efforts are successfully put forth for the restoration of corrupt Protestant churches, to their first purity, it should be the unhappy lot of the Presbyterian church, in this country, to be retrograde. Still, although not at present permitted to rejoice in the onward course of our church, as a body, towards purity and perfection, we are nevertheless encouraged by the example and the success of other churches, and more especially by the predictions and promises of God, respecting the future state of His church, to exert ourselves to what extent we can, in recalling the attention and the steps of our brethren to the "old paths." It is with this view, and in this hope, that we urge your reverend body, by all the considerations arising from a view of the facts presented, and the consequences which must inevitably follow, if an effectual remedy be not speedily applied, to adopt at once such measures, as in your wisdom, may be the best calculated to afford the necessary relief. Let the members and judicatories of our beloved church act with sincerity, fidelity and decision, upon their own publicly acknowledged principles, and all will yet be well. This, we repeat it, is our object, desire and prayer, in this memorial; and should your respected body, taking the foregoing statements into solemn consideration, and being convinced of the duty and necessity of a reform, proceed with promptness and energy, in a system of action, which would afford good grounds for believing that the evils complained of will be corrected, as soon as in the nature of things this can be done, then would our hearts rejoice.

In hope of this, we present a condensed view of the matters of grievance, and the nature of the redress which we ask; and while we ask it with all due deference and respect, we claim it as a restoration of those rights and privileges, secured to us by the constitution of our church, which rights and privileges have been so impaired by the courses pursued, that we have no longer that free enjoyment of them, that profit from them, and that comfort in them, to which in justice we are entitled. To you, therefore, fathers and brethren of this Assembly, as the supreme constitutional organ for restoring the disjointed concerns of the church to their original symmetry and order, we apply, and of you we earnestly request,

I. That the "Plan of union between Presbyterians and Congregationalists in the new settlements," adopted in 1801, be wholly abrogated, and nothing similar be substituted in its place; also, that so much of the "Plan of union and correspondence" between the General Assembly and the several Associations, or Conventions, of the Congregational churches of the New England States, as regards the reception of licentiates and ministers, on certificate, from the said churches, be repealed; and that the same order be observed in receiving ministers and licentiates from them, and all other denominations in the United States, as is required in the case of foreign ministers and licentiates. See Digest, pp. 280-285.

II. We call upon the Assembly to take some decided measures for restraining Presbyteries that abuse their own privileges, and interfere with the rights of others, by licensing and ordaining ministers, and receiving and dismissing members, not for the service of their own churches, or the watering of their own waste places; not for the purpose of labouring within their own bounds, but in order to send them into the bounds of other Presbyteries, to the great annoyance, in many instances, of said Presbyteries, and affording strong ground to suspect that they were sent to serve party purposes.

III. We call upon the General Assembly to resume the full exercise of their own functions, in conducting missionary operations within the Presbyterian church; and to take some effectual measures for having it so arranged, that every missionary, labouring any where within the said church, be there as commissioned and directed by the Assembly, or some of its constitutional organs, and bound to render to them a regular report of his labours. The Presbyterian church will never be safe from the inroads of error, and will always lie open to the aggressions of ambitious or designing men, so long as a non-ecclesiastical, irresponsible association is permitted to select, and introduce, and control a large number of her officiating ministers.

IV. We call upon the General Assembly to bear full and solemn testimony against the many errors, preached, published, and circulated in the Presbyterian church, in contradiction to the doctrines contained in our standards, such as we have already mentioned; and strictly to enjoin it upon the Synods and Presbyteries, to attend promptly and faithfully to all cases of this kind, within their several limits, and under their jurisdiction.

V. We insist upon it as a matter of constitutional right to your memorialists, as well as of obligation on the part of your reverend body, and of duty to the whole church, that the Assembly express an unequivocal opinion upon the following points, concerning which conflicting sentiments exist, creating difficulties, perplexities, and tendencies to division.

1. Whether it follows as a matter of course, and of constitutional right, when any Ch. Adv.-VOL. XII. 2 N

member in good and regular standing with one Presbytery, presents to another Presbytery unquestionable evidence of such standing, and requests to be admitted as a member of this latter Presbytery, that he must be received without further question or inquiry: Or whether, on the contrary, it is not the privilege of every Presbytery to judge, primarily, of the qualifications of each, and all of its own members; and to inquire and examine, (if it be deemed proper so to do,) not only into their moral character, but into their soundness in the faith, and other ministerial qualifications; and receive applicants, or refuse to receive them, according as reception or rejection may appear to the Presbytery to be demanded by a regard to its own welfare and to the purity and peace of the church: it being understood, that every decision of a Presbytery in such cases, is subject to be appealed from, or complained of, to a higher judicatory, by any individual who may consider himself to have been aggrieved or injured; and the Presbytery be liable to have its doings, in such cases, reversed and censured; provided, that on an appeal, or complaint, or on any other review of its proceedings, by a higher judicatory, such Presbytery shall be found to have acted oppressively, capriciously, partially, or erroneously.

2. Whether, by the constitution of the Presbyterian church, it is not competent to any Presbytery to take up and examine any printed publication, and to pronounce it to be erroneous and dangerous, if so they find it, without, in the first place, commencing a formal prosecution of the author, even supposing it to be known and admitted, that the author is a member of its own body: Or whether a Presbytery, in every such case, must, when disposed to act on the same, forthwith commence a formal prosecution of the author of the publication, which is believed to contain erroneous and dangerous opinions, or doctrines?

3. Whether, in receiving and adopting the Confession of Faith and Catechisms, the candidate for licensure, ordination, or admission from a foreign body, is at liberty to receive and adopt them according to his own private construction of their meaning, while that construction may be unusual as well as different from the most obvious sense,--or while he adopts them as containing the system of doctrine taught in the Holy Scriptures generally, he is at liberty to reject as many particular propositions as he pleases to consider contrary to the said "system," without stating what those propositions are, to the Presbytery, at or before the time of his being licensed, ordained, or admitted: Or, whether every such person is not bound to receive and adopt the said formularies, according to the obvious, known, and established meaning of the terms, as the confession of his faith; and if any proposition appear to him objectionsble, to state freely and candidly his scruples, leaving it for the Presbytery to decide upon the propriety of licensing, ordaining, or admitting him, as his objections may be judged consistent with soundness in the faith, or otherwise.

VI. We request the General Assembly to disannul the act passed by the General Assembly, in 1832, dividing the Presbytery of Philadelphia, and unequivocally to disavow the principles which that act goes to establish, viz: that Presbyteries may be formed without regard to district, upon the principles of elective affinity; and that the General Assembly possesses co-ordinate power with Synods, to divide Presbyteries.

Your memorialists respectfully and earnestly insist that the needful work of reform be commenced without unnecessary delay, and that measures be adopted, such as the wisdom of your reverend body, acting in the fear of God and with a view to divine direction and assistance, may suggest, which will in the shortest and safest manner regulate and restore the affairs of the church, and remove the evils of which we complain. If needless delay or temporizing measures are resorted to, we shall reluctantly feel compelled to look upon them as evasive, and amounting to a denial to the church, and to us, of our right to a redress of grievances from the supreme judicatory of that body, of which we form a part. With the state of things which has been presented in this memorial, your memorialists have borne long. They have witnessed, with the keenest sorrow, the progress of corruption, and that the means employed for arresting it, through the indecision of our judicatories, have been inadequate in their nature, and impotent in their application and operation. Perceiving matters to grow worse, from year to year, it is their belief that the time has come, when fidelity to the great Head of the Church, imperiously demands that something should be done for the removal of the evils, so long borne, and now pressed upon your attention. Your memorialists feel it to be their duty, and they have formed the determination, to persist in the use of every lawful measure, to obtain that redress of grievances, which they are solemnly convinced is necessary to the purity, peace and prosperity of the Presbyterian church. Should these measures fail, and the supreme judicatory of our church refuse, or needlessly delay, to adopt those prompt and practicable means of providing for the safety of the church, which duty to God and to the souls of men requires, your memorialists tremble for the consequences, and in subscribing this document, would

leave it on record, that however imperfectly, they nevertheless sincerely endeavoured to avert the evils of error, disorder, and division from the Presbyterian church.

Philadelphia, April 15th, 1834.

At a Stated Meeting of the Presbytery of Philadelphia, a Memorial directed to the General Assembly, on the present state of the Presbyterian church, was acted upon in the manner following, viz:

"The Presbytery proceeded to the order of the day, in the consideration of the Memorial to the General Assembly, and after deliberation, it was unanimously adopted.

Whereupon it was Resolved, That the above minute be appended to the Memorial, properly attested, and that the commissioners to the Assembly be directed to present it to that judicatory, at its approaching sessions." WM. M. ENGLES, Clerk of Pres. pro. tem,

A true extract,

WESTERN FOREIGN MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

The Second Annual Meeting of this Society was held in the First Presbyterian Church in Pittsburg, on the 6th and 7th of May. Public religious exercises were held on Tuesday evening and on Wednesday morning. On the former occasion, the report of the Executive Committee was read, and addresses delivered by Rev. A. W. Black, of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, and Rev. A. D. Campbell; and on Wednesday, the annual sermon was delivered by Rev. David Lewis.

By the Report it appeared, that, during the past year, seven ministers of the gospel, and sixteen persons in all, had been sent out under the auspices of the Society, to labour among the heathen; and that, during the second year of its existence, the sum of $16,296 464 had been contributed to its funds. Although very serious impediments to the progress of its operations were experienced in consequence of the want of suitable labourers for the missionary field, there was a prospect of its being able to commence one, or two new missions, as well as of sending a reinforcement to two or three already established. It also appeared that some additional Presbyteries had become constituent parts of the Society; among which those of Kaskaskia, West Tennessee, and Madison, were reported. The board adjourned to meet in the city of Philadelphia, on the Tuesday preceding the second Thursday in May, 1835, at 3 o'clock, P. M. To the Board of Agency and Correspondence in Philadelphia was referred the subject of the requisite arrangements for that meeting; and Rev. Robert J. Breckenridge, of Baltimore, and Rev. William W. Phillips, D. D., of New York, were appointed as preachers for the occasion.

SECOND ANNUAL REPORT OF THE BOARD.

After a few introductory remarks, the Executive Committee, in this Report, express their sense of obligation to God for having graciously permitted the Society to prosecute its work amidst the increasing support and co-operation of the churches, the gratifying augmentation of missionary labourers, and the continued indications of the Redeemer's favour. Through the good hand of God upon the Society, it has been enabled to send out, in the second year of its existence, sixteen persons, to bear the tidings of everlasting life to the benighted heathen; and the number and zeal of its friends and supporters have constantly increased. After noticing the decease of Rev. Dr. John M'Millan, one of the oldest and most venerable vice-presidents of the Society; Thomas T. Skillman, Esq. one of its earliest life-members; and Mrs. Louisa A. Lowrie, a highly esteemed member of the North Indian Mission, the Committee give an account of the missions established and sustained by the Society. The following are extracts from the report.

"In proceeding to lay before the board a general view of the missions already established, or in contemplation, the committee adopt the order of the dates of their permanent commencement, and the period at which the purpose of their establishment was formed.

MISSION TO NORTHERN INDIA.

The Mission to Northern India, according to this arrangement, first claims our attention.

The last annual report stated, that the Rev. Messrs. William Reed and John C. Lowrie, with their wives, were expected to leave this country in a few weeks afterwards, to commence their contemplated mission to Hindostan. Arrangements were accordingly made for their embarkation in the ship Star, of the port of Philadelphia, in May last. Never, it is believed, was the mind of the Christian public, in that city, more deeply interested in the foreign missionary enterprise, than during the presence

of the mission there, and the religious exercises which were connected with their final departure from it. The closing meeting will long be remembered by many, as well from the peculiar circumstances which tended to give effect to it, and the divine influence which seemed to pervade it, as the early and lamented removal of that excellent woman, who then, for the last time on earth, participated in the exercises of the sanctuary. This little band finally bid adieu to their native land, and the ship Star put to sea on the 30th of May, and arrived at Madeira on the 24th of June following. The temporary abode of the missionaries at that fertile and lovely spot in the ocean, tended not only to mitigate the fatigues of a long sea voyage, but somewhat to recruit the strength of Mrs. Lowrie, whose health had begun to be so far impaired, during the last few weeks of her residence in this country, as to threaten a confirmed pulmonary affection. The voyage was resumed on the 15th of July, and the Star arrived in the port of Calcutta, on the 15th of October. The change of air incident to her passage into the southern hemisphere, and severe gales in doubling the Cape of Good Hope, appeared, the committee regret to state, to confirm all the fears which had been entertained as to the character of Mrs. Lowrie's illness, and from that period she began gradually to waste away, so that before the arrival of the Star in port, all hopes of her recovery were blasted.

The mission was received at Calcutta with every mark of respect and affection; and to the Rev. William H. Pearce especially, will they and their friends in this country feel long and deeply indebted, for the hospitality and kindness which were shown them. They were immediately taken into his family, and amidst the assiduous and affectionate attentions of Mr. and Mrs. Pearce and their friends, Mrs. Lowrie lingered until the 24th of November, when she expired; and from this hospitable mansion her mortal remains were borne to the house appointed for all living. To her deeply afflicted husband, thus early bereft of a partner in a strange land, to the other two surviving members, to the society and the cause of missions in India, the death of this amiable, intelligent, and devoted woman, must be regarded as a very severe affliction. Her desires to devote herself to the spiritual good of the heathen were fervent, and her qualifications for the station were, to human view, uncommon: but He, for whose glory she left her native land, and bore her feeble, exhausted frame half round the globe, was pleased, doubtless for wise reasons, to disappoint her earthly hopes, and to require her earthly associates a few short weeks after their arrival, to consign her to the dust, there to proclaim, as she sleeps in Jesus on India's distant shores, the compassion of American Christians for its millions of degraded idolaters; and to invite others from her native land, to come and prosecute the noble undertaking in which she fell.

(To be continued.)

View of Public Affairs.

EUROPE.

Advices have been received from Liverpool of the 16th of May, from London of the 15th, and from Paris about two or three days less recent. The details of intelligence possess some interest, but no important event or change is announced.

BRITAIN. The most important article of intelligence from Britain relates to a treaty, which it appears has been entered into between Britain, France, Spain, and Portugal, (the two latter powers represented by the two young queens) for the pacification of the Peninsula. The articles of the treaty we believe have not been published, but of its existence there appears to be no doubt-The result will probably be, that Don Carlos and Don Miguel will have to resign all their claims to the crowns for which they and their partisans have so earnestly contended. We suspect, however, it will be long before either Spain or Portugal will enjoy internal quiet-It will be prevented by the artifices of the Roman Catholic priesthood, and the blind bigotry and superstition of a considerable part of the population-In the House of Commons, April 21st, Lord Althorpe brought forward his proposition for abolishing church rates, and substituting in lieu of them, a charge of £250,000 on the land tax. Mr. Hume and several members objected to any rate for the church on principle. After a long and interesting debate, however, the original motion was carried by 256 to 140. England appears to be in some danger from combinations among the working men as well as France. Societies called "Trades Unions" have been formed extensively throughout the kingdom, and in consequence of their regular organization, are able, if they are so disposed, to make a formidable resistance to the civil authorities. At Oldham, near Manchester, on the

14th April, there was a serious riot, in consequence of the seizure of two members of the Trades Union of that town by the police. One or two of the mob were killed in an attack on the property of a manufacturer. The London Trades Union, to the number of 50,000, walked in procession on the 22d of April, to the office of the Home Department, to present a petition asking that the sentence of seven years' transportation passed upon six members of the Dorsetshire Union, for taking unlawful oaths in joining said Union, might not be carried into effect. Lord Melbourne declined receiving the petition under such circumstances. Great apprehensions were felt that disastrous consequences would ensue from this procession, and several regiments of troops, together with 2000 police officers, were put in readiness to act at a moment's warning. Happily there was no occasion for their interference. The whole number of men belonging to the London Union is about 250,000. Ireland is in a state of great excitement. The peasantry cherish the most deadly hatred against the policemen. Three of the latter were recently murdered in open day, in the most shocking and barbarous manner. It is supposed that a conspiracy on a very extended scale exists in Tipperary. Tythes are the principal, but not the exclusive cause, of discontent and riot-Mr. O'Connell, agreeably to a notice previously given, moved in the House of Commons to take measures preparatory to a repeal of the act of union, by which Ireland was deprived of a parliament, or legislative body, separately from that of Britain. He is represented as having made an eloquent and able speech, but on taking the question, on the evening of the 29th of April, his motion was negatived by an overwhelming majority. Immediately after this vote, a motion was made, by those who had opposed the motion of Mr. O'Connell, for an address to the king on the subject of the repeal, which motion was carried by 523 votes-only 38 voting against it. The following day, April 30th, the House of Lords, after a speech from Lord Grey and Lord Chancellor Brougham, resolved to join with the Commons in their address to the throne, and the king had appointed the first day of May for receiving it-We have noticed in another part of this No. the unwelcome intelligence of the death of Richard Lander, the discoverer of the course and outlet of the river Niger.

FRANCE, has lately been seriously agitated by riots and insurrections, rendered formidable, it is asserted, by the union of the Republican and Carlist parties. It is affirmed, that a plan was laid for concerted action in more than fifty of the principal cities of France. However this might be, the attempts made in the two first cities of the kingdom, Paris and Lyons, and especially in the latter, were productive of consequences, over which every friend of humanity must lament. In Lyons, the number of insurgents amounted to some thousands, and at first they overpowered the military force established in the city; that force, however, was soon augmented by troops not far distant, and then a most obstinate and bloody conflict ensued. Barricades were erected in the streets, and the troops were fired on from the windows of houses. For four successive days, the warfare raged without intermission, and both parties fought to desperation. It would seem that the insurgents had calculated on the defection of the soldiery, or on their refusal to act. In this they were disappointed; and were in the event completely defeated-and tranquillity restored to the city, desolated by the hostile parties. The number of the insurrectionists who were killed, is stated, (probably understated) at six hundred; of the number of wounded, and the loss of life on the part of the governmental troops, we have seen no account, The conflict in Paris was of much shorter duration, not exceeding twenty-four hours; and the number of the insurrectionists was far less than at Lyons-yet not inconsiderable. About twelve or fourteen of the soldiery were killed; the number slain of their opponents, is not certain, but it was far greater than that of the military. There was no appearance of defection, either in the national guards or the troops of the line; and it is stated that they spared no one, male or female, in the houses from which they were fired on. The king's two sons were in the thickest of the fight; and were received and obeyed with the greatest promptitude. The day after the insurrection was quelled, the king reviewed the troops, and was received with cheers. The Chamber of Deputies expected soon to finish their sitting, and a new Chamber was to be elected, to convene in the coming autumn. There is every indication that the existing government of France is established in the hearts of the people, taking the nation at large; and yet the factions are very formidable. Our nation's friend, General Lafayette, is among the dissatisfied; but, true to his principles, he has resolutely refused the solicitations of the Society of the Rights of Man, to join them, in resisting the laws.

We had written the most of the above, when an arrival from Britain brought news of a later date than any received before. We shall give the summary of this recent intelligence, just as we find it in the paper before us; and with this conclude our View for the present month-How much lying is produced by stock-jobbing—by the sacra fames auri! We should have given as fact, or probable fact, the surrender of Don Carlos to the English, if this arrival had not come in time to prevent it.