General Assembly, on the report of their committee, with acquiescence of parties, find that this is not a suitable case for an assistant; but considering the state of Mr White's health, they award a grant of £35 from the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund to aid in making arrangements for withdrawal of Mr White from the duties of minister of this charge, and the appointment of an ordained minister thereto, with a suitable stipend; and remit to the Presbytery and the Sustentation Fund Committee to see these arrangements carried out. The Assembly farther appoint that in addition to the usual allowance of £60 the sum of £10 shall be paid to Mr White from the Sustentation Fund, in the event of his giving up the manse.

In the case of Rev. Cosmo Macpherson, Strathbran and Dalguise, applying for a grant from the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund, to aid in providing an assistant, the General Assembly, on the report of their committee, with acquiescence of parties, grant the application, and award a grant not exceeding £35, from the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund for this purpose, under the condition that the congregation provide in the first place a sum of £25 towards the assistant's salary.

In the case of Rev. Robert Inglis, Edzell, applying for a grant from the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund, to aid in having an assistant, the General Assembly, on the report of their committee, with acquiescence of parties, grant the application, and award a grant not exceeding £40 from the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund for this purpose, under the condition that the congregation provides in the first place a sum of £30 towards the assistant's salary.

In the case of Rev. Alexander Mackenzie, Kildalton, applying for a grant from the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund to aid in having an assistant, the General Assembly, on the report of their committee, with acquiescence of parties, grant the application, and award a grant not exceeding £50, from the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund, for that purpose, under the condition that the congregation provide, in the first place, a sum of £20 towards the assistant's salary.

In the case of Rev. James Thornton, Milnathort, applying for a grant from the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund, he having already a colleague, the General Assembly, on the report of their committee, with acquiescence of parties, grant the application, and award a grant of £40 for that purpose from the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund, under the condition that the allowance to Mr Thornton from the Sustentation Fund be diminished by that sum, and that the £40 thus secured be paid from the latter fund to the junior colleague, to the effect of his obtaining as much as but not more than the Equal Dividend.

In the case of Rev. John Ferguson, Bridge of Allan, applying for a grant from the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund, he having already a colleague, the General Assembly, on the report of their committee, with acquiescence of parties, decline the application, on the ground that there is nothing to instruct that Mr Ferguson from age and infirmity should be placed on the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund.

In the case of Rev. A. L. M'Cririe, Cairnryan, applying for a grant from the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund, he having already a colleague, the General Assembly, on the report of their committee, with acquiescence of parties, decline the application, in consequence of the explicit finding of the General Assembly of 1854, granting a colleague in this case, that no additional burden was to be thrown either on the Sustentation or Aged

and Infirm Ministers' Fund; but remit to the Sustentation Fund Committee to inquire whether any change in the circumstances has occurred which might warrant a change in the above condition, instructing them to report to the commission in August or November, and authorising the commission at either of these meetings to grant the application, if they shall see cause.

In the case of Rev. S. C. Blair, Sorbie, applying for a grant from the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund, he having already a colleague, the General Assembly, on the report of their committee, with acquiescence of parties, grant the application, and award a grant of £40 from the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund.

In the case of Rev. H. Martin, Greyfriars, Edinburgh, applying for a grant from the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund, he having already a colleague, the General Assembly, on the report of their committee, with acquiescence of parties, grant the application, and award a grant of £35 from the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund.

In the case of Rev. James Ingram, D.D., Unst, applying for a grant from the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund, to aid in obtaining the services of an assistant, notwithstanding that the application was not submitted to the commission in March, the illness which caused the application having occurred since that date, the General Assembly on the report of their committee, with acquiescence of parties, considering the extreme old age of the applicant and his long services in the Church, unanimously resolve in this case, to suspend the rule requiring such applications to be laid before the commission in March, and award a grant not exceeding £60 from the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund, to aid in obtaining the services of an assistant; under the condition that the congregation first provide a sum of £20.

With reference to the preparation of cases which come before the Committee on Colleagues and Successors, the Assembly recommend to Presbyteries to embody in their own minutes as briefly as may be consistent with clearness, the essential points involved in the minutes of kirk-sessions,、 deacons' courts, and congregations, regarding cases of application for colleagues and successors, or for assistants, or for aid from the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund, and the Assembly appoint that when the minutes of Presbytery have been thus prepared, those minutes alone shall for the future be printed by the Clerks of Assembly, with the provision, that the printed papers shall present in each instance, an abstract of the information contained in the schedules sent in to the commission in March.

The General Assembly considering that the amount of the grants now awarded by them from the Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund, when added to the grants at present payable, exceeds by about £418 the estimated net income of the Fund from interest for the year now current, authorise the sum of £331, 6s. 9d of unexpended interest for the year terminating at 31st March 1866, to be applied toward these grants, together with any grant returned or not taken.

APPOINTMENT OF COLLECTIONS.

The Assembly called for the Report of the Committee appointed to prepare an Act anent Collections. The report being printed, and in the hands of the members, was brought up by Dr Wood.

The Assembly approve of the report in an amended form, and in accord

ance therewith, the Assembly appointed the following collections to be made during the ensuing year in all the congregations of the Free Church of Scotland:

1. On the Fourth Sabbath of June, for the Colonial Scheme.

2. On the Third Sabbath of August, for the Continental Scheme.
3. On the Third Sabbath of October, for the Normal Schools and the
Church and Manse Building Scheme. (The collections to be equally
divided between these two schemes.)

4. On the Third Sabbath of November, for the Pre-Disruption Minis-
ters' Fund.

5. On the Third Sabbath of December, for the Jews' Conversion Scheme.

6. On the Third Sabbath of February, for the Colleges.

7. On the Third Sabbath of April, for the Home Mission.

And the Assembly also appoint that a collection shall be made for Foreign Missions on the Third Sabbath of July, in those congregations which have no association in aid of that scheme.

CASES OF STUDENTS.

The Assembly called for the Report of the Committee on Cases of Students, which was given in by Dr Murray Mitchell, the convener. The Assembly approve of the report, and in accordance therewith

In the case of Mr P. J. G. de Vos, student, who, having attended three sessions at the South African College, Cape of Good Hope, and a fourth session at the New College, Edinburgh, applies for leave to be now taken on trials for license, the General Assembly, on the report of their committee, with acquiescence of parties, grant his application, and authorise the Presbytery of Edinburgh to take him on trials for license according to the rules of the Church.

In the case of Mr James Thomson, student, petitioning that his name be enrolled in the list of students who have completed their second year, although he did not offer himself for examination by the Board in 1864, and only did so in 1865, the General Assembly decline granting this petition, no explanation having been given of the circumstances, on the ground of which it is proposed that the law of the Church should be departed from.

In the case of Mr James Dalzell, student, applying through the Presbytery of Lanark to be taken on trials for license at the close of his third session at the Divinity Hall, with a view to his going to Australia, the General Assembly decline to comply with this application, no sufficient reasons being given for departing from the ordinary rule of the Church.

In the case of Mr James Patrick, applying to be admitted to the status and privileges of an ante-disruption probationer, the General Assembly find that Mr Patrick, not having joined the Free Church till August 1846, although a preacher before the Disruption, cannot be put on the level of ante-disruption probationers; but in the circumstances of the case recommend that the Home Mission Committee grant him an allowance of £30 a-year.

In the case of Mr Frank M. Hitzeroth, student, applying to be taken on trials for license, though he has not undergone the yearly examination by the Presbytery during the course of his theological curriculum, the

General Assembly, considering the special circumstances of the case, grant leave to the Presbytery of Edinburgh to take Mr Hitzeroth on trials for license.

In the case of Mr John M. Allan, student, who having attended two sessions at Dalhousie College, Nova Scotia, and one session at the University of Edinburgh, applies to be allowed to go up for the entrance examination for the next session of the Divinity Hall, the General Assembly grant leave to the Examination Board and to the Presbytery of Edinburgh to deal with him as a student proposing after the usual curriculum to enter the Divinity Hall; provided the Presbytery shall be satisfied that the length of his collegiate course has been equal to that of an ordinary collegiate course in this country.

In the case of Mr Andrew Brown, a probationer of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, applying to be received as a probationer of the Free Church, the General Assembly grant the application, and authorise the Presbytery of Glasgow to admit him as a probationer within their bounds.

In the case of Mr David Scott, a probationer of the United Original Secession Church, applying to be received as a probationer of the Free Church, the General Assembly grant the application, and authorise the Presbytery of Glasgow to admit him as a probationer within their bounds.

In the case of Mr Thomas Train Gray, requesting that his attendance at the Waldensian College at Florence may be accepted in lieu of a fourth year's session at the New College, Edinburgh, the General Assembly grant his application.

PRESBYTERIES RESUMING THEIR FUNCTIONS.

The Assembly called for the Report of the Committee appointed to class the returns to the overture transmitted by last Assembly for the consideration of Presbyteries; which, being printed, and in the hands of the members, was referred to by Mr Ormond, the convener. It appeared that a large majority of Presbyteries had approved of the overture, and that there was no opposition to it. The General Assembly unanimously resolve to pass the said overture into a standing law; and, accordingly, "The General Assembly, with consent of a majority of Presbyteries, hereby enact and ordain, That hereafter, when from any cause it shall happen that there is no day fixed for the next ordinary meeting of a Presbytery, it shall be competent for any three or more of its members to address a requisition to the Moderator, to call a meeting of the whole members of Presbytery, for the purpose of naming a day on which the Presbytery shall meet and proceed with ordinary business; that the Moderator shall be bound to comply with such a requisition, and to call a meeting to be held on a day not less than ten, nor more than fifteen, days from the date of the requisition, by circular letters addressed to every member on the roll of the Presbytery; and that the meeting when held shall be considered as a pro re nata meeting, at which no other business can be transacted, except the naming of a day for the next ordinary meeting. Provided always that, at the next ensuing meeting of the Provincial Synod, the Presbytery shall be bound to explain the causes that have necessitated their adopting the special procedure authorised by this Act, and shall be liable to censure if the explanation be unsatisfactory."

Y

SALES AND TRANSFERENCES OF PROPERTY.

The Assembly called for the Report of the Committee on Sales and Transferences of Property, which was given in by Mr Dalmahoy, the convener. The Assembly approve of the report, and in accordance therewith

In the case of the application of the Deacons' Court of St George's, Edinburgh, with the concurrence of the congregation and of the Presbytery of the bounds, the General Assembly, on the report of their committee, sanction the sale of Free St George's Church, and grant authority to the said Deacons' Court and the trustees in whom the church is vested to carry the same into effect; the requirements and provisions of the Act VIII. of the Assembly 1863, anent Sales and Transferences of Property, being always observed.

In the case of the application of the Deacons' Court of Portobello, with the unanimous approval of the congregation, and with the recommendation of the Presbytery of the bounds, for authority to sell a portion of the ground upon which the Congregational School is built, the General Assembly sanction the sale of the said piece of ground, on the footing that the piece of ground sold is to burdened with a proportional part of the feu-duty, and that if any sum be received from the purchaser, it shall be applied towards the diminution or extinction of the feu-duty payable out of the ground which is still to be held by the Deacons' Court.

In the case of the application of the Deacons' Court of the congregation of Tarbert, in the Presbytery of Kintyre, with the approval and recommendation of the Presbytery, the General Assembly authorise the Deacons' Court to dispose of the present manse, and to apply the proceeds towards the erection of a new and commodious manse; the requirements and provisions of the Act VIII. of the Assembly of 1863, anent Sales and Transferences of Property, being always observed; and under this declaration, that before an extract of this deliverance is furnished to the applicants by the clerks of the Assembly, the applicants shall produce to the clerks evidence that the sale of the present manse has been sanctioned by the congregation at Tarbert.

In the case of the application of the Deacons' Court of the congregation of Kirkcaldy, with the unanimous approval of the congregation, and with the recommendation of the Presbytery of the bounds, for liberty to sell the manse, the General Assembly authorise the said Deacons' Court to dispose of the manse, and to apply the proceeds towards the erection of a new and commodious manse; the requirements and provisions of the Act VIII. of the Assembly of 1863, anent Sales and Transferences of Property, being always observed.

In the case of the application of the Deacons' Court of Free St Andrew's Church, Dundee, with the unanimous concurrence of the congregation, and of the Presbytery of the bounds, the General Assembly sanction the arrangement mentioned in the said application for the improvement of the school-house, and authorise the trustees in whom the piece of ground therein mentioned is vested, to grant the necessary deeds to carry into effect the agreement with Mr Reoch, in reference to the said piece of ground; the requirements and provisions of the Act VIII. of the Assembly 1863, anent Sales and Transferences of Property, being always observed.