way, and the horses ran off. The coach, from the want of the pole, became unmanageable. A person of the name of W. Robertson, a painter, who was sitting beside the coachman, laid hold of the reins next him. This had the effect of drawing the horses to one side, and the coach upset. Poor Robertson fell on a dike, on the side of the road, and a stone piercing his forehead above the right eye, he was killed on the spot. Donald M'Intosh, the guard, who was on the back dicky, was also thrown on the dike, and had his skull fractured so dreadfully that he died to-day. He had been connected with the coach for these nine years, and has left a wife and several children. Robertson is generally regretted. Several of the passengers were hurt, one lady severely. An investigation into the circumstances that led to this melancholy catastrophe has been partly gone into to-day, and, as far as it has proceeded, has been in favour of the driver.

EDUCATION IN SCOTLAND. The Committee of the General Assembly for promoting Education in Scotland

has been employed, since the last Assembly, in following out their measures in behalf of the population of the Highlands and Islands. They have already established 22 schools; and the required accommodations are preparing for upwards of 40 more. They have marked out in whole nearly 100 stations, where schools on this scheme are to be placed. Such an establishment, under the superin tendence and control of the General Assembly, will confer a most impor. tant benefit on the country.

Principal Baird, as Convener of the General Assembly's Committee for increasing the means of Education and Religious Instruction in the Highlands and Islands, received 30%. from India, for behoof of the Assembly's fund for that object, before the collection for the fund had at all begun even in Scotland. Within these few days he has received in aid of the said fund 107. from St Helena. These sums, it is mentioned to their honour and to that of their father, are given as donations by three sons of the Rev. William M'Ritchie, minister of the parish of Clunie, in Perthshire,

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Edinburgh, May 17. Wednesday evening, according to ancient custom, the Lord Provost and Magistrates waited upon the Right Honourable James Lord Forbes, his Majesty's High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, at the Royal Hotel, and presented his Grace with the keys of the City.

At twelve o'clock, his Grace walked in procession to the High Church, supported by the Marquis of Tweeddale and the Earl of Moray, and accompanied by a great number of noblemen and gentlemen, forming the most splendid cortege that has been seen for some years. The line of procession was kept by the 7th Hussars, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Thornhill, and the grenadier company of the 17th regiment, the fine bands of each attending. The day being remarkably fine, this annual pageant shone with full lustre.

The Reverend Dr Cook of Laurencekirk, the Moderator, preached

an eloquent and impressive sermon from Romans, iv. 25, "Who was delivered for our offences."-After divine service, the Moderator and members of Assembly proceeded to the Aisle, where the Lord High Commissioner took his seat on the throne, and the Assembly having been constituted,

The Moderator stated, that the Assembly had now, according to custom, to appoint a successor to him in the chair which he then filled, and to which honour he proposed that Dr Thomas Taylor, minister of Tibbermuir, be elected.

This motion having been seconded by Principal Nicoll, was unanimously agreed to; whereupon Dr Taylor was called in, and his election intimated to him.

Dr Taylor having taken the chair, his Majesty's commission was then read, and ordered to be recorded, as was also the Royal letter.

His Grace the Commissioner then addressed the Assembly, in course of which he aptly alluded to the successful efforts of the committee of last Assembly on the subject of education

in the Highlands and Islands, towards which object he now presented his Majesty's warrant for 2000l. The Moderator replied to his Grace's address.

A letter from Dr Macknight, subclerk of the Assembly, was produced and read, intimating that the state of his health put it out of his power to appear at this Assembly, and throwing himself upon the indulgence of the house, that they might appoint a person to supply his place in the present Assembly.

Dr Nicoll, after passing a warm eulogy on the talents of Dr Macknight, proposed that out of respect to his feelings, Dr Lee should be appointed to officiate for him in this Assembly.

Mr Moncreiff disclaimed all feelings of disrespect for Dr Macknight, and regretted his protracted illness, but could not agree to the proposition of Dr Nicoll. There was scarcely a member present, he supposed, who had not expected that they were now to have the election of a person who should be permanently associated with Dr Macknight as sub-clerk, an office which required the exertion of a person, not during the sitting of the Assembly alone, but throughout the whole year; he therefore thought the time was come when they should appoint a person permanently to assist Dr Macknight; this should be done with every possible degree of tenderness, and there should be no interference with the emoluments which he and his family now enjoyed. It was necessary for the interests of the Church, and for the important duties in which they were to be engaged, that the appointment should be a permanent one; he would therefore move, that the Assembly do now proceed to elect a person to officiate with Dr Duncan, as conjunct subclerk along with Dr Macknight.

The Solicitor-General concurred a the views of his learned friend as to the propriety of making the appoint ment permanent, which, while it was necessary for the interests of the Church, could not be considered as disrespectful to Dr Macknight.

Dr Brunton thought that as Dr Macknight had come forward with a request to delay the appointment for one year, no permanent appointment should be made.

Dr M'Gill said, the appointment of a colleague to Dr Macknight would not interfere with his officiating, should he be again able to resume his duties.

Principal Macfarlane had not heard the most distant hint, before he left home, that the appointment was to have been decided this day, and considered it as a usurpation of the rights and privileges of his absent brethren to dispose of an important office without consulting them. An interim appointment had before been made, and where was the inconvenience of again adopting the same mode? For this there was a precedent in the years 1787 and 1788.

Mr Dundas of Arniston approved of the motion of his honourable friend Mr Moncreiff.

Mr Somerville of Currie spoke in favour of an interim appointment, and leaving the nomination to Dr Macknight.

Mr Moncreiff replied; and, after some farther observations by different members, the vote was called, when there appeared

For Dr Nicoll's motion,
For Mr Moncreiff's,

Majority for making the appointment permanent,

66

134

68

Dr Nicoll then moved that Dr Lee be appointed sub-clerk conjointly with Dr Macknight, which was seconded

by the Solicitor-General, and unanimously agreed to.

Dr Lee was then called in, and his election intimated to him, for which he returned thanks, and proceeded to his duties.

The rest of the business was mere routine, and the Assembly adjourned till next day at two o'clock.

FRIDAY-The Assembly appointed the following gentlemen to preach before his Grace. On the first Sunday, the Rev. Andrew Bell of Torphichen to preach in the forenoon, and the Rev. Alexander Christison of Foulden in the afternoon. On the second Sunday, the Rev. John Murray of Abbotshall to preach in the forenoon, and the Rev. Andrew Bethune Duncan of Culross in the afternoon. The Assembly then adjourned till next day at noon.

SATURDAY, at twelve o'clock, the Assembly met. The draft of the answer to his Majesty's letter was read and approved of, and the Moderator authorized to sign it in name of the Assembly; and his Grace was requested to transmit the same to his Majesty.

The Committee for revising commissions referred the commission from the burgh of Culross in favour of Mr Gibson Craig, advocate, to the assembly, because the said commission was not attested by the Presbytery of the bounds; but the Presbytery clerk had appended a note to the commission, stating, that the attestation was refused solely because the certificate from the parish of which Mr Gibson Craig was an ordained elder, bore to be dated in 1825. A certificate was produced along with the commission from the reverend Mr Somerville of Currie, who also stated, in his place, that had he known it would have been required, he would have forwarded the certificate, as a

matter of course, to the clerk of the Presbytery of Dunfermline.

Mr James Gibson Craig, W. S. said it was quite unusual for Presbyteries to demand certificates annually in favour of elders who had previously held the office. He contended that two questions were raised by the present objection, which it was advisable should be settled. First, whether it was necessary that an elder elected for a burgh should annually produce a new certificate to the Presbytery of the bounds, the practice being quite the contrary. And, secondly, whether the want of such certificate would be, as in the circumstances of this case, purged by the Assembly. It appeared to him, that, having once produced a certificate, it was unnecessary to do so every year.

After some discussion, a deliverance, on the motion of Principal Nicoll, to the following effect, was adopted unanimously:" That it is not denied that Presbyteries have an undoubted right to demand a certificate annually, but in respect that the practice is not usually followed, and in the peculiar circumstances of the case, the Assembly agree to sustain the commission."

On the motion of Dr Cook, who eulogized the conduct and merits of Dr Macknight, the Moderator was directed to write to the Rev. Doctor, in name of the Assembly, to inform him of the election of Dr Lee to be conjoint depute-clerk-to make him acquainted with the sentiments of respect for past exertions, which were expressed from all sides of the House, and their regret for his continued indisposition.

Some extracts from the records of the proceedings of the Trustees of the Widows' Fund were read, from which it appeared that the collector of that fund is in future to receive

2001. per annum of salary, his clerk 100%, and the clerk to the trustee a similar sum. Principal Nicoll, after paying a compliment to the diligence and zeal of Sir Harry Moncreiff, who had not, he said, been in any way in strumental in procuring the necessary increase of salary, moved that the conduct of the Trustees be approved of.

The report of the Committee for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts was given in and read, from which it appeared that the Directors of the East India Company have given all the pledge that could be expected of them, or is usually given in such cases. Dr Inglis received the thanks of the Assembly for his exertions in this cause; and it was subsequently agreed that the General Assembly shall appoint a Committee, to be selected from all the Presbyte ries of the Church, to hold its meetings in Edinburgh, for the direction and management of all the concerns of the proposed establishment.

The Assembly having called for the report of its Committee of Bills, it appeared that 25 petitions, of various kinds, had been presented.

After arranging the business of the week, the Assembly adjourned.

MONDAY.-A communication was read from Dr Mearns, not a member of this Assembly, as convener of a committee relative to the Scots Church in Canada, requesting, with the As sembly's permission, to decline any farther charge of that business.

Dr M'Gill was anxious that this matter should not be despaired of, as very favourable accounts had lately been received from that quarter. He therefore moved that the committee be renewed, which was agreed to; Dr Lee to be convener.

Dr Baird then produced and read the report of the committee on the means of increasing education in

Scotland, than which a more impor. tant report had never been communicated to the Assembly. The reverend Principal first alluded to the voluminous documents referred to in the report; the first of which consisted of the four large folio volumes then on the table of the Assembly. In these four volumes were embodied the hand-writing of every minister of the Church of Scotland, and they contained returns in regard to the state of education in every parish in Scotland. Another volume which he presented, contained the substance of all these returns in a tabular form; in it there were not less than 56 columns, and 47,000 separate entries. Having also given in the minute book, letter book, &c. of the committee, the reverend Principal proceeded to read the report, from which it appeared that returns had been made from every parish in Scotland, comprising a population of 2,003,850; that collections had been made in 420 parishes, averaging 11. 11s. 6d. each, making a total of 4863. 6s. 3d., besides donations, amounting to 4841. 12s. 6d., and 78% of annual subscriptions. From these, together with interest and several sums intimated, but not yet paid, they might reckon on a fund of 5800/ The first school had been established at Ullapool, in the parish of Lochbroom, a parish 58 miles in length by 38 in breadth, and the whole number of stations where the committee at the present date had agreed to establish schools, amounted to 42. There were other applications for schools before the committee; but these, as they had been more recently presented, had not yet been sufficiently considered by the committee. The report concluded with congratulating the Assembly on its success.

Dr Nicoll warmly complimented the zeal and diligence of the commit