dispossess their minds of all such misapprehensions as those under which they have traditionally laboured. Many of you, I know, are doing much in this way already; and, among others, allow me to name one man among you who has done more than any score, perhaps, of Scottish ministers have done before, to dispossess the people of England of such prejudices,-I refer to Dr James Hamilton. Do then, we say, go forward and persevere; and much as you may have heretofore done, it may be that, under wholesome stimulus to action, you may yet be privileged to do ten times more. Much have your fathers done and suffered in time past; for we read that in the times of Nonconformity, when 60,000 suffered and 5000 died in prison, there were two millions sterling wrung out of them. Well, that would seem to indicate that they had two millions sterling to be wrung out of them. And who can tell, whether, if they had spontaneously given these two millions before, for the erection of schools and churches to deepen and spread far and wide the roots of Presbyterianism in England,-who can tell but it might have been the established religion at the present day? But it had to be wrung out of them by persecution. Perhaps two millions could not be wrung out of you; but for aught I can tell, dividing the amount by ten, £200,000 might be wrung out of you. And if so, my humble suggestion is, that you would come out with some such effort as our Disruption efforts, such as our manse-building effort, our church-building and school-building efforts, and shew us your £200,000, not wrung from you, but nobly offered as a free gift on the altar of Christian beneficence. Dr Hetherington has this night referred to the softness and sweetness of the English character, when sincerely pious. The reference is thoroughly well-founded; but it is scarcely possible not to feel that it is usually sadly lacking in strong theology. Thus, it happens that, while we, on the one hand, are apt to go all into strong theology, without the sweetnesses and graces of English devotional piety, the good people of England are apt to go all into the sweetnesses and graces of devotional piety, without the vigour and power of our strong logy. What we desire is, that round our strong theology you may twine the floweretry of the sweetnesses and graces of English piety, and thus unite both, as a bright example of that approximate perfection to which humanity may even now, in the present imperfect dispensation, aspire. From the hearty responses given to your statements by the house this night, I am sure you feel in your inmost hearts that you carry our sympathies with you, and that will follow we you with our prayers for the success of all your labours in England and in the Foreign Missionary field.

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An application by Mr Purves, Clerk of Presbytery of Jedburgh, to give power to the Presbytery to meet in consequence of a quorum of their number not having appeared at the last meeting, and the Presbytery thereby becoming defunct, was then taken up.

Mr PURVES stated, in making his application, that he could not conceal the fact, that this Presbytery had already four times been suffered to be- : come extinct by its members, and he hoped that, in granting them permission to meet again, the Assembly would give such an expression of opinion as would tend to prevent the recurrence of such an event.

Dr CANDLISH thought the Assembly could have no hesitation in granting the Presbytery power to meet. How many lives the Presbytery of Jedburgh 3 had to lose he did not know (a laugh) as many, perhaps, as a certain animal well known to them. (Laughter.) They had lost four lives already,

and he supposed the Assembly must give them a fifth. He did not know how they could very well comply with the request of Mr Purves to censure absent brethren without hearing them; but they could express their deep regret to find the Presbytery so often in this predicament. It might be worthy of consideration whether it would be likely to prolong the short life of the Presbytery of Jedburgh, if they were to associate with them certain members from the adjoining Presbytery of Selkirk. (Loud laughter.) The best plan, in the mean time, would be to give them this fifth life, with a strong injunction on the members to attend to their duty. Agreed.

PRESBYTERY OF DEER.

A similar application from the Presbytery of Deer was granted without hearing parties, and the Assembly then adjourned.

THURSDAY, MAY 29. 1851.

College Extension: Speeches of Dr Candlish, Dr Paterson, Dr Brown, Dr Clark, Mr Gibson, Mr Gray, Dr Buchanan, &c.-Report on Widows' and Orphans' Fund-Report on Foreign Missions: Speeches Dr Hetherington, Mr Hawkins, Professor Miller, and Dr M'Queen.

The Assembly convened in private conference at half-past 10, on the subject of Foreign Missions, and the best method of providing for their support. The object of the conference was to consider in what way means could be adopted which would, on the one hand, secure a larger revenue to the Foreign Missions, and, on the other, would not affect the other Schemes of the Church. Several ministers stated difficulties in regard to the forma tion of Associations for the Foreign Missions, from want of a sufficient number of agents. In reply to which, the example of the Synod of Perth was given, where this difficulty had not been found, and where all the ministers who had tried the scheme found that it did not come into collision with other schemes, and that there was no lack of agents. Dr Duff endeavoured to impress on the minds of all present, the necessity for more immediate and more enlarged support to the mission; but, at the same time, disclaimed every thing like the idea of making the formation of Associations coercive, it was merely a recommendation, but such a recommendation as the experience of Perth seemed to warrant being carried out as an experi ment. It was farther stated, that when such Associations were formed, the usual yearly collection might be discontinued.

The result of the conference was, to agree to RECOMMEND a trial of Associations.

After a short adjournment, the chair was taken in public at one o'clock, and after devotional exercises, took up the overtures from various Synods and Presbyteries, with memorial from Professor M'Laggan, and petition from Students of Divinity in Aberdeen, on the subject of

COLLEGE EXTENSION.

Dr CANDLISH then rose and said-In terms of the notice I took the liberty of giving at an early diet of this Assembly, I now beg leave to move, that it is not expedient to discuss the question raised in the overtures and other documents relative to College extension in the present General Assembly. There can be no doubt as to the entire and perfect competency of a motion like this, having for its object an attempt, upon good cause being shewn, to arrest a discussion upon any subject brought before the Assembly. No doubt it may seem a somewhat ungracious position for any one to take, thus to

attempt in limine to arrest a discussion upon any question; but, I repeat, upon good cause being shewn, it is not only perfectly competent, but, in some instances, might be highly expedient. I do not think that it is generally desirrable that a question should be agitated from year to year in every Assembly of this Church, unless, indeed, it were a question involving, far more directly and immediately, some point or some principle, than, in my opinion at least, this question of College extension does. I find that, in former times, it was not an unusual thing for the General Assembly to decline taking up, and from year to year incessantly discussing, a particular subject. I find, for instance, that, in olden times, in reference to the grievance of pluralities, that after that subject had been discussed for several successive years, the General Assembly unanimously resolved, during other successive years, to waive the discussion of it. No doubt there were particular reasons which justified and warranted the waiving of discussion on that question, namely, the appointment of a University Commission, which was understood to be likely to effect the object of those who wished to see all pluralities of office abolished. That was the reason which induced Dr Chalmers, and others who were zealous against pluralities, to acquiesce from year to year in the subject not being discussed in the General Assembly; and the motion in which they acquiesced was substantially the same with reference to overtures against pluralities with the motion which I now take the liberty of laying on the table of the General Assembly. Of course, if I cannot succeed in shewing some good and sufficient reason to induce the General Assembly to waive the discussion of this subject this year, I am precisely in the same predicament as Dr Chalmers and others would have been, if they had had no good and sufficient reasons to urge for suspending a discussion on the question of pluralities. Now, in shortly stating the grounds on which I make this motion, I desire, in as far as possible, to avoid trenching on the merits of the question which I wish the General Assembly to decline undertaking the discussion of. There may be some difficulty in this, chiefly in consequence of the amendment of which Dr Brown has given due notice,-I shall speak to that amendment more particularly hereafter, and of course I am in the hands of the Assembly or the Moderator, who will no doubt keep me within bounds, should I unfairly step beyond that of my own motion. I should only have been too happy if, in adverting to Dr Brown's amendment, I had been spared the trouble of travelling beyond what I may call the preliminary subject, namely, Shall the question involved in these overtures be discussed or not? the only question which my motion raises; and I think that in strict form I might insist that any amendment put to my motion should be simply to the effect of meeting it with a negative. I think that in strict form I am entitled to know the mind of the General Assembly upon this preliminary question--Shall the question be discussed or not? and I must take exception to any attempt to introduce, as it were by a sidewind, a discussion for the purpose of securing anything like a deliverance on the general merits of the question. (Hear, hear.) I think I might insist that the General Assembly shall deliver its mind on the question-Shall this subject be discussed or not? I take the liberty of saying that it is not altogether formal, nor in strict fairness, to meet my motion with anything like an attempt to attain a deliverance on the question before the General Assembly, the question being, Is it expedient to go into the question at all? Now, having made these preliminary remarks, I shall state some considerations which weigh with me in moving that the subject be not at present discussed. And, in the first place, I take leave to say, that it does not appear to me that the overtures on your table render

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discussion of the subject imperative. No doubt there are a considerable number of overtures, eleven in all, on your table; and, in ordinary circumstances, overtures coming from eleven inferior church courts might be held to compel the General Assembly to discuss the subject. It would be disrespectful, in or dinary circumstances, to inferior church courts not to entertain and discuss this or any other subject; but in the present instance I think it may be very clearly shewn that a large number of these eleven overtures are of a very limited local character, and that, in point of fact, they do not carry the weight which the same number of overtures, coming from a great many different parts of the country, would carry. The overtures are as follow:- -One from the Synod of Aberdeen; and of the seven Presbytery overtures, five of them belong to the same Synod. Here, therefore, you have one overture from the Synod of Aberdeen, and five from Presbyteries connected with that Synod-evidently shewing a strong state of feeling in that particular locality, but limiting it to that six out of the whole. Then we have an overture from the Synod of Argyle, and one from the Presbytery of Dunoon and Inverary, belonging to that Synod. Now, I am not prepared to attach more weight to these two overtures than I would do to only one from that quarter. Again, we have two overtures from the Synod of Glenelg, two from the Synod of Ross, and one from the Presbytery of Glasgow, which is rather of a modified description. Now, these are the overtures, and, as it seems to me, we do not shew any great disrespect to the Courts from which they have emanated by declining to discuss this subject at the present. I think we are at liberty in this matter to exercise our own discretion. Farther, and in the second place, I take leave to say, that all men must be tracing the difference between the agitation which forced the discussion of this question on the Assembly last year, and the entire want of any similar agitation forcing it on the Assembly this year. We all know that, during the course of last year preceding the meeting of Assembly, not only were overtures prepared, but an agitation was kept up, by pamphlets and otherwise, which manifestly created a wide spread feeling in the Church; but there is nothing of that sort this year; there is no such thing as the Church being generally agitated on the question; and therefore we have this second reason for not taking up the subject, namely, that there is no general agitation in the country on the subject, and no evidence of any general desire or anxiety to have the ques tion again opened up. Farther, I think there is reason to say, as an additional reason in the third place, that I cannot look on the comparative acquiescence in the country during the past year, as contrasted with the undoubtable excitement of the year preceding, in any other light than as a proof, taking the Church at large, that the resolutions of last Assembly were so far satisfactory, as in the mean while to allay agitation and excitement. I do not of course interpret that acquiescence as a proof that all the Church was well pleased with the resolutions of last Assembly, but I look upon it as a proof that, so far, the agitation and excitement of last year has, to a large extent, been allayed. Now, this is a strong reason why we should not so soon again re-open the discussion of a question which was certainly hoped had been set down, at least for a time, after the full discussion at last General Assembly, and that we have little call to do so. Now, these considerations of themselves, would, to my mind, seem to be sufficient to warrant this General Assembly in declining to discuss the subject. First, that the overtures, although considerable in point of numbers, are limited and local when we come to analyse them; second, that there is no general ferment or excite ment in the Church requiring the General Assembly to take up the subject;

and third, that the acquiescence of the Church and country during the past year may be fairly understood as an indication to us that the resolutions adopted by the Assembly last year were so far satisfactory, that few indeed wish the subject to be again so soon opened up. Then, on the general consideration, and apart altogether from these, I think the manifest reason that should commend my motion simpliciter to the General Assembly is, that I think it inexpedient to be thus opening up a settlement which was confessedly at last Assembly, to a considerable extent, the healing of a breach that threatened to be serious. (Hear, hear.) That we did not succeed at last Assembly in altogether healing that breach, must of course be matter of regret; but that we did succeed to so large an extent in healing the breach, and, as it is hoped, placing matters on such a footing that the peace of the Church should not be disturbed from year to year, was matter of thankfulness. (Hear, hear.) And I should exceedingly regret if the resolutions which were come to, in the circumstances in which we were placed at last Assembly, and after all the agitation which preceded it,-resolutions bearing the character of peace-makers,-I own I should be exceedingly sorry if the resolutions which were passed in these circumstances should thus soon be disturbed by the Church. And this is my chief reason for asking the General Assembly to adopt the motion which I have laid on the table. I fear not discussion on this or on any other subject. I do not wish to stave off discussion, but I feel regret that we should be compelled from time to time to review the resolutions which have been adopted on the subject of College extension. I am far from thinking that these resolutions should be considered in the light of the laws of the Medes and Persians, and I am quite willing to listen to any proposal to modify or improve them; but I must contend that it is by no means expedient,-that it is in the highest degree inexpedient,-to reopen old sores so soon. And seeing that these resolutions had the aspect of peace makers, and seeing that, to a large extent, by the blessing of God, they had served this purpose of peace-makers, I must own that I do not hold it to be for edification that they should so soon be subjected to review again. Let us have time to act under these resolutions. The irritation of old sores has not yet been altogether forgotten; better let us have a little time, and I should hope that, after the lapse of a year or two, we may have come to be of a frame of mind which will make it far more safe than now to open a subject which notoriously has been a cause of not a little irritation, and not a little excitement. This, I think, is a consideration that ought to impress the General Assembly at all times. I mean this is an argument which, in any Assembly, might have weight against the re-opening of a discussion to a large extent peacefully closed. But, if I may be allowed to say so, I think it will be peculiarly becoming in the present General Assembly, considering all the circumstances in which we stand, and the nature of the exercises in which we have been engaged, it will be peculiarly becoming to waive the discussion of a subject which, in its own nature, or from the excitement it has previously produced in men's minds, is very much calculated to interfere with the solemn proceedings in which we have been engaged, and the high work to which this Assembly is called. I dare not, in your presence, Moderator, make any more than the most passing allusion to the circumstance of our being presided over by one who is a herald of peace to the heathen in distant lands; but I may be allowed to refer to the singularly momentous nature of those matters of business to which this Assembly has been called, and is yet to be called still more emphatically,-matters of business involving not the mere secular, not the mere external, framework

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