additions might be made with advantage, especially in the matter of printing papers and other the like matters of business, as well as in the means of proposing and passing legislative measures: "It is humbly overtured, by the undersigned members of Assembly, that the Assembly do take the premises into their consideration, and adopt such procedure therein as to their wisdom may seem meet. "ROB. S. CANDLISH. "JAMES CRAWFORD, JR." Mr GRAY of Perth,-I don't suppose many words will be necessary to induce the Assembly to do all that I shall propose in this matter just now. The standing orders -I think the greater number of them were passed by the Assembly of 1834. There have been now and then some additions made since that time. They are scattered up and down in books, and I think they should be collected together. I believe also that the standing orders are very obscure, certain points requiring to be cleared up, such as those relating to the printing of documents, and at whose expense they should be printed. Various other matters might be suggested by a Committee of the House appointed to consider the standing orders, and to report to a future meeting. I have therefore to move that the Assembly appoint a Committee to consider the standing orders, with instructions to report to a future diet. The motion was unanimously agreed to, and a Committee named. Petition of Mr Duncan M'Naughton, probationer, was remitted to a Committee to consider and report. Various cases of application for admission into the Free Church by ministers, probationers, and students of other bodies, and for relaxation of laws relative to students and probationers, and appointment of colleagues in two congregations were remitted to the Committee on Sanctioning Charges to consider and report. Cases of proposed disjunction and annexation of congregations and presbyteries, were referred to a Committee: after which the Assembly adjourned at 11 o'clock. SATURDAY, MAY 22. 1847. Arrangement of Business-Report on Public Accounts-Accommodation-Irish Deputation, Letter of Dr Morgan, Speeches of Mr Wallace, Mr Rogers, Mr Begg, Mr Tweedie, Dr Cunningham-Report of Sabbath Committee-Speeches of Mr Monteith, Mr Blackadder, Mr Smith. THE Assembly met to-day at eleven o'clock, and was constituted as usual with devotional exercises. The minutes of the previous sederunt were then read and approved of. ORDER OF BUSINESS. Dr CUNNINGHAM gave in an additional report from the Committee for arranging the business of the House. It had been arranged, he said, to take up all the cases, or nearly all the cases, on Monday forenoon. MONDAY EVENING.-1st, The Report of Committee on Publications. 2d, Report of Committee on Foreign Missions. TUESDAY FORENOON.-1st, Report of Colonial Committee. 2d, Report of Continental Committee. 3d, Devotional exercises in connection with the designation of ministers and missionaries to the Colonies. TUESDAY EVENING.-Report of Education Committee. WEDNESDAY FORENOON.-Overtures and Petitions on Government Scheme of Education; afterwards a private conference on the same subject. WEDNESDAY EVENING. Report of Committee on the Overtures anent the Testi mony of the Church. THURSDAY FORENOON.-A private conference from eleven to one o'clock, on Col E legiate Education; and a private conference from one to four, on the subject of the Sustentation Fund. THURSDAY EVENING. To receive the Report of the Sustentation Fund. This was the whole extent the Committee had agreed to the order in which public business should be taken up. The Report was agreed to. Mr MAKGILL CRICHTON said, Before the House proceeds to the ordinary business of the day, I have a suggestion to make in regard to a very small matter in itself, but which has a bearing not unimportant with reference to this Assembly. I regret to find that, during the last two years, the practice has been discontinued of giving the inhabitants of Edinburgh the pleasure,---a pleasure I am sure they highly valued,of providing accommodation for the members of Assembly coming from a distance. Those who come from distant parts of Scotland are put to four or five times the expense of coming up to the Assembly that we, residing in the midland counties, are subjected to; and unless they have friends in Edinburgh, they are likewise put to the additional expense of living at their own charges. Now, we are anxious that the Free Church should be represented in our Assemblies from the Solway to the Hebrides; but it is almost impossible that this can be the case unless some means are taken to provide accommodation for the members coming from a distance, while attending the Assembly, more especially in the present state of the Sustentation Fund. I hope to see this Fund increase until every minister of our Church is placed in such circumstances that such an arrangement may be considered unnecessary in regard to the representatives to the Assembly; but in the mean time it would not be doing justice to the fathers and brethren who came from a distance were the matter overlooked. I do not wonder the Committee in Edinburgh omitted this matter amidst the immense amount of business which they had to attend to, but the practice, I think, was a good one, and should not be allowed to fall into desuetude. Hundreds of families in Edinburgh would account it a privilege to provide accommodation for members of that house, and I consider it is not proper to endanger the representation of the Church by not taking advantage of that feeling, when it is desirable that the representation should be rendered as effective as possible over the length and breadth of the land. Now, with the leave of the House,-for it does not matter when a small matter of detail like this is taken up,-I shall take leave to move that a small Committee be appointed, in order that steps should be taken to enable our kind friends in Edinburgh to enjoy a privilege wnich they used so much to prize. (Applause.) As the proposal seems to be generally approved of by the Assembly, I would beg to move, farther, that the following Committee be appointed to carry out the object of my previous motion, by adopting the necessary means for providing accommodation for our country brethren. This Committee, I think, should consist exclusively of elders, and the following are the names which I would beg to submit:-Mr A. Bonar, Mr Meldrum, Mr Bridges, Mr John Hamilton, and myself, as the mover of the motion, although my residence is not in Edinburgh. Dr CANDLISH.-I beg to support this proposal; and in the circumstances, I think it is a good one. It should at the same time be explained, that the practice recommended by Mr Crichton had not fallen altogether into disuse. Without being done so formally for the last two years, the subject has not been overlooked by the ministers or elders of the Church. It is right to be understood, that without the formality which he very properly recommends, a great deal has been done in the direction which he points at, and great pains have been taken in regard to how the brethren could be accommodated; but no doubt much good will be accomplished by this proposal of Mr Crichton. I should deprecate very much the idea that every member of Assembly should be put to the slightest expense by their appearance here; and if it is known that any of the brethren from distant parts have not been provided for, this may be remedied this day, before many hours are over. If any of the brethren attending this Assembly have been obliged to lodge in inns or other public places, if steps are taken to ascertain the fact, I am satisfied that provision may still be made, so that to-morrow might be spent in the bosoms of the private families of Edinburgh. (Applause.) A great deal has already been done, and the members of Assembly may be assured that the brethren in Edinburgh are most anxious to carry out the proposal in the manner suggested, Mr Bonar properly reminds me that the same remark applies to the elders from distant parts of the country, and they also, if their names were known, might be easily accommodated before the sun sets this day. Mr CRICHTON said, The House being quite unanimous on this point, and in recommending that this little matter of detail should be carried into immediate effect, let it be understood that this is a private Committee, sanctioned by the Assembly, but not noticed in the minutes. The motion was then agreed to, and the Committee appointed. REPORT ON THE PUBLIC ACCOUNTS OF THE CHURCH. The Fourth Annual Report on the Public Accounts having been called for, "The Committee, in submitting to the Assembly their annual abstract of the accounts of the Church, have little to state in the way of explanation. The system originally established has been found to work well; and with such improvements as experience has suggested, is adhered to in the present Report. They have availed themselves liberally of the services of Mr Jaffray and Mr M'Donald in its preparation, and its details will speak for themselves. "One matter of some importance they have to state to the Assembly, having relation to the management of the cash transactions of the Church, which is, that Mr Archibald Bonar, who has so long and beneficially held the treasurership of various extensive funds, has expressed his desire to be relieved from this branch of duty; and Mr Jaffray has intimated his opinion that the cash transactions of his office, which are exceedingly onerous and extensive, should be regulated on a similar principle to that which may be adopted in regard to the other funds. The Committee have undertaken to report this matter to the Assembly, as one deserving the serious attention of the Assembly, adding, however, their express understanding, that it is neither wished nor desirable to interfere in any way with the Sustentation Fund, the treasurership of which Mr Bonar has agreed for some time to hold. It will be for the Assembly, in its wisdom, to determine on the arrangement proper under the circumstances to be made." I am happy, Mr Bridges continued, to state to the Assembly, without detaining you with a statement of figures, that we have reason to be very thankful for the extent to which our funds have been increased. I am happy to find that the total amount of the contributions to the various funds of the Church during the past year, extending to the 31st March last, was £321,184. In the former year the total contributions amounted to £301,067, so that I have to congratulate the Church on an increase on the whole funds of £19,000 during the year, the total sum contributed by the congregations during the twelve months ending 31st March being £321,184. At the end of the same period in 1846, we had obtained contributions from the period of the establishment of the Free Church on the 18th of May 1843, amounting to £1,002,270 18: 8, and adding the contributions received during the year now closed, the total sum raised on behalf of the Free Church of Scotland amounts to £1,323,455 : 17 : 63. (Applause.) I will not attempt to strengthen this statement by any figures of speech, the other figures speak very favourably for themselves. I will be followed by Mr Jaffray, who will enter more into detail in regard to the increase which has taken place during the period referred to. This is the substance of the Report which I have to make. I have now to state, that every member of the Assembly will be furnished with the details of the contributions, and if anything occurs to any individual regarding his own locality, which he may wish explained, Mr Jaffray or Mr M'Donald will be very happy to give all the information in their power, so that before Friday next, when we take up the subject, the Assembly may be thoroughly acquainted with the whole of the details. Mr JAFFRAY said, Nothing more can be required by the Assembly, in regard to this subject, than that I should simply give the details of the large sum which has been poured into the treasury of the Church during the past year. The statement of the collections from the Synods of the Church for the Local Building Fund, for the Sustentation Fund, for the Congregational Fund, and for the six Schemes, are as follows: In addition to those congregational offerings, there are contributions on behalf of miscellaneous schemes not as yet included in the statement. These are, Congregational Associations, Individual and Miscellaneous Donations, Special Contributions for Schoolmasters' Sustentation Fund and 1,258 17 6 15,769 8 35 5 600 11 10,230 18 10 1 660 Mission Buildings in India, Juvenile offerings, Legacies, Carry forward, £312,910 17 21 This gives the grand total referred to by Mr Bridges of £321,184: 18:10. I shall now read the general abstract, showing the whole sums raised for the various objects of the Free Church of Scotland, for the year from 31st March 1846 to 31st March 1847: I. SUSTENTATION FUND-Amount as stated in Abstract, No. V., p. 36, £82,166 8 8 II. BUILDING FUND—Amount raised for local purposes, as per do., 46,446 10 84 III. CONGREGATIONAL FUND-Amount as per do., IV. MISSIONS AND EDUCATION-Amount of collections, subscriptions, donations, &c., as per do., V. MISCELLANEOUS, Total, 78,226 18 7 68,357 2 10 45,987 18 1 £321,184 18 10% A friend has suggested that I should make a remark in connection with the Synodical contributions. If any member of the Court is pleased to contrast them with those of the previous year, they will find a considerable decrease in the majority of the Synods of the Church; but it may be of importance to notice that this deficiency seems to be chiefly occasioned by the diminution of the Local Building Fund. In regard to the Sustentation Fund, there is a positive increase in every Synod of the Church, with the exception of two; and, in reference to these, there are reasons of too sad a kind why they are so unable to contribute as they did before. The Synods referred to are Ross and Shetland. I have only further to state, that the total sums received since the commencement of the Free Church are as follows: Total sums raised from 18th May 1843 to 30th March 1844, per report and abstracts, Total sums raised from 30th March 1844 to 31st March 1845, per do. Total sums raised from 31st March 1845 to 31st March 1846, ut supra, £366,719 14 3 334,483 18 9 301,067 5 8 321,184 18 10 £1,323,455 17 6% Sums contributed during the years 1843 to 1847, Dr CANDLISH.-I beg to move that this Report lie in the mean time on the table, to be considered on Friday next. I would suggest that the members of the Assembly avail themselves of the opportunity of examining the details of the Report; and if anything in these details is not satisfactory, that they will take the opportunity of communicating with Mr M'Donald, Mr Jaffray, or Mr Bridges, in order to receive what explanation they may require; and when the report is taken up on Friday, the Assembly will be able to pronounce an opinion upon it. It would be desirable that members of Assembly, each looking to his own locality, should take the opportunity of examining the details; and if explanation is necessary, that they will communicate with the gentlemen to whom I have referred; and on Friday the Assembly can intelligibly and satisfactorily dispose of the report. This report is, of course, the report of a Committee in no degree responsible for anything but an accurate statement of the total amount disbursed by other Committees of the Church. This Committee is nothing like a general Committee of review or control over the financial affairs of the Church. It is a Committee responsible for nothing more than a full |