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Colonist, Volume XV, Issue 1500, 9 February 1872, Page 3

rich in illustration and good argument, which appeared in the last issue of this paper from the pen of Mr. Donald M'Gregor, is the writing of a man educated in that County; and he is by no means a solitary specimen of the studious working man of Caithness who can reason well, and clothe his reasoning in the weft and woof of well chosen aud vigorous English. One who was a printer's reading-boy in a Caithness printing-office is now the printer and manager of the Melbourne Argus ; another, while yet a mere lad, was an excellent naturalist, and was before his death for years a well-known correspondent to the natural I history columns of The Field newspaper. Another is editor of a popular Scotch journal; a fourth edits a daily paper in Yorkshire; and others are in the North American colonies, and have left their mark more or less distinctly. All these and more of considerable ability, were known as boys to the writer of these lines ; and it is a remarkable fact to find one little printing office, considerably within a score of years, produce so many who have made their way to something like distinction.

These are but a few instances of what may be the product ot the hard study that generally Scotch education necessitates, if emulation lives in the boy's mind. I could mention many cases of a like kind. They are noticed now simply to lay before the youth of our own time and clime, and their parents, the benefits of education as full and ample as can be obtained, —substantial, practical, useful education that will enable the youth still more to educate himself; the necessity of early teaching him self-denial j and the duty of hard work, in study. It seems, to those who have come to "forty year," that the boys here do not give their hours and thoughts to lessons night and morning, as we used to do in the old country, some five-and-twenty or thirty years ago ; that there is less anxiety on the part of parents to stimulate their children, and assist the eflorts and labor of the teacher. Let this be reformed altogether. Would that fathers and mothers would understand this; and that, with a fair practical education, their children would enter the battle of life, well armed to struggle to the end.

What a very queer parson the Rev. Mr. Sutherland, of the First Presbyterian Church, Dunedin, must be! He has quarrelled with the office-bearers of his congregation. He proceeded devoutly to pray forthose office-bearers,who, as he confidingly informed his Maker, were scattering dissension in the congregation, the fact being that he was the cause of dissension, by his over-bearing and repellant manners. Filthy lucre, it appears, was largely at the bottom of it all, for at a social meeting of the members of the congregation, Mr. Sutherland thus addressed the people :—

" I wish to mention a matter wMcii lias not been touched upon by any of the office-bearers—relating more particularly to myself, and the position in which I am placed financially. I think that I ought to be placed in at least as good a position in this respect as any of my brethren in the city, and certainly £503 a year would not be too much for you to pay your minister. In these days talent always commands a high prioe, aud if you do not pay me this sum you will have to pay it to my successor, and that is very plain speaking. If you wish to have talent you must pay for it, and, if you do not do so, you will find that talent will not remain among you."

Whatever talent this reverend gentleman possesses, —and he plainly implies that he has a large ■supply of that article, which is rather rare in tbese seas, —he evidently does not possess those useful adjuncts of talent, good taste, and sound judgment of his fellowmen. He was then receiving £400 a year, while the late Rev. Dr. Burns also was receiving £300 from the same congregation. Mr. Sutherland appears to have been very well paid, although he did not particularly manage to exhibit that capacity for permeating his congregation with brotherly love, which is the bond of union in a Christian flock, nor that meekness and unworldliness which were his Master's marked attributes. The Synod of the Presbyterian Church was of a similar opinon, and udopted a report of a committee requesting Mr. Sutherland to resign. Mr. Sutherland will possibly have the opportunity of studying the incompatibility of assumed talent, which thinks of talents of gold and silver, to perform the work of shedding peace and good agreement among a congregation.