NOTES 113 



upon her in the most progressive lands. Thus has the University developed to 

 the present all-embracing type through the successive reigns of scholasticism, 

 theology, and ancient classics, always behind the age, conservative in the highest 

 degree. Science has arisen and established her claim to equality. We have long 

 had the Republic of Letters ; we now hail the Republic of Knowledge." 



These quotations do not appear to admit of much doubt as to what was the 

 Founder's own view of the purpose of his benefaction. They are refreshingly 

 clear and frank, with a point capable even of penetrating the admit-nothing, 

 dispute-everything defence, which the advocate, unable to face facts, invariably 

 puts up. It is an especially curious commentary upon the cry that it is now the 

 turn of Arts, heard at the last quinquennial distribution, and which, in the Univer- 

 sity of Aberdeen, has been the interpretation of the gift from the beginning, that 

 what Mr. Carnegie actually said was " it is now the turn of the elder sisters to 

 greet the once neglected princess." 



If the legal instrument, which Mr. Carnegie signed to give effect to his 

 intentions, was being administered by a body of men of like mind to himself, in a 

 broad and sympathetic spirit, without any desire to strain it beyond its natural 

 interpretation and twist it to serve ends not intended, legal questions as to its 

 exact meaning could scarcely arise. But if, unfortunately, at any time that should 

 not be the case and it becomes necessary to consider the Deed as an instrument 

 to ensure that the purposes of the Founder, whatever they were, shall be per- 

 manently respected without regard to the outlook and sympathies of those 

 administering it, it will be found to be curiously impotent. 



Although, among the intentions of the Founder set forth in the preamble of the 

 Trust Deed, only two objects are referred to, the encouragement of scientific study 

 and research and the payment of students' fees, in the operative part, which 

 embraces the Trust Constitution, a new and totally distinct purpose, technical or 

 commercial education, not mentioned in the preamble, is added on to share with 

 scientific study and research, without any specific instruction of the apportion- 

 ment of the funds for each, which is left to the discretion of the Trustees, the 

 share of the payment of fees purpose alone being strictly defined. So that by 

 concentrating entirely on the new purpose, scientific study and research could be 

 effectively excluded and the first of the two intentions of the Founder frustrated. 

 Whether, however, the Trustees could justify doing this on a narrow construction 

 of the Deed or not, no reasonable beings could claim they were thereby carrying 

 out the declared intentions of the Founder, as set forth in the Trust Deed. Apart, 

 therefore, from a second Mr. Carnegie, willing to take the Deed into Court to get 

 it interpreted, the question of the relative share of the different objects set forth 

 must remain more or less open. 



Admitting this, and allowing to the Trustees the most absolute power of 

 discretion, it is still extremely difficult to see how the current uses to which the 

 moneys are being put can be defended. 



The clause to which the Executive Committee refer does not exactly or con- 

 vincingly convey the particular construction they put upon it, and therefore had 

 better be requoted : 



" One-half of the net annual income shall be applied towards the improvement 

 and expansion of the Universities of Scotland, in the Faculties of Science and 

 Medicine ; also for improving and extending the opportunities for scientific study 

 and research, and for increasing the facilities for acquiring a knowledge of History, 

 Economics, English Literature, and Modern Languages, and such other subjects 

 cognate to a technical or commercial education, as can be brought within the 

 scope of the University curriculum, . . ." 



8 



