The Charities.

THE CHARITIES .

LONDON , SATURDAY , OCTOBER 29 , 1864 .

"We have received tlie following letter relative to tlie apparently large number of votes which are lost at every election . We say apparently , because we believe that if the numbers could be more minutely analysed , it would be found that the

actual votes unpolled would be largely diminished , owing to the death of subscribers , whose names , however , cannot be expunged from the list in consequence of the Secretaries not having received official or such notice of the deaths that they can

legally act upon : — TO THE EDITOR OP THE FKEE-TASOXS' HAGAZI-TE A _ fD MASONIC 3 IIEE 0 E . SIR ,- —Having attended many times the elections to our different Charities , allow me , through the medium of your MAGAZINE , to draw the attention of the brethren at large to the fact that upwards of 26 per cent , of votes are

not polled , and to learn , if possible , the cause . Can it be thought that there are so large a number of subscribers indifferent to the results of the institutions ? I am fully sensible that there are many who have means with a kind heart to support these Charities , but not the time . There are also many who have time but not the means ; there are again those who have both .

At the elections just over , let me state that there were in the— Votes issued . Polled . Kot polled . Girls 4 , 700 3 , 468 1 , 232 Boys 8 , 000 5 , 876 2 , 124 I cannot but express regret that , as there are so many

deserving cases , so much valuable assistance is lost . Many of us make it our duty to learn the merits of each case , and give our support to the most deserving . I would suggest , nay , I appeal to those who have proxies to give , to forward them to some one who will use them for tbe good cause for ivhich they are intended . I for one shall be happy to receive such , and apportion

them to proper use . I am , Sir , yours obediently , A . PRJITT , P . M ., Ancl a Life Governor of all our Charities . 7 , Devonshire-place , "Wandsworfch-road . We gladly insert Bro . Pratt ' s letter , and at the

same time put ourselves forward to act as the almoners of the brethren iu the application of thenvotes when not otherwise engaged , to the support of deserving cases , pledging ourselves always to tell them how the votes are used , and the grounds

upon which we apply them . And , as a preliminary , we at once place ourselves before the Craft as canvassers for two boys in April nest—our candidates being—BENJAMIN CRABTREE TOWNSHEND , bom on the

6 th March , 1853 . He is the son of the late Samuel Crabtree , of the Vitruvian Lodge ( No . 87 ) , London , who was killed by an accident at the building cf the Victoria Hallway-station , leaving a widow and fi < i e children , three of whom are

entirely dependant on the mother for support ; aud—EGBERT CHEISTOPHEB WILSON , born 5 th October , 1852 . His father , formerly a chemist and druggist , has been for fourteen years a member of the

Union Lodge ( No . 129 ) , Kendal , and is now in distressed circumstances , with a diseased kneejoint of thirty-two years' standing , accompanied with poplitial aneurism . Here are our candidates , and our reason for

taking up their cases is this , that they have each already appealed to the Craft seven times , and are evidently without friends to make their

cases properly known—the former having only polled 143 votes , or an average of a little more more than 20 a-time ; and the latter 72 , or 10 atime . In selecting these cases , we do so for the honour of the Craft ; for when boys are once

considered worthy hy the Committee to be placed on the list of candidates , it is something like a slur on our boasted charity to let them appeal to our sympathies ten or a dozen times in vain . On the Committee we throw the responsibility of selecting

fit and proper candidates , and we , who find from repeated failures that they are friendless , take upon ourselves the duty of endeavouring to secure their election .

It is not for us to dictate to the brethren how they should use their votes ; but the returns of last election show the advantage which those who have powerful friends or come from large centres , have over others who have no other support than

that which the merits of the case calls forth from such brethren as Bro . Pratt , who states that he looks to those merits in giving his votes . Thus from seven first applications two candidates were elected , from eleven second applications five were

elected , from five third applications one waselected , and from four fourth application one was . elected ; two fifth " and two seventh applications , being almost entirely neglected . We have made inquiries , and find Mrs .

Crabtreea woman well deserving of support , and as such we appeal for her child . Of Bro . Wilson we know nothing beyond what we see in the balloting paper ; but we do know that Masonry is not so flourishing in Kendal as to

render it likely he can get much support from that quarter . Indeed , we do not suppose that there are many votes in the Province of Cumberland and Westmoreland , but we now publicly call on the respected Provincial Grand Master , his Offi-