some of them since carried out, the commissioners stated
that they had ``come to the clear conclusion that the Royal
Academy have no legal, but that they have a moral claim to
apartments at the public expense.'' Negotiations had been
already going on between the government and the Academy for
the appropriation to the latter of a portion of the site
occupied by the recently purchased Burlington House, on which
the Academy offered to erect suitable buildings at its own
expense. The negotiations were renewed in 1866, and in
March in the following year a lease of old Burlington
House, and a portion of the garden behind it, was granted
to the Academy for 999 years at a peppercorn rent, subject
to the condition that ``the premises shall be at all times
exclusively devoted to the purpose of the cultivation of
the fine arts.'' The Academy immediately proceeded to
erect, on the garden portion of the site thus acquired,
exhibition galleries and schools, which were opened in
1869, further additions being made in 1884. An upper storey
was also added to old Burlington House, in which to place
the diploma works, the Gibson statuary and other works of
art. Altogether the Academy, out of its accumulated savings,
has spent on these buildings more than L. 160,000. They are
its own property, and are maintained entirely at its expense.
The government of the Academy was by the ``Instrument'' vested
in ``a president and eight other persons, who shall form
a council.'' Four of these were to retire every year, and
the seats were to go by rotation to every academician. The
number was increased in 1870 to twelve, and reduced to ten
in 1875. The rules as to retirement and rotation are still in
force. Newly elected academicians begin their two years'
service as soon as they have received their diploma. The
council has, to quote the ``Instrument'', ``the entire
direction and management of the business'' of the Academy
in all its branches; and also the framing of new laws and
regulations, but the latter, before coming into force, must
be sanctioned by the general assembly and approved by the
sovereign. The general assembly consists of the whole body of
academicians, and meets on certain fixed dates and at such
other times as the business may require; also at the request
to the president of any five members. The principal executive
officers of the Academy are the president, the keeper, the
treasurer, the librarian and the secretary, all now elected
by the general assembly, subject to the approval of the
sovereign. The president is elected annually on the foundation
day, 10th December, but the appointment is virtually for
life. No change has ever been made in the conditions attached
to this office, with the exception of its being now a salaried
instead of an unsalaried post. The treasurership and
librarianship, both offices originally held not by election but
by direct appointment from the sovereign, are now elective,
the holders being subject to re-election every five years,
and the keepership is also held upon the same terms; while
the secretaryship, which up to 1873 had always been filled
like the other offices by an academician, has since then
been held by a layman. Other officers elected by the general
assembly are the auditors (three academicians, one of whom
retires every year), the visitors in the schools (academicians
and associates), and the professors of painting, sculpture
and architecture---who must be members---and of anatomy and
chemistry. There are also a registrar, and curators and
teachers in the schools, who are appointed by the council.
The thirty-six original academicians were named by George III.
Their successors have been elected, up to 1867, by academicians
only---since that date by academicians and associates together.
The original number was fixed in the ``Instrument'' at forty,
and has so remained. Each academician on his election has to
present an approved specimen of his work---called his diploma
work---before his diploma is submitted to the sovereign for
signature. On receiving his diploma he signs the Roll of
Institution as an academician, and takes his seat in the general
assembly. The class of associates, out of whom alone the
academicians can be elected, was founded in 1769---they were
``to be elected from amongst the exhibitors, and be entitled
to every advantage enjoyed by the royal academicians,
excepting that of having a voice in the deliberations or any
share in the government of the Academy.'' Those exhibitors
who wished to become candidates had to give in their names
at the close of the exhibition. This condition no longer
exists, candidates having since 1867 merely to be proposed and
seconded by members of the Academy. On election, they attend
at a council meeting to sign the Roll of Institution as an
associate, and receive a diploma signed by the president and
secretary. In 1867 also associates were admitted to vote
at all elections of members; in 1868 they were made eligible
to serve as visitors in the schools, and in 1886 to become
candidates for the professorships of painting, sculpture and
architecture. At first the number of associates was limited
to twenty; in 1866 the number was made indefinite with a
minimum of twenty, and in 1876 the minimum was raised to
thirty. Vacancies in the lists of academicians and associates
caused by death or resignation can be filled up at any time
within five weeks of the event, except in the months of
August, September and October, but a vacancy in the associate
list caused by election only dates from the day on which
the new academician receives his diploma. The mode of
election is the same in both cases, first by marked lists
and afterwards by ballot. All who at the first marking have
four or more votes are marked for again, and the two highest
then go to the ballot. Engravers have always constituted
a separate class, and up to 1855 they were admitted to the
associateship only, the number, six, being in addition to
the other associates; now the maximum is four, of whom not
more than two may be academicians. A class of honorary
retired academicians was established in 1862, and of honorary
retired associates in 1884. The first honorary foreign
academicians were elected in 1869. The honorary members
consist of a chaplain, an antiquary, a secretary for foreign
correspondence, and professors of ancient history and ancient
literature. These posts, which date from the foundation of
the Academy, have always been held by distinguished men.
Academy Schools.--One of the most important functions of the
Royal Academy, and one which for nearly a century it discharged
alone, was the instruction of students in art. The first
act, as has been shown, of the newly founded Academy was to
establish schools ---``an Antique Academy,'' and a ``School
for the Living Model'' for painters, sculptors and architects.
In the first year, 1769, no fewer than seventy-seven students
entered. A school of painting was added in 1815, and special
schools of sculpture and architecture in 1871. It would
occupy too much space to follow the various changes that
have been made in the schools since their establishment. In
one important respect, however, they remain the same, viz.
in the instruction being gratuitous--no fees have ever been
charged. Up to the removal of the Academy to its present
quarters the schools could not be kept permanently open, as
the rooms occupied by them were wanted for the exhibition.
They are now open all the year round with the exception
of a fortnight at Christmas, and the months of August and
September. They consist of an antique school, upper and
lower schools of painting, a school of drawing from the life,
a school of modelling from the life and an architectural
school. Admission is gained by submitting certain specimens
of drawing or modelling, and the successful candidates, called
probationers, have then to undergo a further test in the
schools, on passing which they are admitted as students
for three years. At the end of that time they are again
examined, and if qualified admitted for a further term of two
years. These examinations are held twice a year, in January
and July. Female students were first admitted in 1860.
There are many scholarships, money prizes and medals to be
gained by the various classes of students during the time of
studentship, including travelling studentships of the value
of L. 200 for one year, gold and silver medals, and prizes
varying from L. 50 to L. 10. There are permanent curators and
teachers in all the schools, but the principal teaching is
done by the visitors, academicians and associates, elected
to serve in each school. The average cost of maintaining
these schools, including salaries, fees, cost of models,
prizes, books, maintenance of building, &c., is from L. 5000 to
L. 6000 a year, apart from certain scholarships and prizes
derived from moneys given or bequeathed for this purpose,
such as the Landseer scholarships, the Creswick prize, the
Armitage prizes and the Turner scholarship and gold medal.
Charities. -- Another of the principal objects to which
the profits of the Royal Academy have been devoted has been
the relief of disiressed artists and their families. From
the commencement of the institution a fund was set apart for
this purpose, and subsequently a further sum was allotted
to provide pensions for necessitous members of the Academy
and their widows. Both these funds were afterwards merged
in the general fund, and various changes have from time to
time been made in the conditions under which pensions and
donations have been granted and in their amount. At the
present time pensions not exceeding a certain fixed amount
may be given to academicians and associates, sixty years of
age, who have retired and whose circumstances show them to
be in need, provided the sum given does not make their total
annual income exceed a certain limit, and the same amounts
can be given to their widows subject to the same conditions.
No pensions are granted without very strict inquiry into
the circumstances of the applicant, who is obliged to make
a yearly declaration as to his or her income. The average
annual amount of these pensions has been latterly about
L. 2000. Pensions are also given according to the civil
service scale to certain officers on retirement. lt may be
stated here that with the exception of these pensions and
of salaries and fees for official services, no member of the
Academy derives any pecuniary benefit from the funds of the
institution. Donations to distressed artists who are or
have been exhibitors at the Royal Academy, their widows
and children under twenty-one years of age, are made twice
a year in February and August. The maximum amount that
can be granted to any one applicant in one donation is
L. 100, and no one can receive a grant more than once a
year. The average yearly amount thus expended is from
L. 1200 to L. 1500. In addition to these charities from its
general funds, the Academy administers for the benefit of
artists, not members of the Academy, certain other funds
which have been bequeathed to it for charitable purposes,
viz. the Turner fund, the Cousins fund, the Cooke fund,
the Newton bequest and the Edwards fund (see below).
Exhibitions. -- The source from which have been derived
the funds for carrying on the varied work of the Royal
Academy, its schools, its charities and general cost of
administration, and which has enabled it to spend large sums
on building, and provided it with the means of maintaining
