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106 Gaelic Society of Inuerness.
Mr Alexander Mackenzie, Ballifeary, whose name was also
coupled with the toast, contented himself with acknowledging the
compliment.
Bailie Alexander Ross proposed " The Agricultural and Commercial
Interests of the Highlands," and in doing so referred to
the depression which at present prevailed throughout the country.
He trusted that there would be a speedy revival of prosperity in
all branches of industry.
Mr F. Macdonald, Druidag, in a few pithy Gaelic sentences,
replied on behalf of the agricultural, and ex-Bailie Macbean on
behalf of the commercial interests of the North.
Provost Macandrew, on rising to proi)ose the toast of "Highland
Education," was heartily received. Highland education was,
he said, a subject impressed uj)on them in one or two ways. In the
fix'st place, they could not travel very far over the country without
observing that, at any rate, education was asserting itself in the
matter of stone and lime. All the educational buildings which
had of recent years been reared in the various parishes were very
much tiner than used to content their anccbLors, or even themselves
in their youth. As a consequence, education pressed upon many
of them very seriously in the matter of assessment—especially
about this time of the year they were all made very sensitive to
that fact. (Laughter and applause.) Although in this particular
part of the country they had not so great cause of complaint having
regard to taxation, in many other parts of the Highlands excessive
school rates were a great and crying evil. (Hear, hear. ) This was an
immediate effect of the excessive expenditure which had taken place
in providing these buildings for elementary education ; and there
was no doubt that some speedy remedy would require to be found,
and effectual relief given in many Highland })arishcs. (Loud applause.)
The question which pressed itself upon his mind in this
matter of education was. What were they substituting— what
were the real merits of the equivalent being given—for the
ancient system of education'? It was necessary and right that the
people should be taught to read and write not only the English
language Jnit their own native Gaelic, in order that they might
be qualitied to enter upon the actual business of life; but, while
this elementary education was being supi^lied at such an enormous
cost and pressure upon the ratej)ayer,'^, it was, he was afraid,
being foi-gotten that a great moans for the education of the people
had been greatly, and was now almost totally witlulrawn, and
that was the ancient literature of the country, that used to exist,
if not in writing, at least in speech, handed down from one
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