Masonic Charities.

" Plans for the extension and enlargement of the present building hive been submitted to your Committee , by the adoption of which adequate accommodation may be provided for seventy boys , and they feel sure that the members of the Craft will at once recognize the manifest advantage of having the whole of the boys on the Institution ( or so many of them whose parents shall sanction their admission ) under one roof , and under the control and direction of an adequate staff of masters , & c , who will be directly responsible to the executive into whose hands the management of the school is annually entrusted .

The estimated cost of the contemplated enlargement is £ 1 , 500 . " ( Signed ) " 5 th March , 1859 . " ' " JOHN HERVEY , Chairman . The balance sheet for 1858 shows the total revenue for the year ( including £ 493 lfls . 10 d ., brought forward from the previous account ) to have been £ 2 , 810 16 s . Id ., and the expenditure £ 2 , 130 4 s . 3 d . £ 400 Stock had been purchased at a cost of £ 385 , and there remained in hand on 30 th December , a balance of £ 295 lis . lOd .

" To the Committee of the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys . " Brethren , —Having undertaken for the first time the examination of the hoys connected with yonr Institution , I have much pleasure in sending you the accompanying classification of them , and report . " Besides written papers , I subjected each boy separately to a viva voce examination , and consider that I gained much by this plan , as it enabled me to come to a much more correct conclusion as to the merits of the different candidates , than I could otherwise have done . Some of the boys acquitted themselves very well indeed , especially

Oriehton and Guanziroli ; some of the others , however , very indifferently . The subject in which there was the greatest deficiency was arithmetic ; this was badly done by off—several of the boys not answering , or trying to answer , one single question . The spelling also was generally bad . " I have put two boys as equal for the writing prize . I thought the merits of the writing they brought with them equal , and therefore gave them an exercise to write during the examination ; this , however , led to the same result as before . I therefore recommend them

both for prizes . "I would take the liberty of suggesting , in conclusion , that an assistant master be appointed as soon as possible at Lordship Lodge , as I do not think that one is sufficient . I would also recommend that examinations of the boys under instruction there , be held more frequently than at present ( say one every three months ) . Also that a prize should be instituted for general good conduct during the year . "I award the prizes as follows : —Arithmetic , Crichton ; General KnowledgeGuanziroli ; Geograph Guanziroli ; HistoryWard

, y , , ; Writing , Crichton and Robinson . "The arithmetical examination I left solely in the hands of Mr . J . P . Tuck . " Should my suggestion of instituting additional examinations at Lordship Lodge be adopted , I will willingly undertake the office of examiner for the present year , and would * visit the school for the purpose of examining the boys , on the days following the Quarterly Communications at Grand f , odge .

" I remain , Brethren , yours faithfully , " March 15 th , 1859 . " ARTHUR R . WARD , M . A . Grand Chaplain . "ARITHMETIC . —First Division Prize , Crichton . Second Division Prize , Stean . " WRITING . —Equal Prizes , Crichton , * Robinson . "GEOGRAPHY . —Guanziroli , Crichton ; * Lang , Mackey , equal ; * Ward , * Robinson , Bennett , * Fountain , * Smellie , Willis , "McLaren ; Speight , Wiber , equal ; * Fisher ; * Reeder , * Bolton , * Feddon ,

Johnson , equal ; Stean , Meyer , Bonorardi . Three not classed , " HISTORY . —* Ward , Crichton ; * Lang , "Robinson , equal ; Mackey , 'Guanziroli , * Smellie , Bennett , ''McLaren , * Feddon , Wiber ; "Fisher , Willis , equal ; Speight , 'Fountain , * Bolton , * Roach . Eight not classed . "GENERAL KNOWLEDGE . —* Guanziroli , * Robinson , Crichton ; * Lang , Mackey , equal ; * Ward , Willis , * McLaren , "Feddon , Bennett , 'Smellie , "Bolton , » Fisher , * Fountain ; Johnson , Meyer , equal ; * Roach , Speight , Stean , * Reeder . Four not classed . " The Boys under instruction at Lordship Lodge are distinguished by (*) . "

QUARTERLY COURT . The general quarterly court of the governors and subscribers to this institution was held at the offices , on April 18 th , Bro . Geo . Barrett , V . P ., presiding . The minutes of the last meeting , and of the various meetings of the committee , having been confirmed , Bro . Benjamin Bond Cabbell was re-elected as treasurer .

The committee for the ensuing year was also elected : the following Brethren being substituted for those who have resigned or are disqualified . Bro . William M . Best , for Bro . John Charleton . „ Henry Cowland , „ „ WilliamFreeman . „ Henry Grant Baker , „ „ J G . Foudrinier . „ Alfred Day , „ „ J . S . Hopwood . „ Robert Farren , „ „ A . Hentzman . „ W . Gath , P . Prov . G . West Yorkshire , „ „ Peter Matthews .

„ J . W . Monnery , „ „ Richard Fpencer . „ John Marks , „ „ Richard Graves . „ J . N . Sheen , „ „ Captain Wright . We should here observe , that the majority of the Brethren above mentioned as retiring , have disqualified themselves for election on the committee by becoming life governors , aud consequently members of it in virtue of their subscriptions . Bro . Symonds then moved the substitution of the word " Hov . se , " for "General" in Rule 67 ; thereby putting the appointment of the

, Schoolmaster and Matron in the hands of the "House" instead of the " General" Committee . Bro . Waring seconded the motion , which was carried . The election of six boys into the school , out of a list of fourteen candidates , was then proceeded with . The result of the polling was as follows : — ELECTED . Alfred L . Gilhamaged 9 ( Calcutta ) ... ... 3812

, , David Freeman , aged 9 ( Croydon ) ... ... 3 , 292 Fred . W . Atkinson , aged 9 ( Margate ) ... ... 2 , 774 Charles Day , aj » ed 7 ( Dewsbnry ) ... ... 1 , 290 Joseph Benjamin Phillips , aged 8 ( London ) ... 1 , 190 William Ho ' bbs Adams , aged 7 ( South Moltou , Devon ) 732

UNSUCCESSFUL . Edwin Kilpin aged 8 ( Northampton ) ... ... 605 Alfred William Dutton , aged 9 ( London ) ... ... 504 Alexander Johnson , aged 10 ( Newcastle ) ... ... 493 George Stark , aged 1 H ( Exmouth ) ... ... 207 John McDowell , aged 8 ( London ) ... ... 151 John M . Chatworthy , aged 8 ( Brixham , Devon ) ... 144 Edwin V . Webber , aged 11 ( Lincoln ) ... ... 133 John William Davis , aged 10 ( London ) ... ... 24

Of those elected one has lost both father and mother , and four others their fathers . Five belong to the provinces and one to London —of the unsuccessful candidates five belong to the provinces , and three to London . Two of the unsuccessful candidates will not be eligible to be received unless elected in October next , viz ., George Stark , who on this occasion polled 207 ; and Edwin Vincent Webber , who polled 133 . Votes of thanks to the chairman and scrutineers closed the proceedings .

The usual Monthly Meeting of the General Committee was held on Saturday , 1 st hist ., and was attended much more numerously than any similar meeting within our recollection . In addition to those generally in attendance , we observed Bros . Havers , Roxburgh , C . Locock-Wcbb , and many brethren with whose names we are unacquainted . The principal business was the election of the House and Audit Committee for the ensuing year . For the former fifteen

brethren had been nominated , from whom the following twelve were selected : —Bros . Absolon , G . Cox , Rev . J . K . Cox , Filer , B . Head , Hopwood , Rev . W H . I . yall , W . Paas , C . Robinson , W . P . Scott , Waring , and W . Young . The rejected candidates being Bros . John Barnes , and Geo . Barrett , and Bro . Geo . Haward , who it was generally understood had withdrawn . The following were elected as the Finance and Audit Committee : — Bros . EmpsonHawardP . MatthewsA . PerkinsJ . Svmondsand

, , , , , R G . Warren . Three children w ere received as candidates for admission . The sum of £ 561 was voted to compiete the alterations and enlargement of the building . The report of the Treasurer showed that £ 600 stock had been purchased , the total amount now standing to the credit of the Trustees being £ 14 , 000 .

ROYAL BENEVOLENT INSTITUTION FOR AGED MASONS AND THEIR WIDOWS . The annual meeting of this institution was held at the Freemasons ' Tavern , on Friday , the 20 th May , Bro . Udall , V . P ., presiding . Bro . Farnfield , the Secretary , read the statement of accounts and report as follows : — "It affords to the committee of management the sincerest gratification in noticing the continued advancing prosperity of the institu-