open to every other individual. The distinction is sometimes attempted to be justified, by saying that an improper teacher can never be removed, if he be always entitled to make his accusers run the gauntlet from the lowest ecclesiastical court to the highest. This, however, may be said of anybody else as well as of schoolmasters; and, therefore, there is probably not much in it; especially as the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland,-which has all along evinced the most friendly and enlightened views towards its kindred labourers,-has declared its approbation of this and of most other parts of the schoolmasters' claims. In the year 1825, "The General Assembly "farther declared their decided opinion, that the right of ap"peal from the sentence of the Presbyteries, in the case of "schoolmasters, to the Supreme Ecclesiastical Courts, accord"ing to the ancient laws of the Church, ought to be restored." However, the teachers, with the moderation that has distinguished their whole conduct, have announced their willingness to compromise the matter, by letting their appeal stop at the Synod, the intermediate Court,-which ends, or ought to end, all disputes upon this point.

2.The schoolmaster's house to consist of not less than two "rooms, instead of not more than two rooms;-the number of "rooms above two to be determined by the majority of the he"ritors." It is to be hoped that the number of those is extremely few, who would seriously propose, in these times, to create a permanent impossibility in a schoolmaster having ever more than two rooms, including the kitchen. Such a regulation is not merely uncomfortable to the individual, but it necessarily makes the profession of a teacher contemptible. It is absolutely inconsistent with the decent accommodation of the smallest family, even though all its members should happen to be of the

same sex.

3. "In parishes where there are more than one teacher ap"pointed, one of the teachers at least to enjoy not less than the "minimum salary, along with a house and garden." Whatever the minimum salary may be, no person should be permitted to become an established teacher without having it. A teacher who takes less than the law has fixed as the proper minimum, must necessarily be unworthy of his station. And if he get only the minimum, and be left without a house or garden, the author of the "Statement of the Experience," &c. is quite right in saying that he had much better be dispensed with altogether.

4. "The minimum salary to consist of two and a half chal"ders of oatmeal, instead of one and a half; and the maximum

"salary of three chalders, instead of two chalders." In the Parliamentary Digest, it is assumed that in Scotland each chalder of oatmeal is worth L.11: 2: 2; and this is probably correct. So that what the masters want is that the minimum salary shall be L.27: 13: 3, and the maximum L.33 : 6 : 6. There is an alteration here in the existing proportion between the highest salary and the lowest. This is quite right, and is only an extension of the principle that was adopted in 1803. In 1696, the maximum was double the minimum. In 1803, the proportion was as L.16 to L.22; and now it is proposed to make it as L.27 to L.33. There can be no doubt of the soundness of this principle; because it is chiefly the poor cases that are to be provided for; and as it is always in the power of the heritors who pay the salary, to keep it down to the minimum if they choose, it is far more important to take care of the lowest point than of the highest. Indeed, if the lowest be taken care of, the heritors may be safely left to go as high as they please. Now, the only objection which we have to the minimum proposed, is, that it is decidedly too low. A fortunately placed schoolmaster may do very well with a small salary, or even without any salary at all; but it is utterly impossible that the general body can preserve its respectability, where the fixed pay may, in every case, be only L.27, 13s. 3d. yearly. It may be thought that the masters are the best judges of this, and that it is needless to give them more than they ask. And so it would, if there was any reason to believe that they were stating their claims as they really think that in justice they ought to be stated. But in the conduct of a practical case, men, and especially poor men, are often obliged to sacrifice part of their just claims, to prevent opposition; and there is no doubt whatever of the fact, that this consideration has operated on this occasion. Addressing those who had to pay, it was natural for them to state their claims as low as possible. But in framing a permanent system, neither the illiberality of the one party, nor the humility of the other, nor anything else, except only what is right, ought to be taken into view. Our anxiety for a material increase of their emoluments, does not arise merely from our desire to promote the personal comfort of these individuals; but from a wish to raise the qualifications of the masters in future, so as to enable the schools to keep up the education of the country. By the existing law, candidates are only bound to satisfy the Presbytery of their proficiency in "such branches of literature as, by the majority of heri"tors and minister, shall be deemed most necessary and important "for the parish." This gives the heritors and minister nearly absolute power with respect to the qualifications of the teacher,

and the things that are to be taught. Yet the heritors in general are the very worst possible judges of either of these; and they have a pecuniary interest in keeping the parochial education as low as possible, because the claims of the masters must rise with their merits. We have heard of some scandalous appointments under this system; and the occasional indifference of heritors to the general elevation of education in the parish, is notorious. The masters, from laudable anxiety to raise their body, have proposed to introduce a clause declaring that ignorance of Latin shall render every candidate ineligible. They have been supported in this by the General Assembly, who, in 1825, "declare their decided opinion, that no person ought to "be admitted to the situation of a parish schoolmaster, who "shall not be found by the Presbytery of the bounds qualified "to teach the Latin language;-with power to the Presbytery, "in every case, to determine what other qualifications may be "necessary." It would be infinitely better to restore, by law, the old requisite, that they should have attended College. Nothing else can secure the public against the mischief that may be done by grudging heritors and easily satisfied presbyteries. But all such improvements are hopeless, so long as the lowness of the emoluments makes it certain that a parish is the worst market to which literary attainments can be carried.

There can be no better proof of the soundness of these claims, than the fact, that in erecting its own schools, the General Assembly, which has administered the funds intrusted to its care with singular judgment and economy, has felt itself unable to secure proper teachers, except by giving them better appointments than are to be found in the establishment in the same places. Nevertheless, it has been surmised, but we cannot believe, that there is a desire to reject them all. It is said, (but the thing is incredible,) that there are some who do not see the propriety either of multiplying schools, or of elevating those that existwho think that schoolmasters should be subjected to more summary justice than is found safe for anybody else-that the second teacher, where there are two in a parish, ought to be left in nearly his present state of wretchedness;-that even the first ought not to get above a mite more than he has; and that, lest he become slothful, from excess of worldly comfort, the habitation of him and his family should be rigidly restricted to two places to be called apartments,-one of which may be used as a kitchen, if he shall be so unreasonable as to have such a thing. This project, it is perfectly plain, cannot be defended as right in itself. All that will be said in behalf of it is, that it is necessary to be shabby towards the schoolmasters, from

VOL. XLVI. NO. 91.

I

mercy to the landowners. But really, though we have all due tenderness for those unfortunate people who are oppressed by the possession of large estates, we cannot conceive how, even in their desperate circumstances, such a sum as L.10 a-year, scattered over a whole parish, can be talked of as a serious obstacle to a great national improvement like this. These gentlemen ought to recollect, when they complain of paying for the schoolmaster, that it is they, beyond any other class of the community, who reap a direct patrimonial advantage from the orderly habits which are the results of parochial education. They gain, in one year, by the absence of the poor's rates,-from which they are more protected by a respectable schoolmaster than by anything else,-far more than the additional salary would amount to in twenty. But, whoever pays them, the masters ought to be adequately paid; and if the heritors,-on whom this burden has hitherto fallen, and who, in return for it, enjoy the privilege of electing them, and of regulating the schools, cannot or will not contribute more, the public at large, which has a material interest in the education of its youth, ought clearly to be called upon. There is a direct precedent for this, in the recent augmentation of the small stipends of the Scotch clergy out of the public funds. The parochial schoolmasters are a part of our civil and ecclesiastical establishment; and so essential a part, that the clergy have ever been the first to acknowledge that, without them, the labours of the minister would be comparatively vain. The same views, therefore, that operated in favour of the clergyman, ought to operate in favour of the teacher; with this mighty difference, however, that a small sum will go much farther in the latter case than it could have done in the former.

After all, however, there is only one wise course to follow in this matter;-which is to appoint a Commission, consisting of a small number of persons, to investigate and report on the general state of education in Scotland. For, notwithstanding all the returns that have been obtained, and all the hypothetical computations by which they have been attempted to be mended, the full and exact truth has not, even yet, been nearly brought out. It is commonly supposed that it is necessary to be in a hurry, because the Act of 1803 expires in 1828. But this is a mistake. The statute contains a provision for a periodical adjustment of salaries at the end of each twenty-five years; and, therefore, one of these must be made in 1828. But, instead of expiring then, the Act goes on for ever. It may either be allowed to take its course, therefore, or things may be kept as they are for one year or two longer; but in no view is there the slightest apology for legislating rashly, because it is neces

sary to legislate rapidly. And, moreover, without being in a hurry at all, commissioners have ample time to investigate the whole facts, long before the expiration of the first period of twenty-five years, from the 11th of June 1803. There is much more to be done by such a commission, than merely to fix the proper salaries to be paid to the teachers. There is nothing in the internal economy or future prospects of Scotland more interesting than the general state of education, with reference not merely to the parochial schools, but to all the institutions of the country. The very existence of the commission for reforming our colleges, is of itself a reason for appointing another to investigate the condition of inferior seminaries. That commission can make no substantial change in the junior classes of the universities, particularly in the classical departments, without instantly affecting the higher schools, which, in their turn, must affect the lower. It is to be hoped that all of them will be called on to improve themselves. Hence, in every view, our parochial schools are on the verge of a great change, one way or another. If they be left behind the age, they will be ruined. But it is only a full and authoritative inquiry that can ascertain whether, in relation to what is around them, their progress is upwards or downwards. The condition of education in our large towns, to which the system of country parishes has not been as yet applied, is particularly worthy of investigation; especially, considering the increasing growth, and the peculiar composition of their population, and the number of private establishments which have sprung up to satisfy the craving for knowledge which distinguishes the times. The single fact, that while the parish schools were only about 942 in number in 1818, the unendowed private schools amounted to 2222; or, in other words, that upwards of one-half of the whole educated population is in the hands of persons whose qualifications are no otherwise known to the laws than as they are liable to the mere inspection of the presbytery,-is, of itself, enough to show the necessity of a thorough and general inquiry.

Scotland has peculiar claims upon the patronage of the State for her education. Her people have done more, in this respect. for themselves, than has been done by any other portion of tae empire; and their merit was the greater, that they began in an age of darkness, and continued perseveringly through many ages of poverty, till at last they made their country an example to all the rest of Europe. It is surely worthy of an enlightened government to attempt to perpetuate this glory; and great will be the disgrace to the existing generation, if it shall allow this honourable peculiarity to become a matter of history, and not of