EDINBURGH MERCHANTS AND MERCHANDISE IN OLD TIMES.

Otago Witness, Issue 394, 18 June 1859, Page 5

EDINBURGH MERCHANTS AND MERCHANDISE IN OLD TIMES.

Robert Chambers, Esq., delivered in Feb. last, an interesting lecture on "Merchants and Merchandise in Edinburgh in Old Times." The lecture commenced with some notices of the commercial intercourse between Scotland and the Netherlands in the reign of James IV., as indicated by the ledger of Andrew Halyburton, a Scottish commission merchant Middlcburg, in Zealand : wool, hides, and salmon were exported, in payment of cloths, wines, spices, drugs, and other articles imported. The principal street of Edinburgh had dealers in inland or home-made goods in its upper part— hence called Inland Market, subsequently abbreviated into Land Market — and merchants' buiths, or shops, where imported 1 articles were sold, in the lower part, or High j Street proper. About the reign of James VI., some of these merchants conducted foreign traffic upon a considerable scale. John Macmoran, Robert Gourlay, Nicol Udwart, and William Fowler, were all wealthy men living in large elegant houses capable of some defence, and occasionally entertaining the King and his courtiers. The buiths were open to the street for the display of goods, and merchandise was also displayed in the arcade in front. Latter- ■ ly, some shops were built up in front, and distinguished consequently as the luchen or close booths ; and this name is still attached to a part of the High Street. Among the trades, or crafts, that of the goldsmith rose to importance. Besides George Heriot, who by this trade in Edinburgh commenced the fortune which he subsequently laid out in founding his hospital, there was Thomas Foulis, who lent large sums to the King, and thus acquired those rich lead mines of Lanarkshire which his | grand-daughter carried by marriage into the j Ilopetoun family. In the early part of the seventeenth century — a period of peace and progress— Edinburgh had many rich merchants, some of whom became the founders of landed families. Sir William Dick, who was Lord Provost in 1638, was able to keep up the Covenanting armies by his loans. Sir William Gray of Pittendrum, who sided with the King and Montrose, was able to set up his son with 232,000 merks (nearly £13,000 sterling), this son being the lineal ancestor of the present Lord Gray. Mercantile success was impeded in those days by laws regarding both exporting and importing, the result of false maxims in political economy, and by vain attempts to control the household and personal economy of the people. There was nevertheless a large measure of prosperity among the Edinburgh merchants down to the time when the energies of the country became absorbed in the Civil War. An extreme depression prevailed during the time of the Commonwealth, the country being utterly exhausted. There was a. slight revival after the Restoration : a fishery company was established; a cloth manufactory was set up at Newmills, near Haddington; encouragements in the shape of privileges and exemptions were held out to manufactures of every kind, but with little good result. The smallness of all mercantile matters in that age was indicated by a grievous complaint that as much as twenty thousand pounds sterling per annum went out of Scotland into England for superfine cloth ! In the midst of that state of things, in 1681, the Merchant Company of Edinburgh was set up, with exclusive privileges for selling cloth of various kinds, and power to amerce unfreemen. Its entry money was ten shillings, and the annual payment sixpence. It assumed the emblem -of a stock of broom, as a humble plant likely to spread and thrive. Yet, on a cloth gown being voted to Dean Annand for composing a prayer for their meetings, years elapsed before there were funds to pay it. More years passed before they could succour a decayed member, or purchase a hall. After the Revolution, the mercantile spirit got full play in Scotland, Edinburgh was the seat of the first bank in 1695, and of the African Company in the ensuing year. The first great venture was, ag is well known, unfortunate ; but this was but a temporary check Under favour of equal freedom of trade after the Union, Scotland made rapid strides after England in the career of merchandise, and soon attained an equality.

A CLERGYMAN OF THE OLD STYLF. The Rev. Dr. Alexander Webster, of the Tolbooth Church, Edinburgh, who died itt 1784, was a man of genial disposition and gd&l humour. His company was much courted, as his habits were convivial, and his wit iri iur respect hampered by his clerical position. %t one could sit him out, and his compotators were, as a general thing, either sound asleep or under the table ere he withdrew. Yet on only one occasion was he known to have shown any symptoms of having drunk too much, No one, it Avas said, knew the Doctor's measure, his head was wine-proof. The occasion referred to was related as follows. One evening about eleven o'clock, as one of his elders was returning from a friend's, and passing down the south side of the Lawnmarket, he saw on the opposite side of the street a tall btiirdly man in black, with cocked hat, wending his way westward. The moon waa shining brightly on his path, and the good elder recognised the familiar figure of Dr. W., whose house was in Brown's Entry, Castle Hill (a house which came after his death, into the possession of the Bairds of Newbyth, and iv which the late General Sir David Baird was born). It however struck him that there was something peculiar about the Doctor's gait— it was not so stately as usual. Turning, therefore, he retraced his steps up the street, until, having got considerably ahead of his minister, he crossed over and came down till he met him. The doctor was in a brown study, and not walking so steadily as he usually did. " Ah I Doctor," said his friend, " what would the Tolbooth folk say if they saw ye ju3t now ?" " They would not believe their eyes, Sir " he mutter ad, and passed en. One of his elders, Mr. Henderson, a retired merchant, (whose domicile was in St. Johnstreet, Canongate, the first flat of the only land on the east side of the street having a common stair), having plenty of time at his disposal, became very useful to the Doctor in many portions of his parish duty. At the Doctor's board he was therefore a frequent guest, and his hours were by no means so regular as pleased his ancient sober-minded helpmeet. Many a time did she remonstrate on his unseemly irregularity in coming home, but the invariable answer was — " Ow, I was wi' Dr. Webster, quid man ; ye canna find fau't wi' him, surely." Somewhat scandalized by this conduct of her minister in leading her spouse away, the good dame whispered her thoughts to some of her gossips, and eventually the Doctor heard of them, and resolved to play his elder a trick. He invited a small dinner-party, and Mr. H. among the rest— all gentlemen— and a merry time they had of it. About nine o'clock the Doctor rose and intimated that, as he had to visit a parishioner, they would excuse his withdrawing for a short time. Mr. H. would take the chair till he returned, and he hoped they would enjoy themselves freely. He then went down to St. John-street, knocked at Mr. H.s door, which was opened by Mrs. H., who started back at seeing him. "Good evening, Mrs. H. ; is Mr. H. at home ?" " No, Doctor, he's not at home ; he told me he was to take dinner wi' you." " I'll wait a little, probably he will be in shortly." In he accordingly stepped, and chatted with poor disconsolate Mrs. H., whose doubts of her husband's consistency had now resolved into certainty. The Doctor joked on Mr. H.s putting his late hours upon him, staid some half hour, took a glass of ale, and then hastened back to Brown's Court. Towards the small hours Mr. 11. reached the door, which was opened by big ! indignant better-half. " Well, Mr. H., where I have you been till this time ?" " Ow, IVe just been wi' that godly man, Dr. Webster." "Oh ye auld hypocrite .' ye've been wi' Dr. Webster, have ye ? and that worthy man was here three hours ago asking for ye, an' he stoppit in the hope ye wad be sune in, an' took some cheese an' bread an' a glass o' ale,— an' ye've been wi' him, ye vile hypocrite!" In vain did the dumfounded husband declare the truth of what he said — nothing would convince his wife. Had not the Doctor been in her house, " an' wad he leave his company ? Na, na, that wasna a likely story." Next morning Mr. Henderson was betimes at Brown's Court, as Dr. W. expected, and the peace of the elder's fireside was restored by necessary explanations. Such was Dr. W., and such the things he did, without forfeiting the affection of his people or the respect of the townsfolk. These were the days of clubs and deep potations, in which all classes partook, and those who stood aloof were far more likely to be condemned thjyi^those who swam with the current. ■ Scottish American Journal.

Education in Upper CANADA.—The total receipts of common school moneys in Upper Canada last year was .£323,604; the legislative grant in aid of those schools was £32,951 ; the municipal assessments for the same purpose, =£61,954 ; the school section free-school rates, £146,285 ; the rute bills on children attending the schools, £37,624; the amount paid to teachers, £215,057 ; the amount raised and expended for school sites and in building school-honse3, £15,972 ; the number of pupil! attending the schools, 247,434 ; the number of teachers employed, 4083— 0f these, 742 were members of the Church of England, 438 were Roman Catholics, 1201 Presbyterians, 1165 Methodists, 211 Baptists, 57 Congregational ists, 21 Lutherans, and 35 Quakers. The whole of the grammar schools have greatly improved in Upper Canada during the last few years. Education in Prussia.— Prussia has lon» enjoyed great renown for the means which have been taken there to confer the benefits of education on the whole of the people in the kingdom, and returns which have recently been made show that the character thus obtained has not been bestowed without reason. As the question of national education may be expected at no distant day to be again brought before the British Parliament, some statistical information gathered from these Prussian returns may not, at present, be without its use. According to the census of 1855 the population of the kingdom was 17,190,575, and the proportion of children who should be receiving elementary instruction was reckoned at 2,943,251 —of whom there were of the Evangelical religion 1,829,782 ; Catholic, 1,069,689; Jewish, 36,374; Dissenters, 7408— total, 2,943,521. And of these there attended public schools, 2,758,472 ; private, 70,220 ; absent for various causes, 114,559— t0ta1 ; 2,943,251. So that, as the proportion of absentees is very small, it must be admitted that one great object of the Government has been fully attained. In making provision for the education of so many children, the sums required are considerable, the amount reaching annually to 6.000,000 thalers, in addition to which an annual sum of 35,000 thalers has for the last three years been contributed by the state. The number of public schools is 24,292, and that of the private schools 1171 ; the teachers in the former being 31,467 males, and 1523 females; and in the latter 2132 males, and 1503 females. The average of the salaries of all these does not exceed 191 thalers ; but the fond for the relief of the widows and orphans of teachers amounts to 1,378,738 thalers; and the sum distributed in pensions amounts annually to 60^282 thalers, which is naturally regarded as a great boon. The effects of this system of education are very apparent hi after life, for among the men who are called out from every province to serve in the army or landwehr, there are not found more than seven out of every hundred who are not well instructed in reading, writing, - &c. ; and even of these seven there are many who have, either through stupidity or carejessness, forgotten the instruction in ;wfiwi&\ii}~ their earlier years, they had had the privilege " - to participate with all around them, j- f|p , The only victory that costs no teats* is that o%it «j': ignoranoe. - ~< , \ "';* ; j s;