the atrocious charges which hail been brought

against him ( renewed cheering ) . He had worked hard for the institution for fourteen years , and had during that time enjoyed the confidence of every committee of management , and never had there been the slightest charge brought against him as to his conduct , anil he repudiated with scorn the charge made in a public print that he had embezzled a sum of £ 141 15 s ., which ought to have been

received by the poor boys of their institution ( loud cheering ) . Bro . Jesse Turner said he could not help thinking that the soorter anything in the form of a charge was grappled with the better it would be for all parties . He might be told that every one was not acquainted with , he would not say the facts , but the statements in the pamphlet which had been placed before the world by two brethren , and it was

their duty to set the matters contained in this pamphlet at rest . According to the statements of it the I louse and Audit Committees were but mere puppets , and were moved to do anything by the Secretary . Now , as a member of the Audit Committee , he would not say such a charge was utterly and entirely false , but he would say such an assertion was a complete mistake ( a laugh ) . There was something

more to which Bro . Binckes had alluded in the remarks he had made , and in which , to some extent , his ( Bro . Turner ' s ) honour was impugned , and that was that he had connived at Bro . Binckes appropriating to himself a sum of money to which he was not entitled . Now that was another mistake . Then the matron of the institution was attacked , and an attempt was made to injure her fair fame , at the

time it being well known that she was not in a position to issue a counter pamphlet . If there was any charge to be made , why was it not brought forward , so that it might have been investigated , and if any improper performances had been gone through that it was not creditable to the institution should take place , why was not the charge brought forward , so that it might have

been inquired into and thoroughly investigated r As an individual he repelled it all as a foul slander , but he would ask them to appoint a committee , so as to give their accusers an opportunity of proving their charges if they could , but at the same time he did not believe that they could do so , and it would be found , after all , that it was but a " mockery , a delusion , anil a snare . " He moved .

" That a special committee be appointed to investigate the management and accounts of this institution , and report thereon to this committee . " Bro . Dosell seconded the motion . lie said that from his experience he knew there was a double check upon all the accounts , and during the last five or six years he had been on the committee he never found an error that was not

easily corrected , but as regarded the charge of their Secretary having embezzled £ 142 , that must be a matter for special investigation . The committee were to a certain extent bound up with Bro . Binckes , and they must set their character right before the public . Bro . Col . Ridgway said it appeared that two members of the committee were about to pass censure upon themselves ,

as charges of this sort had never been brought before the committee , but were merely charges floating in the air , and that reminded him of a saying , " Give a lie to the air , and in twelve months you will not catch it again . " I le felt they ought not to take up so much time with so atrocious a slander as that which had been promulgated by this pamphlet , and he would move as an amendment , " That

this General Committee have unqualified confidence in the business ability and honour of the Audit Committee , and in the unquestionable integrity of their Secretary . " It seemed to him that it was not so much a question about the £ 142 , as to endeavour to inculpate their Secretary , and hy throwing as much mud as possible in the hope that some of it might stick . ( Hear , hear . ) He could remember some

sixteen years ago , when this school was in a very different position to what it is at the present moment . At their annual festivals then £ 1500 or £ i 0 oo was looked upon as a very respectable sum , as they were then compelled to remain at a very respectful distance from , the pet charity of the Craft , which was the Girls' School ( hear , hear ); but when their present Secretary came all was changed , for

now they considercel £ 1500 as a mere Iri / le , and lookcel forward to something like £ 15 , 000 or £ 16 , 000 . Since Bro . Binckes had been their Secretary they had doubled and quadrupled their income , and in fact he had been the making of their institution for the benefit of those poor children who were there groupcel together . What the life subscribers had

done might be counted by tens anel hundreds , but what their Secretary had done could only be counted by thousands and tens of thousands , and it was to his zeal , ability , integrity , and honour that they were enabled to boast of the proud and useful position in which their institution stood at the present time . ( Cheers . ) He concluded by moving

his amendment . Bro . Rosenthal scconeled . Bro . C . Horsiey said he agreed in every syllable spoken by Bro . Ridgway , but he considered the conclusion to which he had come was contrary to the eloeiuence of his speech . It seemed to him that the Audit Committee might stand on the consciousness of their own rectitude , and that this committee were of the same opinion ; but were he one of

the Auditors he would press to the death the passing of the original resolution . For himself he might say that they were fully worthy of their confidence , but there was a vast body of Masons outside that- room , not only throughout the kingdom , but in India , Australia , and other parts of the world , where the virus of this poison had been disseminateel , and even that very week he had heard that not only the charges contained in the pamphlet would be proceeded with , but that graver charges of a criminal nature would

Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

be prosecuted . He asked the Board if such statements were going broadcast over communities , and they had others watching with vigilance to take offence if there was the . least semblance of a ground for doing so , whether such charges ought not to be investigated . The vote of confidence which the Board was desirous to give ought to be such as Auditors would be glad to receive . If he was

an Auditor he would not receive such a vote of confidence as that Board could give , as it might be said that they were his friends , that they were only a unit , while in the world there were millions , and therefore he said that these charges should undergo a thorough investigation , so that they might get ritl of the vile calumnies which were thrown first at the head of their Secretary , and next at the governing

body at large ; and therefore he supported the original resolution . Bro . Head , as a member oftheAuditCommittee , claimed an investigation , for such charges ought not to be made against them without it being proved which was right . Bro . W . Winn said if the motion proposed by Bro . Ridgway was passed by 30 brethren then assembled , outside

there were millions , and such a resolution would not be satisfactory to West Y ' orkshire . He thought , however , that when the committee was appointed a professional accountant should also be appointed to assist them in the investigation of the accounts . For the honour of the Audit Committee and Bro . Binckes , he hoped there would be the fullest inquiry . He spoke feelingly when he said the

brethren of West lorkslnre were not satisfied with the accounts , but he hoped on investigation that every figure woulel be found correct . Bro . Binckes said that all the accounts were certified by the committee in gross , and were doubly checked ; but he published in detail particulars more fully than there was a necessity for , and it was simply in carrying out the details that these discrepancies had occurred . He woulel

ask any one who was conversant with accounts if clerical errors were not almost inseparable from published accounts . He courted the fullest investigation as to every shilling that had passed through his hands . As to the remark of Bro . Winn , with reference to the Province of West Yorkshire , he questioned if there were six brethren of that province who supported the views of the Deputy Prov . G . Master .

Bro . Ridgway withdrew his amendment , as he wished to sec an unanimous vote upon the question , but at the same time he had the utmost confidence in the honour of the committee that the accounts were correct , and his faith in the integrity of their Secretary was unshaken . The original motion of Bro . Jesse Turner was then put , and unanimously agreed to .

Bro . Col . Ridgway then moved , "That it be a special instruction to the committee to report specifically on the charge in page 20 , in the pamphlet now produced , as to whether there is any ground for the charges brought by Bro . Tew and Bro . Perrott , that £ 141 15 s ., or any part thereof , is not accounted for , as stated in the pamphlet . "

Bro . Horsiey seconded the motion , which was unanimously agreed to . The committee was named , and consists of the following brethren : —Bros . Col . Ridgway , Dwarber , Dicketts , Diaper and Motion . Bro . Winn moved " That the committee be empowered to call in the assistance of a professional accountant , to

assist them 111 the investigation of the accounts . " Bro . Moutrie seconded the motion , which was also put and agreed to . Bro . Col . Ridgway protested against the assumption of the Provincial Grand Lodge of West Yorkshire in respect

to the government of the Boys' School , and said that it was entitled to no more weight than that of a single individual subscriber . A vote of thanks was passed to the Chairman , and a meeting which had been all but unanimous throughout the whole of its proceedings was brought to a close .

Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

ROYAL MASONIC BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION .

The monthly meeting of this institution was held on Wednesday in the library , Freemasons' Hall , Bro . Lieut . Col . Creaton in the chair . There were also present Bros . S . Rawson , Benj . Head , Dr . Jabez Hogg , W . Stephens , R . W . Little , James Brett , Charles Lacey , C . A .

Cottebrune , Raynham W . Stewart , Joseph Smith , Hyde Pul-Ien , W . Hilton , Thos . Cubitt , J . G . Stevens , H . G . Warren , Thos . W . White , Joshua Nunn , F . Adlard , Col . Ridgway , J . Newton , " L . Stean , J . M . Stedall , H . Massey ( " Freemason " ) , James Terry , ( Secretary ) , and W . Lane .

A letter war- read from Lord Skelmersdale stating that the 9 th of February , 1876 , would suit him admirably , and he should be most happy to preside at the festival on that day . The Secretary announced the death of one annuitant

after having received £ 246 in annuities . Three candidates were placed on the list for next May . A discussion followed as to the receipt of some subscriptions from a brother whose relatives said he was insane , and the matter in the end was ordered to stand over . The committee then adjourned .

In compliance with a requisition , signed in conformity with the laws of this institution , a special general meeting of the Governors anil Subscribers was held on Wednesday afternoon , at Freemasons' Hall , to take into consideration a proposed alteration of clause 19 of the laws , and also any further proposition or motion which might be made to give effect to the same . The chair was occupied by Bro . Lieut . Col . Creaton , Vice-Patron , | who was supported by

Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution.

Bros . Benjamin Head , L . Stean , John Newton , Charles Lacey , John G . Stevens , Dr . Erasmus Wilson , J . A . Farnfield , Col . Alex . Ridgway , H . M . Levy , John S yl monds , H . Massey ( "Freemason" ) , James Terry , ( Secretary ) , and W . Lane . The Secretary having read the notice convening the meeting , which appeared in the advertisement columns of

the " Freemason " last week , The Chairman explained the object of the meeting ; whereupon , Bro , John Symonds rose , and said he begged to move that the following words be added to Clause 10 : — " Every Steward at the anniversary festivals who shall procure donations or subscriptions to the extent of not less than £ to ,

in addition to his own donation , shall receive two additional votes at each election , and two further extra votes lor every aelditional sum of not less than £ 50 . " He supposed that he need not enter into any detail on this matter . The question was fully discussed when the alteration was made both in the Boys' and the Girls' Schools , and the alteration now proposed was the same , with the difference of

the number of votes , m accordance with the different practice of the different amount subscribed in this institution as compared with those . He might just mention that the main ' reason for the proposed alteration was this—that many brethren put their names down as Stewards , and subscribed £ 5 or £ 10 , and secured thus additional privileges as Stewards without giving themselves further

trouble in the matter , or adding another sixpence to the funds of the institution . Another brother perhaps would take no end of trouble : he would serve as Steward for an important province ; he would go about visiting various lodges ; he would incur great expense in postages and journeys ; and he would receive no higher privilege than the brother who

had given himself no trouble about the matter . Then it was thought that the brother who had taken so much trouble should have some reward in the shape of a few extra votes ; . and it was in order to carry out that view that this alteration was proposed . If the proposition was adopted , the laws of the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution would be brought in harmeny with those of the Royal

Masonic Institution for Boys and the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls ; and he thought that as far as regardeel the success of the festivals of the Benevolent Institution the Stewards should not be in a worse position than the Stewards of the Boys' and Girls' Schools . Bro . Benj . Head seconded the motion . * The Chairman then put the resolution to the meeting ,

and it was carried unanimously . Bro . Symonds again rose , and said he would now move the remaining portion of the proposition contained in the requisition for this meeting , — " To expunge the following words : —If unaccompanied with a personal donation , but by means of his services , not less than £ 20 shall be paid to the funds , he shall be entitled to one additional vote for

every subsequent Stewardship . " That had not been found to work well in the other institutions , and it had consequently been expunged from their rules . The alteration made by expunging these words would likewise bring the laws of the Benevolent Institution equally in accorel with the rules of the other Masonic institutions . Bro . Head seconded the motion .

The Chairman having read the proposition , Bro . Jno . G . Stevens said he took it that it was a matter of course that these words should be expunged . They must come out if the first proposition was carried . The Chairman said that was perfectly correct . He took it for granted that they would have to come out ; that was why the motion was made .

Bro . Jno . G . Stevens thought so . If the law was to be properly made it must be done in this way . Bro . J . Symonds would suggest that the new law that they had adopted should follow between the 2 nd and 3 rd clause , as a clause by itself . Bro . James Terry : —Immediately after the words" served as Stewards . "

Bro . Symonds . —I have now vcry ' great pleasure in mov ing " That the thanks of this special general meeting be given to our worthy Bro . Lieut . Col .-Creaton , for attending here this day and presiding over us . " We have heard with great satisfaction of the additional honour that has been conferred upon him . He has been a faithful servant of Her Majesty for a long while , and I am quite sure

that the honour thus bestowed has been very well earned . I am sure that wc have every reason to be gratified with the kind attention our brother always gives to the affairs of this institution , as well as to the affairs of the other institutions connected with the Order . ( Hear hear . ) Bro . Benj . Head . —I have very great pleasure in seconding this motion . I have seconded the other motions of

Bro . Symonds to day ; but I second this one with even still more pleasure than I diet those . We have been associated together so long that I am quite pleased to congratulate our brother chairman on having attained the additional rank which has been conferred upon him by Her Majesty . The motion was put and carried unanimously . The Chairman . —Bro . Symonds , Bro . Head , and brethren ,

I thank you very sincerely for the compliment you have paid me ; and in reference to my promotion in military rank I do feel very much gratified , for this simple reason : I have not been pitchforked into that rank , I have served a quarter of a century ; and by having done so 1 feel that I have earned my title . Consequently , as I said , I fee ' very much gratified at it . As you have been kind enoug h to refer to it , I regard your doing so as a very great compliment . I thank you all , brethren , for your

kindness . Bro . James Terry . —We will report what we have done to day to the Board of Masters next Wednesday , and it will come before Grand Lodge this day three weeks . The ^ brcthren then separated .