August 4. 1648. Postmeridiem, Sess. 21.
Overtures concerning the education of the Hie-land Boys in the Province of Argyle.
This day the report following being made from the Committee concerning the education of Hie-land Boys in Argyle, viz.
The Committee considering the Bill remitted by the Generall Assembly to us concerning the Hie-land Boys (who are given up to be fourty in number of good spirits and approven by the Province of Argyle) Do humbly think, that four of them who are ready for the Colledge should be recommended to the Universities to get Burses on in every Colledge. As for the rest of the 40, who are to be brought up at Grammar Schools, The Committee thinks that if the said Boys should be scattered through the Kingdom they should lose the Irish Language, and so the Assembly shall fail of their purpose to make them usefull for the Hie-lands: And therefore do humbly conceive that it were fitting that every Congregation pay yearly fourty Shillings Scots for maintaining the said Boys at Schools in Glasgow, or in other places where many of them may be together accepted of, and that the money be brought in yearly to the General Assembly by the Commissioners of Presbyteries, and that Presbyteries augment or diminish the said proportion according to the ability of every Congregation.
The Assembly having considered the foresaid Report, Approves the first Overture, And recommends Colin Campbell to the University of Aberdeen, Duncan Campbell to Edinburgh, Patrick Campbell to Glasgow, Zachary Maccullum to St. Leonards Colledge in St. Andrews: As also Approve the second Overture, seriously Recommending to Presbyteries, That the said fourty shillings be collected carefully and sent to Glasgow, And the Ministers of Glasgow shall appoint some sufficient man in that Town to receive the said Collection from Presbyteries, And to take charge of the boording and entertainment of the saids Boys in Glasgow at Schooles, and they shall send in the names of the Boys with a Certificate of their proficiency yearly to the Generall Assembly: [pg 419] And this Collection shall onely endure for the space of twelve years.