MEMOIR OF HENRY WHAITE, P. G. M.

HENRY WHAITE was born in Manchester, on the 20th of August, 1803. At an early age he was placed in a Manchester warehouse, where he probably might have remained for life, in accordance with a promise held out to him by his employers; but feeling a strong inclination to learn a trade, and having three brothers who practised as artists, it was deemed advisable that he should be taught a business in connexion with the fine arts. He was consequently apprenticed to the trade of a carver, gilder, and picture frame maker. At the expiration of his term of apprenticeship, he was offered, first, a permanent situation with his master, and ultimately a partnership. He declined both these offers, having determined upon commencing business on his own account. Having a strong wish to see the London system of working, and their different styles and manners, he resolved to visit the metropolis, for the purpose of improving himself, and making purchases, before he entered upon his new undertaking. After residing in London four months, he returned to Manchester, and commenced business. In twelve months afterwards he took the premises he now holds in Bridge Street, and at the same period entered into the state of matrimony. By strict perseverance and constant personal exertions he has carried on a successful trade at his present establishment for the last nineteen years.

Mr. Whaite became a member of the Order on the 15th day of January, 1828, when he joined the Nelson Lodge, in the Manchester District. Shortly after his initiation he was elected secretary, but did not fill any other important office for some years afterwards, in consequence of unpleasant circumstances occurring in the Lodge, connected with some members who were eventually expelled from the Order. Since passing the chairs he has never been out of office in either the District or the Order. For four years together he was chosen on the Board of Management for the Manchester District, and upon each occasion was appointed a Trustee for the Funeral Fund. For a portion of the same time he was also a Trustee for the District Fund. He was afterwards elected Vice President of the Funeral Fund, but was obliged to resign the office upon being elected D. G. M. of the Order.

Mr. Whaite is of temperate habits, and when the Temperance Lodge was opened in the Manchester District, he accepted the office of G. M. He also threw his clearance into the Temperance Lodge, and has endeavoured by every means in his power to increase its members, and add to its comfort and appearance. As a reward for his services, the members presented him, about twelve months ago, with a gold watch and guard.

He has represented the Manchester District at York, the Isle of Man, Wigan, and Bradford, at which latter place he was elected D. G. M. In the succeeding year he was appointed G. M. at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and also a Trustee for the floating capital of the Order.

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The course which Mr. Whaite has had to pursue as G. M. of the Order, during the last year, has been one of peculiar difficulty, in consequence of the opposition manifested by those parties who were disaffected towards the views of the Executive Government. Mr. White's determined mode of proceeding must naturally have created great disatisfaction in the minds of those who were anxious to obstruct those measures which were intended for the benefit of the Order at large. Nothing, however, could have been more gratifying than the way in which Mr. Whaite's explanation of his conduct was received by the deputies at Glasgow, and the unanimous approbation which was manifested, would, no doubt, well repay him for past anxieties.

Mr. Whaite is of unassuming manners and disposition, and makes no pretensions to oratorical skill; he is, however, unremitting in his attention to his duties, and has proved himself an excellent working member of the Institution. He is strictly upright and honourable in his dealings, and is universally respected as a tradesman. He has also secured for himself the esteem of a large circle of friends, and in his domestic relations his conduct has ever been unexceptionable. Mr. Whaite's character as a member of the Order, and of society at large, and as a friend, husband, and father, is equally estimable. He is the author of his own well earned prosperity, and we sincerely hope that he may be long spared to enjoy it.

THE A. M. C. FOR. 1845.

For the first time, the A. M. C. has, this year, been held in Scotland, at the Trades' Hall, Glasgow, where one hundred and thirty-four delegates attended to represent their different Districts. This is a much smaller number than has met together for some years past, and was owing to the alteration made by the last A. M. C., which decided that Lodges should no longer have a power of sending representatives, but that they should be appointed by Districts, according to the number of their members. This resolution was passed in opposition to the adage that “in the multitude of counsellors there is wisdom," and experience has proved that the reduction in quantity is not likely to be productive of any disadvantage. When the distance which the majority of the Deputies had to travel is taken into account, the meeting must, under the circumstances, be considered a large one; and may be viewed as an evidence of the deep interest which the various Districts felt in the many important questions which were about to be submitted for discussion. At nine o'clock the Deputies had assembled, and, after the names had been called over, Mr. Henry Whaite, G. M., opened the business of the week with the following address:

WORTHY DEPUTIES-We are again assembled together to discuss and adopt measures, which, I doubt not, will have a tendency to promote the interest and stability of our Institution; and I can, with confidence, say there never were more important alterations suggested to any A. M. C. than those which will be brought before you in the course of the week. It cannot, for one moment, be expected, that out of 255,000 persons of different classes, and from different localities, there should be an entire unanimity of disposition and sentiment— that all should agree in opinionor that the various authorities should give entire satisfaction to all. I am happy to say, however, that the number of dissatisfied parties is very small, and far from having any serious effect upon the proper administration of the laws. You, Gentlemen, compose the highest tribunal of the Order, and when you pass resolutions, those resolutions become law; and those who will not conform to them, whether members, Lodges, or Districts, cannot be allowed to remain amongst us, or be recognised as members or portions of the Order. You will remember that at the last A. M. C., held at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, you armed the G. M. and Board of Directors with full power and authority to call for such information, and make such inquiries as would enable the present meeting to be put

in a condition of ascertaining the true financial position of our Lodges more correctly. In accordance with that resolution, the G. M. and Board of Directors issued statistical forms to be filled up by the officers of the different Lodges. I regret to say, however, that certain influential members of the Order interposed, and advised the Lodges in four different Districts not to comply with the resolutions of the A. M. C. or of the Board of Directors. Thereupon the officers of the Order, acting in accordance with your previous instructions, suspended the whole of the parties and Lodges guilty of this unjustifiable resistance to legislation-this piece of extreme insubordination, until the present meeting. (Hear! hear!) The whole of the proceedings will be laid before you in the course of the week, when you will have an opportunity of giving an opinion whether any, or what, punishment, shall be inflicted upon those who could thus openly violate the laws of the Order with such daring resistance, and be enabled to shew by your present proceedings, that misconduct of this character will not be allowed to be carried on with impunity. (Hear!) Gentlemen, as your chief officer during the past year, I have endeavoured to pilot your vessel to the best of my ability, in connexion with my excellent colleagues. Throughout the whole of the proceedings we have acted with firmness, determination, and strict impartiality; being convinced that it is by such administration of the laws alone that our proud position as a Society can be maintained; and we trust that our successors, those on whom the mantle of authority may fall, will exercise the same zeal, caution, and determination. (Hear!) With the single exception I have alluded to, the Order is in a most peaceable and flourishing condition; a great increase has taken place during the past year in the number of members and of Lodges. Gentlemen, I will now conclude by expressing a hope that you will give all the matters to be brought before you that calm consideration which the subjects will really require.

We shall not enter into a detail of the whole business brought before the A. M. C., but merely notice some of the most important decisions.

Persons connected with the Order, whether suspended or otherwise, are to be allowed to give evidence in any case brought before a Lodge or District Committee.

Lodges have power to advance invalids' money as a consideration of the sick-pay for the time being; but in nowise to sell, or compromise, the whole of their claims upon the funds of the Lodge or Order.

The Committee appointed to receive applications for new Districts, decided to accede to twenty-seven applications, and twenty-one were refused, sufficient reasons not being shewn for acceding to them.

The following are the alterations for the guidance of Lodges, relative to making their expenditure in proportion to their income:

1. That all Lodges shall have the power of fixing what amount of contributions

shall be paid per week by their members.

2. That the whole of the initiation-money, and a fixed amount of the contributions of members shall go to a fund, to be called the "General Contribution Fund of the Lodge," which fund shall be appropriated exclusively to paying the sick and funeral donations of the members.

3. That all Lodges establish a fund, which shall be called the "Incidental Expenses Fund," and out of which all expenses incurred by the Lodges, in conducting its affairs, (over and above the amount paid for sick and funeral donations,) together with their proportionate share of District expenses, shall be paid; but that it be optional with Lodges as to the various means they adopt by which they collect the sum required for such expenses from their members.

4. That for the sum of fivepence per week, to be paid into the" General Contribution Fund of the Lodge," Lodges shall be allowed to pay to their members not more than ten shillings per week during sickness the first twelve months, and five shillings per week afterwards, so long as they may continue sick, together with ten pounds at the death of a member, and five pounds at the death of a member's wife.

5. That a scale of contributions, sick gifts, and funeral money, be drawn up by the G. M. and Board of Directors, and circulated with the July Quarterly Reports of the Order, such scale to be in the following proportion:- that for every halfpenny of

contribution paid by members per week, and which is appropriated to the "General Contribution Fund of the Lodge," Lodges shall be allowed to pay to their members during sickness one shilling per week, together with one pound at the death of a member, and ten shillings at the death of a member's wife.

6. That the division of the different districts into No. 1 and No. 2., be left to the G. M. and Board of Directors. No. 1 class to consist of the manufacturing districts, and No. 2 class to consist of the agricultural districts; and in the scale of payments and benefits, twenty-five per cent. be allowed to the agricultural districts, the amount of mortality and sickness which occurs to those districts being twenty-five per cent. less than the amount of mortality and sickness in the manufacturing districts in the same time, and amongst the same number of members,-and should any Lodge or District object to such an arrangement, they shall have power to appeal against the decision of the G. M. and Board of Directors to the next A. M. C., whose decision shall be final and conclusive.

7. That the above payments and expenditure come into operation on the 1st day of January, 1846, but that any Lodge be allowed to adopt the same immediately.

NOTE. To remove an erroneous impression which has been made upon the minds of many members, the G. M. and Board of Directors wish it to be understood, and without any qualification, that there is no intention to interfere with the Funds of Lodges, but the control and management of the same is invested in the members for the time being.

A letter from the proprietors of the London Journal and Pioneer Newspaper was submitted to the Deputies, containing the following propositions:

1. That the London Journal and Pioneer Newspaper, be the acknowledged organ of the Manchester Unity, the recognized medium of communication between its members, and that every Host of a Lodge be recommended to take one copy weekly for the use of such Lodge.

2. That one-fourth of the selling price of all the papers sold to Hosts, Lodges, and members, through the Prov. C. S. of the different Districts, be paid into the General Funds of the Order, to be afterwards appropriated as the A. M. C. may determine, and the remaining balance to the proprietors of the London Journal and Pioneer Newspaper, they first agreeing to devote the paper, exclusively, to the interest of the Manchester Unity, and to render it conformable, in all respects, to General Law; the profits to be disposed of in such manner as may be appointed by each succeeding A. M. C.

3. That the Prov. C. S. of every District be considered the agent for the sale of the above-named paper, whose duty it will be to receive all orders from Lodges and members, and forward the same direct to the office, Salisbury-Square, Fleet-Street, London. The accounts for such newspapers will be forwarded to every District with the Quarterly Reports of the Order. Districts to be responsible for the payment of all newspapers that may be ordered by the Prov. C. S.

4. That an agreement, based upon these resolutions, be signed by the Board of Directors, and the proprietors of the London Journal and Pioneer Newspaper.

It was resolved that the above-named offer of the proprietors of the London Journal and Pioneer Newspaper should be accepted by the Committee; and, that the London Journal and Pioneer Newspaper, and also the Isle of Man Chronicle, be allowed to be circulated in the different Lodges and Districts throughout the Unity; that orders for the same be received by the Prov. C. S. of each District; and that such papers be strongly recommended, not only to members of the Order, but to the host of each Lodge in the Unity.

It was also resolved that any member of the Order, wishing to establish a monthly periodical, might do so on his own responsibility, but that no portion of the General Fund should be appropriated for such purpose.

The Report of the Sub-Committee appointed to examine the proceedings of the Board of Directors during the past year, was passed, with a few slight alterations, after considerable discussion. It embodied a recommendation that all those Lodges who had sent in their Financial Returns should be re-instated

in the Order immediately; and that the remainder be allowed until the 1st of August, 1845, to comply with the 26th resolution of the last A. M. C., when they should be re-instated; and in case they would not comply in the above time, that they remained suspended until the A. M. C. of 1846. The following resolutions also sprung from the Sub-Committee's Report. That no member be compelled to attend processions or anniversary dinners. That District Officers be empowered to give clearances to members of closed Lodges, such members being in good health at the time, and paying over to the Lodge they may join, all amounts of money they may have received at the closing of such Lodge. That any member who may actually vote against any act or measure, or can prove he takes no part therein, to cause such Lodge to be suspended or expelled, the District Officers shall be allowed, under sanction of the G. M. and Board of Directors, to grant such member a clearance. This resolution not to come into effect before the 1st of August, 1845. Lodges to have the power to compel members to keep themselves clear on the books, by paying up, at least, each half-year; and that the N. G. of every Lodge be compelled to deduct from every member's sick-pay, the amount of his contribution, thus keeping him good on the books of the Lodge. That the Funeral Oration be not allowed to be read at the grave of a deceased member, without the express consent of the minister.

The Auditor's Report is a very valuable document, and contains much interesting matter. We gather from it the following particulars. The balance of cash placed to the credit of the Trustees of the G. M. and Board of Directors in the hands of Sir Benjamin Heywood and Co., was, on the 6th of January, 1845, £5309. 4s. 51d., being an increase over the amount deposited in 1844, of £1281. 12s. 9d. The amount owing on the 1st day of January, 1845, was £811. 4s. 04d. less than on the 1st of day January, 1844. The nett amount of profits realized on the sale of goods, for the year 1844, is £813. 7s. 11d., being an increase of £710. 17s. 2 d., over the profits of 1843. The profits realized on the sale of the Magazine, during the year 1844, are £584. 6s. 11d. The G. M. and Board of Directors recommended a portion of the profits arising from the sale of the Magazine, to be appropriated towards establishing Libraries and Schools in connexion with the Order, and the Auditors agreed in such recommendation; but it was disapproved of by the Sub-Committee, who stated that it would be a violation of the principle held out in connexion with the Magazine, namely, That the profits should be appropriated to the assistance of the widows and orphans of our deceased brethren; and further, the amount of the profits that could be so appropriated they considered to be quite inadequate to the requirements of such a measure. When C. S. Ratcliffe was first elected to the office he now holds, (seven years ago,) the number of Lodges were 1,200, the number of members 90,000; the former has increased 2,800, and the latter 164,000; the gross amount of profits realized from the sale of goods since he entered office, has been upwards of £17,000: The increase of Lodges during the last year is 309; and the increase of members 21,461, making a grand total of 255,979 members, good upon the books of the different Lodges on the 1st day of January, 1845.

We extract a few resolutions which may be interesting to our readers:-That the sum of £1000 be taken from the General Fund of the Order, to be invested as a surplus fund, in the names of ten trustees.