The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1866-08-21 00:00:00

BATH.

ROYAL SCHOOL FOR TUB DAUGHTERS OF OFFICIRS
OF THR ARMY.—We have been requested to direct
attention to this valuable school, Lausdown, Beth,
which was instituted in 1864, for the object of pro-
'riding, at the lowest possible oast, a good, practical,
and religious education, for orphan and other dough. I
tars of officers of the army and of the Royal marines.
About the necessity and propriety of providing for
the training of the orphan girls there cannot be any
doubt, and the more such .Wools we ow have the
better; but we notice with equal satisfaction the
addition of "other daughtora" of officers to the plan,
for we have often wondered where the families, par-
ticularly the female branches, of offioers moving
about in active service acquired their education or
woomplishmenn, and have neva felt surprised at
their deficiencies. We have before us the second
annual report of the committee of the Bath institu-
tion, and are linseed to find that the steady progress
of the institution is intimated. The Queen is the
chief patron with the Prince of Wales, the several
members of the Cambridge family, and the Arch-
Whop of Canterbury. Many of the leading nobility
are vice-patrons; the Conamander-in-Chid, Frost.
dent of the Institution; the Trustees, Generals
Ashburnham and Yorke Scarlett, with the Rev. C.
Kimble, rector of Beth. There is also a long array
of vice-preeidents and an extensive and influential
committee, of which Major-General A. J. Lawton°,
C,.., is chairman, whilst the honorary secretaries
are Sir Robert Arnim/her, Bart., u.,, and the
Rin. Stephen Jennie, ; the acting secretary
being G. W. Foster, Edo. The sub-committere are
equally well arranged under the heads of general
finance, building and house committees,
CrtZieilig an exceedingly efficient organization, and
there is also a very competent staff, Lady Superin-
tendent and Governesses. This well-ordered estab-
lishment has naturally attracted excellent support,
and we read in the report referred to that it has
already within it fifty daughters of officers. Funds
(says the report) have continued to flow in, raising
the annual subscriptions—the mainstay of the scLool
—between the 31s8 December, 1864, and the 31st
December, 1865, or within the spew of one year,
from £741 3s. to £14577 Os. 10d. And Woe the
latter date nearly £5OO of new annual subscriptions
have been added, bringing up the total to above
ef.,000 per annum. The total of donations up
to
the 3114 December, 1864, was £3,831 12s. 2d.
has been received between the 314 December, 1864,
and the 3lsl Demober, 1665, £3,695 17s. 6d., mak-
ing together £7,527 9s. 6d. This is indepeodent of
5,000 guinem to be paid by the committee of Lloyd'e
Patriotic) Fund for five protestations, and £5OO given
by them to provide church accommodation for the
pupils. The building bought for the purpose of the
school con be made to woomodate 120, end at present
it is fitted up for only 50, with the neosseary number
ef teachers, though the domestic offices and other
conveniences have been provided for the complete
Establishment, and the floors are pat in for the ad-
ditional dormitories. What is required non is
1 further donations, and another £l,OOO in annual
sabecriptions. This, the committee cannot doubt,
will be forthcoming, as the working of the school
becomes more and more known. We sincerely trust
that the public will now liberally take up and sup-
port an institution so nobly powwowed, and evince
the gratitude of the country to its brave defenders
by animating them with Me confidence that their
children will be well and wisely trained whilst
they are fighting their country's battles.