Supplement to third edition of History of George Heriot's Hospital

GEORGE HEUIOT'S HOSPITAL. 13
Keport, with the Queries and Opinion of Counsel, determined
by a large majority " That the Governors resolve, in ac-
cordance with the opinion of Counsel, not to elect sons of
female Burgesses and Freemen to the Hospital."
In 1876 a Bill 1 was introduced into Parliament by Mr
Duncan M'Laren, M.P. for Edinburgh, " to assimilate the
Law of Scotland to that of England as regards the Creation
of Burgesses." This Bill, which received the Boyal assent on
1st June 1876, was at once seen to be, as by the introducer
of the Bill it was professedly designed to be, of the greatest
importance to Heriot's Hospital. The number of Burgesses
1 The portion of the Bill in which Heriot's Hospital is interested is as
under : —
" Whereas an Act was passed in the 5th and 6th year of His Majesty
William IV., chap. 76, intituled 'An Act to provide for the Eegulation of
Municipal Corporations in England and Wales : '
" And whereas another Act was passed in the 32d and 33d year of Her
Majesty, chap. 55, amending the same :
" And whereas it is expedient to assimilate the law of Scotland in some
respects to the law of England as regards the Creation of Burgesses :
" Be it therefore enacted hy the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty, by and
with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Com-
mons in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same :
" 1. Every person in Scotland of full age, liable to be rated for the relief of
the poor, who at the term of Whitsunday 1876, or any succeeding term of
Whitsunday in any year, shall have occupied any house, warehouse, counting-
house, shop, or other building, within any burgh in which there are Burgesses,
during the whole of that year and the whole of the two preceding years, and
who during the time of such occupation shall have been an inhabitant house-
holder within the said burgh, and who shall have been rated in respect of such
premises so occupied within the burgh to all rates made for the relief of the
poor of the parish wherein such premises are situated during the term of his
occupation as aforesaid, and who shall have paid, on or before the last term of
Whitsunday as aforesaid, all such rates, together with all burgh rates, if
any, as shall have become payable in respect of the said premises, except
such as shall have been payable within six calendar months next before the
said last term of Whitsunday, shall be, subject to the conditions herein-after
contained, a Burgess of such burgh so long as such person shall occupy