MEETING OF SYNOD.

WE call attention to the advertisement of the Meeting of Synod, and the notices connected therewith. It is of great importance that members be at Newcastle on Monday, the 17th, as the various Committees meet at nine A. M. on Tuesday. The arrangements for the accommodation of members are understood to be very complete. We trust that the order of procedure in the Court will be carefully prepared by the Committee of Business. At previous meetings far too little time has been left for Committees and Conferences. The less time there is for public business, the more work is usually got through. Less speaking, and more deliberation and action we require. It would be well if the early part of each day were devoted to Committees, and the afternoon and evening to public business, the Court not sitting later than nine P.M. As there is to be Divine service each forenoon, the earlier in the morning the Committees can meet the better.

The following suggestions occur in a letter from an elder, one of our best business men; the other points to which he refers we hope he will bring forward at the Synod:

:

"The Synod should be careful in appointing committees to apportion the work and divide the labour, having on each, as far as practicable, different men; still keeping an eye to retaining the services of those who have been useful, and possess experience and influence, as well as to engaging and drawing out the energies of those who have hitherto had no synodical work assigned to them, who are inexperienced, but who are likely to be

useful to the Church. At the same time, the work of committees and their powers ought to be distinctly and clearly defined. They ought to be appointed at such stage of the Synod's business, that they can meet and arrange for the days and hours of their regular business meetings through the year, which arrangements should be reported to the Synod, approved of by them at a subsequent diet, and inserted in the abstract of minutes. And although committees may have extra, or pro re nata meetings, all general business should be confined to their regular meetings, and all business of extra, or pro re nata meetings, confirmed at those regular meetings. I am sure that some arrangements of this sort are necessary, and would give general satisfaction...Perhaps the ultimate committees, to look forward

to as standing committees, would be as follows:

"1. Sustentation. 2. Building churches, schools, and manses. 3. Education, including all day-schools, Sabbath-schools, college, and bursaries. 4. Home Missions, and state of religion, including Sabbath observance. 5. Jewish and Foreign Missions; and, at present, another must be continued on code of discipline and order,—thus one might take up the directory of Public Worship and Psalmody.

"It should be arranged that the abstract of minutes be printed, and sent to clerks of presbyteries, within days of the rising of Synod in, at least, sufficient numbers to allow of each minister and office-bearer having one copy at cost price, say, not exceeding one shilling each; that to the abstract of minutes be appended copies of all the accounts in same manner as is done by the Free Church of Scotland; also, a copy of each committee's report. Further, that the abstract of minutes be accompanied by lists of matters to be attended to at next Synod at commission, by presbyteries, by sessions, by ministers, by elders, by deacons, by congregations, by associations, and by members of churches."

CHINA.-REV. W. C. BURNS.

We have much pleasure in laying before our readers the following letter from the Rev. W. C. Burns to one of the treasurers of the Foreign Mission Scheme, received by the last China mail:—

"Hong-Kong, December 29, 1847. "My dear Sir,-Although I have not much as yet to communicate regarding the progress of the work which has brought me here, I have much pleasure in sending you a few lines in reply to your letter which met me on my arrival. I am now comfortably and quietly settled, and go on as rapidly as I can with the Chinese, sometimes encouraged by my progress, and sometimes inclined to doubt whether I shall be ever able to preach the Gospel fully and intelligibly in this tongue. As yet I have done almost nothing among the Chinese, with the exception of giving a lesson occasionally in English to one or two Chinese servants, and during the past week also, of visiting, sometimes alone, and at other times along with a Chinese Christian

and preacher, three poor men who are now under sentence of death. When alone, I have been able to say a few things to them regarding the books which I have made them read with me, and even on some occasions I have attempted to join with them in prayer. I think I was intelligible to them, (they said, poor men, hiú tak, "I understand,") but, as you may suppose, my power in expressing myself is yet very limited, and I fear I could not be understood in venturing beyond a few of the commonest expressions. I have full liberty to visit criminals in the prison, of whom, alas, at present there are many, and I think that this is a field in which I may at once pick up the language, as it is commonly spoken, and also be of some use, by the Divine blessing, among the prisoners.

"When I wrote by last mail to Mr. Hamilton, I was preaching regularly once a-day in Union Chapel, connected with the London Society's Mission, and expected to have done so for some time to come. It appeared, however, to those connected with the chapel, that in the view of consolidating their own congregation, it was important that the Presbyterian party should lose no time in taking up that position which they had contemplated in seeking a minister from Scotland; and in consequence of this, at a meeting of a few of our friends here, it was resolved that a place of worship should be opened in connexion with the Presbyterian Church, and that in the meantime I should conduct the services. I agreed to this, but only so far as the preaching of the Word was concerned, and so long as my views of duty in reference to the Chinese field should admit of my remaining here. In consequence of this, we met on Sabbath last in a Bungalow, immediately behind the Club House, and, as you know, in the very centre of the town. Intimation had not been generally made, as it was uncertain whether the place would be so ready, and our numbers were not great; but a beginning has been made, and should it please the God of grace to smile on this undertaking, it may yet lead to results greater than any of us anticipate, both among our own countrymen and among the natives.

soon

"This is, I believe, nearly the sum of what I have to communicate at present; and as I shall not enter on the subject of the late melancholy event at Canton, I must excuse myself as but a poor letter

FREE CHURCH MISSIONS. To the Editor of the Presbyterian Messenger. MY DEAR SIR,-I am anxious that the attention of your readers should be called to the very strong claims of the Indian Missions of the Free Church, and their warm sympathies engaged in behalf of that noble scheme. It is no disparagement of other missionary efforts to place this at the head of them all, and although by many of our people, who are regular contributors to the funds, the progress of the work, as detailed in their "Missionary Record,' is watched from month to month, I fear that to the great majority of the Christian public in England these interesting and successful missions are hardly known.

I can speak more particularly of the institution at Calcutta, under the superintendence of the beloved Dr. Duff, from having lately enjoyed the privilege of seeing it in full operation. `Imagine a thousand boys and young men assembling daily in the hall of the institution, and after prayer by one of the missionaries, distributing themselves in the various class-rooms for the work of the day. I am certain it would astonish, as it would delight you, to enter one of these classrooms, and, taking your seat by the teacher, perhaps one of the excellent Christian catechists, himself trained at the institution, set yourself to listen a while to his examinations. The peculiar feature with which I think you would be struck is the blending of sound intellectual and secular instruction, with sound scriptural and religious training, and this is done throughout every department of the institution. There are classes for grammar and reading in the native languages as well as in English, for geography, for arithmetic, for mathematics, and in the senior or college department, there are lectures and classes for logic, moral, mental, and natural philosophy, and for systematic Christian theology. The Bible is taught

through the whole school, and the minuteness and accuracy of acquaintance with its facts and doctrines which these youths display, would put to shame many an Eton or Rugby in this favoured England.

With ceaseless and laborious zeal, all the means are plied for gathering out from among these poor heathens some trophies of the Redeemer's grace. And are these white clad youths, who have just been proving with such clear and convincing reasoning the doctrine of our Lord's divinity, are these heathens? Alas! human teaching cannot make them Christians. They are still, with a few exceptions, strangers to the grace of God; and oh, Sir, how important that the sympathies of God's children should be awakened on their behalf. The Dux of the institution, at the period of my visit, a fine noble fellow, went to the missionaries and declared, "I believe everything, I know it all, but I feel nothing." His is by no means a singular case. Let us bear these devoted men and their arduous self-denying work, more than ever on our hearts in public and in private prayer. Who can tell the result? Were the Holy Spirit given in answer, there would go out over the plains of India from that one institution hundreds of men thoroughly furnished for proclaiming the Gospel of Christ to their idolatrous and degraded countrymen. The Lord grant this in his own time!

Are institutions like that to which I have so feebly invited attention, to be suffered to go down for want of a little silver and gold? No Evangelical Church in Christendom would be wholly free from the guilt of such an Occurrence. And I humbly but earnestly trust that we at least will do what we can to aid our brethren in their present painful straits, and count it an honour to be fellow workers in such a noble cause. Yours, very sincerely,

Foreign Mission Secretary. The Rev. Messrs. Fisher and Ferguson conducted the devotional services. The attendance was very encouraging.

Presbyteries' Proceedings.

PRESBYTERY OF LONDON.

THIS Reverend Court met at 16, Exeter Hall, on the 14th March, and was constituted with praise, reading of the Scriptures, and prayer, by the Rev. William Chalmers, Moderator.

The communion rolls of Chelsea and Edward-street congregations were given in and attested.

Mr. J. Hamilton reported that the Sabbath Committee had arranged a course of lectures, on the subject of Sabbath Observance, which were now in course of delivery by the inembers of Committee. Messrs. Chalmers and Weir communicated that they had preached the first two sermons of said course to overflowing congregations at River-terrace and Marylebone Churches last Lord's-day evening; and, on the motion of Mr. J. Hamilton, seconded by Mr. Nicolson, it was agreed that the Presbytery petition Parliament in favour of the sanctification of the Lord's-day, and that the former Committee, which was reappointed, with power to add to their numbers, should prepare said Petition, and after it shall have been signed by the Moderator, in the name and by authority of the Presbytery, transmit the same to the proper quarter. The Committee were further instructed to prosecute their labours in the cause of Sabbath observance, and, in particular, to engage the services of other four members of Presbytery, who should deliver lectures, in their turn, along with those who had been already appointed.

The Presbytery authorized the Kirk Session of Brighton to meet in London on an early day.

At the request of Mr. Roxburgh, Professor Campbell was appointed to act as an assessor with the Kirk Session at Greenwich, ad interim.

Mr. Chalmers gave in the Report of the Committee appointed to consider the application of the Jewish Industrial Institution at Red Lion-square, and, after a good deal of discussion, it was agreed that the Report be received, but that the

Presbytery do not feel themselves at liberty to incur any responsibility in reference to said Institution.

At the request of Mr. Macaulay, the consideration of the Central Fund was deferred till next ordinary meeting.

Mr. Thompson stated that Colonel Anderson was unavoidably absent on military duty, and requested that the consideration of the Colonel's motion, on the subject of Presbyterian chaplaincies in England, should be delayed till next meeting of Presbytery. Said request was complied with.

Professor Campbell submitted the cases of Messrs. Alexander Kemp and Samuel Huston, students of divinity, and craved permission to apply to the Synod for leave to take them on probationary trials, which was granted accordingly.

The Presbytery agreed to grant a certificate to the Rev. Mr. Gardner, recommending the case of the Church at Birkenhead, Liverpool, to the liberality of their Christian people.

The congregation at Birkenhead have done good service to the cause of Presbytery in England, by a successful resistance to an unjust attempt which was made by an action in Chancery, to deprive them of their place of worship. They have, however, incurred a debt, amounting to nearly a thousand pounds, by this resistance; and, while the Presbyterian Church in England is under deep obligations to them, it is earnestly hoped that our Christian people will now come liberally forward to aid them in liquidating this debt. Mr. Gardner, their minister, is now in London, soliciting subscriptions for this object.

The Presbytery adjourned to meet at 16, Exeter Hall, on the second Tuesday of April, at three o'clock, p.m., and the sederunt was closed with prayer.

PRESBYTERY OF BIRMINGHAM.

THIS reverend Court met at Birmingham on Tuesday, the 1st February:-Present, Messrs. Mackenzie (Moderator), Lewis, Speers, and Bryson, ministers; and Messrs. Sharpe and Hudson, elders. The minutes of former meeting having been read and sustained, the Presbytery called for the Report of the Statistical Committee. Mr. Lewis reported that the Committee had prepared a list of queries and schedule for the purpose of ascertaining more clearly the state of the congregations within the bounds, copies of

which he laid on the table; whereupon it was unanimously resolved to receive the Report, approve the diligence of the Committee, and direct copies of the schedules and queries to be forwarded to all sessions within the bounds, to be filled up and returned to the clerk before next meeting.

An application was then made on behalf of the congregation at Shelton for permission to make an appeal to the Christian public, especially in connexion with the Presbyterian Church in England, for the purpose of paying off the debt still remaining on their Church. It afforded great pleasure to the Presbytery to hear of the growing prosperity of this congregation, as evidenced by the large sum subscribed by the members themselves in furtherance of this object. The application was therefore cordially received and leave unanimously granted.

The Presbytery then proceeded to the business of the public meeting, of which notice had been previously given; and at the close of the proceedings, adjourned to meet at Hanley on the first Tuesday of March, at four o'clock, p.m.

HANLEY, March 7.-The Presbytery met at Hanley this day. Present, Messrs. Bryson (Moderator, p.t.), Lewis, Speers, and Martyn, ministers; and Messrs. Hudson and Sharpe, elders. The minutes of former meeting having been read and sustained, statistical returns were handed in from congregations within the bounds of the Presbytery, and a Committee appointed to report to next meeting. After transacting the ordinary business, the Presbytery adjourned to meet at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, on the third Tuesday of April, at twelve o'clock.

PRESBYTERY OF LANCASHIRE.

THIS Presbytery held its ordinary meeting on the 1st of March, at Liverpool-Rev. V. M. White, Moderator pro tempore.

Collections were announced as having been made for the Home Mission by the following churches, viz. :-St. George's, Canning-street, Birkenhead, Liverpool; St. Peter's, Chalmers', St. Andrew's, Manchester; Risley; and Wigan.

At his request, Mr. Gardner was allowed to withdraw his notice of an Overture to the Synod. Mr. White was allowed to do the same.

Mr. Gardner stated that the Session of Birkenhead had incurred very heavy expenses in defending and securing their

church in the late suit in Chancery. To meet the present difficulties, the Session and congregation were putting forth special efforts. But as it could not be expected that they should be able to meet them all, Mr. Gardner, in the name of the Session, applied to the Presbytery to recommend the case to the sympathy and aid of the other churches and congregations within the bounds of the Presbyterian Church in England.

The Presbytery feeling great sympathy for Mr. Gardner and the Session and congregation at Birkenhead, cordially grant his application, and appoint a Committee, consisting of Rev. D. Fergusson (Convener), Rev. V. M. White, and Messrs. R. M. Fergusson and Adam, Elders, to draw up a recommendatory letter.

Mr. M'Hinch, of Chalmers' Church, applied to the Presbytery for assessors to form, and do all the duties of, a Session in his congregation. The application was granted, and the Rev. A. Munro and Mr. A. H. Kelly were appointed.

Mr. R. M. Fergusson (Elder) moved, "That a Committee be appointed to draw up a Petition to the House of Commons against this country entering into any diplomatic relations with the Pope, and to report to this meeting." Which motion having been seconded, it was agreed to. The Committee, having been nominated, retired, and after a space returned and laid on the table the draft of a Petition, which was received and adopted, and the Moderator was instructed to sign it in the name of the Presbytery, and transmit it without delay to Lord Ashley, to be presented by him to the House of Commons.

Mr. Gardner gave notice that, at next meeting, he would move that the Clerk be instructed to furnish a statement of the attendance and non-attendance of members during the last two years. Adjourned to meet at Liverpool on the 15th inst., at seven P. M.

LIVERPOOL, March 15.-The Presbytery met the Rev. Thomas Robinson, Moderator pro tempore.

The Report of the Committee appointed to draw up a recommendatory letter in the case of Birkenhead Church was then called for, when Mr. Fergusson, the Convener, stated he had received no notice of the appointment of such a Committee. The Clerk explained, that he had notified by post, in the usual way, to Mr. Fergusson the appointment, members, and object of

the Committee. The Committee was reappointed with former instructions, and enjoined to forward the letter, without delay, to Mr. Gardner.

The Presbytery then proceeded to the church to induct Mr. Smith, when the Moderator preached from Psalm cx. 3, first clause, and put the usual questions to Mr. Smith, and having received satisfactory answers to the same, he did, by solemn prayer, induct Mr. Smith to the pastoral charge of St. Peter's congregation. Mr. Smith then received the right hand of fellowship from the brethren present, and the usual charges were thereafter addressed to the minister and people by Mr. M'Hinch.

Mr. Fergusson, Convener of the Committee appointed to watch over the interests of the preaching station at Chester, reported verbally, that the station there was at present in a languishing condition, owing in a great measure to the want of funds for providing a regular and efficient supply of Gospel ministrations; and that he himself had already incurred considerable expense in providing supplies. In these circumstances the Committee applied to the Presbytery for further instructions as to their future mode of procedure. The Presbytery having heard the Report, agree to recommend again the station at Chester to the favourable consideration of the Home Mission Committee; and in the event of their granting aid out of their Fund, authorize the Chester Committee to provide efficient supply of Gospel ministrations for the next two or three months. Adjourned, to meet at Manchester on the first Wednesday of May next.

PRESBYTERY OF BERWICK.

THE Presbytery met at Tweedmouth on 29th Feb., four Ministers and Elders present. Mr. Huie of Wooler, who was present, was associated. Mr. Watson was appointed Moderator for the next six months. The School Scheme schedules were presented. After due consideration four were certified and recommended, those for North Sunderland, Tweedmouth, Berwick, and Ancroft Moor. Mr. James Stewart's trial discourses, with a view to ordination, were then heard, and he underwent the usual examinations in languages, Church history, and Church government, the doctrines of the Church, and in theology generally, with all of which the Presby