his qualifications as a teacher, and as to his proper deportment in the office when settled in it. The election of the heritors, is therefore only a presentment of a person, for the approbation of the presbytery: who, if they find him unfit, may declare his incapacity, and thus oblige them to elect anew.

The legal salary of the schoolmaster was not inconsiderable at the time it was fixed; but by the decrease in the value of money, it is now certainly inadequate to its object; and it is painful to observe, that the landholders of Scotland resisted the humble application of the schoolmasters to the legislature for its increase a few years ago. The number of parishes in Scotland is 877; and if we allow the salary of a schoolmaster in each to be, on an average, seven pounds sterling,* the amount of the legal provision will be 61397. sterling. If we sup pose the wages paid by the scholars to amount to twice this sum, which is probably beyond the truth, the total of the expenses among 1,526,492 persons, (the whole population of Scotland,) of this most important establishment, will be 18,417. But on this, as well as on

This is now increased to more than double the former amount. See p. 265.

S

other subjects respecting Scotland, accurate information may soon be expected from Sir John Sinclair's Analysis of his Statistics, which will complete the immortal monument he has reared to his patriotism.

The benefit arising in Scotland from the instruction of the poor, was soon felt; and by an act of the British parliament, 4 Geo. I. chap. vi. it is enacted, "that of the monies arising from the sale of the Scottish estates for. feited in the rebellion of 1715, 20,000l. sterling shall be converted into a capital stock, the interest of which shall be laid out in erecting and maintaining schools in the Highlands." The Society for promoting Christian Knowledge,* incorporated in 1709, have applied a large part of their fund for the same purpose. By their report, 1st May, 1795, the annual sum employed by them, in supporting their schools in the Highlands and Islands, was 39137. 19s. 10d. in which are taught the English language,

"The want" (says the judicious Hooker), "of the knowledge of God, is the cause of all iniquity amongst men, as contrariwise, the ground of all our happiness, and the seed of whatsoever perfect virtue groweth from us, is a right opinion touching things divine.-For the instruction therefore of all sorts of men to eternal life, it is necessary that the sacred aud saving truths of God be openly published to them." 5. 8.

reading and writing, and the principles of religion. The schools of the Society are additional to the legal schools, which, from the great extent of many of the Highland parishes, were found insufficient. Besides these established schools, the lower classes of the people in Scotland, where the parishes are large, often combine together, and establish private schools of their own, at one of which it was that Burns received the principal part of his education. So convinced indeed are the poor people of Scot land, by experience, of the benefit of instruction to their children, that though they may often find it difficult to feed and clothe them, some kind of school instruction they almost always procure them.

1st May, 1800.

No. XXI.

SCOTCH LAWS RELATING TO EDUCATION.

AT a time when the public attention is directed to the education of the poor, it will be useful to ascertain what have been the measures, which have so effectually given to Scotland those advantages of moral and religious discipline, from which many of the other parts of the Island continue to be 'excluded. We therefore add copies of those Scotch laws, which in a very few years, brought many thousands of dissolute and noxious poor into a state of civil order, and made Scotland one of the examples of the inestimable benefits which a system of national instruction for the poor, confers on morality and good government. These Acts will shew how simple and unembarrassed the measures might be, that would give the English poor and the community these important advantages. The inducing the effectual co-operation of the endowments and establishments for the instruction of the poor already existing in this country, seems to be almost Reports, Appendix to Vol. V.

the only object, which requires previous inquiry and investigation.

Act of Privy Council, 10th Dec. 1616.

FORASMUCH as the KING'S MAJESTY having a special care and regard that the true religion be advanced and established in all the parts of this kingdom, and that all his Majesty's subjects, especially the youth, be exercised and trained up in civility, godliness, knowledge, and learning; that the vulgar English tongue be universally planted, and the Irish language, which is one of the chief, and principal causes of the continuance of barbarity and incivility amongst the inhabitants of the Isles and Highlands, may be abolished and removed. whereas there is no means more powerful to further this his Majesty's princely regard and purpose, than the establishing of schools in the particular parishes of his kingdom, where the youth may be taught at the least to write and to read,* and be catechised and instructed in the grounds of religion: therefore the King's Majesty, with advice of the lords of

And

* There is a Scotch act of 1494, for promoting the education of the higher classes, and another of 1579, for instruction of youth in the art of music. These I omit as not. applying to the subject of the education of the poor.