SCOTLAND.
In the Presbytery of Edinburgh, on Wednesday week, Dr. Gordon moved an overture to the General Assembly on the present state of the Nonintrusion question. After asserting the principle maintained by the Presbytery, "that no pastor be intruded into any congregation contrary to the will of the people," the overture proceeded thus- " That elide a proposal was recently made, as it was believed, on the part of her Majesty's Government, which was understood to be intended to leave the Church at liberty to act upon tbe principle of Nonintrusion in a form to which, although strongly disapproving of it, it was thought the Church might submit, it now appears that the proposal was not understood by the Govern- ment in a sense coming up to what was declared to be indispensable, and that the only settlement contemplated has been on a footing which the Church has all along repudiated as inconsistent with the principle of Nonintrusion. " in accordance with these resolutions, and inasmuch as there is ground for apprehending the introduction of a legislative measure for the settlement Of the affairs of the Church which will not recognize the fundamental principle of i Nonintrusion in any form to which the Church could submit, t is humbly overtured by the Presbytery of Edinburgh, that the General Assembly do oppose and resist any measure which does not unequivocally allow the Church in every instance to reject a presentee, not merely in respect of the reasons or objections stated by the parishioners against his settlement, nor in respect of their adherence to these reasons or objections, but solely in respect of the con- tinued opposition of the members of the congregation, founded on a declared conscientious regard to the spiritual interests of themselves or the congregation." A subsequent paragraph urged that the Assembly " do take into their serious consideration, with a view to the deliverance of the Church from her present difficulties, the propriety of seeking the abolition of the law of patronage."
The overture was supported by Dr. Chalmers ; who said that be began "to despair of a reconciliation between the jarring elements of patron and people"—" the power [patronage] which refuses to be regulated ought to be extinguished. Some people will say they are sorry for the alternative : I cannot say I am one of these." The overture was also supported by Dr. Candlish.
It was opposed by Dr. Simpson ; who would be content to take such a measure as Government would sanction— He alluded to the cool manner in which some men spoke of the downfal of the Church as an establishment, and said he had seen thousands and tens of thou- sands yet unreacbed by all that an establishment could do ; so that if they laid the Establishment prostrate, and Voluntaryism were called in to do all which the Church was required to do, then the tens of thousands would become hundreds of thousands He could not look upon such a picture without trembling. De was convinced they never would get a British Government to sanction or a British Legislature to pass a bill which would meet the overture on the table of the Presbytery. The Church was staggering under her difficulties, and was tottering to her fall; she could not long support the weight under which she now laboured.
He moved that the Presbytery do not transmit the overture ; and Dr. Muir seconded the motion. The Presbytery divided on the question, " transmit " or "not transmit " ; when the transmission was carried, by 41 to 17.
A public meeting was held in Edinburgh Assembly-rooms, on Mon- day, "of those who support the Church in her present contendings for the principle of noniutrusion and spiritual independence, with reference to her present situation and prospects." The Lord Provost took the chair. The large room was crowded, the assemblage being composed in a great part of ladies. The speakers were Mr. Cunning- ham, Mr. Guthrie, Mr. James Hamilton of Bangour, Dr. Candlish, Mr. James Ross, Mr. Anderson, and Mr. James Morrison. All were eager that the Church should take her stand on the entire abolition of patron- age. Mr. Cunningham "looked with confidence to the next General Assembly taking Anti-Patronage ground." Mr. Guthrie declared that the abolition of patronage was "music to his ear "- He hoped the Church would weather the gale till the next General Assembly: be wished the time was come when he could see the Moderator rise from his chair and say, "About ship!" and then they would leave the Veto and the Itherum arbitrium astern, and amidst the cheers of the crew bear down upon Anti-Patronage.
A public meeting, convened under the auspices of the Magistrates of Dundee, was held in the Town-hall on Wednesday last week, to take into consideration the state of the unemployed workmen, with a view of devising means for their relief. Baillie Anderson was called to the chair. The attendance was numerous. A deputation from the unemployed workmen made their appearance in the hall, headed by Alexander Henry, slater ; who handed in a statement, explaining that the document afforded only an index to the general distress, and stating that there were not fewer than between three and four thousand in the town who had no means of subsistence. Mr. Edward Baxter observed, that in 1840, 6001. had been subscribed in the course of ten days; and he hoped that under present circumstances the amount would not be less than 2,0001. On the motion of Mr. Duncan, M.P., seconded by Mr. Edward Baxter, a Committee was appointed to receive contributions and carry out the objects of the meeting; and a subscription was opened at once.
A tank at the Cowlairs station of the Glasgow and Edinburgh Rail- way, for supplying water to the engines, gave way on Tuesday. Five men were employed in building additional arches underneath the tank to strengthen its support, when the rush of water carried them away ; and four were more or less hurt, two of them rather seriously.
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