SCOTLAND.
There was an "educational demonstration" of no common importance' and interest at Edinburgh on Monday last. Dr. Gunn, one of the most ac- complished scholars and successful teachers of the day, had been recently- nominated by Government to the office of Inspector of Dissenting schools in Scotland. That appointment the Free Church Education Committee thought proper to veto. This extraordinary step on the part of these reverend gentlemen, against a respected member of their own section of the Presbyterian Church, has elicited from his fellow citizens, and from a host of intelligent and philanthropic individuals in other parts of the kingdom, an expression of their esteem for Dr. Gunn's general character, and their approbation of his conduct in the recent transaction, of which any man may be proud. A public dinner to him, in the Waterloo. Rooms, was attended by the leading promoters of education in Edinburgh, lay and clerical, and by many who sympathize with them, some even from England. To any one who has watched the progress of the educational movement in S-otland, it will at once indicate the true catholicity of the assembly, that the Reverend Doctors Begg and Guthrie were seen seated at the same table with Messrs. James Simpson, Robert Chambers, and John Hill Burton. Mr. Sheriff Gordon presided ; and proposed the toast. of the evening in a speech characterized by breadth of view, delicacy of tact, and earnest eloquence. Dr. Gunn, in returning thanks, stated his case with manly frankness but with dignified forbearance. All the speak- ing was elevated yet practical. The compliment paid to Dr. Gunn on this- occasion was in fact a public assertion of an important principle of na- tional education, quite as much as a well-merited tribute to an amiable and high-minded man ; and in this point of view we may have more to say of it next week. Tle.sintenesers &tele Annual meetingef-thesupporters4A De.-Guthrie's ,Ragged &hook M Edinburgh,. held. on Tueisday in the Mu4e1-1411,swas o airinspieingsalaaraciter. ,TheeDuke Of Argyll presided; . and Mr.:Fox Maule,Bir-David BrewstereProferssor Gregory,sandileading.elerg,yneen.of elldenonduatione, • appeared one the' platform. In his characteristically well-filled opening:speech, the Duke of Argyll abated several points on ‘which the.seboola show a -steady eontinuation of.progress- During the past year, there has been a considerable increase in the total ...number-of children which have passed through these schools. - During the year the total number who have passed is 460; there are now on:the roll • "219,- which is lt more-than at the same.period last year, and-'63. more than atele cares period of 1848. Formerly the immigrant Irish .children- were 294 to the l50 of Scotch children; now the preportion is reversed, and the Scotchare 280 to -the 180 Irish. No.diitieulty has been found in getting situations for the lads when they leave school. '1 remember distinctly of being informed three or four years ago, by Lord Ashley, that one -of the • greatest difficulties which they enoounterael in London was not so muchamt- ting the children into the school, as disposing of. :them out of -school. sirhat • 'was, indeed, at a period of great commercial depression." Now the superin- , tendentsiesometnnes at a loss to settle the demands made on •him. . If the . children be. taken merely fortheir value, like articles at a bazaar, it will at least indicate that sound eeonoiniml principles are in operation, which- will maintain. an effect after any excitement shall have passed away. The effects on juvenile crime surpass the striking effects already proclaimed. • In -1841--that is, the first year of the operation of these. schools—the total commitments were 4734, the centesimal proportion of children under four- teen being 5-6; in 1848, the commitments had increased to 6000, but the juvenile had decreased to 3 per _cent ; . in -1849, there was a still further-in- crease of the commitments to .5709, but a diminution of 2 per cent in-the jure- nile commitments; in 1850, 'there was a slight decrease lathe total commit- ments, the. members being 4865, and the juvenile percentage was reduced to 1. per cant. Dr. Guthrie stated that the cost of each of these 500 children is 54 a year, and it requires a period of five years to complete the process; so that tke cost of -finishing the 590 is 12,5004—a large sum. But he could show a bigger on the other side. If the schools were shut up tomorrow, and the children restored again to the ignorance, poverty, cru- elty, and hardship of the life of the criminal, the cost of them would not be 12,5001., but 150,000/. Ile did not know if it. would ever happen, but if they went on at the present rate the governor of the prison would -have nothing to do. They had as yet, however, only done a fourth part. It was not 2000/., nor 4000/., nor 60001., but 10,000/. that was needed; audit they did . not remove the evil in this way, they would have to do it in another and lunch more expensive way. They must go on contributing more largely
Resolutions pledging the meeting to increased exertion for extending , the operations of-the institution were passed.
Owing to the last very unsuccessful season in the salmon-fisheries of ' the Tay, it was anticipated that there-would be a great fall in the-rents - this year ; but upon those of the Earl of Wemyss, which were exposed aby roup on Friday last, the reduction was only about 200/. upon a rental •
of 1600/. The total amount this year was 1588/. There- were a great - -many present; and considerable competition. For the Town's fishings there were no offerers, excepting for-the small stations of Gaily, Wheel, and VenneLs, which let at' 44/. and 26/. as they-were exposed at a mini- mum sum.--Edirtburgh Courant.
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