The Question Of Voting Privileges.

THE QUESTION OF VOTING PRIVILEGES .

There is no doubt whatever that the general feeling of the whole Craft is in favour of equal voting privileges being granted to all donors and subscribers in proportion to the amount of their contributions to our Central Charitable Institutions . An individual , or a body of individuals , makes choice of the particular Institution he , or it , has resolved on supporting , and

it is no more than-a bare act of justice that , whether his , or its , choice lights upon the Girls' School , the Boys' School , or the Benevolent Institution , the voting privileges which he , or it , receives in return for his , or its , donation or subscription should be of the same value in each case . Thus , if an individual donor hands over the sum of five guineas to either of the Schools , he becomes

entitled to the exercise of one vote at each of the two elections held within the year , or two votes per annum , for life . If he contributes his five guineas to the Benevolent Institution — it matters not whether it is made to the Male or the Widows' Fund — he becomes entitled for life to the privilege of casting two votes at the annual election .

Similarly , if a lodge , chapter , or other Masonic body contributes io guineas to either of the Schools it becomes entitled to one vote at each of the two elections held within the year , that is to say , to two votes per annum during its existence ; while , if it contributes the same amount to either of the Funds of the Benevolent Institution , it receives in return two votes at the annual election .

Again , an individual donor of io guineas to either of the Schools receives two votes at each of the two elections held within the year , or four votes yearly , while if he pays it over to one of the Benevolent Funds or divides it equally between the two , he receives in return four votes per annum , that is to say , four votes for that one of the Funds to which the io guineas is

paid , or two votes from each of the two Funds , when the donation is apportioned equally between them . But in order to become entitled to the exercise of the same privilege during its existence , of giving two votes at each election of either of the Schools , or four per annum , it is necessary that a lodge , chapter , or other Masonic Body should contribute twice io guineas or £ 21 ; and similarly ,

if a lodge , chapter , or Masonic Body is desirous of securing to itself during its existence the privilege of casting four votes a year cither to one of the two Funds of the R . M . B . I ., or divided equally between them , it is necessary it should contribute 20 guineas either to one of the two Funds , or divide it equally between them . In short , the basis upon which the grant of voting privileges in

return for contributions of amounts ranging from five guineas upwards has been determined as follows : ( 1 ) in the case of individual donors , one vote for each five guineas contributed where there are two elections in the year , or two votes for each five guineas where there is only one election in the year—when a certain specified aggregate of five guinea subscriptions has

been reached , then double votes are given for each additional contribution of live guineas ; ( 2 ) in the case of lodges , chapters , or other Masonic Bodies equal privileges are granted them during their existence , but only on payment of double the sum paid by individual donors , double votes being also granted after a certain aggregate of subscriptions has been

reached . This , we say , is the basis on which the quid pro quo in the shape of the graduated scale of voting privileges in requital of a certain graduated scale of contributions has been reckoned , and we are not aware that any serious objection has ever been raised to it , especially as the utmost care has always been taken to regulate the scale so that donors to

all the three Institutions should stand upon an equal footing in respect of the privileges they receive in return for their contributions . Unfortunately , the laws of the three Institutions are not the same in one important particular . I'nderthe laws of the two Schools , the several ranks of Life-Subscriber , Life-Governor , Vice-President , Vice-Patron , and Patron are recognised

and these ranks are conferred , both on individual donors and lodges , chapters , or olher Masonic bodies , according as by . their money contributions 'hey become entitled to receive them , the privileges pertaining to each rank ° r grade of donor , whether individual or lodge , chapter , or other Masonic liod y , being the same , but the money qualification twice as great in

'he case of a lodge , chapter , or other Masonic body as in that of an individual . But the laws ol the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution recognise only the ranks or grades of Life-Governor , Vice-President , Vice-1 ' atron , and Patron in the case of individual donors , and those of Life 'iovernor and Vice-President in that of donors who are lodges , chapters , or

° lher Masonic bodies . As our readers are aware , an attempt was made last year to amend the law in such a manner as to admit of lodges , chapters , or "' her Masonic bodies becoming entitled to the rank or grade of Vice-Patron

and Patron , and the law as so amended was submitted for the approval of "rand Lodge at the December Communication . The question , however , Was adjourned for further consideration , and now it seems that the Comm"tee of Management are of opinion that no alteration in the law is

The Question Of Voting Privileges.

necessary . It has been , we are told , the custom for lodges , chapters , ike , which have qualified as Vice-Presidents on one or other of the Funds of the Institution , and go on contributing up to a further certain point or points to receive the voting privileges , which such additional payment or payments entitle them to , but not the distinctive

appellations of Vice-Patron and Patron , except as a matter of courtesy . For this reason the proposed new scheme of law was withdrawn—as we announced in our first Note of last week—at the Special General Meeting of Governors and Subscribers , which was held at Freemasons' Mall , on the 13 th instant , with the reservation we mentioned as to the clause giving the

Committee of Management power to fill up vacancies on the House and Audit Committees as they occur , and also with the further reservation , which we omitted to mention , that the two clauses of Law 25 should be amended in such a manner as to prevent the possibility of lodge and chapter donors

being apparently placed on an equal footing with individual donors of certain specified grades . Thus clause t of the law , if approved by Grand Lodge , will read : " A Vice-President , being an individual donor , upon completion of a further Donation of Fifty Guineas .... shall become

a Vice-Patron ot the Institution "; and clause 2 as follows : "A Vice - Patron being an individual donor , upon completion of a further donation of One Hundred Guineas .... shall become a Patron of the Institution , with twelve Votes for every Ten Guineas thereafter subscribed . " With the exception of these amendments , the laws of

the Benevolent Institution will remain unaltered . We trust , however , that when the irritation to which the controversy about these voting privilt ges has undoubtedly given rise has passed away , the Committee of Management of this Institution will see their way , as Bro . J . A . FARXFIELD , its Treasurer , hinted might possibly be the case , to revise generally the laws of the

Institution , so that they may be brought , both in the letterand the spirit , into complete harmony with those of the two Schools . We have no predilection in favour of any one of the three over the other two ; we advocate the claims of each in turn with equal earnestness and sincerity , and we have no other desire in view than to see the three equally prosperous . We know that each of them ,

in its own particular field of philanthropic work , is doing a splendid amount of good , nor have we ever regarded it as a fit subject for reproach against the lodges and brethren that one Instilution has received less support in a given period than the others , provided always that a sullicient sum has been raised year by year for the maintenance of each in a complete state of efficiency . Any reasonable scheme which is calculated to ensure the continuance of that

harmonious feeling , which we are glad to believe has existed in the past among the governing bodies of the three Charities , will command our most cordial sympathy and support ; and at the same time we trust that no long time will elapse ere the revision of the Benevolent Laws is undertaken in the spirit indicated by Bro . FARNIIELU at the Special Meeting last week , and after friendly consultation with the Committees of the two Schools .

The Right Of Perpetual Jurisdiction.

THE RIGHT OF PERPETUAL JURISDICTION .

Many strange dogmas have been promulgated by American Grand Lodges , but none more strange than the dogma of Perpttual Jurisdiction which is enforced by many of them . Our readers will be not unnaturally curious to learn over what it is that thete Grand Lodges consider they are entitled to exercise this right , and will be not a little surprised that it is

what is commonly described as the " rejected material " cf a private lodge . But what , they will further ask , is meant by " rejected material , " and the answer is at once forthcoming—those who have offered themselves as candidates for initiation and membership of a lodge and been rejected . It is these persons over whom , according to this dogma , the lodge which has

refused to accept them is entitled to exercise this right . The rejected candidate is henceforth and for ever its property , and no olher lodge in the jurisdiction , either of the same , or any other Grand Lodge , has the right to entertain a proposition for initiation and membership from the same person without the consent of the lodge which has rejtcted

him . How a lodge can claim to exercise any jurisdiction over a person with whom it has declined to have any association is a conundrum which it is out of our power to solve , but many American Grand Lodges have the knack of doing unusual things in a peculiar manner ot their own , and we dare say this particular thing is quite " according to

Cocker . " But there are some among them whici are already begin ling to perceive that this dogma of perpetual jurisdiction over material which is not theirs is a preposterous one , and these are suggesting a return to the old method to which every Master at the time of his installation is called upon to give his unqualified assent—we refer , of course , to the old Chaige winch