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A PERSONAL EXPLANATION.

Mr CHARLES COWAN-Moderator, allow me to tender an apology for the few remarks which fell from me on Saturday. When I heard the gratifying communication received by Dr Buchanan, my first feeling was one of regret that it had not been received sooner, as it might have mitigated the intensity of the opposition, and possibly influenced the division that took place. I felt great regret that our excellent friends, Drs Begg and Gibson, were both absent on the occasion, seeing they had protested against the decision of the House upon the union question, and was not in their places the night before. I confess I had, without the slightest wish to say anything that could be regarded as offensive, a great wish at the moment that, as members of the House, they should be, without delay, informed of what had taken place, conveyed to us by the Atlantic Telegraph. In what I said I committed an indiscretion. I did not require to be told by Dr Candlish that it was a breach of order. It was a breach of propriety, and it would have been a most undignified course for this House to adopt whatever the impulse of the moment I proposed. (Hear.) Let me further say, that my first impulse-though I did not know till this morning that one member of the Assembly considered my words an insult-was to write both these gentlemen and express my regret. I am very glad to see Dr Gibson here, and I now tender to him, in foro Ecclesiæ, my expression of personal regret in regard to the few words I used, the utterance of which I regret exceedingly. I am very sorry to learn, as the whole House will be, that Dr Begg is detained at home by indisposition. But allow me to say that, however much I deplore the division upon the union question, I never had the slightest doubt as to the thorough honesty, and as little as to the manliness of the course, which these reverend gentlemen chose to take. I respect the manliness and courage of these gentlemen, and I am quite sure that they have acted from a regard to the best interests of the Church. (Hear, hear.) I hope the apology which I now tender will be received by my excellent friend Dr Gibson in the spirit in which it is given. (Hear, hear.)

Dr GIBSON-I at once accept the apology, and tender my thanks to Mr Cowan for the frank way in which he has made it. (Hear, hear.)

Sir H. W. MONCREIFF-One word about these resignations not being recorded in the minute. They will come into the minute as soon as we come to the point of appointing a committee.

Dr GIBSON-Certainly; I know that. It was merely that there was no report in the public papers.

Captain SHEPHERD-I beg to tender my thanks to Mr Cowan for what he has now said. I do think that this is a subject upon which none of us can think or speak with levity. I have been a member of Assembly now for upwards of thirty years-five years in the Established Assembly, and in this Assembly since the Disruption, and I may say I never voted with more pain and regret, or with the feeling that more serious consequences were likely to follow the vote than upon this occasion. I trust it will be marked by all the members of this House, whatever their opinions may be, as a very serious vote indeed.

The subject then dropped.

CASE OF DISPUTED PROPERTY AT ECCLEFECHAN.

The Assembly named the following members, who were appointed by the commission as a committee to watch over the case of disputed property at Ecclefechan, to be a committee of this Assembly for the same purpose, viz., Sir Henry Moncreiff, Dr Begg, Dr Candlish, Mr Walter Woodministers. Mr Patrick Dalmahoy and Mr George Meldrum-elders. Mr Meldrum to be convener.

SALES AND TRANSFERENCES OF PROPERTY.

The Assembly called for the report of the committee on sales and transferences of property, which was given in by Mr Dalmahoy, the The Assembly approved of the report, and, in accordance

therewith,

In the case of the application from the Deacons' Court of the Free Church at Wolflee, with the unanimous concurrence of the congregation and unanimous sanction of the Presbytery of the bounds and of the trustees of the Church, the General Assembly authorise the exchange of the present site of the church for another piece of ground which affords a more suitable site-the materials of the present building being to be used in the construction of the new church as far as possible, and the requirements and provisions of the Act VIII. of the Assembly of 1863 anent sales and transferences of property being always observed.

In the case of the application from the Deacons' Court of the first Free Church congregation at Thurso, with the unanimous concurrence of the congregation and of the Presbytery of the bounds, the General Assembly authorise the trustees vested in the property, and the Deacons' Court, to sell the present place of worship and school-house, with the ground on which they are built, and to apply the proceeds to the erection of a new place of worship and school-house, in proportion to the relative value of the present buildings, the requirements and provisions of the Act VIII. of the Assembly of 1863 anent sales and transferences of property being always observed.

In the case of the application from the Deacons' Court of the Free Church at Bridge of Weir, Paisley, parties were called but did not appear. The General Assembly, with the unanimous concurrence of the congregation and the unanimous recommendation of the Presbytery of the bounds, grant permission to sell the manse and grounds connected with it to the Greenock and Ayrshire Railway Company, on such terms as the Court and congregation may consider satisfactory, it being understood that the price is to be applied to the erection of a new manse, the requirements and provisions of the Act VIII. of the Assembly of 1863 anent sales and transferences of property being always observed.

In the case of the application of the general trustees, with reference to the property of the congregation at Stenness, as it appears that in the peculiar circumstances stated in the petition, there is at present a probability of selling the school-house and schoolmaster's house to advantage, which may never occur again, the General Assembly authorise the general trustees to sell the above buildings and a small piece of the adjoining ground, as prayed for in the said petition, at the best price that can be obtained for them, on the understanding that the price is to be applied in the manner set forth in the petition. But the sale shall not be carried

into effect until the congregation shall have an opportunity of expressing their concurrence in it.

CASES OF STUDENTS.

The Assembly called for the report of the committee on cases of stu dents and probationers, which was given in by Dr Murray Mitchell, the The Assembly approved of the report, and in accordance

convener.

therewith,

In the case of Mr William P. de Villiers, who, after a regular attendance of four years in the Theological College of the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa, has attended as a fourth year's student in the New College, Edinburgh, and passed the examination by the Board, and applies for leave to be taken on trial for license, the General Assembly, on the report of their committee, with acquiescence of parties, grant the application, and authorise the Presbytery of Edinburgh to take him on trial for license, according to the rules of the Church.

In the case of Mr James Thomson, who petitions that his name be enrolled in the list of students who have completed the third year, though he did not offer himself for examination by the Board in 1864, and did so in 1865, (when he passed the examination,) explanation having been given as to the point of difficulty which occurred last year, the General Assembly, on the report of their committee, with acquiescence of parties, considering the circumstances, grant the prayer of the petition.

In the case of Mr Angus M'Iver, whose class certificates were regularly brought before the Free Presbytery of Lewis, with a view to his being taken on trial for license, and were sustained, but through inadvertence on the part of the clerk of Presbytery, were not laid before the Synod, and cannot now be laid before it till next April, as the Synod of Glenelg meets only once a year, the General Assembly, on the report of their committee, with acquiescence of parties, considering the circumstances, grant the prayer of the petition, and authorise the Presbytery of Lewis to take Mr M'Iver on trial for license.

In the case of Mr J. K. Craig, who has attended all the classes of the curriculum of arts during three sessions, except the class of natural philosophy, and petitions to be allowed to appear before the Examination Board with a view to entering the Divinity Hall, engaging to attend the class of natural philosophy during one or other of his sessions at the hall, his intention being to return, as soon as possible, to preach the gospel in New Zealand, where he has already spent several years, the General As sembly, on the report of their committee, with acquiescence of parties, considering the circumstances, grant the prayer of the petition, and authorise the board of examination accordingly.

In the case of Mr H. F. Luckhoff, who, after regularly attending the theological classes at Utrecht and Erlangen for a period exceeding the length of three sessions of our theological curriculum, has attended as a fourth year's student, in the New College, Edinburgh, and has passed the examination by the Board, and applies to be taken on trial for license, with a view to proceeding to South Africa, the General Assembly, on the report of their committee, with acquiescence of parties, grant the application, and authorise the Presbytery of Edinburgh to take him on trial for license.

In the case of Mr Gustav Radlof, who, after regularly attending the

theological classes at Erlangen and Utrecht for a period exceeding the length of three sessions of the theological curriculum, has attended as a fourth year's student in the New College, Edinburgh, and passed the exa-. mination by the Board, and who applies to be taken on trial for license, with a view to proceeding to South Africa, the General Assembly, on the report of their committee, with acquiescence of parties, grant the application, and authorise the Presbytery of Edinburgh to take him on trial.

In the case of Mr James Glendinning, a probationer of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, applying to be received as a probationer of the Free Church, the General Assembly, on the report of their committee, with acquiescence of parties, find that the conditions of Act VIII. 1860, have been complied with, grant the application, and authorise the Presbytery of Dumfries to admit him as a probationer within their bounds.

COLLEAGUES AND SUCCESSORS.

The report from the committee on Colleagues and Successors was submitted by Mr Wilson. The Assembly received the report, and in accordance therewith agreed that the unexpended interest of the fund during the last two years be applied to meet the cases for which applications are now made.

Dr J. J. WOOD expressed his wish to make a remark. There were two classes of cases in the report; one of applications for colleagues and successors, the other of applications for unordained assistants. He had been under the impression that the grants from the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund were regulated by a scale, according to the time of service, fixed by the Assembly. He found, however, that this applied only to colleagues and successors, and that in the case of assistants it was left to the discretion of each Assembly to grant what appeared to them proper in the circumstances. Now, he was not quite sure that if he had adverted to this, he should have applied for a grant for an assistant, for he did not think it right, nor a position in which applicants should be placed, that the committee or the Assembly should have a discretion further than satisfying themselves that the applicants were really aged and infirm. When that point was established he thought the grant should be made according to a particular scale; and he did not object to it being a lower scale than in the case of colleagues and successors. He did not make these remarks with reference to any particular case, least of all to his own, but simply because aged ministers, or ministers enfeebled by indisposition, who had to come and say what will you give us in the circumstances, were put in a position that was not quite a right one.

Dr CANDLISH said there was a slight irregularity in raising the general question upon this report on individual cases, but once the report were disposed of, it would be quite in order to move on the general question.

CASE OF MR FRASER OF GORDON.

Mr FRASER did not acquiesce in the deliverance proposed by the committee. It appeared from the papers that owing to a loss of voice and a nervous affection Mr Fraser had become unable so to make himself heard by the congregation as to render his services in the pulpit generally edifying, and that under direction of assessors appointed by last Assembly

an arrangement had been made by which Mr Fraser was to pay an assistant £60 a year, he himself continuing to do pastoral work out of the pulpit, and retaining the use of the manse, while application would be made for a grant from the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund toward paying the assistant. On a memorial from the congregation, however, which came before the Presbytery on the 7th May, the Presbytery agreed to suggest to the Assembly that should it see fit to make Mr Fraser a grant of such an amount as £35, it be made a condition of the grant that Mr Fraser contribute as his part a like sum of £35 for the support of the preacher stationed at Gordon, and also give up, for the use of the preacher, the manse at Gordon.

The recommendation of the committee now was, in accordance with the Presbytery's suggestion, that the Assembly award a grant of £35 from the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund, subject to the conditions that the applicant gives up the manse to the assistant, and contributes £35 to him, in addition to the above grant.

Mr FRASER dissented from the conditions attached to the grant, and desired to be heard before the Assembly. Mr Fraser appeared for himself, and Mr Purves for the Presbytery.

Mr FRASER complained that by a decision of this question there would be laid upon him a burden not laid upon any one else in such circumstances-giving up his manse, which he had occupied for a number of years, and on which he had laid out money.

Mr PURVES said the Presbytery were satisfied that, owing to his being unable to make himself heard, and the style of his sermons, Mr Fraser could not conduct the service in a way to be edifying to the people. In other pastoral duties Mr Fraser was attentive and zealous, and the Presbytery had no wish to have him laid aside. But they were satisfied that only such a proposal as that made by the committee would secure the harmony and prosperity of the congregation.

Mr FRASER replied that the congregation was at most a small one, but the Presbytery had listened to a memorial from a small section of discontented individuals in it, and he felt sure that though granted, the arrangement would not be long satisfactory. A good deal of strong feeling had been expressed in the locality at the way in which it was proposed to treat him in this matter.

Dr GIBSON looked upon this case as forming an important precedent, and one that would be very dangerous to the Church, if the proposal in the report were sanctioned. A positive arrangement had been suggested before, and there had not been sufficient time to try it at any rate. Judging from Mr Fraser's speaking in that House, he did not think there could be much doubt about his being able to make himself heard by a small Berwickshire congregation. He moved that the arrangement which had been suggested should stand-the minister paying an assistant £60 and receiving a grant from the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund, but not giving up the manse.

Dr CANDLISH moved that the Assembly do not sustain the report, but continue the case until next General Assembly, appointing the same assessors as before. Dr Wood seconded.

Sheriff HERIOT seconded Dr Gibson's motion. After some conversation, Dr Candlish withdrew his motion, and the following deliverance was unanimously adopted :-"The General Assembly do not approve of

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