TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 205 



of two of the hospitals, a resolution cordially approving "of its general scope was 

 unanimously cavried. 



After the approval of the Scheme by a general meeting of the Merchant Com- 

 pany, separate Schemes or proposed provisional orders based on the general Scheme, 

 and extended as to details, for each of the four hospitals, together with petitions 

 to the Home Secretary, prajdng that he would sanction their being carried out, 

 were in due course approved of by the Company and Governors. With some sli'>-ht 

 modifications, the Home Secretary agreed, subject to the approval of the Lord 

 Advocate, which was afterwards given, to issue the Provisional Orders. 



The Provisional Orders, lying the required number of days upon the tables in 

 both Houses of Parliament without an address being presented,became law in the end 

 of July last year ( 1870), just as the schools inEdinburgh were closing for the holidays. 

 It was determined to take measures at once for having the four hospital buildino-s 

 opened as day-schools in the beginning of the following session in September, and 

 otherwise to proceed in carrying out the Scheme. Towards this end, the first thing 

 to be accomplished was to remove the foundationers from the buildino's, so that 

 the work of adapting them for their new purpose might begin. It was decided to 

 have in them three gTaded schools for boys and two for girls, so that each of the 

 different classes of society for whom they were designed might find in one or other 

 of them an education suited to its own requirements. 



The building of James Gillespie's Hospital was accordingly chosen for the 

 lowest grade schools of both boys and girls which it was arranged to establish, 

 Daniel Stewart's and George Watson's for the other two boys' schools, and that 

 of the Merchant Maiden Hospital for the upper girls' school. There would thus be 

 equal to five graded schools in the four buildings — those in Gillespie's and the 

 Merchant Maiden Hospital buildings being the two for girls, and those in Gillespie's, 

 Stewart's, and AVatson's the three for boys. The word hospital, when used in 

 connexion with education, was so repugnant to the general community that, in so 



tion." For each of these institutions a head-master was appointed, whose emolu- 

 ments were to consist of a salary, and an additional sum for every pupil who should 

 attend the scliool o^-er which he was to preside. For the upper girls' school a 

 lady- superintendent was also engaged. These persons were appointed by the Go- 

 vernors, at whose pleasure they were to hold their offices. Each of the head- 

 masters was to be responsible for the efficient working of the school under his 

 charge ; and, in order to do them full justice in this respect, they were to appoint 

 and dismiss their own teachers and governesses, the Governors fixing and payin»- 

 the salaries. The foundationers were to attend the school belonging to the Trust 

 with which they were connected, and children of the general public wlio passed an 

 examination suitable to their respective ages, and satisfactory to the Governors, 

 were to be admitted to all the schools on payment of moderate fees. In sclectiuo- 

 out of the applicants those wlio were to be admitted, regard was to be had to the 

 merits and attainments of each as tested by the examination. In all the institu- 

 tions there were to be three departments (an elementary, a junior, and a senior), 

 each of which was to be divided into classes containing a limited number of pupils, 

 grouped according to their attainments, and the whole of the pupils, with the ex- 

 ception of those in Gillespie's schools, were to supply their own class-books. 



In the lowest gi-ade schools (James Gillespie's), the course of instruction was 

 designed to include Englisli in all its branches, writing, arithmetic, vocal music, 

 and drill. The l)oys were also to be taught mechanical drawing, and the o-ii-Js 

 sewing and knitting. Both male and female teachers were to be employed, and 

 the classes were not to contain more than fifty children. The fees, includin"- the 

 use of school-books, have been fixed at 3.5., 4s., and 5s. a quarter for the entire 

 coarse. In Daniel Stewart's Institution and George Watson's College-Schools for 

 Boys the course of study was to include the English, Latin, Greek, French, and 

 German languages; writing, arithmetic, book-keeping, algebra, mathematics 

 drawing, vocal music, botany, natural Iiistorj', natural philosopliy, chemistry, drill 

 gymnastics^ fencing, and dancing. There was to be a classical and a modern or 



