5 FEBRUARY 1870, Page 1

The Presbyterian Church of Ireland has accepted commutation en bloc.

The clergy have consented to surrender their life-interests so as to form the basis of a sustentation fund, which will be sup- plemented by contributions until it reaches £100 a year for each minister. The congregation is, of course, at liberty to make any payment it pleases to its own minister beyond this sum. This is the plan of the Scotch Free Church, though they give a higher fixed stipend, will probably be that of the Irish Church, and seems to be the most popular of all compromises between independence and total dependence on the congregations. Its only drawback is said

to be a certain jealousy among rich congregations, whose money goes away in a kind of Missionary work in the poorer districts.