which he died. As usual, in this disease, he dreamt of recovery, even when his end was very near, and at last he quietly slept away, to awake, we trust, with a calm and sweet surprise, in that new earth, under that new heaven, wherein dwelleth righteousness. The deceased will live in the affectionate remembrance of all who were acquainted with his retiring merits. A sound judgment characterised him this was clear and decided, and his compositions were always perspicuous and instructive. He was freer from prejudice than most men, in respect to both persons and opinions; being filled with that charity which "thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth." His whole air was cheerful, and all his friendships true. Fellow students remain whom he

attended in sickness and comforted in dejection, in whose memory his image yet uprises like that of a ministering angel. His piety was moulded by the above qualities, being decided, simple, intelligent, practical, altogether lovely. There is a voice from his tomb, "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ."

ORDINATION.

On Wednesday, the 11th July, the United Associate Presbytery of Elgin met, for the first time, at Tain, Ross-shire, for the purpose of ordaining the Rev. Robert Ferrier to the pastoral charge of the Secession congregation there. There were present the Rev. Mr Munro, Chapelhill, Nigg; Messrs Scott and Munro, of Înverness; and Messrs Pringle and Lind, of Elgin. There were also present, as corresponding members, the Rev. Dr William Peddie of Edinburgh, and the Rev. Mr Girdwood of Pennycuick. After prayer and praise by the Rev. Dr Peddie, the Rev. Mr Girdwood delivered an excellent and impressive sermon from Philippians iii. 8, "Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord." Afterwards the Rev. Mr Lind, as moderator, offered up the ordination prayer. The Rev. Mr Pringle delivered an appropriate and powerful address to the pastor; and the Rev. Mr Munro, Chapelhill, in the absence of Rev. Mr Stark, Forres, an able and suitable exhortation to the people. The chapel was well filled, and the whole proceedings of the day were of a most solemn and interesting nature, and made a deep impression on the minds of all who were present. In the evening, from forty to fifty gentlemen dined on the occasion, in the Balnagown Arms Inn. Mr Ferrier was introduced to his congregation on the Sabbath following, by Dr Peddie, who preached forenoon and evening. Mr Ferrier preached in the afternoon. On the day of the ordination, a most handsome collection was made at the church doors. Our best wishes are with the little flock in Tain, who, after a series of no ordinary difficulties and disappointments, have at length obtained the advantage of a settled ministry. They have, since their origin, adhered to one another, and to the Secession cause, with most exemplary fidelity, zeal, and harmony; and, though their "beginning has been small," we trust that their "latterend will greatly increase." Their chapel, which they were enabled to build by the liberality of the congregation of Bristo Street, Edinburgh, is free of debt. They have also been hitherto aided by an ample yearly donation from the missionary society in that congregation. It is a pleasing circumstance, that Mr Ferrier, who was brought up in the Bristo Street congregation, received from his friends there, on occasion of his leaving, a handsome copy of Scott's Commentary, in token of their esteem, and their good wishes for his comfort and success in the new sphere of his labours. The settlement is satisfactory to all concerned, and the issue, it is to be hoped, will be the gradual formation of a respectable and efficient congregation in the town of Tain.

CALLS.

On Thursday, June 27, the United Associate congregation of Broughty Ferry gave a unanimous call to Mr John Brown Johnston to be their pastor. Rev. W. Borwick of Dundee preached and presided.

On the 28th June, the United Secession congregation of Cambuslang gave an harmonious call to Mr Andrew W. Smith, preacher of the gospel, to be their pastor.

SCOTTISH ESTABLISHMENT.

PROCEEDINGS OF GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

ACCORDING to promise, we now furnish an outline of the proceedings of this public body at its last meeting; and in doing so we shall aim at conciseness, both because the subject is in itself of no great interest, and because having been obliged to postpone it till now, we fear the intelligence may be somewhat stale. The Assembly met on the 16th of May, and took possession of the splendid Hall built at the expense of the nation, for a section of religionists, who certainly do less, in proportion to their ability, for the intellectual, moral, and spiritual welfare of the community than any other denomination professing an orthodox creed in the whole kingdom; and who, from the manner in which they are supported, and the obnoxious privileges and immunities extended to them can be considered as little else than a festering sore in the body politic. The Marquis of Bute was commissioner, and enacted the usual pageant. Principal Lee, an old pupil of Dr Lawson, who had been hitherto excluded from the chair, was called to it on this occasion without opposition. Dr Simpson of Kirknewton, another old Selkirk student, officiated as principal clerk. The first day's business was wholly routine; for her Majesty's letter, and the speeches of the commissioner and moderator, deserve no higher appellation.

On Friday the 17th, after the devotional exercises, almost nothing was done beyond arranging the order of business, and agreeing that, during the sittings of Assembly, there should be prayer-meetings in St Andrew's church on the evenings of Sabbath, when the commissioner was expected to attend.

On Saturday the 18th, after disposing of some matters of lesser importance, the Assembly had their attention directed to a great deficiency of Gaelic preachers, which has long been increasing; and a committee was appointed to take the matter into consideration. A committee was also appointed to bring forward regulations for the settlement of ministers in parishes under the new law, so as to secure uniformity in the procedure of Presbyteries.

On Monday the 20th, an answer to the Queen's letter was read and approved of. The Assembly then took up the case of the presentee to the parish of Ceres in Fife, who was objected to, under Lord Aberdeen's bill, on the following grounds:-1st, That his voice is too weak for the church; 2d, That his pronunciation (the Aberdeen dialect) is offensive and partly unintelligible; and 3d, That he is far advanced in life-fifty-one years of age. On the motion of Dr Cook, the presbytery of Cupar were enjoined to proceed with the settlement. A case of disputed settlement in the parish of Killearnan was next taken up; when it was found that the presbytery had proceeded irregularly, and they were directed to commence the case anew. The appeal of the Rev. J. Livingston, presentee to Kippen was next considered, and unanimously dismissed.

On Tuesday, 21st, a letter was read from the Chaplain-General of the Forces, begging that he might be furnished with a list of chapels in England,

Ireland, and elsewhere, which had retained unbroken connexion with the Establishment. This led to some complaints of Scottish soldiers not being duly supplied with ordinances, in the course of which Mr Wordie of Cupar, formerly of Jamaica, stated that, in some of the colonies, wherever there were 100 soldiers belonging to the Church of Scotland, notice was sent to the clergyman, and he was immediately placed on the pay-list. A committee was appointed to answer the letter, and to take the whole case into consideration. The rest of the day was occupied with the well-known case of Mr Smith of Penpont, presentee to the Tolbooth parish, Edinburgh, which terminated by the Assembly agreeing to a motion of Dr Cook for the translation, in opposition to the deeds of the Presbytery of Edinburgh and the Synod of Lothian and Tweeddale. This was a grievous mortification to Dr Muir and the church (or semi-Puseyite) party in the kirk, who hold that the church courts ought to possess, and that Lord Aberdeen's bill secures to them, unlimited powers in such matters. It may be stated that Mr Pringle of Whytbank, a member of the government, attended as an elder, and opposed the settlement of Mr Smith, apparently anxious to produce the impression that the kirk now enjoys the blessing of nonintrusion. But Dr Cook, the old consistent Erastian moderate, triumphed by a majority of twenty.

On Wednesday, 22d May, the committee on Jewish Missions reported, and recommended that all the stations should be kept up-that an ordained minister should be located at each-that measures should be adopted for increasing the number and efficiency of missionaries-that treatises adapted to Jews, should be prepared on the leading points in the Christian system, and in particular, that the Shorter Catechism should be translated into Hebrew. It was stated also, that during last winter the students in the University of Edinburgh had held weekly meetings on the subject of missions, and that several ministers had delivered addresses to them-that the students had founded a missionary bursary of L.25 per annum-that during the last nine months, subscriptions had been received by the treasurer to the amount of L.2435, and that he has in hand L.2072. The report recommended, that while the Church continued the mission abroad, something should be done for the conversion of the Jews at home. The report was adopted, and thanks returned to the committee. The Assembly was afterwards occupied on this and the following day with several cases of disputed settlement, the objections to presentees being generally that their preaching was unedifying, and their prayers unimpressive, sometimes that their voices were weak, and in one case that he had a clubfoot. The Assembly decided that some should be admitted, and some rejected; and it has been alleged, that no consistent principle seems to have governed their procedure.

On Thursday the 23d, besides disposing of the disputed settlements referred to, the Assembly received the report of the Colonial Committee, which, upon the whole, was exceedingly gloomy, having reference chiefly to the defection which had taken place from the ranks of the kirk, and which it was apprehended would extend still farther, especially in Canada. On Friday the 24th, the Assembly received a report on the India Mission, which admitted that all the missionaries had withdrawn to the Free Church, but stated that the property had been reserved, for though it had been claimed, the committee were not at liberty to alienate it from the Church. Hopes were expressed that well qualified missionaries would ere long be obtained. Dr Stevenson, who had been in India ten years as a missionary, and ten as a minister, said, had he remained there he would have seceded too, and had the missionaries been here they would not all have left. He stated, that though religious knowledge was considerably diffused in India, yet a spirit of infidelity was rapidly extending, and Hume's arguments were quite rife there. He hoped the mission would

be resumed, and successfully prosecuted. The Assembly next passed a series of resolutions against the abolition of the religious tests in the Universities, Mr Brewster of Paisley alone opposing. A petition was then presented from the presbytery of Aberdeen, praying for advice respecting the professors in the University there who had seceded, and a committee was appointed to take the whole case into consideration. The Assembly of last year having repealed the late act by which the pulpits of the Establishment were opened to Evangelical Dissenters, and appointed a committee to prepare an enactment on the subject, the following was brought forward, adopted as an interim act, and sent down to the presbyteries for consideration, viz. :—

"The Committee are deeply impressed with the importance and desirableness of promoting and maintaining friendly relations with those who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity and truth. They feel that it is of equal importance to maintain the purity of Christian doctrine and discipline, and to guard the great principles of an Established Church. To secure these important objects, the committee would respectfully recommend that admission of those of other communities to the pulpits of the Establishment shall not be left to the discretion of individual ministers, nor granted to those of the soundness of whose faith we cannot be fully assured; but that in every case it shall be requisite that permission be asked and received from the Presbytery of the bounds, or a standing committee of their number, who shall in every case report to the presbytery; and that it shall be borne in mind by every presbytery, that such admission is to be granted only to those who, by the recognition of, and submission to, a creed or symbol of faith, give undoubted evidence that they maintain, with us, the vital doctrines of Christian faith and principles which, as an Establishment, we are bound to maintain."

In support of this measure Dr Cook said

"There were many excellent men, sound in doctrine, who might be permitted to be received into their pulpits, because they had given a pledge, as to their ministry, to the body to which they belonged. But then, if they did not adhere to the doctrine of an Established Church, of course it would be highly improper to allow them to declaim on that theme from their pulpits. Hence the necessity of leaving the consideration of this matter to the discretion of presbyteries, as recommended in the report."

On Saturday the 25th, the Assembly authorised the presbytery of Edinburgh to place on the list of preachers the Rev. Andrew Johnston, formerly of the United Secession Church, who had been employed as chaplain to a mining company in Brazil, but who had sometime ago withdrawn from the Secession and joined the communion of the kirk. The Rev. James Cumming of London, was heard as a deputation from the Presbyterian Church of England, and expressed a strong desire that the Assembly should formally recognize them as distinct from the party who had withdrawn, and who wished to maintain the dignity of an Established Church, and at the same time, the popularity of a secession which was a contradiction in terms." He stated that the Assembly had many fast friends who could render it good service in England, and that in particular, they had " a large sympathy in the Church of England, with but one single exception, in favour of the Free Church." The Report on Home Missions was then given in, which related to-Church Extension,-Aiding weak congregations, nine of which had received L.215,-Missionaries, on whom L.320 had been expended,-Encouragement to young men studying for the ministry, to several of whom, sums averaging L.10, had been voted. It concluded by urging on the Church the care of Home Missionary stations, and a hope was expressed that none of the chapels to which the Church is entitled would be allowed to slip out of their hands. The report on presbyterial visitations was then given in, and a list of queries proposed to be put by presbyteries to ministers respecting the state of religion, and the condition of the poor in their parishes. The Assembly then disposed of the cases of disputed settlement in Portmoak and Port-Glasgow, remitting the former to the Presbytery, to be brought before the Commission in August, and ordering the settlement in the latter to take place.

On Monday, 27th, the report on Education was given in relating to Elementary Schools for the poor,-Qualifications of teachers,-and Cooperation with Presbyteries in support of schools. The Assembly has 149 schools, attended by 7960 pupils. The income of the committee last year amounted to L.7182. The model school in Edinburgh had trained last year 100 teachers, and had 380 scholars. The committee had received L.500 from the privy council. Dr Hill gave in a report from the committee for expediting the licensing of students, which contained a variety of proposals which were not adopted. A minute directory for the settlement of ministers was then considered, and sent down to presbyteries. Several cases of no public interest were then disposed of, and after addresses from the Commissioner and the Moderator, the Assembly broke up to meet next year on the 22d of May.

MONTHLY RETROSPECT.

Parochial Schoolmasters.-A member of the government recently announced, in the House of Peers, that it is in contemplation to introduce, during next session of Parliament, a measure for augmenting the salaries of the parochial schoolmasters of Scotland. That the remuneration of teachers in this country is too small, we readily admit,—too small not for themselves alone, but for the community, which suffers grievously, in one of its highest interests, from the services of competent instructors of youth not being by any means generally commanded. The sarcastic remark of Mr Simpson, advocate, is still as just as it was when he uttered it a number of years ago, that if every other trade fail one, he may always open a school. But we have two objections to increasing the salaries of the parochial schoolmasters. First, they are selected from one section of religionists, which, though a minority, enjoys many other obnoxious privileges and immunities; secondly, there is no security whatever for their efficiency, but on the contrary, as would seem, great facilities and temptations for a scandalous neglect of duty, it being notorious that very many parochial schools are almost entirely deserted, while adventure and subscription schools, close beside them, are well frequented, though, in some cases, taught by persons of far inferior education. We have not space at present for enlarging, nor do we need. Facts are clamant. The subject is one on which, we humbly conceive, public opinion ought to be loudly expressed, and if that is not done speedily it will be too late, provided the present administration continue in power.

English Morality.-The fifth annual report of the Registrar General states, that of 248,554 registered births in England and Wales, 15,839 were illegitimate, being fully one in sixteen. All doubtful cases, too, and of course all births after marriage, were set down as legitimate; and the illegitimate were the most likely not to be registered. Scotland and Ireland are not included in the returns. It is universally admitted that the matter referred to furnishes one of the most certain tests of public morality. How must all the benevolent and pious blush and mourn for their country!

Slave Whipped to Death in America.-The Anti-Slavery Reporter announces that a man of the name of Lamb was lately tried at Charleston, South Carolina, for whipping a negro to death. It was proved that he had inflicted 350 well-laid-on lashes in twenty-four hours, and that the slave died soon after; but the jury found him "Not guilty"!

MURRAY AND GIBB, PRINTERS, GEORGE STREET, EDINBURGH.