which they can perfectly understand it. It is computed that there are not less than 10,000 Highlanders in Edinburgh and vicinity, a large portion of whom are very poor, with only one clergyman who statedly labours among them, and one place of worship, where their language is used. We, therefore, think there is a strong call upon the Christian benevolence of the community, to aid an object calculated to promote the glory of God, and the spiritual comfort of many poor strangers amongst us.

ST. PAUL'S CHURCH.-We understand that the Rev. Mr. Elder, the excellent minister of this church, has been presented by the female members of the congregation with an elegant silver tea service, in token, as the inscription bears, of the esteem in which he is held as a faithful and efficient minister of the gospel. Mr. Dalgleish, one of the elders, in appropriate terms, and in name of the subscribers, presented the testimonial. The reverend gentleman acknowledged the gift in a speech of great feeling, and characterized by that anxiety for that spiritual welfare and the general improvement of his people, for which he is distinguished. The great majority of the subscribers, along with some of the members of the kirk-session, were present, and the meeting, which was opened and closed with prayer, was altogether one of a deeply interesting kind.

His

DR. RITCHIE OF THE POTTERROW.The celebrated doctor of the Potterrow has paid a visit to Dundee, and delivered an address in the cause of tee-totalism. method of address, says the "Dundee Warder," is rather familiar, but such as, perhaps, he thinks best suited for his usual audience, a specimen of which we here present to our readers :-"We hear a great outcry at the present day, chaps, about sabbath desecration, and you'll a', nae doubt, hae heard o' the meetins in Glasgow and Edinburgh, whar a gude many ministers, and I canna tell you a' wha were at them-and maybe you had your meetins in Dundee on the same subject-though of that ye ken better than I dae; but the ne'er a ane o' them got me to attend their meetins about ony such thing; and I hae my ain raisins for it, though I didna come here to tell ye that; (here the doctor thrust his hand into his breast, and gave a significant nod with his head ;) na, they ne'er got me to attend their meetins about sabbath desecration, for I tell them that the only cure for it is tee-totalism, and this is my proof, that there are 12,000 people in Great Britain every sabbath-day employed in distilleries. I hae nae joined the present movement, tho' I am constitutionally a movement man. I was the second minister in Edinburgh wha joined the anti-slavery society. Andrew Thomson was the first; he

had a kind heart; we fought side by side like brothers; (here the doctor's feelings overcame him apparently.) I was the first minister that joined the temperance society; and I was the first that joined the tee-total society. I was the first-(here the doctor endeavoured to help his mental powers, by applying his digits forcibly to his cerebellum.) I was forgettin, chaps, I was the first voluntary minister. I remember well when first I started the voluntary question, and began to gang about the country stirring up the folk, our secession blades lay on their soffas, and said I was cracked; but when the question came to be mair poplar with you chaps, then they came out fra their soffas, shook their lugs, strutted about on the platforms, pulled up their breeks, and cracking their thooms, cried, 'Voluntaryism for me; down with establishments.""

LOCHLEE. We observe that the government have presented the Rev. Mr. Tod to the parish of Lochlee, in compliance with the application of Lord Panmure, and a large portion of the people; how large, we cannot say, as we have not seen any where any notice of the report of the presbytery of Brechin, to whom Sir James Graham lately referred for information on the point. The conduct of government, in this instance, scarcely coincides with the course pursued by them as to Elgin. Lord Panmure is at least as decided an opponent of government as Lord Fife; and from the inquiry by government to the presbytery, it is obvious that the people of Lochlee were not unanimous. Mr. Tod, however, is a moderate, though in point of ministerial qualifications, we may safely presume that he does not excel Mr. Stewart. This, we suppose, must account for the difference of conduct in the two cases, unless government may suspect that the people's concurrence was more in compliance with Lord Panmore's wishes, than the result of their own inclinations; so that, after all, they may not be committing the offence of deferring to the popular will.

DEATH OF THE REV. DR. FRASER OF KENNOWAY.-With much regret we announce the death of the Rev. Donald Fraser, D.D., minister of the united associate congregation, Kennoway. Dr. Fraser was ordained in 1794, and has been known as an able and faithful labourer during the whole of his long ministry. He was also the biographer of the Erskines, and an author of considerable eminence. It is somewhat singular that we should have been called on in successive weeks, to record the deaths of the fathers of the established and of the secession presbyteries of Cupar.

PERTH.-CHURCH DEFENCE ASSOCIATIONS. A meeting of the west church con

gregation was held on the evening of Wednesday, Jan. 22nd, for the purpose of forming a Church Defence Association. At the conclusion of an admirable and most effective address by the Rev. Mr. Gray, an association was unanimously formed in the congregation, and large numbers went heartily forward to put down their names as members.

A POST TOO LATE.-Mr. Leckie, to the great consternation no doubt of the Dumfries Herald, which congratulated itself on his temporary departure, has resumed, what that violent intrusionist print affected to call his "babbling," and made his re-appearance in the parish of Dunscore, on Wednesday evening the 22nd Dec. The minister of the parish had given intimation by hand bills that morning of a meeting in the schoolhouse, and when proceeding there with Mr. Leckie at the hour appointed, certain ominous whisperings of an interdict were heard, which indeed had previously been mooted. On reaching the school-house, however, they found "freeish and entry," and a goodly audience assembled, which still continued to increase, till the place was so crowded that the door could not be shut. Mr. Brydon commenced the meeting with praise and prayer, after which Mr. Leckie began his lecture, and all went on swimmingly and without molestation or interruption for an hour, Mr. Leckie having completely riveted the interest of the people. But he had just begun to speak on the subject of interdicts, when a confusion was heard about the door, and the beadle making his way to the desk, whispered to the minister that a person wished to see him at the door. He declined going out however, and "the man at the door," who proved to be a sheriff's officer, then made his way through the crowd, and approaching the desk said, "I beg pardon, gentlemen," and presented a paper to the minister, and another to Mr. Leckie, who asked if it was an interdict. The officer answered. "It is said to be so." Mr. Leckie —“ Oh very well, it is only said to be an interdict. I am speaking just now, and will look at this paper when I am done, as I would wish to finish the business on hand first. Would you be so good as take a seat, sir, you will hear how we get on." Officer -"Certainly, sir, I'll sit down and hear you"-and accordingly sat down. Being already in possession of the house, Mr. Leckie proceeded, after this incident, with his lecture, every word of which seemed to tell upon the audience. After the blessing was pronounced, the minister requested the people to remain till he read the paper he had received, and begged them to take notice, that if he had received it before entering the house, he would have yielded implicit obedience, just because it was an interdict in

reference to a civil matter, whether it was just and reasonable in itself or not,-but that the interdict had arrived a post too late, as the deed was done before it was delivered. He then intimated, that he (Mr. Brydon) would lecture upon the same subject next evening in another place where no interdict could reach them, and that Mr. Leckie would lecture in a third district of the parish on Friday, where a barn or some other place would be found. We understand that the school-house, in which the meeting was held, is not the property of the heritors, but was built by private subscription, and that Mr. Brydon was himself the largest subscriber, and intends to answer the interdict, and test the power of the gentleman who applied for it, a Mr. James Laurie, of Milligantown, a small proprietor in the parish.

INTERESTING INCIDENT.-A clergyman, on lately visiting the family of a friend in a parish adjacent his own, was met at the door by the mistress of the house, who said,

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Sir, I am glad you have come here today, for I have a trifle lying by me, which I have been saving for the schemes of the church, and I wish to put it along with your collection, as you know they do not collect for these things in this parish." She then drew forth from its keeping-place and put into his hands a one pound note. As he knew she had a numerous family to support on a limited income, he considered the sum greater than she could well spare, and gave her a gentle hint to this effect. Whereupon she replied, "I have made it up by small savings, that I might help in sending the bible, that has done so much good to myself, to those who want it." As may be believed, this reply put an end to all further remonstrance, while it gave occasion, on the one hand, to admire the power of the gospel in producing such blessed fruits, and, on the other, to lament the guilt and responsibility of those ministers who, not only fail to do any thing themselves for the conversion of the heathen, but who also deprive their people of the privilege of doing so.

NEWTON.-A meeting of the parish association for promoting the five schemes of the general assembly, was held in Newton schoolhouse, on Monday, the 20th December; the chair was taken, at six o'clock, by John Wauchope, Esq,, of Edmondstone, president of the association. The Rev. Mr. Pitcairn having opened the meeting with prayer, the Rev. Mr. Adamson shortly stated the result of the proceedings of the association. Eloquent and touching appeals were addressed to the meeting, in behalf of the above noble schemes, by the Rev. Messrs. Bennie, Thomson, Duncan, Pitcairn, and Fairlie. It is worthy of remark that in the small parish of Newton, no less a sum than

between six and seven hundred pounds has been collected for these schemes, within the last ten or eleven years.

DR. GREVILLE AND THE SCOTCH BISHOPS.-Dr. Greville has published another excellent letter on the subject of the recent ominous movements of the bishops of the Scotch episcopal church. This letter contains the following remarks :

"That any one should take a different view from me I deeply regret; but I have, on the other hand, the satisfaction of knowing that there are many who entirely agree with me, and who look with painful interest on the present state and future prospects of the Scottish episcopal church.

"I beg to subjoin an extract from the 49th number of the Christian Observer,' (p. 59,) which was put into my hands last night, And here we mark with much concern the conduct of some among us, especially of the sect called tractators, who are doing all that in them lies, motive only excepted, to raze the foundations of the anglican church. We are still more grieved to see the tractarian spirit which has gone abroad among our fellow churchmen in Scotland, where Laudism is so rife and rampant, that it is actually courting persecution by popish assumptions. Even the bishops of that church, though more discreet than some of their younger clergy, have discarded the word 'episcopal' from their documents, in order to assert that there is not, and cannot be, any church which is not episcopal; and instead of saying as heretofore, the episcopal church in Scotland,' they call themselves, 'the reformed catholic church in Scotland,' and so describe and sign themselves officially in the circular by which they apply for aid for the erection of a college. The people of Scotland are in a flame of indignation at this document, by which they are in effect told that the established church of Scotland is no part of Christ's catholic church, and that it is not reformed; that it is only Samaria, Rome being our true 'home,' though unhappily it is rather bitter at present against her penitent children. The archbishop of Canterbury and the bishop of London have stedfastly opposed this spirit in the Christian Knowledge Society, and many English clergymen and laymen who wished to 'befriend our sister episcopal church in Scotland, will decline responding to an appeal which makes them declare that there are no Christians in Scotland who are not of that church.

MODERATISM.—' -The following is a part of the character of a lately deceased proprietor in the south of Scotland, as given in a Kelso paper :

"He was frequently elected a lay member of the general assembly, and in church politics he joined the moderate party. * * *

He was the oldest member of the Caledonian hunt, and long kept an excellent pack of hounds. *** He was a steady supporter of the Kelso races, and the friends of the turf looked with pleasure upon his manly form and fine countenance as he took his usual station in one of the corners of the race-stand; no man was more ready or more able to give a sound opinion upon everything connected with the course.'

Perhaps the simple writer was not aware of the singular incongruity of this. But when horse-racers are sent as elders to the assembly, it is not difficult to anticipate on which side of "church politics" they will range.

EDINBURGH TRADESMEN'S ASSOCIATION. A numerous and extremely interesting meeting of this association was held on the 24th of December, in Henderson church, on the subject of sabbath observance. A series of resolutions condemnatory of the threatened desecration of the sabbath on the Edinburgh and Glasgow railway, were proposed by several members of the association in very excellent speeches. There was displayed in them an earnestness, a sincerity, and a thorough understanding of the whole subject in all its argumentative details, with which we were much pleased. A testimony on behalf of the sabbath, coming from such a quarter, is of peculiar value, when we consider that it is professedly for the benefit of the "working classes" that the railway is proposed to be opened on the sabbath-day. It is clear from the unanimous decision of the tradesmen's association, that the more respectable among the working classes reckon the opening of the railway on the sabbath not as a boon to them, but rather as a curse to the country. The association also unanimously passed a resolution, deploring the extent to which the sabbath is desecrated in our own city by the opening of shops, and particularly of public houses,cordially approving of the late resolution of the town council to do all in their power to put down the evil, and resolving to present a memorial to that body embracing their views on the subject. This we think, coming from tradesmen, should go greatly to strengthen the hands of the council in their endeavours to suppress sabbath trading. We rejoice to see that this excellent association is lifting up its voice on behalf, not only of our beloved church, but also on behalf of our sabbaths, at a time when they are in such imminent danger.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY'S EDUCATIONAL SCHEME. This scheme maintains at present 130 schools, of which upwards of 100 are in the sequestered districts of the highlands and islands. At these instruction is provided for upwards of 12,000 scholars, and there

are also, in connexion with the same scheme, sabbath schools attended by nearly 7000 young persons and adults. The Assembly's schools occupy those places in extensive or populous parishes which are not reached by the public provision, and where the people are too poor to provide schools for themselves. This scheme has been in effective operation for sixteen years. It has increased gradually in extent, but there are still many thousands of poor children in the highlands and elsewhere that remain without instruction. To these it is the anxious desire of the church of Scotland to give the benefit of a useful and Christian education, and it is to be hoped that, notwithstanding there are at present so many urgent appeals to the benevolent, the exertions of the church to effect this immensely important object will be efficiently seconded by the liberality of her people.

THE REV. ARCHIBALD M'GILLIVRAY, assistant, Cupar, Fife, has been appointed assistant to the Rev. Mr. Davidson, Broughty Ferry.

THE REV. WM. REID, preacher of the Gospel, has been presented by the Crown to the church and parish of Kettle, in the presbytery of Cupar, vacant by the death of Mr. Barclay.

LADYLOAN CHURCH, ARBROATH.- On the evening of Saturday, the 15th of January, the children attending the Sabbath school in Ladyloan church, presented the Rev. Jas. Macbeath with a splendid Bible and silk umbrella, as a small token of their gratitude for his great exertions to increase their knowledge and promote their improvement. Mr. Macbeath's labours in Ladyloan terminated on sabbath last. In this parish he has laboured for the last four years amidst a warm and sincerely attached people with great zeal and assiduity, and apparently with great success. Ladyloan is a quoad sacra parish. The church was built expressly for Mr. Macbeath, by whose exertions a numerous congregation has been formed, the sittings numbering 1080, having been all let each year. Eight elders have been ordained; a sabbath-school, attended by upwards of 400 children, under the tuition of 30 teachers, has been in operation, and a library, containing 300 volumes, has been instituted. The constitution of Ladyloan church is one of the most popular in Scotland, the election of a minister and managers being vested in the male communicants of twenty-one years of age and upwards. The eyes of both parties in the church will be on them, and we hope they will conduct the election, and make such a choice as will give no cause for the enemies of popular rights to triumph. The stipend, which is £150 per annum, should command the services of an able and effi

cient minister, a man of right principles and real piety, who will keep in motion the whole parochial machinery, so ably set agoing by the Rev. Mr. Macbeath; and from what we know of the congregation, we do not doubt they will make such a choice.

SUNDAY MAIL TRAINS.-At a meeting of the town council of Linlithgow, the provost moved, that the council communicate to the directors of the Edinburgh and Glas gow Railway Company their approval of running mail trains on Sunday morning and evening, care being taken in doing so, to give as little hurt to public feeling as possible; which motion being seconded, was carried by a majority of fourteen to four, two declining to vote: the minority of four being of opinion that the council should not interfere in the matter.

PRESENTATION OF A TESTIMONIAL TO THE REV. MR. DEWAR, MODERATOR OF THE PRESBYTERY OF STRATH BOGIE.-The general assembly's missionaries in this district, feeling deeply how much they have been indebted for their personal comfort and the success of their labours, to the uniform kindness and support of the presbytery under whose superintendence they are placed, have united in expressing these sentiments in a letter to the convener of the special commission; and, having especially been called, in the discharge of their onerous duties, to maintain a very frequent communication with the Rev. Mr. Dewar, the excellent moderator of that presbytery, they have presented him with a splendidly bound copy of Scott's Bible, in six vols. quarto, " as a token of gratitude for personal kindness, of high respect for his ministerial and Christian worth, and of admiration for his indefatigable exertions in behalf of the great scriptural principles for which the church of Scotland is now contending."

Up, daughters of Scotland! say not ye are weak,

While there's help for the needy, and grace for the meek,

There's a weapon which even weak woman may bear,

'Tis the sword of the Spirit,-the armour of prayer!

Yes, daughters of Scotland! our cries shall ascend

To the God of our fathers-while lowly we bend,

That Zion may burst from the shadows of night,

And dawn on her children in raiments of white!

Rest, daughters of Scotland! for lo, from afar

There beams on our Zion a radiant star,'Tis the star of her freedom! aloft let her soar,

Triumph! oh, triumph! her struggles are o'er !

UNIVERSITY AND CLERICAL INTELLIGENCE.

OXFORD, Dec. 13.

In a convocation holden this day, the Rev. Henry Heming, M.A., Fellow of St. John's College, was unanimously elected lecturer of the parish church of St. Giles, in the suburbs of this city.

CAMBRIDGE, Dec. 13.

THE BISHOP OF ELY'S FELLOWSHIP. It will be recollected that the Bishop of Ely gave up his right of nomination to a Fellowship of St. John's College, Cambridge, to public competition. There were six candidates at the late examination, and on Saturday the choice of the examiners was declared in favour of A. M. Hopper, of Trinity College (B.A. 1839), now a tutor of Eton.

CROSSE SCHOLARSHIP.-Henry Lovell, of St. John's College (B.A. 1841), has been appointed a scholar on this foundation.

Henry Mildred Birch, scholar of King's College, was, on the 12th inst., elected a Fellow of that Society.

THE NEW LIBRARY.-The Cambridge Independent Press has the following notice:

"We are happy to state, that the Lord Bishop of Durham, imitating the noble example set by the Rev. T. Halford, of Jesus College, has forwarded the sum of 100 guineas towards the subscription for the new wing of the University Library."

ORDINATION.

On Sunday, the 12th ult., the following gentlemen were admitted to holy orders, in the chapel of Farnham Castle, by the Lord Bishop of Winchester:

Deacons.-John Charles Ryle, B. A., Christ Church College, Oxford; James Meyrick, B.A., Queen's College, Oxford; Thomas Coulthard, B.A., Queen's College, Oxford; James Hemery Janvoin, B.A., Oriel College, Oxford; Samuel Clarke, B.A., St. John's College, Oxford; Hatfield

E. Pettman, B.A., Trinity College, Oxford; Edwin Trevelyan Smith, B.A., St. John's College, Cambridge; Richard C. Hales, B.A., Magdalen College, Cambridge; George Edward Tate, B.A., St. John's College, Cambridge; Christopher Henry Gould Butson, B.A., Magdalen College, Cambridge; Hugh Henry Molesworth, B.A., St. John's College, Cambridge, by let. dim. from the Lord Bishop of Exeter; Robert Cooper, B.A., Wadham College, Oxford, by let. dim. from the Lord Bishop of Salisbury.

Priests.-George Hadow, B. A., Baliol College, Oxford; John Durell Durell, B.A., New Inn Hall, Oxford; Charles Stephen Grueber, B.A., Magdalen Hall, Oxford; William Henry Cope, M.A., Magdalen Hall, Oxford; George William Cockerell, M.A., Queen's College, Oxford; John Compton, B.A., Merton College, Oxford; Thomas Goodwin Hatchard, B.A., Brazennose College, Oxford; William Hizel Le Marchant, M.A., Exeter College, Oxford; Carston Dirs Kebbel, B.A., University College, Oxford; George De Carteret Guille, B.A., Pembroke College, Oxford; John Hawksley, B.A., St. Edmund's Hall, Oxford; Christopher Heath, B.A., Jesus College, Cambridge; Frederick Fisher, B.A., Magdalen College, Cambridge; Stephen Stock Gower, B. A., St. John's College, Cambridge.

THE IRISH CHURCH.

It is currently reported, and believed, that government is about to appoint a commission to investigate the condition of all churches and parishes in Ireland, and that appointments to livings held by the Crown are to be invested in the clerical bodies themselves, selected out of their respective dioceses.

DEANERY OF ARMAGH.-There is, we