And adding these sundry payments to the amount of grants made directly by the Committee, we have, as the total amount of payments from the fund, up to the present date, the sum of

Which being deducted from L.85,927, 4s. 11d., the amount of the available Central Fund, leaves, as the balance of that fund, the sum of

But of this balance there is a portion consisting of subscriptions of which the term of payment has not arrived; and this (including the payments yet to be made on the supplementary or 2s. 6d. scheme) may be stated at about

Deducting which, we have

L.47,046 10 4

38,880 10 4

8,000 0 0

£30,880 10 4

the balance now actually remaining on hand, of the Central Building Fund, as realized and paid up, at the present date. The Committee may reckon on some considerable part of the above sum of £8000, still outstanding, being paid up in the course of the present year, and they may also expect some farther remittances from America; but, leaving these to meet any sums that may yet be withdrawn to local objects, the Committee conceive that they cannot, with safety, state the balance of the Central Fund, still available for its proper objects, at more than the above balance of £30,880, 10s. 4d.

Such, then, being the present amount of the Central Building Fund at the disposal of the Committee, they would beg leave, first of all, to enter a caveat against its being supposed that this is so large a sum, that it must be adequate, or nearly so to the completion of our undertaking, and that therefore the idea of any farther considerable or strenuous effort, on behalf of the Central Building Fund, may now be finally dismissed from the view of the Church. A moment's reflection will show the utter groundlessness of such a conclusion. It has been seen that there are not fewer than 230 of our churches yet to be erected. Now, let it be supposed that thirty of these churches may be built by the congregations, without requiring aid from the Central Fund, there still remain 200 churches requiring such aid; and the initial grant of 5s. a sitting to these 200 churches, would itself require a sum of L.30,000, exhausting the entire Fund, and leaving the greater part of these churches, as well as a large portion of those already built, crushed under a load of debt, which would utterly paralyse the exertions of their congregations, and render them nothing but an intolerable drag on the Sustentation Scheme, and on all the other Christian enterprises of the Church. As already observed, to whatever extent debt remains on our churches, to that extent our work remains to be done. This, which should be held as a first axiom in regard to all churches, is most emphatically true as respects the churches of our poorer congregations, to which debt, even of a small amount, is absolutely destructive; and, since the churches we have yet to build are, in the main, the churches of our poorer congregations, which will require the largest aid, and must be kept free of debt; and since we have still to assist the congregations whose churches are already built, in clearing off the debt which has necessarily been incurred by a large proportion of them,-it will be seen that a great and strenuous effort must yet be made on behalf of the Central Building Fund, in order that we may acquit ourselves of the obligation imposed upon us by the disruption, and may start the Free Church truly free,-free from debt, by which alone it can be free and ready for every good work.

"In connection with this subject, the Committee must farther request the Assembly to remember, that the fruits of our deputations, sent forth to other countries, having now been nearly gathered,-to an extent which has proved an important relief to us, and which has amply verified the professions of Christian sympathy and kindness with which our deputies have been universally received,-no further aid from such quarters is now to be expected; and what remains of the work must henceforth lie, where it is most fitting that it should, namely, on ourselves. Having, however, been thus encouraged in our undertaking, and seasonably assisted and relieved in the prosecution of it, what remains for us to do but to return to it, when required, and, with increased alacrity and zeal, address ourselves to its final completion?

"With regard to the disbursements to be made from the fund during the ensuing year, the Committee must, of course, in the first instance, reserve an amount sufficient to meet the demand of 5s. per sitting on the churches about to be erected. The Committee do not anticipate that the 230 churches remaining to be built can all be proceeded with during the present year; and they think it probable that a sum of £15,000 or £16,000, or a little more, may in all likelihood be sufficient to meet the demands of this kind that will be made upon them during the next ten or twelve months.

"But there is another application of the fund which the Committee consider to be not less urgent and appropriate than that which has just been mentioned. It will be remembered that the grant of 5s. per sitting was always held out as being merely a first grant, one which, in the majority of cases, it was expected, would, with the efforts of the congregations, be sufficient to complete the erection of the churches, but which, at the same time, would, in many cases, require to be followed up in due time with some farther assistance. The Committee accordingly find that there is a numerous class of congregations whose places of worship are still in an unfinished state, or who, if they had finished their buildings, are labouring under a certain amount of debt, and anxiously looking out for the promised aid of the Committee, to enable them to extinguish it. In these circumstances the Committee propose, without delay, to institute inquiries in order to ascertain accurately the entire amount of the debt which exists upon churches so situated. When the gross amount of the debt has been ascertained, the Committee will then be enabled to judge what scale of ad. ditional allowances they can adopt, so as to afford an equal and proportionate benefit to all, out of such sum as the state of the fund will permit to be applied in this way. The Committee do not propose in any case, to pay off the amount of debt, but simply to stimulate the renewed efforts of the several congregations, and to give such assistance as, in conjunction with their own efforts, may have the effect of removing the incumbrance. There are some churches in towns, and other situations, which are loaded with large sums of debt. In such cases, any assistance to be now afforded by the Committee can go but a little way towards their relief. But in the great proportion of instances, the debts are comparatively light; and the Committee would hope, that a sum of L.8000 or L.10,000 (if the fund can afford so much,) applied according to the method which has been described, will be the means of entirely clearing off the debt from all but a very few of the churches already erected.

"There is another object which seemed urgently to call for a temporary application of a limited portion of the fund, and which the Committee have felt themselves compelled to entertain. In a certain number of parishes, situated almost exclusively in the Highlands and Islands, it appears that the minister can obtain no lodging or accommodation of any kind, so situated as to admit of performing his duties among his people, so that the erection of a church without a manse comes to be nearly useless; and indeed the manse seems to be the more important erection of the two. For extreme cases of this description (which do not seem in all to exceed the number of about five-and-twenty,) the Committee have proposed to enter into an ar rangement, by which they are to advance a certain portion of the expense of building the manse, on being secured in such a rent as will not only afford interest on the advance, but ultimately refund the capital. The Committee do not know how far parties are likely to avail themselves of this proposal. They have at all events, limited their liabilities on this head to the sum of L.5000 at the utmost, and they do not anticipate that anything approaching to that sum can possibly thus be applied dur ing the present year. Indeed the Committee are happy to find that that most intelligent and indefatigable friend of the Church, Mr Thomson of Banchory, has sug. gested a scheme for the general and immediate erection of manses throughout the country. And should Mr Thomson's scheme meet with the approbation of the Assembly, and be brought into operation, the Committee will gladly allow the special cases to which their attention has been directed to be embraced under his more comprehensive plan.

"It has been already observed, that since the date of the Assembly in October, the Committee have not pressed the Building Fund on the notice of the public, but

have left the field entirely open to the exertions of the Committees on the Sustentation Fund and on the other objects of the Church. The Committee were induced thus to withdraw from public notice for a season, because they acquiesced in the prevailing sentiment, that the Building Fund had previously jostled these other important objects to an undue extent out of the public attention; and also, because they were aware that a large portion of the wealthier friends of the Church were for the present rather heavily tasked with the duty of erecting their own places of worship. So far from regretting the course which they have followed in this respect, the Committee rejoice that the state of their Fund permitted them, without present injury, to make way, as they did, for the kindred and deeply interesting objects referred to. They must entreat, however, that this temporary suspension of their claims may not for one moment be construed into an abandonment of them. The building of our churches is, after all, a primary object; and, in truth, it was only in consequence of its being universally felt and acknowledged to be so, that it did at the first tend unduly to pre-occupy the ground. The fact of the work being, from circumstances, necessarily progressive, has enabled the Committee for a season to withdraw it from notice; but it has lost nothing of its inherent interest, and, in so far as it remains undone, it must yet be felt and acknowledged by all to be primarily important. If the Assembly judge it expedient, the Committee will now again proceed to take measures for recalling the offerings of the public to the Central Building Fund; and, at all events, they beg it may be understood that large and liberal contributions will now be most acceptable, as they will soon be imperatively required, and they would specially direct attention to the Supplementary Scheme, devised by the inventive genius of our venerated father Dr Chalmers,—a scheme by which parties agreeing to pay 2s. 6d., 5s. or such other sum as they think proper, to every church for which a grant is made, hereby help continually to replenish the fund, in proportion as it is exhausted, and in such a way as falls lightly on themselves, and calls up the money no sooner than it is expended. A party now agreeing to pay 2s. 6d., on each of our 200 remaining churches, would thus become liable, in all, for no more than L.25. If he agrees to pay 5s. on each, the entire liability is for L.50, and if 10s., then L.100; the payments not being required at once, but being spread over one or more years, and being called for in moderate sums, only as the work actually proceeds. This scheme has, as yet, been gone into to a very limited extent; but as it has many obvious recommendations, and is calculated to give great stability to the operations of the Fund, the committee will rejoice if the friends of the Church in the Assembly will espouse it warmly, and let a fresh impulse be given to it, so as it may in future be ramified and diffused over the whole country.

"The committee will not detain the Assembly by dwelling at length on the refusal of sites, and on the other unjustifiable means which are still resorted to in many quarters, with a view to injure or to crush our cause. It is with sincere pleasure they have to state that, in three of the Duke of Sutherland's parishes,-viz. Tongue, Farr, and Duirness,-sites for churches, manses, and gardens have been marked off in situations entirely satisfactory to their respective ministers. Since the Assembly met this day, it has been mentioned that, in other two of the Sutherland parishes,viz. Assynt and Rogart,-arrangements in every way satisfactory have likewise been effected; and with regard to the two or three remaining parishes on his Grace's property, the committee would entertain the hope that matters may speedily be adjusted. They would willingly regard what has been so well done in the greater number of the parishes, as an index of his Grace's intentions towards the whole; and they trust that, since his purposes have been carried into effect in so many districts of his estates, he will take means to secure that they are not frustrated in any, but that settlements are effected as to all the parishes, in such time as will enable his people to be provided with shelter while engaged in the worship of God, before they are assailed by the inclemencies of another winter.

"The committee regret that there are various proprietors in Scotland, noblemen and others, who still persist in the refusal of sites,—that monstrous abuse of the rights of property, by which they deny to the people the means of worshipping God according to their consciences. Such conduct, while it is most painful to contemplate

and most afflicting to our people, is most of all injurious to the interests of those who perpetrate it. The people, as is well known, have in every instance, endured their sufferings with exemplary patience; and it is to be hoped that the force of public opinion, or the influence of calm reflection alone, will speedily prove enough, without any farther compulsitor, to put an end to this most flagrant wrong. There are two or three proprietors who have denied sites in a manner peculiar to themselves. The parties alluded to say that they do not refuse a site, but that the congregation is welcome to erect their place of worship on a spot which they mention. When asked, however, what title is meant to be given with the ground? they answer that they mean to give none, which is just, in other words, to say, that they mean not to give the ground, but to retain it as their own property, and that all they intend, therefore, is to allow a church to be built on their ground, that is, to accept a present of it. The cases of this kind, however, are, as has been mentioned, very few in number; and the Committee consider that they may be safely dismissed without farther observation.

"Most unfortunately, the sufferings arising from the refusals of sites are not the only sufferings to which our people have been subjected for conscience' sake. In many districts, a rigorous system of persecution has been maintained against them; and by means of the withdrawing of custom, the dismissing from employments, and by threats and discouragements of every kind, attempts are unceasingly made to drive them from their constancy. The Committee do not intend, at present, to bring forward the details respecting these persecutions, which, through the intervention of Parliament or otherwise, it may be necessary to bring fully before the public. They will only select, as a specimen, a single sentence, contained in a letter lately received from a most respectable minister, who, speaking of his own parish, says, ' about fifty servants and day-labourers, several of them with weak families and destitute of means, have been dismissed and thrown out of employment, and every thing done against them to render their adherence bitter. Yesterday, in addition to the servants removed at last term, about twenty more, with their families, were served with summonses of removal, for supporting and attending the Free Church, while such as agree to oppose it are called from distant parishes to supply their places, and are encouraged and protected, whatever character they bear.' Conduct such as this, which can excite nothing but feelings of the strongest indignation, is pursued, with various degrees of severity, throughout many districts of the country. By means of it, it might be possible to prevail against a bad cause or a weak one; but it is a mistake to suppose that the cause against which it is now directed is either the one or the other. As to the persecutors, we are bound to pray for them, that they may be forgiven, and that they may be brought to a better mind; and as to our suffering brethren, we shall, in God's strength, resolve, that the more they are persecuted, the more shall they, by our means, obtain a full supply of the ministrations and abundant consolations of that Word, through faith of which they shall triumph over all persecutions. "J. HAMILTON, Convener."

Sir JAMES FORREST moved the adoption of the report, and that the thanks of the Assembly be conveyed to Mr Hamilton, the convener of the Committee, which the Moderator did in appropriate terms.

The Assembly called for the Report of the

COMMITTEE ON MANSES.

When Mr THOMSON of Banchory gave in the following

"REPORT of Committee named to consider the Overture anent the Building of Manses.

"Your Committee beg unanimously to report as follows:

"1. That for the purpose of completing the essential framework of the Free Church, a committee of the Assembly be now appointed, under the name of the Manse Building Committee.

"2. That this Committee shall have power to take all necessary steps for procuring the best possible plans of manses in regard to comfort, economy, and architectural effect, suited to the various districts of the country.

"3. That it shall be the duty of this Committee to adopt such means as they shall deem best for calling the attention of the Christian public to the absolute necessity of the erection of manses, to enable the ministers to discharge with comfort and efficiency their sacred functions.

"4. That this Committee consist of the whole elders who are members of this House, and such other elders of the Church as the Committee may assume; of which Committee, Robert Paul, Esq., banker in Edinburgh, shall be convener.

"5. That the exertions of this Committee shall not cease until there be a manse erected in connection with every Free Church in Scotland.

"ALEX. THOMSON, Convener."

Mr THOMSON remarked,-It was impossible to conceive the inconvenience to which these clergymen had been put for want of manses, some of them being, in consequence, obliged to place their families at a distance of twenty, thirty, forty, aye, seventy miles from the scene of their labours; and in some cases to pay for the rent of a house at the rate of forty guineas a-year. Such ought not to be. It was not to be borne, that the pastors who were only in the receipt of an hundred pounds a-year should have to pay forty of that for house-rent. (Hear, hear.) He regretted that there was no fund for this purpose, but he had no doubt that such would soon be procured, as nothing was more essential to the comfort of these ministers and their families than such erections. The necessity for manses was in fact almost as great as that for churches; for a minister could preach to his people outside, but unless he had a comfortable house for himself and his family, to protect him from the inclemency of the weather, it was impossible that he could discharge his duties aright. But another motive had induced him to bring forward this subject. He thought they had heard too little of the sufferings borne by the wives of their ministers. (Cheers.) They bad in every case strengthened the hands of their husbands; and when he was lately in England on one of the deputations, nothing excited more interest among the people there than when they related the sufferings which the wives and daughters of their ministers had been subjected to, and the noble manner in which they had borne them. If they sent a deputation to England for the purpose of collecting a fund, for the purpose of building manses, he had no doubt but that it would meet with more success than any of their previous deputations to that country had done. (Cheers.) It had not been thought expedient at present to come forward with any plan on this subject, but simply to refer the matter to a Committee. It was a work which ought entirely to fall on the laity; and although they had not in the eldership such men as Mr M‘Donald—(cheers)—to send forth in support of their scheme, still they had such men amongst themselves as Mr M. Crichton-(cheers) -and also one of their number who so ably pled their cause on the other side of the Atlantic (cheers)—both of whom he had no doubt would go forth in the advocacy of so beneficial and important an object.

R. PAUL, Esq., moved the adoption of the Report. He was sure the subject would meet the warm approbation of the house; and that, when they had so readily responded to the call for the means of building churches, and securing a competency for their ministers, they would as readily respond to the call to make every minister comfortable in a manse. He would not at present enter into details on the subject, as the matter was important, and required some consideration, which would be best given it in committee. There was, however, one thing he would mention connected with the subject. It was well known that Mr Thomson of Banchory was the originator of this scheme—(cheers)—and being so, it was thought desirable that he should be placed at the head of the Committee for carrying it into effect; but Mr Thomson's residence being at such a distance from Edinburgh as rendered it altogether impossible for him properly to attend to the matter, he (Mr P.) had been substituted in his place. He could only say, that he did not know any honour they could have conferred upon him which he would have valued more than being at the head of a Committee for carrying out this scheme; and every thing be could do would be done to forward it.

The Report was then agreed to.