TUESDAY, 26th MAY. The Assembly was occupied all the forenoon with the important subject of the Sustentation Fund, the report having been given in by the Convener, Dr. ROBERT BUCHANAN. The whole amount raised, including donations, has been £114,292, 19s. 9d., being an increase over last year of £1676, 13s. 4d. The number of ministers on roll of Presbyteries is 885. Of these, 162 from various reasons and by various arrangements, though receiving benefit from the Fund, do not receive the equal dividend, reducing the number receiving it to 723. This allows a stipend to each exactly the same as last year, £137 to each minister. Professor Gibson, Dr. Begg, Nr. Nairn, Dr. Candlish, Mr. Burnside, Mr. Macgillivray of Dairsie, Sir Henry Moncreiff, Mr. C. Cowan (elder), and Dr. Moir (elder), took part in the discussion. Deputation from England. In the evening, the Assembly received the Deputation from the English Presbyterian Church, consisting of the Rev. J. D. Burns, Hampstead; Rev. R. H. Lundie, Birkenhead; Rev. Carstairs Douglas, missionary from China; Robert Lockhart, Esq., Liverpool; and Dr. James L. Maxwell, medical missionary to China. The Moderator addressed and thanked the Deputation. Report on Home Missions. The report on the financial part of this most important and interesting scheme was given in by Mr. HANDYSIDE; and that about the mission work by Mr. MAIN of Edinburgh. Mr. Nixon, Montrose; Dr. Buchanan; Mr. Balfour of Rothesay; Mr. M'Coll of Glasgow; Dr. Guthrie; Mr. Kilpatrick; and Mr. Walter Smith, thereafter addressed the Assembly on the subject. WEDNESDAY, 27th MAY. In the forenoon, from ten to twelve o'clock, the Assembly held a private conference regarding the manageof the mission schemes. The conversation was taken part in by Mr. Main, Dr. Guthrie, Dr. Buchanan, Dr. Begg, Mr. Barrett, Skirling; Mr. J. Balfour, W.S.; Mr. H. Todd, and others. Report of College Committee. The Assembly was occupied during the rest of the day with matters relating to the Colleges, and with the appointment of a colleague to Dr. Duncan, Professor of Hebrew at Edinburgh, when the Rev. Alexander Davidson was elected to that office. Deputation from the Welsh Calvinistic Church. In the evening, a Deputation was received from the Welsh Calvinistic Church, consisting of the Rev. Owen Thomas, Moderator of the Synod of that Church; and the Rev. Mr. Williams of Brittany, who addressed the Assembly, and were welcomed and thanked by the Moderator. Committee on the Highlands and Islands. This report was given in by Mr. M'LACHLAN, the Convener; and the Assembly was addressed in support of it by Mr. Wilson, Dundee; Mr. Dunlop, M.P.; and the Earl of Kintore. Report of Colonial Committee-Colonial Branch. In Dr. Bonar's absence, this report was given in by Mr. IRVING of Falkirk. It contained an interesting account of the Church's connections in Nova Scotia, Canada, West Indies, Madeira, Honduras, New Zealand, New South Wales, Victoria, Southern Australia, Western Australia, Port Natal, India, Mediterranean stations, and in other parts of the world. The Assembly was then addressed by Dr. Taylor, Deputy from the French Canadian Missionary Society; Dr. Forrester of Halifax; Mr. Ronald Morrison of Picton; Dr. Paterson of Glasgow ; and Dr. Clason. THURSDAY, 28th MAY. Proposed Union with the United Presbyterian Church. This was one of the most interesting and important days which have ever occurred during the sitting of the Free Church General Assembly. Dr. ROBERT BUCHANAN began by reading a letter signed by Dr. Harper, Convener of the committee appointed by the recent Synod of the United Presbyterian Church. That Committee was appointed for the purpose of uniting with any committee which might be appointed by the General Assembly of the Free Church, for the purpose of conferring with them as to the relative position of the two Churches, and the steps that may be deemed proper for promoting present co-operation and ultimate union between them. The letter concludes as follows:-"The cordiality and devout earnestness with which the Synod passed their resolu tion, is intimated in their minute, indicating that the day will long be remembered by everybody present as a time of refreshing from the presence of the Lord. Praying that He whose name is Counsellor, may bless the deliberations of your venerable Assembly in this and all other matters, and may guide his faithful people everywhere unto those measures by which his Jerusalem is to be builded as the city that is compact together," &c. The motion of Dr. Buchanan, that the Assembly should appoint a committee to confer with the United Presbyterian Committee on this great and important subject, was proposed by him and seconded by Mr. Charles J. Brown of Edinburgh in two of the ablest speeches which have ever been delivered in the Assembly. While setting forth the scriptural desirableness and advantage of the two Churches becoming one, they faced and dealt with, in a spirit of Christian and brotherly candour, the honest scruples which might occur to some minds, and we doubt not showed to almost every one how the difficulties may be taken out of the way. The Assembly was then addressed by Professor Gibson of Glasgow, Dr. Forbes of Glasgow, Dr. Guthrie, Lord Kintore, Mr. Balfour, Holyrood, Dr. M'Farlane, Dalkeith, Sir Henry Moncreiff, and in the evening by General Anderson, Mr. Nelson, Greenock, Dr. Begg, Mr. M'Gregor, Paisley, Mr. Dunlop, Dr. Clason, Colonel Davidson, Dr. G. G. Brown (elder), Professor Miller, Dr. R. J. Brown, and Dr. Candlish. The motion made by Professor Gibson, seconded by Dr. Forbes, having been withdrawn, that of Dr. Buchanan for the appointment of a committee was carried unanimously, amid the loud applause of the house, which was crowded in every part during the whole of the protracted discussion. There were present many United Presbyterian ministers and elders, among whom were Revs. Dr. Andrew Thomson, Dr. Peddie, Dr. Somerville, Dr. Harper, Mr. H. M. M'Gill, Mr. T. Finlayson, Mr. Cooper, Fala, John Henderson, Esq., of Park, Mr. Peddie, W.S., &c. FRIDAY, 29th MAY. In the forenoon, the Report on Popery, and of the Com. mittee on Houses for the Working Classes, were given in by Dr. BEGG, and various other matters were disposed of. Education Committee. In the evening, Dr. CANDLISH gave in the Report on the Education Scheme. There are in connection with the Church 607 weekday Schools, with 630 teachers and 61,354 scholars. To that number of scholars there must be added 10,000 to 15,000 children attending Free Church Schools not salaried by the Committee. The contributions to the scheme last year were £16,275, 6s. 6d., being an increase over the previous of £844, 8s. 5d.. Sabbath Schools. Mr. WILLIAM DICKSON (elder) gave in the Report on Sabbath schools. From the returns received, and adding a like proportion for congregations which had made no return, the Sabbath schools of the Free Church may be stated to be nearly as follows:-. Total number of Sabbath schools. Total under Scriptural instruction Total number of Sabbath-school Teachers 1903 943 116,778 24,939 141,717 12,563 After remarks by Mr. M'Coll, Mr. Balfour, Rothesay, Mr. Nixon, Dr. Buchanan, and Mr. Dunlop, the Education, Sabbath school, and Psalmody Reports were adopted, and resolutions passed in favour of the various suggestions thrown out in them. Innovations in Public Worship. A long discussion then took place in reference to the alleged innovations in the form of public worship, which ended in the Assembly not considering that there was at present any sufficient cause for the Church interfering on the subject. |