“8. That we are informed on high authority that it is at present
within the power of your honourable Court, in conjunction with the
Senatus, to make the necessary arrangements within the University,
without any external sanction; either by ordaining that the present
Professors shall instruct women in separate classes, or by appointing
special lecturers for that purpose. As regards the former course,
I venture to remark that several Professors in the Faculty of Arts
are already delivering two or more lectures daily, and that, as I
presume it was always contemplated that each Professor should instruct
all matriculated students desiring to study his subject, it is
quite conceivable that it might become necessary from the number of
students, or otherwise, for the medical Professors also to be required
to deliver two courses; and that, therefore, it could hardly be
considered a hardship if they should be required to deliver a second
course, with proper remuneration for the same, to those matriculated
students who are forbidden by the University to attend in the ordinary
classes. As regards the second alternative, I believe that it has
never been doubted that the Senatus and University Court, conjointly,
have the power of appointing any number of assistants or special
lecturers in any faculty, if they are required for the efficient
performance of the teaching of the University.
“9. That as the main difficulty before your honourable Court seems
to be that regarding graduation, with which we are not immediately
concerned at this moment, we are quite willing to rest our claims
to ultimate graduation on the facts as they stand up to the present
date, and in case your honourable Court will now make arrangements
whereby we can continue our education, we will undertake not to draw
any arguments in favour of our right to graduation from such future
arrangements, so that they may at least be made without prejudice to
the present legal position of the University.
“10. That we are informed by high legal authorities that we are
entitled, as matriculated students, to demand from the University
complete arrangements for our instruction, and that we are further
entitled to bring an action of declarator to obtain the same from the
several Professors if no alternative measures are devised, and that
we shall inevitably be driven to pursue this course, with whatever
reluctance, if your honourable Court persistently refuses to make, in
any form whatever, such arrangements as may enable us to complete our
education, and to obtain a legal qualification to practise.
“Earnestly commending the above considerations to your most favourable
notice, I have the honour, &c.,
“SOPHIA JEX-BLAKE.”
(4.) _From the Secretary of the University Court._
“University of Edinburgh, 5th February 1872.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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