1792. on schoolmasiér’s salaries. 25g 
“ Should it be thought that this evil might be obviated: 
by certain restrictions imposed on incumbents, it would 
be easy to fhow from experience, how inefficacious all. 
such restraints have ever proved in similar cases; and it 
could be: clearly demonstrated, that, in the ‘present case, 
they would be peculiarly inefficacious, as it might so fre- 
quently be the interest of those persons to wink at the- 
execution of the law, who would be intrusted with the 
enforcing of it. Should they, however, discharge their 
duty, with as much zeal as it can be expected men who 
are not peculiarly interested can do, it does not appear 
that they could do much service. A man may be com- 
pelled, indeed, to open.a school; but it-is a very difficult 
matter to compel him to cause the scholars, who are put: 
under his care, to make a proficiency in learnir gy where 
he thinks it his-interest they fhould not do so; and if pa-. 
rents find their children advance slowly, they will natu. 
rally avoid sending them to school. I know a particular- 
instance, where a well meaning man bequeathed several’ 
of tabour, in a well ordered society, without tyrannical force or constraint: 
upon any person whatever. 
-If we were to apply this rule to judge of the propriety ofthe claim in the: 
present case, we fhould be forced to own that it was directly contrary to» 
justice and sound policy; as it is obvious, from the number of competitors ; 
on every vacancy, that the present salaries of office are not judged inade- 
quate to the charge, by those who are to. perform the duties of it. So long,. 
then, as this idea prevails among this clafs of men, it is vain to think of 
raising the price of that labour above the rate-at which they estimate 
jt themselves; for as those who .fhall obtain by law a title to draw this 
higher pr se, will find others ready to discharge the duties at the lower 
rate, which they.themselyes deem reasonable, the first will put into their, 
own pocket all the superfluous wages, and the real labourers will reap as 
little as if no more were paid by the employer for that work, than the ex-~- 
aetsum which they receive. Here we see the origin and rationale of the order - 
of curates in England; and thus we are enabled to predict the similar ten-- 
dency of the present demand of the schoolmasters in Scotland. 
