The Sun.
London, England, 1850-06-19 00:00:00

PETITIONS.

Sir R. INGLIS presented a petition from Surrey and
Sussex against the Jews Bill.

Sir P;EUER,TON presented similar petitions from
Chester.

Lord D. STUART from the Odd Fellows of Hallifax,
praying that they might be placed on the same footing
as friendly societies.

Mr. MA.TB.ESON presented several petitions from
Ross-shire against the Marriage Bill.
Mr. S. CRAWFORD presented a petition from Roch-
dale, objecting to the omission of a clause in the
Friendly Societies Bill, called the Frugal Investment
Clause.

Mr. H. BERKELEY presented petitions from certain
benefit and trade societies in Bristol, complaining of
certain clauses in the Friendly Societies Bill and the
Savings Built Bill.
The LORD MAYOR of DUBLIN presented a peti-
tion from the pilots of the port of Dublin, against the
Mercantile Marine Bill.

Mr. STAFFORD presented a petition from North-
ampton against the Jews Bill.

Mr. CHRISTOPHER presented a petition from Lin-
coln against the Savings Bank Bill.
Mr. ELLIOT presented a petition from Kelso in
favour of the School Establishment (Scotland) Bill.
Mr. LOCKHART presented a petition from a place
in Scotland against the same Bill.

Mr. WAWN presented a petition from South Shields,
praying for the adoption of a better system of ventilating
coal mines.

Mr. FLOYER presented petitions from places in Dor-
setshire against the admission of Jews to Parliament.
Mr. E. B. ROCHE presented a petition from a place
in the county of Cork complaining of the present rela-
tionship of landlord and tenant in I:eland.
Mr. HE A DLA M presented a petition from Newcarle-
upon-Tyne praying for a better system of ventilating
mines.

THE GREEK QUESTION.
Mr. ROEBUCK gave notice that, to-morrow, he
would ask a question of the First Lord of the Treasury,
respecting the course the Government intended to pursue
after the events of Monday last.
SCHOOL ESTABLISHMENT (SCOTLAND) BILL.
Sir G. CLERK presented a petition from the General
Assembly of the Church of Scotland against this Bill.
Lord MELGUND rose to move the second reading of
the Bill. He said he stood in a disadvantageous posi-
tion in bringing this subject before the attention of the
House, for, with regard to Scotland, the fact of a system
of national education having long prevailed there, ren-
dered it somewhat difficult for him to deal with the
question. His object in bringing forward this motion
was to do something, and to take a step which was cal-
culated to raise the character—moral, social, and politi-
cal—of the people of Scotland. It was almost generally
agreed on all hands that if a general system of educa-
tion could be adopted, the tendency of it would be, by
increasing knowledge among the people, to promote
their moral, social, and political welfare. The greater
the degree of cultivation that could be given to the great
mass of the people, the more would they be able to under-
stand and appreciate the free institutions under which
they lived. It appeared that prior to the Reformation
in Scotland certain laws were in existence by which
there was something like a national education provided;
and as early as 1694, there was an Act passed in Scot-
land, obliging all persons to put their eldest sons to
school. Those schools were then connected
with the Roman Catholic establishments of the
day. After that time there was evidence to show
that there were schools established in the principa
towns in Scotland where the Latin language and gram-
mar were taught. But the origin of the parochial school
system of Scotland was re ferable to the period of the
Reformation. Immediately after that event the funds o
the Roman Catholic Church were directed to
be appropriated to three purposes, namely, the
payment of the reformed clergy, the maintenance of the
poor, and the establishment of schools and universikies. By
that scheme a very liberal endowment was given to the
parochial schoolmasters, amounting from 100 to 200
marks Scotch per annum, on which there was no increase
until 1803. In the Act of 1803 a great many faults
had been made, and it had not worked at all well, but
it would be difficult to amend them in conseqeence of the
strong religious prejudices which always interfered
with any proposal for amendment in those
matters. Though the state of Scotland was on the
whole superior to that of England in educational mat-
ters, yet it was far from being what it might be.
From the last prisons report, he found that out of 1,600
prisoners only one in three could re id, one in thirteen
could write well, and one in 15 only knew something
more than more reading and writing. Out of 20.000
prisoners committed from the beginning of 1847, 4;742
could not read, 10,517 could not write, 1,623 could sign
their names, and only 264 had learned something
more than reading and writing. As to the effect of
education in Edinburgh, he might mention that while the
number of juvenile commitments in that city, in 1847,
were 269; in 1849 there were only 159. But with all
the great institutions which that city possessed, at least
90 per cent. of the children there were uneducated.
The number of parish schools attached to the Established
Church of Scotland were 833, with 84 scholars on an
average, giving a total of 74,000; there were also 200
supplemental schools, with 16,800 scholars, and 125
general schools, with 1,500 children, giving s total
amount of 106,000 children educated by the Established
Church. The Free Church also educated 65,000 children,
and 180,000 were educated by non-parochial schools,
giving a total of 330,000 children educated iu Scotland;
leaving about 180,000 quite uneducated. Scotland was
taxed much less than it used to be for the purposes of
the education of the poor. Taking the fourteen counties
south of the Forth and the Clyde, with a population of
1,288,000, out of which 273,000 were rural po-
pulation, living in 249 parishes, which, taking
the taxation of each parish at 401., would give
10,6001. of taxation to educate 45,500 children.
He would pass to the manner in which schoolmasters
were treated in Scotland, and in this respect he thought
that there was a great difference between modern and
ancient days. Le former days they: had records of
schoolmasters being paid from 9/. to 121., while the
Principal of the University received only 181. per annum,
and a minister of a church received sometimes only 9/.
Now-a-days, while the salaries of others connected with
the Church had increased so greatly, schoolmasters were
even worse paid. They had it in evidence before the
Lords' Committee that schoolmasters in the Highlands
were paid about 5/. per annum, while his other fees, with
which he had to eke out his living, amounted to about
five shillings, which was often paid in peat and
other articles. And in other places they had
many instances of persons being engaged for
151. and paid 101., or for 20/. and paid 15/.
If the schools were to be considered an integral portion
of the Establishment he must say that they had not been
fairly treated. The measure which he hed introducea
was founded nonthe territorial system—it was impos-
bible that there could be any union system.. like that
exising in this country extended to Scotland, for the
Established Church was there greatly in the minority.
Ile came now to one of the most difficult parts of
the religious principles to be

taught in these schools. There were many different
sects in Scotland, but he did not think that circumstacee
would stand in the way of this Bill, for although there
might be a variance in theory there was no variance in
E 1
practice in religious views entertained in the schools
of the Establishment and the schools of the
Free Church. The religious dogmas taught ia
both were the same, the mediums through
they were inculcated were the same. The fact wale the
habit of the peoplei of Scotland were such that ...hey
allowed their children to all schools without reference to
their religious opinions. In none a the schools iv"
there anything like persecution, while it was notorious
that the spread of particular religious views'
so far as discipline was concerned, could not
be controled by statutory enactment. All Acts,
therefore, which had hitherto been passed on the
subject of education in Scotland, bad avoided the
delicate topic of religion, and he had felt it to be his,
duty to follow that example in dealing with this Bill.
Too much stress was laid upon the religious difficu.lll
ties which obstructed the progress of a
Scot'
like this ; but, so for as it relat d to
land, he could assure the House that it ''!s
quite a fallacy. To extend education in any part of this
country they must avoid the matter of religion altaa
that was the ()pipit n of ever) man of eminence who hi'
written or spoke upon this important subject; it w„acsi
the opinion of Dr. Chalmers and others of his rank sue
learning, and he hoped the House would be of the 511"-,
opinion. His Bill, as he had already stated,
f ,unded upon the old territorial system which foro3eni
existed in Scotland, but it differed with the School Ac,
of 1803 in this, that it proposed to abolish all le6tti;
which never did any good, but too often gave rise to
great evils. Knowing the dislike the people ad
bauTtll
paying any additional taxation, he had made the...-1.
permissive instead of compulsory. He, however, 59:41.
hered to the old system of local taxation, and >nnThe
provision for the retirement of aged schoblmsuters•
whole expense of carrying this measure into force wc'uin
amount to about 125,0001.; at resent education
Scotland involved an expenditure of 40,0001., but when
they remembered the vast good that this improved P su"
would do in repressing crime, they ought to look ore
that difference as a mere trifle. Thanking theirs ~1,1
for the attention they had paid him, it now rema,"
he
him to move the second reading of the Bill, IOW"
had much plaastirein &leg.
(LEFT, SITTING.)