only be a medical colleague with you, but also a medical missionary at each one of the principal missionary stations, beginning with Calcutta, Madras, and Bombay. (Applause.) Our present position, then,-in the midst of much encouragement, and yet of disappointment also,-is anxiously seeking to fulfil the original design of the Society, by sending a medical missionary to China; with equal anxiety desiring to fulfil the call made on us by this Church; but determined to send no man to either post, unless he be, so far as we can judge, a workman thoroughly equipped in every way. (Hear, hear.) The other day I was accosted by the esteemed Convener of the Colonial Committee thus:-"Have you never a doctor that can preach ?" (Laughter.) This was in reference to a call made from Jamaica for a medical missionary -another point of connection with this Church. (Hear, hear.) "Have you never a doctor that can preach?" said he; and this reminded me then, as it reminds me now, how difficult it is to obtain a union of all the requisites for the important office. (Hear, hear.) There are plenty of doctors now, thank God, who can preach; but that is not enough; they must be able to preach to the purpose. (Laughter and applause.) Besides, they must be thorough adepts in their own profession,-no mere dabblers in physic,(hear, and applause)—and, above and besides all, they must be imbued thoroughly with the true missionary spirit, ready to sacrifice all, and their very lives if need be, in the service of their Lord and Master. (Applause.) Till we can obtain such men, we have resolved, and I am sure this House will agree that we are wise in so doing,-to abstain from any rash appointment; satisfied to await God's time; and feeling that, as pioneers in the cause, these first appointments should be made with very special attention and care. (Hear.) We are seeking to leaven the general public, and especially that profession with which we are more immediately connected, by means of annual meetings and annual reports. We are seeking to turn the attention of the junior portion of the medical profession to the subject, by the giving of prizes for essays on medical missions. (Hear, hear.) Lately, one contest of this kind has terminated satisfactorily; and the liberality of a generous friend to the cause empowers us to renew the competition whenever circumstances may render it advisable to do so. (Hear, hear.) At the end of last winter session, we had most gratifying meetings with the young men constituting the missionary associations both in the University and in the New College. (Hear, hear.) And, last of all, but not least important, finding such difficulty and disappointment in obtaining men readymade, we have resolved to make men for ourselves (applause)-that is, to select pious and otherwise suitable young men, needful of help in their edu cation, and willing to devote themselves to this good work; and to train these to missionary medicine. Once possessed of men, we have little fear of obtaining funds to support them; for already the public pulse has been felt satisfactorily on that score. (Hear, hear.) Such is our position. And what we would respectfully crave of this Church is its continued sympathy and co-operation; above all, your prayers, your interest at the throne of grace. It will be seen that our great want is men. The field is large, the harvest is ripe, but the labourers are few. Ten years have passed in anxious search, and yet there are none. Pray ye that the Lord will send labourers unto his harvest." (Applause.) We beseech you to aid us in an attempt to elevate and ennoble an already noble profession, by attaching it permanently and thoroughly to evangelistic enterprise. (Hear, hear.) Events seem to point to a great light about to break upon heathen lands, and to a new arousing of missionary effort on their behalf, not of one section only of

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the Church of Christ, but of all evangelistic Christendom. (Hear, hear.) Your own presence in your native land, Sir, may be honoured of God in connecting you with such a movement here. God grant it may! (Hear, hear.) There may be a setting of the heather on fire,-a carrying of the flaming cross over our mountains, but for a far other mustering and militancy than those of bygone days. (Applause.) There may be a new rising in the north-(hear, hear),—but on behalf of a far mightier prince than ever aspired to the temporal throne of these realms. (Applause.) And if these things be at hand, surely you will not refuse to aid the profession with which this Society is chiefly connected, in taking a place, however humble, in that noble crusade which, now begun, may, by God's blessing, ere long shake all heathendom to its centre. (Great applause.)

Dr K. M'QUEEN, said:-Presuming that Professor Miller would address the house on the subject of Medical Missions to India, I came prepared to supplement from my own local experience and observation in a country wherein I have passed the best years of my life, the omissions I expected to find in his application of general principles to the condition of India and its people; but I find, Sir, that Professor Miller is as much at home in India as myself, and has left for me very little indeed to say. There are, however, one or two points on which I hope that you, Sir, and the house, will for a very few minutes give me a patient hearing. The first point is this, I would wish to disabuse the mind of this Assembly of a prejudice which I know to exist against the Medical Missionary Society, and that is that that Society is setting on foot an organization, if not antagonistic, at least independent of, the existing missionary machinery. Now, Sir, nothing can be more unfounded than this. The object of the Medical Missionary Society is to supplement and to subserve the existing missions of the several Evangelical Churches, to supply a desideratum in the way of the full development of existing missionary institutions, to open doors of access, and to prepare the way for the full and free delivery of the gospel message. I believe, Sir, and speaking in your presence, I appeal to the highest authority existing on the subject, that no other instrumentality can be devised so effectual for obtaining access to the houses and hearts of the natives as medical missions. Houses and hearts which are sealed and shut against the preacher, will open spontaneously to the medical man, and that without the practice of any Jesuitry or concealment of his missionary aim. The medical man goes to the native of Mecca, and offers him that gift which he can ap preciate, and which he cordially desires, along with that, and accompanied with that, and for the sake of that, of the value of which he is ignorant, which he either despises or abhors. He accepts them both together, and thus the leaven is introduced, which, by God's blessing, may leaven the whole lump. This proceeding is exactly the same in principle as that on which your own Educational Institution in Calcutta is based. You attract the young to your school by the bait of a good secular education, and thus you obtain and avail yourself of the opportunity to indoctrinate them with Christian truth. We propose by the offer of our professional assistance, to bring relief to their bodily ailments, to obtain the opportunity for conveying also the only remedy for spiritual disease. We expect to be admitted to their service, and thus have an opportunity afforded to us for preaching the gospel from house to house, at the time when the heart is softest, and the ear most open to listen to the gospel message of love. I beg pardon of the house for deviating into this short statement of principles, for my object was only to make a statement of a few facts, to shew the open door and the

effectual, which is opening more widely every day for the medical man in India, and to shew that his missionary character will be no bar to his acceptability among the natives. I would not, I repeat, have the medical man to conceal his purpose. I believe it is only by the Christian man conferring benefits openly in the cause and for the sake of Christ, that he can at all promote the cause of Christ, as a Christian man, and as an honest man. I would scorn and repudiate all Jesuitry. I am happy to be able to state a few notorious and public facts, to shew the great desire the natives of India have to avail themselves of the services of European medical men. You, Sir, know well the extent to which the swarthy natives of Calcutta avail themselves of the services of medical men there. Neither their time, however, nor their personal interests, permit them to devote much of their attention to the humbler classes of the native society. But in the providence of God, we are able now to exemplify the wonderful effects which that desire to obtain relief for bodily suffering has in subduing the prejudices of the most ignorant and most superstitious and priest-ridden classes of the population. Dr Scott, a private practitioner in Madras, unconnected with the service of the East India Company, has opened an hospital for the treatment of the diseases of women and children, the two classes which we would expect to find the most obstinately to resist the allurement of an institution of the kind. Yet what has been the result of an experiment of only two years' standing? Why, that the hospital has been crowded to overflowing. I have mislaid the paper I had with the hospital statistics; but the fact is, that such has been the result of Dr Scott's success in the treatment of his female patients among the natives, that he has been obliged to apply for an assistant, who has gone out but a few months ago from Edinburgh. Dr Scott is so much employed in domestic practice, that he has been compelled to give over his hospital practice to an assistant. This assistant has been hitherto maintained principally by native munificence, so sensible are the natives of its benefits. The munificent Parsee Haught, at Bombay, has erected and endowed an hospital in Bombay, for similar objects as that of Madras, and placed it in connection with the Grant Institution there; and I was much gratified by reading lately in the Friend of India newspaper, that a Bengal Zemindar, or a native landholder, has engaged a European medical man, to afford medical aid to the people on his extensive estates. I wish, Sir, that our landlords nearer home would shew some such consideration for their people. Now, without multiplying proof, which might easily and readily be done, or taking up the time of the Assembly, the above are enough to shew that a door of extensive usefulness is open to the medical man in India. And now I will shew that his Christian character and his missionary purposes are no bar in his way. The late Dr Price, an American missionary, by his medical services obtained an influence over the Court of Ava, which promised the happiest results. The Royal family and nobility entrusted to him the education of their children; and had his life been spared, it is impossible to over-estimate the effects which might have resulted to that country. A similar influence had been obtained over the same court by the unhappy Felix Corey, who was also a medical practitioner. And a very interesting fact, which has lately been made known to me, that Joy Narain's school at Benares arose in consequence of a surgical operation performed by Dr Robertson. Joy Narain asked Dr Robertson how he should manifest his gratitude for the cure he had received? The doctor proposed the endowment of a school in which the Scriptures should be taught. It was accordingly founded and built as it now stands,-a Bible school in the

midst of the Brahman city of Benares. Sir, I fear to trespass on the time and patience of the House, or I could multiply proof of the assertion that medical men are welcome by the natives, and that their Christian character and purposes are no bar to their acceptability. I remember well, for it struck me much at the time, and with much self-reproach too,-the reply of a native of rank at Meerut, a very intelligent man, to an observation of mine, to the effect that our Government excluded all books on the Christian religion from their schools, from fear of offending the religious susceptibilities of the natives. Sir, said he, the fault we find with the Europeans is, not that they are too zealous for their religion, but that so few of them ap pear to have any religion at all. I am quite certain that a conscientious Christian will be an object of respect to every native of respectability to whom he is known, that the medical missionary will therefore be as much wanting in wisdom as in truth who conceals his light under a bushel ;-he needs not fear to display it openly, he needs to practise no Jesuitry.-but in honest and open integrity walk uprightly before all men in the prosecu tion of his Saviour's work. Did I not fear to take up too much the time of the House, I should he prepared to shew, that medical missions are the only means which have yet been devised for obtaining access to the higher classes of native society, and that without such access, and without coming in contact with the higher classes, Christianity can never take permanent root in the land; for it is quite obvious, that unless we impress with an interest in the matter those who have something to give for the support of gospel ordinances, Christianity can only continue an exotic,-maintained by the zeal and liberality of foreigners. We look on medical missions only as the pioneers of the ambassadors of Christ, preparing the way before them,—removing prejudices and conciliating affections. As our Lord himself—I hope I do not err in making the application -sent his messengers to prepare the way before him, so we would send forth the medical missionaries as the heralds of the cross, to prepare the way before His regularly appointed and constituted ministers. Lay agencies will not of themselves dispel the darkness, nor introduce the full light of truth which the clerical missionary brings along with him. But like light shining in a dark place, they will, everywhere they are established, welcome the ambassadors of Christ, and facilitate their progress.

Mr TWEEDIE said, it should be clearly understood that the Associations referred to were not monthly ones, and therefore could not interfere with the Sustentation Fund Associations. They were, in point of fact, prayermeetings held once a quarter on missionary subjects, at which the contributions of subscribers were taken in, and then reported.

Dr SMYTTAN bore testimony, from personal experience, to the excellence and importance of Medical Missionary Associations, and expressed the gratification which he felt at the occurrence, after a lapse of thirty years, of so interesting an incident as that recorded by Dr Wilson, and embodied in the above report.

The motion of Dr Hetherington approving of the report, and recording the thanks of the Assembly to the Committee was then agreed to, reserving to a future diet their further deliverance on the subject.

The Assembly then adjourned.

FRIDAY, MAY 30. 1851.

Report on Act relative to Widows' and Orphans' Fund.-Report on Manse-Building; Speech of Mr Dunlop Report of Committee on College Extension; Speeches of Dr Buchanan, Mr Dunlop, Mr Nixon, Dr Cunningham.-Report of Church-Building Committee; Speech of Mr Nixon.- Depu tation from the Missionary Church of Belgium; Speeches of Mr J. C. Duncan, Dr Candlish, Dr Brown, Mr Thomson, Address of Moderator.-Report of Home Mission and Church Extension Committee; Speeches of Dr Cunningham and Dr Candlish.-Report on Psalmody.-Spiritual Destitution in Glasgow; Speeches of Dr Buchanan, Mr Anderson Kirkwood, Mr Gray, Mr Tasker, Mr Hawkins, Mr Wilson, Dr Candlish.

The Assembly met to-day at half-past ten o'clock, and after devotional exercises, called for the Report of Committee appointed yesterday to consider the Bill now before Parliament, relative to the

WIDOWS' AND ORPHANS' fund.

Mr DUNLOP, the Convener, made a verbal report, and

"The Assembly having heard the report, and being satisfied that by the passing of the said Bill, the rights arising under the Widows' and Orphans' Schemes as already constituted, will be duly secured and provided for, and the said Schemes, and the administration thereof, improved, and their objects more beneficially effected, did and hereby do approve of the said Bill, and consent that the same shall be passed into a law, subject to any alterations or amendments which may be made by Parliament thereon, with the sanction of the Committee of Management of the Fund; and in testimony of their consent to the passing thereof, instruct the Clerks of Assembly to subscribe a copy of the Bill in name of the Assembly, and in the event of any amendments being so made, instruct them also to subscribe a copy of the Bill as so amended. Further, the General Assembly did and hereby do enact and declare, that from and after the passing of the said Bill, with alterations and amendments, if any, as aforesaid, into a law, the Act of the General Assembly of 27th May 1846, Session 16, entitled "Act anent the Widows' and Orphans' Fund," with the whole clauses and enactments thereof, shall be, and the same is hereby repealed, and declared to be of no force, strength, or effect whatsoever, excepting as after mentioned; and that the said Bill, upon its being passed into a law, shall be, and the same is hereby declared to be, in room and place of the said Act of Assembly,-reserving always full power, force, and effect to the said Act of Assembly, in so far as regards the second instalments due at Whitsunday 1852, of sums payable to the Widows' Scheme in terms of Section third of the said Act of Assembly, in respect of the admission and marriage of Ministers and Professors. The Assembly record their thanks to Mr Dunlop for the care which he has bestowed on this important matter, and also to the Widows' Fund Committee, and Professor MacDougall, their Convener, for their services in carrying out the remit of last Assembly with reference to this Bill."

REPORT OF MANSE BUILDING FUND.

The Assembly then called for the Report of the Manse-Building Committee, which was given in by Mr Paul, the Convener, as follows:

"The General Assembly is aware that the term of five years, originally fixed as the period of this Fund, so far at least as the collection of it was concerned, has now expired; but the report submitted to last Assembly made it manifest that that period would have to be prolonged in order to allow the arrears to be realised which from various causes had accumulated. Accordingly, the present report, though it exhibits on the whole a very satisfactory measure of progress during the past year, will shew that

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