SCOTCH SCHOOLMASTERS '
On presenting petitions praying that the House would not sanction the severance of publics schools from the Church of Scotland, the Duke of Buccleuch called attention to the unhappy position of the Scotch school- masters. An act passed in 1803 fixed the ,amount of their salaries in money for twenty- five years on an average price of oatmeal. By the average taken in 1828 the maximum was 34/. and the minimum 24/. The last twenty five years expired in November 1853, and from an average then taken the maximum would be reduced to 26/., and the minimum to 19/. What did Government mean to do ? The Earl of Aberdeen said, he was ready, to redeem the pledge he gave last year, that if no provision were made by law as part of a general system of education, then there should be a temporary increase in the stipends to bring them up to the former average. The Lord-Advocate would introduce a measure for that purpose; temporary only, because it is still hoped that such an augmented provision may be created with a general system of education without which a large increase of stipends would be unreasonable.
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