Masonic Mems.

MASONIC MEMS .

THE MASONIC MIRROR

.At the Board of Benevolence on Wednesday last £ 345 10 s . were voted for the relief of sixteen applicants . GBAND LODGE . There will he rather a large amount of business to he transacted at the Grand Lotlge on Wednesday , the Sth of June .

Three or four motions will aviso out of the report of the Board of General Purposes . 1 . To increase the power of the M . W . G . M . in granting past rank to brethren for distinguished services . 2 . To enable the G . M . to appoint two Assistant Grand Deacons who after their year of office will rank as Past Grand Deacons . 3 . To Book of reduce the price of the Constitutions from 2 s . 6 c ? . to Is . 6 d . 4 . To call upon thirieenlodgcs to show cause why they shall not be erased from the list of lodges .

Notices of motion have also been given by Bro . Binckes for a vote of thanks to Bro . the Earl Dalhousie for his valuable services as D . G . M . ; Bro . Wynn , to grant £ 1200 to the Male Fund of the Benevolent Institution , and £ 800 to the Widows' Fund ; Bro . Savage , to place the £ 200 voted to Bro . Watson in the hands of the President of the Board of General Purposes , Bro . Savage and Bro .

J . Smith as Trustees ; Bro . Barrett , to vote £ 250 for the decoration of St . Paul's ; Bro . Barrett , that Grand Loclge do meet at five , and no new business be taken after nine ; Bro . Gregory , that the £ 200 voted to Bro . Watson be taken from the Benevolent Fund instead of the Fund of General Purposes .

Royal Benevolent Institution For Aged Masons And Their Widows.

ROYAL BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION FOR AGED MASONS AND THEIR WIDOWS .

The annual meeting of the Governors and Members of this Society was held on Friday , the 17 th inst ., in the Temple adjoining Freemasons' Hall , the M . W . Grand Master , the Bight Hon . the Earl of Zetland , presiding . The minutes of the previous meeting having been read , The Secretary , Bro . EAENFIEID , proceeded to read the report of the

Coinmittee , whicli congratulated the subscribers on the continued prosperity of the institution . On the 1 st April , 18 G 0 , there remained a balance in hand of £ 1182 15 * . Gd ., and during the year ending March 30 th , 1 SG 1 , there were received £ 2711 16 s ., making a total of £ 3891 lis . Gd . There hud heen expended £ 1937 0 s . Gd ., and £ 1700 stock , bought at a cost of £ 15813 s . 9 c ? ., making a total

of £ 3518 4 J . 3 d ., and leaving a balance in hand of £ 376 Is . 3 d . On the Widows' Fund there was a balance in hand on the 1 st of April , 1860 , of £ 805 Is . Gd ., and there had been since received £ 1797 lis . 9 c ? ., making a total of £ 2602 13 s . 3 c ? . Tho disbursements had been £ 865 3 s . lid ., ancl expended in the purchase of £ 1350 stock , £ 1253 10 s ., making a total of £ 211813 s . IU ., leaving

a balance in band of £ -183 19 s . Ad . There was also a balance in hand on account of the Sustentation Fund of £ 23 4 s ., making the total balance at the bankers £ 883 10 s . Id . At the Annual Festival held on the 30 th January there were ninety Stewards , many of whom came from tho country , and the subscriptions amounted to £ 2982 Is . The amount of stock now held on account of the Male Fund was

£ 14 , 000 , and the Widows' Fund , £ 5350 . Tho permanent income of the Male Fund was now £ 1020 , and the Widows' Fund , £ 510 10 s . After the last election there were seventy-four male annuitants , of whom eight had since died , and the Committee now proposed that twelve should be elected , making seventy-eight on the funds . After

the same election there were thirty-seven widows , annuitants , ancl the Committee now proposed to elect eight , making a total of fortyfive—in addition to those receiving half of their deceased husband ' s annuities . Of the male annuitants nineteen came from London , and their annuities amounted to £ 425 per annum , and fortyseven from the country , who received £ 1041 , making a total of £ 1466

per annum . Of the widows , eighteen came from London , whose annuities amounted to £ 350 , and nineteen from the country , with £ 330 , and three receiving half pensions , all country cases , receiving £ 40 , making a total of £ 720 per annum . The Asylum building was in perfect and substantial repair . The £ 50 voted by Grand Lodge for coals , & c , had been dispensed under the direction of Bro . Farnfield , tbe Secretary . The Stewards of the late Festival had invested in the hands of trustees £ 39 13 s . 7 c ? . as the basis of an

Endowment Fund for providing additional comforts for the inmates of the Asylum . The Committee recommended , 1 st , " That Article 4 , page 17 , of the Rules and Regulations for the Widows' Fund , be altered as follows ; viz ., to omit the words ' not exceeding the age of sixty-five years , £ 15 , ' ancl 'from sixty-five to seventy years , £ 20 / ancl insert in place thereof , ' from the age of fifty-five to seventy years , £ 20 ; ' and 2 nd , ' ThatArticle 4 , page 17 , be suspended ,

so far as relates to Annuitants at present receiving £ 15 , and that for the future their Annuities be increased to £ 20 . ' " 'The report having heen received and ordered to be entered on the minutes , Bro . J . Smith , P . G ., Purst ., moved the adoption of the alterations proposed by the committee , which were carried unanimously . It being necessary that the alteration by which the lowest annuity will in future be £ 20 should be confirmed by Grand

Lodge , the Grand Master kindly undertook the proposing the confirmation in June . Bro . SAircTEii Amnion : moved— " That Article 37 , page 11 , of the Kules and Eegulations of the Institution be amended , by adding , 'And that each Annuitant residing therein be supplied with 2 cwt . of coals , and 1 lb . of candles , weekly , in addition to his or her annuity , from the 30 th of April , both inclusive , in each year , '" but , after some discussion , it was negatived , as was an amendment proposed

by Bro . Adlard for a different distribution of the coals . After some conversation as to whether an alteration of the rules could be moved at a special meeting , or whether the General Meeting coulcl be adjourned for the consideration of such a motion , ivhich was decided in the negative by the Grand Master , Bro . WAEBEK" , at ten minutes to one ( the ballot being fixed for one ) , moved— " That henceforth the Pension of a Male Annuitant , upon his election , shall he at the uniform rate of £ 26 ; subject to the following augmentations : —If a Subscriber of 5 s . a-year to either Fund for a period of 7 years , £ 1 per annum . And a like

amount for every 5 s . regularly subscribed for the said period of 7 years . And for every 5 years' additional Subscription , a like amount of £ 1 per annum . That every Life Subscriber of £ 5 be taken to be in the position of a Subscriber of £ 1 per annum , for 7 years ; provided always , that the said Subscription was paid at least 5 years prior to the application to ' . be placed on the List of Candidates : and a like privilege be granted for every £ 5 so subscribed . Provided alwaysthat no Pension shall exceed £ 40

, per annum . " He based his argument in support of the motion on the comparatively few members of the Craft who supported the Charities—the strict justice of allowing those who contributed greater advantages than those who did not—and the large addition it was likely to produce to the funds of the Institution . Bro . SHEEN seconded the motion , which was supported by Bro .

Stebbing , and opposed by Bro . Savage , P . G . D ., the Grand Master , and one or two others , on the fallacious ground that it would render the Institution a benefit society . On the motion being put , it was negatived by about 10 or 11 to 7 . During the time Bro . Warren was speaking , the Grand Master declared the poll open . A scene of confusion consequent on the brethren making their arrangements for collecting their votes , & e ., ensued , and to call the disjointed conversation which took place on

the motiou a discussion would be pure mockery—indeed , under the present laws , it is impossible to have any proposition , brought forward by any person , properly considered . The routine business of electing committees , passing votes of thanks , & c , then proceeded amidst a din , which rendered all that took place perfectly unintelligible , excepting to about half-a-dozen immediately surrounding the Grand Master . A vote of thanks having been given to the Grand Master for his conduct in the chair , the noble lord resigned his seat to Bro . Udall , P . G . D ., and retired amidst loud cheers .