PRIZES.

1. Prizes of £5, £3, and £2 were given respectively to the students in each of the students' classes above specified who stood the best examination on the lectures delivered during the session.

2. A prize of £10 from a 'Glasgow Merchant' was also given to the student who stood the best examination on the course of lectures delivered in the class in Glasgow during the session. The student who takes this prize cannot take also the £5 prize.

3. Prizes of £3, £2, and £1 were given to the members of the Popular Class, who stood the best examination on the subjects treated of during the session.

The following are the names of the successful competitors who gained prizes:

1. EDINBURGH. (The prizes for the students' class were contributed by John Miller, Esq. of Leithen.)-First Prize, John Howie Boyd, Third Year University, Free Church. Second Prize, Jacob Primmer, Third Year University, Church of Scotland. Third Prize, Robert Saunders, Fourth Year University, Free Church. Honourable Mention, John Baird, First Year University, Free Church; George Anderson, First Year University, Original Secession Church; John Russell, First Year University, Free Church.

2. GLASGOW.- First Prize (£10 sterling), Henry Bremner, M.A., First Year, Free Church College; Second Prize (£5), John King, Glasgow University, Free Church; Third Prize (£3), Archibald Beaton, Fourth Year University, Free Church; Fourth Prize (£2), John Glen, Second Year Divinity, Free Church College; Honourable Mention, Robert Waddell, Fourth Year University, Free Church; Archibald Black, University, Free Church; William Gillespie, Sixth Year University, Free Church; S. Murray, Fourth Year University, Free Church.

EDINBURGH.-Popular Class,-First Prize, Henry Harvey, Student; Second Prize, Girdo Milligan, Publisher's Assistant; Third Prize, J. D. Munro, Student; Honourable Mention, William Boal, Student.

A Prize of £10 was offered by the late Mr. Morrison of Harvieston, for the best essay on 'The Necessity for Training the Young, and especially our future Ministers and Teachers, in a knowledge of the Romish Controversy, with a statement of any Objections thereto, and an Answer to any Objection.' The Prize was gained by Mr. Bicket, U.P. Student, Fenwick, Ayrshire.

Subscriptions for Prizes, or for the ordinary purposes of the Institute, may be sent to Peter Robertson, Esq., Treasurer, Commercial Bank, South Bridge, Edinburgh.

B

II. ORPHANAGE AT LANARK.

It is well that the attention of the Church should be fixed on the operations of the Romish priests by means of so-called 'Orphanages,' supported by begging on the one hand, and attempted to be supported by public taxation on the other. The following is extracted from the Glasgow Morning Journal of April 16, 1867 :—

"The following letter, soliciting pecuniary aid for the maintenance of orphans at Lanark, was received a few days ago by a gentleman in Glasgow, who took some pains to inquire into the nature of the charity referred to, and being himself a Presbyterian, was much surprised to find that the orphanage is a purely Roman Catholic institution, conducted with a view to the advancement of the Church of Rome, and that none of the orphans, so far as is known, belong to Lanark. It appears, moreover, that orphans are taken into the institution from Parochial Boards, and, of course, must be paid for by the parishes from which they are sent. If private appeals of this kind are made in behalf of this Roman Catholic seminary, they should be made without disguise of any kind, since it is obvious that many may be entrapped into donations which they would afterwards regret having given, and which they would prefer to devote in another way :

666 "SIR,-I beg to apologize for bringing before your notice a charity in which I am deeply interested, in the hope that you may contribute a mite towards its support. I have under my care here one hundred and forty orphans, from the ages of one to thirteen years. These poor children have neither father or mother. If we did not take them in here, they would be cast on the merciless world at their tender age. For some time past the expense of maintaining them has been defrayed by donations from a few benevolent friends and strangers. This winter food of every kind has been expensive; we often did not know where to procure food for the day for such a large helpless family of little ones. Having heard of your great kindness towards the poor, I feel encouraged to lay the cause of these poor children before you, and sincerely trust my appeal in their behalf may be favourably responded to, ‘even although it would be a refusal.' Still it is much more satisfactory to know the result than remain in suspense, when so many little hungry mouths are depending on the success of this note, and the aid given. An early reply will extremely oblige.-Your obedient servant,

"“ April 6.”'

"(Signed)

TERESA FARRELL.

The following scale of charges may be interesting:

'ST. MARY'S ORPHANAGE, LANARK,

'Under the care of the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. 1. Catholic boys and girls under fourteen years of age, and being orphans, or otherwise destitute, are admissible to this institution.

2. On admission, satisfactory guarantee for payment of £9 sterling a year for each child is required. This sum includes the expenses of board, clothing, education, industrial training, medical attendance, and all other personal wants.

3. Children sent by Poor Law Boards are received on the terms usually given to families and schools in such cases. As, however, these terms are found, when everything is considered, to average about £9 a year, it is desirable, for the sake of uniformity, that Boards would allow this sum.

'4. If a child at any time be found incapable of being educated, either on account of perverse habits or deficiency of intellect, its guardians will remove it if the Sisters of Charity so request.

5. All children admitted form part of the general Orphanage under the care of the Sisters of Charity, and are in all respects subject to the general arrangement of the establishment.

6. Payments to be made quarterly, and in advance. 'November 1864.'

III.-PROTESTANT LIBRARY OF REFERENCE.

It is well that all our ministers should know that at the Protestant Institute of Scotland, 17 George IV. Bridge, Edinburgh, there is now a very valuable and extensive Protestant Library of Reference the most valuable probably in the United Kingdom. Besides many Protestant books, doctrinal and historical, this library contains the collection of valuable and rare Protestant and Romish works acquired during a series of years by a most intelligent Protestant in the west of Scotland. It also contains a number of rare works found in the Italian monasteries which were lately dismantled. These books were purchased for the Institute by Dr. Wylie, in Italy.

This whole library is open for consultation, at suitable times, by ministers and others who may be anxious, or who may find it necessary, to master the Romish controversy. Additional donations of books of all kinds bearing upon the question will be cordially welcomed, as well as donations of money with which to extend the library, or otherwise promote the objects of the Institute. There can be little doubt that the Romish controversy is again daily rising into importance, and the Church should be prepared for the struggle.

Free Church of Scotland.

REPORT

OF THE

COMMITTEE OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

IN REGARD TO THE

DIFFUSION OF A KNOWLEDGE OF THE PRINCIPLES OF PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH-GOVERNMENT.

MAY 1867.

SINCE last General Assembly your Committee, according to instructions, sent down their Report not only to every Presbytery, but to every minister in the Church, with a circular calling special attention to the subject. Although they have not received many communications in return, they have reason to believe that the subject has received some considerable measure of attention, although not so much as its importance merits.

It is increasingly apparent that very considerable ignorance exists even in unexpected quarters, both in regard to the principles of Presbyterian Church-government and Presbyterian worship, and that many of our people are totally unable to give an intelligent reason why they are members of our Church, as distinguished from others. They are therefore apt to be carried about with every wind of doctrine,' and instead of giving cordial and conscientious support to the Church from a regard to the authority of Christ, its Lord and King, they are guided mainly by personal preferences, by custom, and by other insufficient considerations.