gested that the General Assembly should consider the propriety of appointing a deputation to the Assemblies of the various Presbyterian Assemblies of America at their meetings in May 1867. (Hear.) He believed that it would do great good to themselves to do so, and he knew it would do great good to them in America. He believed such a deputation would be received by all the brethren in the Presbyterian Churches in America-now that slavery is out of the way-with open arms. And to the brethren who might come he would promise them in the way of a hearing the largest hall in Philadelphia, well filled and the whole evening, and if that were not enough, the whole out of doors the next day, and the whole twenty-four hours. (Laughter.) Mr Stuart concluded by saying, that he had duly received the letter sent by last General Assembly of the Free Church to the Evangelical Churches of America; written, as he understood, by his friend and brother, the Rev. John Nelson of Greenock-that this letter had been forwarded by the clerks of Assemblies and Synods, from most of whom acknowledgments had been received; and that, as the document came too late for the ecclesiastical meetings of last year, it would be duly considered in those of this year, and would, (he doubted not,) call forth expressions of lively satisfaction as to the Christian brotherhood of the Churches on both sides of the Atlantic. Mr Stuart resumed his seat amid hearty applause.

Dr CANDLISH said it was with very great delight and peculiar interest he felt sure that the Assembly had listened to the address they had just heard. (Applause.) In the way of practical conclusion he was afraid that in connexion with the first topic on which they had been addressed -the cause of freedom-they could not, like their brethren of the United Presbyterian Church, consistently with their rules appoint a collection. But they might in the strongest possible way represent this case to their people, recommending them to respond to its claims with the utmost possible liberality. (Hear.) With respect to the Old School Presbyterian Church it had fallen to him to take a large share of a correspondence with that Church at one time which turned on questions that threatened to make the relations between the two Churches unpleasant. He rejoiced that all difficulty of that kind between the two Churches had now been taken out of the way, and there remained not a single ground of jealousy or suspicion. He had, then, no hesitation in suggesting that the Assembly should reciprocate the courtesy shown to this Assembly by that Church by sending a deputation to their next General Assembly. (Hear and applause.) He did not know that it would be possible in the short time that remained to the close of this Assembly to select the members of the deputation. He would therefore propose that the naming of the deputation should be left to the Assembly Arrangements Committee. But while he should think it right to specify the Old School Presbyterian Church as the Church to which their deputation was to be specially commissioned, he did not think, particularly after the appeal made to them by Mr Stewart, they should limit their instructions to any particular Presbyterian Church. Sending them in the first place, to the Old School Presbyterian Church, they should give such instructions as would warrant and require them to put themselves into communication with all the evangelical Presbyterian bodies in the United States. With regard to Mr Stuart, he had been engaged in a work-that of the Christian Commission-which, as regards its character, and the amount of Divine bles

sing it had obviously enjoyed, presented a spectacle the like of which had never occurred in any period of the world's history. (Applause.) From the beginning of the world to the present time, it has been an altogether unprecedented event. (Applause.) He moved :-" The General Assembly have heard with the deepest interest the account given by Dr Patton and the Rev. Sella Martin of the proceedings of the American Missionary Association on behalf of the Freedmen in America, and conmend it most earnestly to the prayers and liberality of the people of this Church. The Assembly receive with cordial satisfaction the Rev. Richard Lea and Alex. Cameron, Esq., as a deputation from the Old School Presbyterian Assembly, and reciprocate their assurances of Christian sympathy and brotherly love, and authorise the Assembly Arrangements Committee to name a deputation to attend, on behalf of this Church, the meeting of that Assembly in 1867, as well as to open up friendly communication, as they find opportunity, with other Presbyterian Churches. Finally, the Assembly record the intense feeling of gratitude to Almighty God with which they have listened to Mr Stuart's statement regarding the wonderful work done by the Christian Commission during the late war in America, and the signal blessing from on high with which it was crowned, and rejoice to learn that there are such indications of its being followed, in many parts of America, with an abundant outpouring of the Spirit, and revival of the work of the Lord. The Assembly instruct the Moderator to express from the chair their thanks to the deputies who have addressed the House."

Dr BEGG seconded the motion with the greatest cordiality. He referred to his own visit to America, and to the first mutterings of that storm which had since broken out so fearfully, and ended in the grand result of emancipating four millions of men. In the circumstances in which America was now placed she deserved our most cordial sympathy and support (applause)—and it was a noble aim, now that all physical fetters were broken, to break the still worse fetters of ignorance and sin. He very cordially rejoiced in the presence of delegates from the Old School Presbyterian Church of America, and should reckon it a most becoming thing were this Church to send a deputation in return to visit that and the other Presbyterian Churches of America. (Applause.) In reference to Mr Stuart, with whom his acquaintance was not of recent origin, he had been honoured to accomplish a work which, as had been justly said, was one of the greatest and most singular that had ever occurred in the history of the world. Mr Stuart had been the moving power in that wonderful work of the Christian Commission, and they would look with the greatest possible interest for the volume Mr Stuart is about to publish upon the work of that commission, which he felt certain would be eminently fitted to teach Christians a most striking lesson in the practical application of the faith they preferred. (Applause.)

The motion was agreed to.

The MODERATOR then feelingly addressed the deputation, expressing on behalf of the Church the profound interest it continued to take in the operations of the Church in America. He regretted the temporary coldness and estrangement which slavery had caused, and as the abolition of slavery had effectually removed that estrangement, he trusted that the very close intercourse begun on their part would be maintained from year to year. (Applause.)

PREVAILING ERRORS.

The Assembly next took up the overtures on Prevailing Errors. The following overture from the Synod of Glasgow and Ayr was read :

:

"Whereas recent events in the English Church indicate an alarming state of opinion and action among ministers, regarding both the catholic doctrines of our religion and its inspired documents; and whereas recent circumstances in Scotland have tended to disturb the minds of Christians among us with reference to the catholic doctrines of God's law and of His gospel, to the obligations of truth and honour in the matter of subscription to Confessions of Faith, and to the character of our Westminster Confession: It is hereby overtured by the Free Synod of Glasgow and Ayr, to the Venerable the General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland, that the Assembly take the premises into careful consideration, with a view to such action in the matter of them as may become the Free Church of Scotland, having due regard to her place and office as a branch of the Catholic Church of Christ, a witness for Christian truth and law to the. world, and a minister of God for the Christian instruction of her own members and adherents.”

Overtures were also read from the Synods of Fife, Moray, and Glenelg; and from the Presbyteries of Cupar, Strathbogie, Paisley, and Dundee, bearing on the same subject.

Mr MACAULEY, Glasgow, supported the overture read. He did not intend to enter upon anything like an elaborate statement in connexion with the object, but rather to submit a practical proposal to the House. The first thing he wished to refer to was a tendency to depart from the standards of the churches in this country. In very influential quarters there had been a tendency to find fault with the Westminster Confession of Faith, but it was right to acknowledge that from other quarters equally influential, some very able advocates of the Westminster standards bad appeared, and he could not but think that this discussion would be productive of very extensive good. He rejoiced that the Moderator took occasion to select a definite topic, and one most important, namely, the Confession of Faith, and he rejoiced in the manner in which it was treated; for whatever might be said in respect to a revision of the Confession, it was dishonesty to retain a Confession which had ceased to be the Confession of the Church. The subject of the relation of the Old Testament and the New was being discussed, not only in certain quarters in their own Church, but in certain quarters outside. The whole question of the obligation of the Decalogue had been frequently brought before the country, and he rejoiced that there had been found so many advocates for the orthodox faith. It might be said these tendencies would not develop themselves in the Church; but the sooner they took the opportunity of going forward to defend the testimony the better for themselves and the country. He concluded by moving that the General Assembly issue a pastoral address in connexion with these matters, which might be regarded as the testimony of the Church in favour of the truth that was being assailed in many quarters. (Applause.)

Dr J. J. Wood seconded the motion, which was unanimously agreed to, the deliverance being as follows :-"The General Assembly resolve to appoint a small committee for the purpose of preparing a suitable address, to be read from the pulpits of the Church, on the subject of Prevailing

Errors; and the Assembly appoint the address, when prepared, to be subscribed by the Moderator, and to be duly transmitted to ministers."

REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON POPERY.

Dr BEGG, convener of the committee on this subject, gave in their report, (No. XXII.) After adverting to the facts detailed in the report, Dr Begg said, these facts seem to lay on us two important duties. One of these duties was that of endeavouring to arrest its progress as far as they could by the use of all public influences, and by endeavouring to enlighten those that are at present ignorant and unconcerned on the subject, but more particularly by the more faithful preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ as opposed to the specious doctrines of the Man of Sin. It was also their duty to train young men to a knowledge of the Romish controversy. The Protestant Institute of Scotland was being greatly honoured in that department. Dr Wylie was labouring in connexion with that institute, and had most successful classes in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Dr M'Gillivray of Aberdeen was labouring diligently in the same cause; and they had in connexion with that institute, the finest library in Britain—if not in the world-of works relating to the Romish controversy. Referring to the subject of lotteries, Dr Begg said he had reason to believe that, by that means, large sums of money had been swept into the Popish treasury. He thought that the ministers of this Church should not give the slightest countenance to the lottery system; but should resist any temptation to do an illegal thing of that kind—not only because it was wrong in itself, but because it furnished a pretext or excuse to the followers of Romanism for adopting that system, and taking advantage of it, for promoting their own objects. One difficulty in the way of suppressing the lotteries consisted in the fact that by a recent Act of Parliament the Government only could interpose. Formerly, any individual who chose could become the informant or prosecutor against those who carried on the lottery system, and in that case the informant received half the fine if the prosecution was successful; but by the Act recently passed this power had been taken from the general community, and the sole power was left now in the hands of the Government, by which the duty of prosecuting was for political reasons neglected. While, however, all other lotteries were illegal according to the existing law, an Act had been passed in connexion with the Art Unions, authorising them to carry on lotteries for their own purposes, and that being an exception of an indefensible kind, had had the effect of giving the Romanists a pretext or excuse for carrying on their illegal system. He (Dr Begg) thought that if lotteries were wrong in themselves they should be universally prohibited, and, if they were right, they should be universally allowed. That they were thoroughly wrong and demoralising could not admit of a doubt. The Government were bound to make some uniform legislation on the subject; and there ought certainly to be an abolition of that exclusive power which was left in the hands of the Government. Dr Begg referred to the operations of the Protestant Institute of Scotland in terms of high approbation, and to the importance of dealing with Romanism in connexion with our territorial missions, making special reference to a letter in the appendix to the report by Mr M'Coll of Glasgow, and to the admirable life of John Welsh, lately published. Dr Begg concluded by urging on the Assembly the importance of taking every means in their power to prevent the spread

of Popery throughout the land, and especially in England, where it is making rapid progress; for, as has been well said, if the Reformation was worth achieving it was worth defending, and the Church ought to be fully alive to its duty in regard to a matter that had so urgent claims on its attention. (Applause.)

Mr NAIRN, Dundee, supported an overture from that Presbytery on the subject, and moved the adoption of the report and the reappointment of the committee.

Mr KIDSTON (elder,) Glasgow, seconded; and after a few remarks from Dr WYLIE, the report was approved and the committee reappointed.

HOUSES FOR THE WORKING CLASSES.

Dr BEGG next gave in the Report from the Committee on Houses for the Working Classes, (No. XXV.) In submitting the report, Dr Begg said that in almost all the large towns in Scotland, energetic and successful efforts were being made to secure not only better houses but houses that would be the property of the tenants themselves. He had great satisfaction in referring to the progress that was being made in the rural districts, He thought he was warranted in saying that the proprietors in Scotland were taking much more interest in the movement for providing better houses for the working classes than they did at one time, and many were now, in fact, showing an admirable example in the matter. There had been recently a movement in the rural districts with regard to the subject of increased wages, with which the Assembly was not called to deal; but in some districts that agitation had had an important bearing on the question of providing increased house accommodation. In the South of Scotland a system had prevailed, and did still prevail, by which the pri vacy of the families of the ploughmen was materially interfered with, and that had been attended with very disastrous results. Lately there had been a stand made against it, and in many places that had been cordially responded to by the farmers; so that there was, he believed, a prospect of getting that system, commonly called the bondage system, brought to a termination. He thought they had good cause to rejoice, that in town and country the working people themselves are making so decided progress. (Applause.) Another feature of the question that was extremely encouraging was the fact that the Chief Magistrates of our cities and large towns were taking up the matter in right earnest. The Chief Magistrate of Glasgow, who was a member of this House, and the Chief Magistrate of Edinburgh, who was distinguished for his public spirit, had taken up the matter with the greatest energy. It did not become him to enter in detail on the proposals that were being made, but he believed that these proposals would issue in great good. With regard to Edinburgh, they had had a great difficulty to surmount in the way of obtaining ground on which to build houses, but he believed that was in a fair way of being mastered, through the exertions of the present Lord Provost. Another feature of an encouraging kind was that the Government itself was taking up the subject. One important measure had been passed, by which money was to be lent at an easy rate of interest, to individuals, associations, corporations, or individuals, for the purpose of enabling them to build houses for the working classes-the money to be repaid by instalments, spread over long intervals. It might be a question how far Government ought to proceed in such a direction-how far they