The Commission of the General Assembly of the Church of
Scot- land met at Edinburgh on the 14th instant ; Dr. Dinican, Moderator, in the chair. Dr. Duncan read a letter front Lord Belhaven, Lord High Commissioner, dated July 31st, and stating that he had then just returned from London, having presented the petition of the General Assembly to the House of Lords, and that he had an interview with the Queen- " I had also the pleasure of expressing to the Queen, on the part of that venerable body, their loyal and dutiful attachment to her Majesty ; and 1 was commanded by. her to convey to you her royal anwobation of the manlier in which all the proceedings lea been conducted."
lie had aceompanied the Deputation to the Head of the Gwernmenr, and felt entitled to say, that Lord Melbourne and Lord John Russell expressed a strong desire for the settlement of the question respecting the presental ion of miaisters.—
" They both expressed their decided intention of making such arrangements
as would enalde Imtroila■q to he exercised aeeorIm to the Veto law ; and Lord :t1cf mann! statial that he would instruct the Lord Advocate to confer with the Procurator of the Church on this oust important subject, and to draw up the beads of a bill to be laid before the Callimiet as soon as pos- sible, in order that the measure may have full consideration before the next meeting of Parliament."
The principal business related to the Auchterarder case, referred to the Commission by the Presbytery of Auchterarder. Dr. Gordon moved a resolut ion- " The Commission having heard the reference front the Presbytery of
Aucitte•crder, sustain tit so The Commission are of opinion that the ap-
plication of Mr. Young is incompetent, out mil), because lie Was finally re- jected by a sentence of Pc,•:bytery, which was not appealed from, a similar application having been directed to 1.i7 rekisol by the Assembly of 1838, but also because it would be a complete violation of the fundamental principles of the Church, in contravention of her standing laws, and in ilefialice of the au- thority of the last General Assembly, who, on a report of the A uchterarder
case being laid before declared that no presentee should he litrced upon the people ; as also, bccalisc it was opposed to the sentence of the Commission in May last. And the Commission are further of opinion, that no sentence of'
the civil court can justify their compliance. The Commission, further consi- dering the motion which teas made by the minority of the Presbytery...to take
Mr. Young on his trials, hereby prohibit the Presbytery in any event from tak- ing Mr. Young on his trials, as they shall be accountable." Dr. Cook moved an amendment- " Having maturely considered the reference of the Presbytery of Auchter- arder, the Commission earnestly advise that Presbytery, in conformity with the judgment of the Court of Session, affirmed upon appeal by the House of Peers, to take upon trial Mr. Robert Young, presentee to the parish of Auch- terarder ; so that, if they thud him qualified, they may proceed to his settle- ment with all convenient speed, according to the rules of the Church." Dr. Gordon's contumacious motion was carried, by a vote of 104 to 23.
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