for every £100 in the £5000,-a sum not to be payable at once, but during three years. Where friends may not themselves undertake to give this sum, they may yet undertake to get it, and in this way secure the great object in view nearly as well. "The advantages of this proposal are these :—

"1. It would effectually stimulate the liberality of these congregations, provoking them to love and good works; for with this encouragement of hundred for hundred, many will cheerfully contribute who otherwise perhaps might hesitate.

"2. It would secure a sum large enough to meet deficiencies, and thus prevent the failure of a Scheme on which the best interests of the rising generation so much depend. Were this proposal carried out, a sum of £10,000 would be the result,£5000 being promised by these hundred friends, on condition that £5000 more be contributed by the congregations."

He rejoiced to say that he had scarcely made these principles known when God graciously crowned the appeal with complete success. When he went with that appeal to congregations who had done nothing, they felt stimulated, and from that time forward cheerfully gave their funds, and had paid their first instalments. (Applause.) When they looked at that, and considered the many other claims that had been made on the liberality of their people, they must say the Lord had done great things for them; and he trusted that they would never forget that the Lord did all, and that they, in turn, must do all for his glory and his truth. If ever they forgot that it was for the Lord they must work, they must then cease to expect the Lord's blessing. And he trusted the time would never come when their churches should cease to become churches of Christ; nor their schools cease to be schools of the Lord Jesus Christ. Whatever might be taught in these schools, and he maintained that every thing from the lowest to the highest branch of education, must and would be found in them, he trusted that the distinguishing glory of these schools would be that the precious name of Jesus would always be taught there,--that name by which alone their peace in time, and glory through eternity, could be realised. But, while grateful for the past, he trusted they would not be altogether unprepared for any difficulties that might arise in the future; but that, in the presence of an ever-loving and faithful God, they would hold themselves prepared to meet them. If they were favoured and blessed of God,-if they had received any of the graces of the Spirit, that blessing and these graces must be their hope and stimulus to do yet more in that great work of God. They had much in these times to induce them to look for all from man. Should they be driven from God, to put their confidence in the creature man? If so, they would only add guilt to guilt, and realise the punishment,"Cursed be the man that trusteth in man." But he did not anticipate the result. On the contrary, when difficulties came, they would be fearlessly and boldly met; and, instead of discouraging them, would only deepen their dependence on God, and quicken their faith in him, so that come what might, they would be ready to meet them, and he hoped they would always be sustained, even in the hardest times, and would look on difficulties as the frowns of Providence, whether those frowns might shew themselves in drought or famine spread over the land. They would never repine, for "blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is; for he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green, and shall not be careful in the year of drought, nor shall cease from yielding fruit." What they needed was, faith in the great work,-simple faith in God. As was said of the eminent and humble saint who replied to the question, " Are you the woman of great faith?" "I am the woman of simple faith in the great God,"-they must be the Church of simple faith-of great faith in a faithful God, who, when trusted, would never leave, never forsake them. Not faith in man, but in the ever-living and faithful God, would carry them through. "Faith," it has been said, "is staggered by little stories in the way when it looks manwards; but is not obstructed by the mountains when it looks Godwards." Let that faith be their faith, and their triumph would be complete. (Applause.)

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION.

Dr CANDLISH then rose and said-The Committee on Education endeavoured to put a copy of the Report in proof into the hands of every member of the Assembly

this morning. The Report is somewhat large, and involving a good many details; and it appeared to the Committee desirable that the members of this Assembly should be in possession of it before it was formally called for in the Assembly. However, it seems that some of the members of Assembly have not received their copies of the Report, as they ought to have done this morning, along with the "Proceedings" of the House; and this must plead my apology if I am constrained to read a little more of the Report than I intended to do. My object was to have the members of the Assembly so well acquainted with the Report that they might dispense with the heavy infliction of reading it at large. In the first place, the Report gives the following abstract::

"I. On the subject of schools, your Committee report,

"1. That the number of congregational schools, or schools recognised as in connection with sanctioned charges or congregations, whose teachers receive salaries upon the Scheme, is

"2. That the number of missionary schools, or schools instituted for the benefit of particular districts, in town or country, not yet supplied with a stated ministry, whose teachers receive salaries, is

327

10

"3. That the number of side, or district schools, situated chiefly in large Highland parishes, whose teachers receive small gratuities, is

63

4. That the number of ejected teachers of the Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge, now employed and receiving salaries, is

75

"5. That the number of schools taught by females who receive allowances from the fund, is

27

"6. And that the number of schools not as yet fully received upon the Scheme, whose teachers, at the discretion of the Committee, and with the concurrence of Presbyteries, have had donations made to them, is

11

"The Committee have received returns from a considerably larger number of schools, connected with the Free Church, but not as yet receiving salaries for their teachers; and they have access to know of several not reported to them at all. On the whole, the Committee can only give a rough estimate of the total number of schools which may be regarded as properly Free Church schools, when they reckon them at about 650.

"In addition to the above 513 schools, the Committee report that two schools, viz. the Inverness and Oban schools, have been recognised as model or grammar schools; the former having three teachers, and the latter, as yet, only one, receiving salaries from the fund; and, further, that the two normal schools of Glasgow and Edinburgh have nine male teachers, including the rectors, and three female teachers receiving salaries.

"Of the congregational and missionary schools, several are provided with an industrial department for female work; and two have connected with them small patches of land, in which agricultural training is given.

"The number of scholars returned as in attendance in 595 schools, is 44,036. But on this, as well as on the number of schools, your Committee's Report is unavoidably defective.

"II. On the subject of salaries, your Committee report,

"1. That, during the past year, the salary of each of the ejected parochial teachers, of whom there are 50, has been raised to £30.

"2. That the salary of each of the ejected Assembly teachers, of whom there are 62, has been raised to £20.

"3. That the salaries of the ejected teachers of the Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge, of whom there are 75, have been continued at the same rates as those granted to them by the Society, varying from £12 10s. to £40.

"4. That, during the past half-year, the minimum salary of the teacher of every congregational school has been raised to £15.

"5. That the gratuities to teachers of side or district schools, the allowances to female teachers, and the donations to teachers not yet on the Scheme, have varied from £2. 10s. to £10.

"6. And that 21 teachers, including the rectors and upper masters of the normal schools, and the masters of grammar and model schools, have received higher salaries at the discretion of the Committee.

"Independently of these fixed allowances, the Committee have invited all the teachers on the Scheme to a competition for a higher rate of salaries, to take effect for the past half-year, on a scale of £20, £30, and £45 (to be provided for out of the annual income of the Committee, and to be increased in the same ratio, should the funds afford it.)

"III. On the subject of funds, your Committee report,—

"1. That the entire income, including the annual collection, which amounted to £3080 149, has been £9624 : 18 : 6.

"2. That the monthly return for the last month from 350 congregations, is £648 : 6s: 2d,-being at the rate of £1. 17s. in the month for each.

"Your Committee will afterwards advert to the manner in which the congregations of the Church have contributed, whether by monthly church-door collections or through their associations, to the sustentation of school-masters. They would only remark here, that were all the congregations contributing, even at the extremely low average of £1. 17s. abovementioned, the annual income from this source might be reckoned at £16,050.

"3. In regard to the School Building Fund, the Committee report that the annual receipts for the years past are as follows:

"For 1844-5,
1845-6,
1846-7, as above,

...

Total in three years,

£14,465 10 5

8,441 0
7,476 16 4

£30,383 7 2

In the course of reading the above extract, Dr Candlish observed that, during the past year, in the circumstances of the country, and from the risk of interfering with other objects, the Committee had devoted itself to the great object of raising the standard of education, and exciting an interest in the cause, without feeling themselves called upon to press for funds for the support of teachers. He then proceeded,— What remains in regard to the Report is rather a series of remarks, suggested by the experience of the past year, on the several topics embraced in the Abstract. But I must crave leave from the Assembly, and I trust the Assembly will bear with me, to go into the detail of these several heads, and the rather because the Education Committee during the past year have not obtruded the Scheme so much upon the Church as might in other circumstances have been necessary. I would wish the Assembly and the Church to understand thoroughly and fully what is the present state and what are the present prospects of our own Education Scheme; and I desire to devote myself, during the short time I shall intrude on the House, to this particular object, irrespective of all collateral questions, and considerations of the doings of other bodies and other men. I desire to confine myself to-night to a simple exposition of the present prospects and present state of our own Free Church of Scotland Education Scheme; and it appears to me that it will be well for the Assembly to devote itself to the right understanding of this subject; and it will be all the better fitted to consider other collateral questions, when these shall come in an orderly way before the House. (Hear.) The brethren will observe that there are three topics embraced in the remarks. These are, first, the schools, the teachers, the morale, the agency; second, the funds, the means of supply, the sinews of war; and then the last department in the Report relates to the constitution, or mode of government and management, of this educational institute, on the scale on which this Church is now desirous to have it placed and prosecuted. I shall dwell for a little on the first of these departments, namely, what is the present state, and what are the present prospects, of the Education Scheme, in reference to the moral portion of the Scheme, the agency, the living men, the kind of schools, in short, which we wish to set down, and which we are in the course of setting down. (Hear, hear.) Now, in the first place, on this point, the Assembly will naturally expect an accurate account of the progress of the Scheme during the past year, and the exact number of teachers added to the roll since last Assembly. Unfortunately, I am not in a condition to state this exactly,

from necessary hindrances. The Report of last year, on this particular, is yet very indefinite; but we can appeal to the number of 513 teachers in all, exclusive of the normal and grammar schools, as shewing an advance at the following rate :-in the Report of the Assembly of 1844, the number given as receiving aid, was 122, being 63 ejected parochial or Assembly teachers, and 59 others. In 1845, the number was stated to be about 280; while it was added that probably about 220 others were teaching schools more or less closely connected with the Free Church, but without salaries from the Committee's funds. In 1846, the Report does not specify the exact number, but the Report this year, 1847, gives 513 as the number of teachers actually on the Scheme, and that irrespective of those of a considerable number of Free Church teachers not yet receiving salaries. Now, this number of 513 may be compared, with tolerable accuracy, with the number in 1845, which was 280. It shows an increase of about 230 during the past two years; and it is right to state, that the increase during the past year has been chiefly on that class of schools in which the teachers are best qualified, and the scholars are most numerous. You will easily understand that, at the time of the Disruption, and for a year or two afterwards, the schoolmasters taken on the Fund were often to a large extent teachers of side or district schools, having a small attendance of scholars. During the past year, however, it is right to state, that the schools admitted on the Fund have been chiefly congregational schools, with a proportionably large attendance of scholars, and high attainments of the teachers; so that the mere number added to the schools does not bring out, in point of fact, to the whole extent, the advance of this Scheme,-an advance during the past year, representing the highest attainments of teachers and the largest attendance of scholars. (Hear.) I shall next make a remark in regard to the number of scholars attending these schools. The returns are not very complete, but, on the whole, they are very accurate and authentic, so far as they go; and the result is this: we have returns from 595 schools, being more than the number actually on the Scheme of the Free Church, but deserving, nevertheless, to be recognised in connection with it, and which are, indeed, gradually coming on the Fund. In these 595 schools there is an attendance of 44,036 children, giving an average of seventy-four scholars to each school; and if you consider how large a number of these schools, perhaps 100 or 200, are in remote parts of the country, and have probably a small attendance comparatively, you might state the average considerably higher. It is right to observe, that this estimate does not represent the whole 650 schools which the Free Church is entitled to regard as connected with herself, and which would make the average lower than seventy-four. We obtain the larger sum by taking the returns as we find them; and for the sake of bringing out the full number in reference to these 595 schools, we may compare their attendance with that of the endowed parochial schools of Scotland. We have not the means of comparing it with the attendance of these schools at the present time, as we have no recent returns to which to appeal. But in 1833–34 Lord Kerry's returns, which every educationist knows to be authentic, and which are referred to in all educational discussions,--these returns give an average of children in attendance for that year in the parochial endowed schools of Scotland of 51,362. Now, if we bear in mind that this was before the Disruption,-before our separation from the Establishment,—and that it represents the attendance in these schools in the year 1833-34, we will not greatly err if we consider the probable attendance in these schools at the present time as not at least greater,—in all likelihood less,-than it was then. How does the matter stand? The number of our schools from which we have received returns is, as I have stated, 595, and the attendance of children upwards of 44,000; while in all the parochial endowed schools the attendance at that time was 51,000 and upwards. Now, if we make a fair aliowance for those schools connected with the Free Church, which form the balance of the total number of the 650, it is not too much to say that we have accurate data for asserting that the number of children in attendance upon the schools connected with the Free Church is already not much less, perhaps not at all less, than the number in attendance on all the endowed parochial schools of Scotland. (Loud cheers.) Now, this is a result, an actual result, which it seems to the Committee this Church would do well to ponder and weigh. The Committee dwell on this result not in a spirit of boasting or exultation, but rather for the purpose of impressing on the Free Church a sense of her deep responsibility to God and the rising generation. (Hear, hear.) She has a price given into her hand

to buy wisdom. She has a precious opportunity, in God's providence; and the Lord is making it manifest that the people of the land are not slow to answer any efforts she may make. (Hear, hear.) The Committee press this consideration, namely, that already the number of children in attendance on the Free Church of Scotland schools may be regarded as equal in number to the attendance on the whole parochial schools of Scotland altogether. (Hear, hear.) They press that fact as the strongest argument for the Church of our fathers maintaining the ground she has already taken up in the matter of education, and resolving that, by God's blessing, she shall be educationally, as well as ecclesiastically, the Church of all the families in the land that will receive the means of grace as well as the means of instruction at her hands. (Great applause.) I now proceed to make a few remarks on the state of efficiency of these schools. The Report distinguishes the different classes of schools. It speaks of what are called side or district schools, congregational schools, normal schools, industrial schools, and missionary schools. Now, I must be allowed a remark or two on these different classes of schools in their order. First, the Committee refer to what they venture to call side or district schools; these are schools comparatively of an inferior class, that is, schools set down in remote districts in the Highland parishes, or remote districts in large Lowland parishes, and were often promptly or hastily set up at or after the time of the Disruption. Now, far be it from me or from the Committee to speak disparagingly of the teachers of these schools. On the contrary, this Church is under a deep debt of obligation to the teachers of these side or district schools. I know large parishes in the Highlands, my excellent friend, Mr Sheps herd, will tell you more about that by and by, where the same pastor-he might properly be called the same bishop-(laughter)-has not merely one school in connection with his congregation, but has 10 or 12 schools scattered over the district under his charge. For these schools, many of the teachers have been selected just because they were willing to work. Many of them have been precious auxiliaries to your ministers, in keeping alive among the people both the principles of the Free Church of Scotland, and what is of far more vital importance, the essential principles of the gospel of Christ. The Committee are far from speaking in the least degree disparaging of these schools throughout the country; we acknowledge that it is not the fault of these godly and devoted men, but rather the misfortune of the Church's position, that these schools are many of them under the charge of teachers whose heart is perhaps more thoroughly qualified than their head is,-who are heartily furnished for the work rather than intellectually, and who have not had the advantages of our training now,-(hear, hear); but these schools are still to be watched over by the Church and the Education Committee, whose object is to raise them to the position of congregational or missionary schools, either the one or the other; and, as fast as possible, to put within the reach of the teachers, by attendance on the Normal Schools, the means of thoroughly qualifying themselves for taking the highest salaries voted by your Committee. (Hear, hear.) I pass from this class of schools to those schools which the Committee consider as the very staple of their enterpsise, -I mean the congregational schools,—those schools which are more immediately connected with the congregations of the Church, and which have been erected and established for the benefit of the children of these congregations, or of the children connected with the districts in which these congregations are situated. These congregational schools constituted the chief and primary reason which moved the Free Church to establish her Educational Scheme upon its present extended basis; feeling, as she did, bound as a Church of Christ, according to her ability, to provide, not merely for the religious instruction of her adult population, but also the means of instruction for all the youth of her congregations, and for all the youth living in the neighbourhood in which these congregations are situated. (Hear, hear.) These congregational schools, as the house will remember, constitute by far the largest number of the schools upon the Scheme, being 327 of the entire number of 595 from which returns have been received. All the other schools connected with the Scheme are classed under the head either of missionary schools, side schools, or industrial schools. Now, as to these congregational schools, the Committee are anxious to impress on this Assembly a conviction of what they can vouch for as a fact, namely, that the teachers of these schools, take them one with another, and compare them with any number of teachers selected out of any body of teachers in all Scotland,