MR. ELIOTT LOCKHARTsaid, he was desirous of calling the attention of the House to the serious inconvenience that would arise from the Act for regulating the salaries of the parochial schoolmasters of Scotland being allowed to expire without any further provisions being proposed by the Government to meet the extreme urgencies of the case. The present 1536 Act, which continued the salaries of the parochial schoolmaster as last regulated under the provisions of the 43 Geo. III. would expire at Martinmas next. That rendered it necessary that a Continuance Bill should be introduced, for if the salaries were again to be regulated under the provisions of the Act which he had cited, they would be reduced one-fourth. He hoped, therefore, that the Prime Minister would reconsider the question and offer no objection to the Bill which he (Mr. Lock-hart) proposed to introduce even at that late period of the Session.
§ THE LORD ADVOCATEsaid, that the state of the matter was as follows. The schoolmasters' salaries, which were payable half-yearly, would be paid next November upon the old conversion, and would not suffer any diminution under any circumstances. If the hon. Member chose to bring in a Continuance Bill, he had better do so next Session, when the House would have three months to consider it, as the diminution of salaries would not take place until May next, than bring it in now, when only a fortnight remained of the Session. But it was very desirable that the schoolmasters should not depend on a Continuance Bill from year to year. The Act of 1803 certainly contemplated that the salaries of schoolmasters should be subject to the fluctuations of the price of corn, and they had no ground for asking to be protected from the effects of a fall of prices; but he quite agreed that their salaries were disgracefully and scandalously low, and he had, therefore, been endeavouring during the present Session to pass a measure, which had been strenuously opposed by hon. Gentlemen opposite, to improve their condition and elevate their social status. Now, at the end of the Session, that Bill having been thrown out in the House of Lords, the hon. Gentleman came forward and said that they must consider the case of schoolmasters. He (the Lord Advocate) said, that a temporary measure would be a slovenly and disreputable mode of performing that great duty. His opinion was, that next Session, Parliament must deal with the condition of the schoolmasters for good, and not by a temporary measure; and with that view, probably a temporary measure only, if it were proposed by the hon. Member next Session, ought to be opposed. It was impossible to go on from year to year with a system of payment to the schoolmasters which was so parsimonious, and so discreditable to the country.
§ MR. F. SCOTTsaid, that the right hon. and learned Lord intended to let the salaries of the schoolmasters be reduced to the very minimum, unless they would submit to accept what the Government thought the best mode of dealing with the educational question. The right hon. and learned Lord on a former occasion, by voting against the Bill of the hon. Member for Perthshire (Mr. Stirling) had actually helped to reduce the scale of salaries; and now the schoolmasters would have the screw put upon them, to induce them to consent to the legislation of which they disapproved. He (Mr. Scott) would rather see downright open persecution, than see men subjected to that kind of slow torture by the Government which made such professions of sympathy with them.
§ Question, "That Mr. Speaker do now leave the chair," put, and agreed to.
§ House in Committee of Supply.