The Royal Masonic Institution For Boys.

Speaking of the published accounts of the Institution for the year iSSS , which bears the printed signatures of the Audit Committee , the report says : — "The Secretary mated thai ( lie Audit CYnuiinnce acquiesced lacilly , if nol expressly , afler the puhlicalion : but il is nur duly lo point out that if the members of the Audit Commillec ihus acquiesced , they have been parties to a representation to the subscribers thai tlley s , t 7 U and signed , the original of th . il account as printed , whereas they did neither the one nor the other . There never was any such document in exislenn-. "

Thus , the members of the Inquiry Committee proceeded with theii unthankful task , finding on all sides and in every department dissatisfaction and chaos . The Audit Committee , they say , has done nothing but what the Secretary has done for it . The House Committee has been blind to everything but the monthly dinners . The House Steward has almost defied any interference from his equals or superiors in authority . The duties and authority of the Head Master at Muswell-hill have been usurped by the Secretary , who , by the

gradual growth of years , has virtually seduced the control of the entire Institution , with its various Committees , into his own hands . The report , embodying forty-six pages of closely-printed matter , was presented to the Quarterly Court of the 26 th April last . Copies have been sent to all the Life Governors of the Institution , and a meeting of subscribers to the Charity was held on Thursday , the 6 th nit ., at which meeting the repefrt

was adopted , and a further Provisional Committee , consisting of five members of the Philbrick Inquiry Committee—viz ., Bros . Philbrick , Q . C . ; John Derby Allcroft ; Sir Reginald Hanson , Bart ; Lieut-Col . Perkins ; Robert Wylie ; strengthened by the assistance of Bros . Richard Eve , Sir R . Fowler , G . Corbie , George Glass , George Lambert , Lord Euston , Captain Homfray , R . V . Smith , W . F . Smithson , Alderman Hanvood , J . S . Eastes , Gerard Ford , Le

Fevre , A . C . SpauII , J . Brodcnham , and Edward Terry , the Grand Treasurer , — was appointed to manage the affairs of the Institution , and report to a future Court the best and most effective mode of carrying out the recommendations in the original report which the brethren had unanimously adopted . It is a grave question whether it was wise to have published the report in the first instance ; but this having been done , nothing but a faithful adherence

to its recommendations and a steadfast determination by the Provisional Committee to cleanse the administrative department will suffice . The mere fact of Bro . Philbrick and four other gentlemen who prepared the report being elected on this new Committee make it imperative that this shall be done , for they could hardly make recommendations in one capacity and ignore them in another .

We are grieved to hear the aspersions that have been cast upon the honour of the Secretary . That he has been guilty of many and great indiscretions , that he has permitted his zeal to overgrow the caution with which official business of any nature should be transacted , and that he has shown very little tact in his connection with the heads of the establishment at Wood-green has been evident for a long time to those who form opinions on such matters . We should have thought the invidious

position in which he is now placed would have prompted his immediate resignation , offering the Committee every facility for throwing light upon the dark places of the Charity . We cannot disregard , even in the present extremity , the good work Bro . Binckcs has done for the Charity , but the retention of the secretarial duties in his hands would mean ruin to the Institution . If the Committee , in their wisdomcan find just cause for

, conferring a pension upon . Mr . Binckes , let them do so ; but ' whilst assessing the amount of such pension on no extravagant basis , they must remember that their sternest censure for all that has been done , or left undone , should be fired straight at the heads of the various Sub-Committees that have allowed such things to pass their notice .

United Grand Lodge Of England.

UNITED GRAND LODGE OF ENGLAND .

THE Quarterly Communication of the United Grand Lodge of England was held on Wednesday evening , June 5 , at Freemasons' Hall . Bro . W . W . B . Beach , M . P ., Prov . G . M . for Hants and Isle of Wight , presided . Bro . Sir Francis Burdett , Bart ., Prov . G . M . for Middlesex , acted as Dep . G . M . ; and Bro . Hugh D . Sandeman , Past Dist . G . M . of Bengal , as P . G . M . The Earl of Carnarvon , Pro . G . M ., was prevented from being present .

The minutes of the Quarterly Communication of the 6 th March and of the Grand Festival of 24 th April were read and confirmed . Scrutineers were appointed and obligated to make a true return of the election of members to serve on the Board of General Purposes . The ACTING GRAND MASTER . : Brethren , —Grand Lodge is aware that during the last two years the Freemasons of two of the Australian Colonics ,

viz ., New South Wales and South Australia , have formed themselves into , and established , independent Grand Lodges in each of those colonics , and that this Grand Lodge has recognised these Lodges as being lawful and regular . I am now commanded by the Most Worshipful Grand Master to say that a report has been received from the Freemasons of another colony in Australia , viz ., Victoria , stating- that the Lodges belonging to their various jurisdictions

have regularly and constitutionally formed themselves into a Grand Lodge , and thai the movement is practically unanimous , 140 out of 142 Lodges having joined the new Grand Lodge ; and that the new Grand Lodge has elected Bio . Sir William Clarke , Bart ., who has hitherto held the appointment of District Grand Master of the three District Grand Lodges of England , Ireland

United Grand Lodge Of England.

and Scotland , as the new Grand Master . As the action thus taken appears to be similar to that followed in the case of the other two Australian Grand Lodges , the Grand Master now recommends that the request be recognised and granted , with the distinct understanding that should the two Lodges which have not joined the new Grand Lodge still refuse to do so , and wish still to belong to the Grand Lodge of England , their position should be acknowledged

and recognised by the new body . I have now , on the part of the Most Worshipful Grand Master , to move that this Grand Lodge be recognised—the United Grand Lodge of Victoria . Bro . F . A . PHII . IIRICK , Q . C ., G . Reg . : Brethren , —Having had the honour on previous occasions of seconding similar motions in the cases of the Grand Lodges of South Australia and of New South Wales , it gives me much pleasure

to second the motion which is now before Grand Lodge . We , as English Masons , and being assembled in the Mother Grand Lodge of the world , see these strong bodies forming themselves into distinct and independent Grand Lodges . It is true that by this action many of the Lodges which were under our jurisdiction have formed themselves under the new , but it is in no grudging mood that we accord recognition to a movement made thus regularly . We

wish the new Grand Lodge every Masonic success ; we trust that the principles that they have derived from the parent Grand Lodge of England , while certain constituent members were associated with us , may be perpetuated and extended under the dominion of the new Grand Lodge . We think it right , and I am sure this Grand Lodge will agree , to guard the position of those Lodges which still may remain under allegiance to us . As long as they continue to do so we

cannot renounce them ; and I feel quite sure that the Masonic feeling in the Colonies which has attended this movement , will recognise their position , and will desire to recognise it , so long as those Lodges may be outside the movement , which , with the exception o ( those two Lodges , is entirely unanimous . I trust , therefore , that this Grand Lodge will have no difficulty whatever in according to the new Grand Lodge of Victoria its recognition , wishing to this new Grand Lodge the same prosperity and success as they did in the cases of the other two Grand Lodges of Australia . The motion was carried item , con .

The ACTING GRAND MASTKR : Brethren , —I am commanded by His Royal Highness the Most Worshipful Grand Master to make an announcement to Grand Lodge , connected with the matter which has just been before you . Grand Lodge may possibly remember that His Royal Highness has already acceded to the request from the Grand Lodges of New South Wales and South Australia to become the Grand Patron of those Grand Lodges . He

has received a similar request from the newly-recognised Grand Lodge of Victoria , and his Royal Highness desires me to state that , subject to their recognition by this Grand Lodge this evening , it will afford him much pleasure to accede to their request to become their Grand Patron . Brethren , —I have now to announce that His Royal Highness , the Most Worshipful Grand Master , has appointed Brother Thomas Fenn , President of the Board of

General Purposes . Brother Thomas Fenn was then re-invested , and congratulated by the acting Grand Master on his appointment . It was then announced there would be no election for the Colonial Board , as only the requisite number of members were nominated , but the M . W . G . M . nominated Lieut .-Col . Haldane , Chairman , Brothers Hugh D . Sandeman

and Brackstone Baker as members , and Brother Gadsden to be Vice-Ch airman . On the motion of Brother BliLTON , Brother John Smith ( Harding & Co . accountants ) was appointed auditor of Grand Lodge . The brethren nominated for the Colonial Board were : Col . Frederick Gadsden ( Madras ) , P . M . 434 ; Capt . Thomas Charles Walls , W . M . 1656 ;

James Brett , P . M . 177 ; Reginald St . A . Roumieu , P . M . 1537 ; Albert Escott , P . M . 1539 ; John Speight Cumberland , P . M . 2128 ; and Lennox Browne , W . M . 2256 . And those elected for the Committee of Management for the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution for Aged Freemasons and Widows of Freemasons : Bros . C . A . Cottebrunc , P . M . 733 ; Hugh Cotter , P . M . 554 ; J . E . Dawson , P . M . 404 ; C . G . Dilley , P . M . 1155 ; Major A . Durrani , P . M . 569 ; C . Kempton , P . M . 12 S 7 ; A . H . Tattershall , P . M . 140 ; I . Dixon , P . M . 1567 ; R . Griggs , P . M . 228 ; and Win . Henry Hubbert , P . M . 1625 .

The ACTING GRAND MASTER announced that the Grand Master had appointed the following brethren on the same Committee - . —Col . Shadwell H . Gierke , Jabez Hogg , Robert Turtle Pigott , D . C . L . ; Dep .-Insp .-Gen . Thomas Purchas , M . D ., R . N . ; Frederick Mead , Thomas George Bullen , James Brett , Henry Garrod , William Henry Perryman , and David Dixon Mercer . Grants by the Board of Benevolence were then confirmed to the amount of , £ 810 , to ten brethren and five widows of brethren whose recommendations had been approved by the Board . The following report of the Board of General Purposes was taken as read , and ordered to be received and entered on the minutes .

To the United Grand Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons oj England . The Board of General Purposes beg to submit a statement of the Grand Lodge accounts , at the last meeting of the Finance Committee , held on Friday , the 17 th day of May instant , showing a balance in the Bank of England ( Western Branch ) of . £ 5 , 863 . 7 s . 2 d ., and in the hands of the Grand Secretary