SCOTLAND.

The General Assembly has brought its session to a close, after trans- acting a world of business consequent on the Secession ; of which we can mention but a few of the more prominent points. On Thursday, the Assembly proceeded to undo many of the things that the Nonintrusionist majority had done in previous Assemblies ; rescinding all the proceedings against Mr. Edwards, the presentee of Marnoch, and Mr. Thomas Monro, the presentee of Fala and Soutra- gentlemen who had resisted the operation of the Veto Act against their admission to the Establishment. The Assembly continued, on this and the following days, to perform more such work ; leaving the cases that remained over to the standing Commission. Lord Belhaven presented the report of a Committee on the passage in the Queen's letter respecting doubts as to the settlement of ministers, and ex- pressing her Majesty's willingness to assent to any legislative measure for the removal of those doubts : the report echoed this offer, craving legislation; and on Friday it was affirmed. On Saturday, the report of a Committee was presented on the future position of the ministers and elders of quoad sacra churches: it recommended that the elders of chapels of ease that continue with the Establishment should be declared to be elders of the Church ; and further, that the Presbyteries should be authorized to make arrangements for the due exercise of discipline in the congregations of such churches. This was affirmed ; it being understood that the case of quoad sacra ministers who retained posses- sion of their pulpits was left, as a civil question, for the settlement of the Civil Courts. Referring to cases in which ecclesiastical proceed- ings against ministers for irregular conduct had been stayed by techni- cal obstacles during the late divided state of the Church, Mr. Hugh Brace moved, and the Assembly resolved, " That it be an instruction to Presbyteries to give their immediate attention to those cases in which libels have been served against any member, and interdict ob- tained, on the ground that the proceedings were participated in by mi- nisters and elders of quoad sacra parishes ; and to do thereanent as they shall judge for edification, according to the laws and practice of the Church."

On Monday, a report was presented from a Committee appointed to consider the " protest " of the Seceders. The Procurator and Mr. Milne each produced the draft of an answer; but after some discussion, it was re- solved that the subject required more mature deliberation, as well as the " questions that have arisen from the illegal maintenance on the part of the Church of the Act on Calls and the Act with reference to the Par- ]iamentary and quoad sacra churches " ; and therefore the whole case

was referred to the Committee, to report again to the Commission in August A pastoral address on the state of the Establishment, to be read from the pulpits of the churches, was adopted. About an hoar after midnight, the Moderator dissolved the Assembly in the name of Christ, and the Lord High Commissioner in the name of the Queen ; the next meeting to be holden on Thursday the 16th May 1844. The Commission of Assembly met on Tuesday, in the Trustees' Hall, North St. David Street, and continued the work of undoing. It then adjourned till August next.

In the New Secession Asssembly, on the 25th, Mr. Dunlop stated that the Marquis of Breadalbane had given in his adhesion ; having re- luctantly come to that determination after reading the Queen's letter to the General Assembly and the proceedings of the Secession Assembly. Mr. Dunlop lauded the new adherent-

" He now occupies a nobler and prouder station than any of our aristocracy have occupied since one of his own clan, two centuries ago, who had also been

deceived by the professions of the Government of the day—I mean Lord Lorn,

afterwards the Marquis of Argyll. I say, when he found the professions of Charles the First as insincere and inefficient as we have found those of Lord Aberdeen, he joined the first Assembly in 1638, at the very moment when all the powers of the kingdom were turned against him ; and the Marquis of Breadalbane, following this noble example, when almost all the aristocracy and the weight of the Government are against us, has also cast in his lot with us; thus proving the sincerity of his principles, and placing himself in a higher position than any Peer of Scotland since the time of the Marquis of ArgylL (Great applause.)

A letter of encouragement, written in Dutch and English, was read from the "General Assembly of the United Christian Dissenters Com- munities in Holland, Zealand, and Utretcht, held at London on the 27th April 1843." Dr. Candlish stated that the body in question seceded from the Dutch Church in 1818, on account of the Erastranism of that establishment. He announced that the evening sitting of Friday would be suspended, in order that the ministers and probationers might devote the evening to solemn prayer, as a preparative for their duties In the summer ; when all of them, both ministers and probationers, who were young and strong, would have to take their staves in their hands and go upon a pilgrimage throughout the country for the purpose of preach- ing the gospel. Dr. Welsh presented a report from the Committee on Edu- cation; which contemplated the ultimate institution of three Universities in connexion with the New Secession ; but for a year it recommended that only one should be established, in order immediately to provide for the Divinity students who secede from the Establishment ; and it sug- gested a system of elementary schools ; the total anticipated cost being 200,000/. Dr. Chalmers had agreed to commence the work of raising the money by giving lectures on University Education in the principal towns of Scotland, and perhaps of England ; the proceeds to be applied to this purpose. He expected also several bequests towards this object, in houses, lands, or money ; and the Committee would allow every lati- tude to the testators, whether they wished to endow fellowships in col- leges or schools in rural or town populations. Among the various business transacted on Saturday, was the consi- deration of a report on "Sabbath sanctification " ; a subject urged by several speakers. Mr. William Gilmour, a Glasgow merchant, sent a letter subscribing 100/. a year for five years, and offering a site for a church in Glasgow. Thanks were voted to Mr. Fox Maule and the other Members of Parliament who had supported their cause in the House of Commons. An interim report was presented from a Com- mittee on the election of ministers and office-bearers. It suggested no definite plan ; and the subject was deferred for further consideration.

The Assembly of the New Secession met finally on Tuesday ; when a great deal of detail business was gone through. It was reported that the whole number of ministers who had signed the deed of demission amounted to 455. A Committee reported that "the Church" was liable for 5,4401.; a sum made up of journey-expenses, law-expenses, and law-damages. Mr. Henry Dunlop of Glasgow remarked, that it was hard to impose on that Assembly a debt incurred by the Established Church, [that is, by the Nonintrusion majority of the General Assem- bly] ; but, as the ministers had made great sacrifices, he suggested that this special debt should fall upon the elders. The suggestion was adopted; and a Committee of Elders was appointed to carry it out. Dr. Mac-

farlane of Greenock moved an address to the Queen, expressing attach- ment to the Sovereign, and referring for the reasons of secession to previous documents. In this address, the Seceders call themselves "The Free Protesting Church of Scotland." Mr. C. Brown wanted it to comprise "a remonstrance against the great sin the nation had com- mitted by the interference of the .Civil Courts"; but it was adopted without the remonstrance. It was agreed that the Assembly should have another sitting at Glasgow on the 17th October next ; and, with a long address, Dr. Chalmers dissolved the Assembly in the name of Christ.

A correspondent of the Caledonian Mercury gives the subjoined esti- mate of the state of the Church and the Secession-

" The number of ministers who have signed and adhered to the protest given in to the General Assembly on the 18th instant is stated, in the Witness of Tuesday the 23,1, to be about 444. On a careful examination of all the names that have been hitherto printed in the Witness, it appears, however, that the number of ministers is only 395; of whom are

1. Parish ministers 214 2. Quoad sacra ditto 144 3. Professors 3 4. Assistants and successors 14 5. Ordained assistants, missionaries, and others having no cure 20

^

In all 395 The number of parish ministers in all is 947 Deducting from which the above 214 There remain 733 The number of ministers of Parliamentary churches and chapels of ease is about 246 ,Deducting from which the above 144 There remain — 102 Making together 835

" It thus appears that there are 733 parish ministers, besides 102 ministers of chapels, who have not retired from the Establishment."

Mr. Campbell of Monzie has resigned his seat for Argyllshire; saying to his constituents—" The position I now ocoupy with reference to the Established Church of Scotland so completely alters my whole social condition, that I feel I am only exercising a sound and Christian discretion in desiring to retire, for a time at least, from public life, in order calmly and dispassionately to decide on my future course."