FRIDAY, 21ST MAY 1852.

Synod of United Original Seceders-Contributions to the Schemes-Ministers appointed to preach before the Assembly-Report of Committee on revising Commissions-Dr Duff's sermon-Union with the United Original Seceders-Report on the Conversion of the Jews: Speeches of Messrs Wingate, Smith, and Edward, and Dr Duncan, Dr Duff, Mr Brown, and Dr Candlish.

The Assembly met to-day at one o'clock, and was engaged for a considerable time in devotional exercises, which were conducted by the Moderator, Mr Wood of Dumfries, and Mr Pitcairn.

SYNOD OF UNITED ORIGINAL SECEDERS.

[For proceedings in this case, see Appendix.]

THE SCHEMES.

Mr JAFFRAY said, in following out the practice of former years, I am now called upon to make a brief statement in regard to the progress and advancement of the Missionary Schemes, which will not, of course, in the least degree supersede the ampler reports which will be given in by the different committees in detail. It has, however, in former years been deemed desirable that on this day, specially set apart for solemn prayer, a vidimus should be given of the general progress of those evangelistic efforts in which all of us, and in which, I trust, all of our people are so deeply interested. Through the great goodness of God towards us, we have been enabled, ever since we met in this place, to present year by year an encouraging statement in regard to the funds for those objects to which I have referred; and if the statement which I have to submit to-day should be found to be not altogether the same in type and character as those of former years, I am quite satisfied that it does, if carefully considered, hold out great encouragement for hope, and that it does not contain anything that should in the least degree tend to make our hearts faint, or our hands to be relaxed. I cannot report on this occasion, as on former occasions, an absolute and unmistakeable increase in regard to the contributions of our people to each and all of the funds for the schemes of the Church; but I am satisfied that if all the circumstances of the case are taken into account, and if this venerable Court will realise the difficulty which there necessarily is in instituting a comparison betwixt one period and another, when the state of contributions from various causes may not be parallel, and if allowance is made for the extraordinary collections of former years, and if a fair estimate be taken of what has been done this year, it will, I think, be found that substantially there has been no falling back from that great missionary testimony which the Lord has permitted this Church to exhibit. In a field of labour so very wide as that allotted to us in the providence of God, extending to every quarter of the known world—in a sphere of labour where the efforts and exertions put forth are so complex and diversified-it is not at all to be wondered at, although there should be for the time an apparent forgetfulness of some of the manifold objects and projects that we are occupied with; but I am satisfied that it only needs any such apparent oversight to be brought before this House, and before the people of Scotland, in order to have a renewed testimony that their hearts are with the Church in all that she seeks to do for the advancement of Christ's cause and kingdom; and that the people will not be found lacking when they are made aware of the necessities of each

particular case. Having made these remarks, I now proceed to state what have been the contributions for the schemes of the Church during the past year, which I have endeavoured to draw up in such a way as to afford a proper contrast with the contributions of previous years. And in doing so, I have, in the statement which I am to submit, not only included all that strictly and properly concern the schemes individually, but other important objects which are affiliated with a considerable number of them. And while my statement for the previous year I mean the year 1850-51-may not in all points thus correspond with the statement prepared on another principle which was given into last Assembly, yet the power of making a proper contrast with the two years will, I think, be given to the Assembly when this statement is submitted to them. The first of our schemes, or the Home Mission Scheme, received during the past year £1941: 2: 5 of collections-that is, from the half of the collection ordered by the General Assembly for the Home Mission, and by casual contributions. Then the Committee for the Highlands received last year £3833:8:3; making a total received for these two home evangelistic objects of £5774: 10: 8. The stations in connection with the Home Mission and Church Extension Scheme contributed through the Sustentation Fund £1323 : 15: 2; and the stations connected with the Committee on the Highlands contributed £559, 10s.; making a total of £1883 and odds contributed by stations, and of available funds for these two Committees, of £7657: 15: 10. Then the Education Scheme, exclusive of the government grant for the Normal School, received for the year concluding at the 31st March last, £13,664: 3:10. The General College Fund, including fees, which amounted to £1236, received £4355: 9:11. The College Endowment Fund received £978: 19:7; the College Building Fund, £1666; and the Bursary Fund, £515: 2:10. The Foreign Mission Scheme received from congregational collections, £4560: 14:3; from associations, £2103: 19:4; miscellaneous contributions, £4246: 19: 4; and for Mission Buildings, £1680: 2:1. For the Colonial Scheme, received £3968: 14:8. For the Jews' Conversion Scheme, £4436 : 1 : 1. For the Church Building Scheme, from all sources, £1489: 15: 6. For the Glasgow Church Extension Scheme, £2552: 16:5: making in all a total of £53,876: 4: 8. And towards estimating aright the virtual revenues of our schemes, it may be proper here to state, that there ought to be superadded to this a sum of upwards of £2000 received from the Ladies' Auxiliaries, that have in various ways most generously aided our schemes. The sum received, however, from all the different missionary and educational schemes of the Church appears to be £53,876:4:8. But then, Moderator, this does not equal the sum received last year, provided all the items included in the figures I have submitted are taken into account. For the year 1850-51, for all these different objects, a sum of £61,776 odds, was obtained. But then, included in this there were several large sums of the nature of special contributions, not likely to be repeated, that would go very considerably to diminish the discrepancy between these two years; and I do not think we can state the true deficiency this year at a larger sum than £1727: 2:5. But then the General Assembly, I am sure, will attach very great importance to the consideration of the principal item in all our missionary offerings, viz., the contributions of our congregations; and I find, on looking over them, that there is an increase this year over last, in the matter of congregational offerings, to the extent of £855:5:1. And it will be in the recollection of the House that of late there have been some very large contributions made of a nature that could not be expected to be repeated; and therefore, if we find that, on the whole,

the offerings of the people are keeping up, not only to the ordinary average, but even above it, and that average, taken from former years, being a high one, I think, in these circumstances, we have cause to thank the Lord and take courage. There is a circumstance connected with the Education Scheme that ought not to be lost sight of by this venerable Court,-the important change made last year in regard to the ingathering of this fund. The statement I am making relates exclusively to the year preceding 31st March; and it is known to every member of the Assembly, that the change introduced at last Assembly necessarily could not commence till some time after the Assembly itself rose; and I have no doubt that the accounts of that Scheme, as brought down to the present moment, will show even more fully than appears from this satisfactory statement, that there is in the heart of the people of Scotland a lively recognition of the great importance of this most patriotic and most Christian object, which our Church has been prosecuting with so much earnestness, and, I will add, with so much success. There is a decrease this year in the revenue of several of the schemes, whose objects, I doubt not, are nevertheless very dear to every member of this house. There is a decrease in the fund for Colonial Churches to the extent of £230, as compared with the previous year; there is a decrease in the Church Building Fund this year of £1303: 2:10; and a decrease in the Education Fund,-which may be greatly explained by what I have already stated,-of £1191: 12s. On the other hand, we have an increase in several departments. There is an increase in the Foreign Mission Fund of £763: 18: 7: looking merely at the congregational collections. On the whole, I do not see that there is cause by any means to be cast down or discouraged, but, contrariwise, to address ourselves more earnestly to the task of informing our people as to the great claims of these important objects, and to go more earnestly and more frequently to the throne of grace, that He, whose work this is, may put it into the hearts of all to deal with these things according to the measure of His kind and bountiful dealings with them. I have referred to the efforts making by our auxiliaries, as I may call them,-those associations that have in particular been helping the Colonial Scheme, the Foreign Mission Scheme, and the Jewish Scheme. From the Ladies' Colonial Association the receipts to 31st March have been £155: 0: 2. But then that association has been induced to resume its active labours on behalf of a most important station which it had begun to cultivate even prior to the Disruption, I mean Gibraltar,-and, with the contributions it had received previously, and those it has been receiving up to this date, I am happy to inform the General Assembly that they have now in their hands £737 to aid in the erection of a church at that important place. By the Glasgow Ladies' Association for Leghorn, £153: 14: 6 have been raised; the Ladies' Association for Female Education in India have raised £1375: 15:4; and the Glasgow Ladies' Association for Caffraria, £227. I am not aware of the sum which has been raised by the Ladies' Association for Jewish Females, but I have no doubt that they are still persevering in their work of faith and labour of love. I am sure it must give pleasure to you, Sir, and to this house, to know that our friends who have for many years past been substantially aiding us in all departments of our missionary work are not wearied or faint in their mind. There is only one other department I feel it proper to refer to. I had last year, in speaking of the juvenile offerings, to report a diminution, as compared with the year pre

ceding, of about £500, and I am grieved to say that there is a further decrease this year. The contributions from Juvenile Associations and missionary boxes were, for the Home Mission, £135: 6:4; for the present year they are £124: 12: 7. Or, without fatiguing the Assembly by going into the minutiæ, I may say, that last year the contributions amounted to £896: 16: 7, while for the present year they amount to £801: 10: 2, —shewing thus a decrease of £95: 6:5. I trust means will be devised for remedying this state of things. Now, Sir, I must apologize for having so long trespassed on the time of the house; but in regard to matters so deeply interesting to all of us, and upon this day solemnly set apart for prayer, I think that it is not unfit that the General Assembly should obtain some such view of the posture of matters, even though it were only as a guidance to the sacred engagements in which we are occupied this day. I would just, in conclusion, read a sentence or two from a letter, with a contribution, which reached me this day, and which is not different in character from many communications that I and my friend Mr Macdonald are in the habit of receiving. I beg to read a few sentences from it, believing that it is an exponent of the feeling that pervades the breast of many of our brethren throughout the land; and if the spirit that led to the sending of this contribution be universally in the ascendant, I should be inclined to say that we might then bid farewell to any of those little anxieties and occasional downcastings that we have in regard to going forward with the Mission Schemes. The letter says:—

"A few friends who could not, from circumstances, contribute their mite when the regular collection was made in the Free Church here, for that most interesting of all our missions, the Jewish Mission, have taken this way of forwarding their little mite, and to say that, had the means corresponded to the will, it would not be shillings, but pounds that would be sent. We feel it may be out of place to trouble you at this time; but knowing how much you have at heart the cause of the poor Jews (it was addressed to Dr Duncan), we hope you will forgive the trouble. Oh, may He for whom nothing is too hard speedily appear for their deliverance, and give that blessed spirit of promise to remove their blindness, that they may no longer reject the blessed and only Saviour! We adhibit no names, but always are, with much affection, your servants in the Lord." (Applause.) The report was received, and an expression of thankfulness recorded, for the liberality on the part of the people which it exhibited.

On the report of the Committee to nominate ministers to preach in the Hall during the sitting of the Assembly, the following appointments were made:

On Sabbath, 23d May,—

Mr ATHOLL STUART of Blair Atholl, to lecture and preach in the forenoon;

Mr WILLIAM LAUGHTON of Greenock, to preach in the afternoon; and Mr JOHN MILNE of St Leonard's, Perth, to preach in the evening. On Sabbath, 30th May,—

Mr A. L. R. FoOTE, West Church, Brechin, to lecture and preach in the forenoon;

Mr A. B. PARKER, Lesmahagow, to preach in the afternoon; and Mr PHILIP of Union Church, Glasgow, to preach in the evening. The Assembly again engaged in devotional exercises, which were conducted by Professor Bannerman, and then adjourned to meet in the evening.

EVENING SEDERUNT.

The Assembly resumed in the evening at seven o'clock, and was constituted with devotional exercises; after which the minutes of the two preceding diets were read.

On the report of the Committee for revising commissions, the Assembly reject the commission from the Presbytery of Kirkcudbright, in respect that the election took place on the 9th of March last, being one day previous to the time at which the election of representatives could take place conformably to the laws of the Church.

The commission from the Presbytery of Abertarff not being signed by the Moderator, the Assembly order said signature to be supplied.

The Assembly reject the commission from the Presbytery of Deer, in so far as respects the election of Dr John Duncan, Professor of Hebrew in the New College, as one of their representative elders, in respect that Dr Duncan is a member of another Presbytery, in which he sits as a minister.

The Assembly also reject the commission from the Presbytery of Madras, in so far as it respects the election of Mr John Braidwood as their representative elder, the said Mr Braidwood being a minister and missionary at Madras, and as such a member of the Presbytery there.

In respect of that part of the Committee's report relating to the commission from the Presbytery of Dundee, which contains the election of Mr James Miller at Monikie, as also that of Mr Malcolm M'Intyre, his colleague and successor, the Assembly defer their judgment in the case.

On the report of the same Committee, that certain elders had not produced certificates of being bona fide acting elders, the Assembly declare that in these circumstances they cannot take their seats as members of the House, but in the event of said certificates being produced at any of the future diets, the names of the commissioners shall then be added to the roll. The Committees of Bills and Overtures gave in reports.

ORDER OF BUSINESS.

Dr CANDLISH, in giving in a report of the Business Committee, strongly reprobated the practice of parties having cases in the Assembly deliberately relying on their not being called till the beginning or middle of the second week; whereas all parties ought by this time to be aware that it had long been in the usage to take up cases on both Saturday and Monday. It was certainly a very serious matter when they were hindered from putting down for Saturday what otherwise they would have put down, and had indeed agreed to put down, simply in consequence of the parties interested choosing to rely on their not taking up their cases so early. The result, in all likelihood, would be, that these cases would afterwards be thrust into corners, and procure far less of the time and attention of the Assembly than they might have obtained if the parties had been prepared.

DR DUFF'S SERMON.

Mr THOMSON of Banchory moved that the Assembly request Dr Duff, through the Moderator, to print and publish the sermon he preached in that place yesterday. He was confident that there was no one who had the privilege of hearing it but would regret that that sermon should pass away as a mere spoken discourse, and not be preserved in a permanent form. (Cheers.) This request having been intimated to Dr Duff, he expressed his readiness to comply.