* THE DUKE OF ARGYLL,in presenting a Petition for an Address to Her Majesty, praying her to withhold her consent from Scheme No. 201 of the Educational Endowments (Scotland) Commission, said: My Lords, I have a Petition to present from the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland upon the subject of a Provisional Order of the Endowed Schools Commissioners, with the authority of the Moderator, representing the Assembly, which they consider injurious to the interests of the Church of Scotland. Under the Endowed School Commission they have the power of issuing regulations in regard to all endowments connected with education. The endowments dealt with in this Provisional Order, being those 2 belonging to the Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge, date from as far back as 1709, and a considerable sum of money is given into the charge of the Church of Scotland for the promotion of education and religion in Scotland, especially in the Highlands and Islands. My Lords, I can testify that a great deal of public good has been done for many years by these endowments. They have been employed for religious and educational purposes in some of the very poorest parishes in the Highlands and Islands. The Commissioners now propose that a considerable part of this money should be given into the charge of a new body for the purpose of education alone, and a much smaller share left in the charge of the Society for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge for religious purposes, of which I had the honour of being President for many years. Having inquired into the circumstance under which this Provisional Order has been issued, I can only say that while sympathising very much with the feeling of the General Assembly expressed in this 3 Petition, yet, having looked into all the circumstances as far as I can, and looking at the position of the various religious bodies in Scotland which is very different now from what it was when the endowments were given, I am not prepared to ask the House to interfere with the Provisional Order of the Commissioners.
§ Petition read, and ordered to lie on the Table.