The General Assembly of the Established Church of Scotland has
voted by 241 to 68 that it would prefer the abolition of lay ;patronage. 'Thereupon the Duke of Argyll writes a letter to the Moderator declaring that as one of the largest owners of Church patronage in Scotland he is willing to surrender it all, and shall regard any compensation that he may receive as a fund to be be- stowed upon the Church. That offer is liberal and gracious, for -though it scarcely surrenders money, the patronage of a parish being in Scotland indivisible from the ownership of the land, it -does surrender power, but who is to appoint the minister? All -parishioners? That, says the whole Free Church, and many friends -of establishment, is as Erastian as appointment by the heritors. The communicants? Then we must cease to tax all for the benefit of a few, and disestablishmeut in Scotland, as in Ireland, will be the order of the day.
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