Royal Masonic Institution For Girls.

not been laid before this meeting . One of the schemes was to enlarge the north wing of the present building by extending it some forty feet further westward , and sixty feet on the other side , which would give accommodation for sonic sixty additional children ; then , to enlarge the dining hall . This scheme was estimated to cost about £ 8000 . By enlarging the dining hall , which was an absolute

necessity , they would have a large hall , which was very de . 'irable . ft would be sixty feet by forty , or 2400 feet of surface . With dormitories over , that would give accommodation , the surveyor said , for thirty-two children . But how he made out that there would be accommodation for ninety-four children , when the extra space was 2500 feet , when the enlarging of the dining hall by 2400 feet would

only accommodate thirty-two children , he ( Bro . Browse ) could not understand . The Chairman said he did not think it quite right for Bro . Browse to explain this scheme now , when the question was whether the report brought up should be referred back to the committee . ( Hear , hear . ) Bro . Browse thought it was quite competent for him to

explain . Bro . Symonds agreed that as a point of order they could hardly limit Bro . Browse . The other schemes formed an element in the question whether the report should be referred back for thc consideration of the committee . Bro . Browse had no power to propose a new scheme , but he was entitled to state in his speech that there were other schemes

which were practicable that would involve a less expenditure of money . The Chairman said he had no objection himself to it ; but he thought if Bro . Kenyon was precluded from bringing forward his scheme , no one else should be allowed to bring one forward . Bro . Browse continued :. The great desirability was that

they should have a large hall in which to meet ( they had none such now ) , and which might be utilised as a play room for the children in inclement weather . They had not such a room now . There were new schemes for this ; and without going into the estimated cost of either of them including that of enlarging the dining hall and building new laundries , with other expenses , the expense of a

covered way ( £ 700 ) to go from one establishment to the other , it would not be moie than £ 11 , 000 or £ 12 , 000 . For these reasons he should support the amendment . Ali the accommodation required could be got without setting up separate establishments , the building of which was in fact beginning , if the proposed scheme was adopted . The Chairman observed that if thc report went back to

the committee all schemes would be considered which might be presented . Bro . Dubois believed he was justified in saying that all the schemes had been fully discussed which had been placed before the committee . There had been several meetings , and the scheme laid before the court that day was

after due consideration finally adopted , sent up to the General Committee , and by them [ recommended to the Special Court . If the sense of thc committee were taken as to whether the school should remain where it was or go elsewhere , he thought it would be in favour of the fnrmpr .

Dr . Ramsay rose to speak to the amendment . It appeared to him thar if they sent this matter back to the committee they must not dictate to them what they should do . There had been suggestions made as to what they should do . He thought they should consider the whole matter . The sum , no doubt , was enormously large ; but the question was whether any sum should be spent in increasing

the school where it at present was . He , for one , thought it would be very unwise to expend any sum of money on that object ; but of course there were others who thought differently . He would suggest that , as the question was reftrred to the House Committee to reconsider , the House Committee should be associated with certain of the Life Governors . That perhaps would give more satisfaction to

the general body , because they would then obtain the views of the general body . This meeting was not justified in discussing any scheme , because the House Committee had discussed the matter thoroughly , and were justly entitled to the brethren ' s best thanks . It would be wise to adopt the suggestion that had been made , and refer the

matter back to the House Committee , to be associated with a certain number of Life Governors . A Brother enquired of the chairman what was the extent of the land adjoining , which he had spoken of , belonging to an old lady , and of which the institution had been promised the refusal ; also what was the price that might be expected to be asked for it .

The Chairman said he believed there were seven or eight acres . He could say nothing about the price . 'I he brother thought the price was pretty certain to be a very large one . Another Brother said they had already been told by the Report ofthe Special Committee that £ 20 , 000 or £ 25 , would be required to complete what was required to make

the school adequate to the demands made upon it . Here was a proposition on the board , after they had been patchirg for some years , that they should still further patch th : building at the cost of half the amount of money which the report recommended as requisite to make the school complete . What was required was that the building should be at once made to answer all demands

that might be made on it for some time . He thought the report ought to be adopted . Bro . Kenyon thought that if this matter were referred back to the committee and any number of Life Governors , the proposition should be to include the consideration of

all the schemes that had been sent before the committee in the first instance . Those schemes would then be properly discussed . The Chairman said that every ont of thc schemes had been thoroughly discussed , and Bro . Kenyon ' s amongst the others .

Royal Masonic Institution For Girls.

Bro . Symonds asked Bio . Joseph Smith whether his amendment embraced the reference of all schemes to the

committee . Bro . Joseph Smith : Yes . Bro . Samuel Poynter : The whole subject is to be included in the re-reference—whether the school is to be retained on its present site , and enlarged , or whether it is to be removed to any other part of the country . Bro . Thomas J . Sabine would like to suggest , as this

matter was to be referred back to the House Committee , that when any future report they might make should come before the Quarterly or Special Court that report should be printed prior to the meeting of the Court , and [ sent out to all the Life Governors , Vice-Patrons , and other subscribers . Many of the brethren came there that day , never having seen the report , and those who came in

lateof course that was their own fault—had not heard the report read . Consequently many of them were kept in the dark as to its purport . It would be a very fair and judicious thing , when such a serious outlay was in contemplation that all the brethren who were going to attend the meeting , should be posted up before ^ they came to the meeting in the terms of thc report they were called

together to consider . The decision must be a most important one whichever way it went , and the brethren could not be too well informed of the facts , figures , and circumstances , which had been determined on by the committee ( Hear , hear . ) Bro . Jesse Turner agreed with the last speaker . The more information they had the better for each and all of

them .-- It was quite certain they would become better prepared for discussion if they had had an opportunity of reading the report at home . The Chairman : It has been moved and seconded " That this Report be adopted by this Special Court ; " upon which an amendment has been proposed , " That the whole subject be referred back to the committee . " I put the amendment first .

The amendment was carried by an overwhelming majority , and Bro . Joseph Smith moved ( Bro . William Stephens seconding ) the addition of Life Governors to the Committee . This having been carried , Bros . Poynter , Kenyon , Dr . Ramsay , Joseph Smith , Dudley Rolls , ' John Boyd , W . Roebuck , William Ramsey , George Kenning , Fish , and W . Stephens were named for the office , and the meeting closed with a vote of thanks to the Chairman .

Masonic And General Tidings.

Masonic and General Tidings .

A "SCOT ABROAD . "—A generous benefactor , living in the district of Wanganui , New Zealand , lias forwarded £ 500 to the National Lifeboat Institution to establish a lifeboat on the Scotch coast . He requests that the lifeboat may be named the " Peep o' Day , " and the gift entered as from " A Scot Abroad . "

On and after the 1 st January next , when France enters into the postal union , letters to that country will be charged 2 id . per half-ounce post cards , ijd . each ; newspapers , id . per four ounces ; printed papers , legal and commercial documents , and patterns of merhhandise , id . per two ounces ; registration fee , 4 d . Unpaid letters from France will be charged 5 d . per half-ounce on delivery .

The Mansion House Inundation Fund has amounted to nearly £ 17 , 000 . The subscription list is now closed . The names of Bros . Robert Grey , and Fredk . Morrell , Grand Junior Deacons , were omitted in our report of Grand Lodge which appeared in the" Freemason " of the 4 th inst .

Bro . Dr . Baxter Langley is the W . M . elect of the Era Lodge , No . 1423 . Bro . Sir Edward Lee presided at a dramatic recital from "The Lady of Lyons , " given by Mr . A . Wieland , at the City of London College , on Thursday , the 9 th inst . Mr . Wieland , who recites entirely from memory , is well known as an able elocutionist .

A Royal Arch jewel has been presented to Comp . W . G . Jennings , Chap . No . 188 , by a few of the Albion staff . — " City Press . " On Monday morning there died at Peebles Lady Louisa Stuart , of Traquair House . The last of thc Royal Stuarts ,

she was in her hundredth year . Deceased was a descendant of the Mouse of Stuart , and her genealogy can be traced back to John of Ghent , and Henry IV . and Henry V . Lady Louisa Stuart was a remarkable woman and by her methodical and stately manners maintained the dignity of her race .

TEMPLE BAH . —A deputation from thc City Lands Committee on Tuesday waited upon Lord Henry Lennox , First Commissioner of Works , to call his attention to the state of Temple-bar as it affects the approaches to the new Law Courts . Thc City authorities were willing to remove Temple-bar , and contribute to the scheme by removing

the houses on the north side . His lordship expressed the great interest he felt in the matter , but at the same time pointed out how '^ very small a share the City authorities , under the proposed arrangement , would take on themselves . However , he promised to call the attention of the Government to the matter .

THE ANNUAL MASONIC BALL IN LIVERPOOL . —Already there art evidences that the 25 th annual Grand Masonic Ball at the Town Hall , Liverpool , on the nth January ; in aid of the funds of the West Lancashire Masonic Edu-

Masonic And General Tidings.

cational Institution , will be one of the most successful held for a long time , thanks to the tact and real of Bro . Henry Nelson , P . M . 673 and 1505 , Honorary Secretary . Bro . Lieut .-Col . Thomson ( Mayor of Liverpool ) and the Mayoress will be present , and the list of patrons is even longer and more distinguished than formerly .

Marshal MacMahon , the President of the French Republic , has conferred upon Bro . Alderman Stone , the late Lord Mayor , the rank and decoration of a Commander of the Legion of Honour . Bro . Stone has also been appointed by the Lord Chancellor Justice of the Peace for Hastings .

The "Pictorial World" of Saturday last contains a portrait of Bro . His Majesty Oscar 2 nd ., King of Sweden , We have the pleasure to announce that an entertainment on behalf of the Aged Freemasons' Institution will take place on Thusrday next , at the Oriental Buildings

( adjoining the District Railway Station ) New Bridge-street , E . C . The hall has been gratuitously lent by Major Wieland , and the performance is under the management of Bro . Ockenden ( 1512 ) , 39 , Finsbury-square . For particulars see advertisement .

Bro . j -Eneas Mclntyre , Q . C , presided on Saturday last at a dinner given to Sir Hardinge Giffard , Q . C , by the members of the United Welsh Circuit . A telegram from Madura announces the opening by the Prince of Wales of the southern extension of the South Indian Railway Company . His Royal Highness named the first engine after the Princess of Wales .

Bro . John Tweed , the well-known publisher , 9 , Howardstreet , Glasgow , has issued an admirable copy of a painting of " Kilwinning , " in the possession of John M'Gavin , Esq . The point of view is admirably chosen , including , as it does , not only a characteristic sketch of the old village , but faithful representations of the " Auld Turrits , " thc " Steeple , "

and the ¦ ' Brig , " with the sea in the distance . The engraving is dedicated by Bro . Tweed to the Freemasons of Scotland , and for thc sake of the associations which cluster round " Mother Kilwinning , " we should imagine that it will be a point of honour with all the " brethren" to become possessed of a copy .

The " Masonic Magazine" will , on and after January . 1876 , be enlarged to 48 pages . The Christmas number of the "Freemason " will consist of 32 pages , and will contain a portrait of H . R . H . thc Prince of Wales , Most Worshipful Grand Master . The price of this number to non-subscribers will be fourpence . To prevent disappointment orders should be at once sent to the office ( 198 , Fleet-street ) , or through any newsagent .

THE WILLIAM PRESTON LODGE . —The ' motto of the new W . M ., Bro . Pringle , whose banner we mentioned in our report of the lodge , is " Sarsum . " Bro . the Marquis of Hartington , Provincial Grand Master for Derbyshire , was present at the inauguration of a Liberal Association at Sheffield , and delivered a powerful address on the position and prospects of the Liberal party .

DEPARTURE OF THE PRINCESS or WALES . —The Princess of Wales and her Royal Highness ' s five children , accompanied by Miss Knollys , Sir William Knollys , and Mr . Dalton , left the South Eastern Company ' s Station at Charing-cross , for Dover , by special train , which was composed of the usual Royal saloon carriages , at 8 . 14

p . m . yesterday , en route for Copenhagen , on a visit to the King and Queen of Denmark . The Princess was received on arrival at thc station by Sir Edward Watkin , M . P ., chairman of the company , and the train was in charge of Bro . John Shaw , the general manager , and Mr . Cockburn ,

the superintendent of the line . The engine was driven by Mr . Watkin , the locomotive superintendent . The arrangements for the journey are under the control of Mr . Kanae , her Majesty ' s Director of Continental Tours , who accompanies the Royal party to Copenhagen .

SURREY MASONIC HALL COMPANY . —An extraordinary general meeting of this company was held at 2 , Gresham Buildings , on Wednesday evening last , when it was proposed and carried unanimously that the remaining share capital of the company be issued in shares of £ 1 each , and that the share capital of the company be divided accordingly , representing 1000 shares at £ 5 each , and 5000 shares at £ 1 each .

Bro . C . T . Matthew solicits votes for the forthcoming election of Common Councilmen in the Ward of Farringdon Without . The Grand Lodge of Ohio is stirring up the Coloured Masonry question , most unwisely we think . We shall express our views at length in our next issue . — " Keystone . "

In Canada , the Orders of Knighthood are not conferred upon any Master Mason of less than two yeats standing . Thc Grand Priory of Canada is paying fifty dollars a year , for life , to the widow of the late Bro . Thomas Bird Harris , Grand Chancellor , and Grand Secretary . of the Grand Lodge .