Don Pedro Vivanco having begun to promote its establishment in 1803,
it was installed in 1817 under the direction of a special assembly
composed of distinguished citizens, among whom was a member of
the ecclesiastical cabildo, and another of the tribunal of the
consulado. The citizens gave the funds which were to maintain so
useful an institution, but being drawn upon, as was the general rule,
those funds had the same fate as other large sums of the commerce
and charitable funds of this capital, and were lost through the
political happenings of the kingdom of Mexico. The assembly having
been extinguished for lack of funds, the city took under its charge the
charity school. Reading, writing, Christian doctrine, Spanish grammar,
and slate-work arithmetic are taught there. The pupils must be Spanish;
the children of rich people pay two pesos per month; those of the
second class one; and the poor nothing. For admission, a ticket
from the president of the dissolved assembly was sufficient. Now
it is given by the regidor, who is serving his turn in governing
the institution. In that school, there are at present 50 pupils,
of whom 26 receive their teaching gratuitously.