resistance. She, notwithstanding, screamed so much, that Mr George Longworth, and Mr Francis Long high. The coachman immediately endeavoured to push forward, but the way was completely impeded by three cars, heavily laden with stones, fas-worth, his nephew, rushed out of the tened together with strong ropes, and placed across the road. One of the shots had also struck one of the leaders, and mortally wounded him, so that nothing remained for it but battle. The guard, who had spiritedly fired, and again loaded, called on the "cowardly rascals to come forward;" they did not, however, accept the challenge, but again fired a volley of about twelve shots, which they several times repeated, but which happily took no effect on either the coachman, guard, or passengers, two of whom, Messrs Connor and Wilmot, courageously, and while the shots were passing around them, descended from the coach, and extricated the wounded horse from the harness; in doing which, one of them received a desperate kick from him, immediately after which he expired. Their exertions were not, however, sufficient to remove the cars for some time, during which the party continued to fire; but finding so spirited a return, they did not venture out, and at length went off. The coach then proceeded, and arriving at a police station, about a mile distant, a party was dispatched in pursuit of the banditti. ATROCIOUS OUTRAGE AT ATHLONE.-On Tuesday evening, about half past six o'clock, the house of Craggan Castle, the property of George Longworth, Esq. was attacked and entered by a party of Rockites, armed with new pikes and pistols, five of whom entered the back parlour, where Mrs Longworth, a charming and amiable young woman, was sitting instructing her daughter, when they presented a pistol at Mrs Longworth's breast, and threatened to shoot her if she made any noise or front parlour into the back one, where they found Mrs Longworth with the pistol to her breast. Mr F. Longworth was immediately seized by the five men, and though he made every resistance in his power, yet be ing unarmed, he was overpowered, placed upon his knees, and stabbed with a pike in four places. In the meantime, Mr George Longworth ran up stairs, while his nephew was struggling with the robbers, to procure arms; and when the villains heard him returning down stairs, they immediately fled, leaving Mr Francis Longworth weltering in his blood; they also stabbed one of their own party, mistaking him for Mr George Longworth. They left the dead body of their comrade behind them. Mr Francis Longworth's life is despaired of, and Mr and Mrs George Longworth are obliged to leave their house, and come to live in this gar rison. I am concerned to state, that there were seven men-servants in the house, who made no sort of resistance, but let the villains get up stairs without giving the least alarm, though they passed through the kitchen, where they were all at dinner, and there is every reason to believe that some of them were concerned in lettingthe villains in. It is the opinion of the magistrates on the inquest, all the neighbouring ones having attended, that nothing short of the insurrection act can save the county. 21st.- DUNKELD. One of the most deplorable accidents that ever happened in this quarter, occurred last night. As the Caledonian coach was coming down the brae, a little above Pulney, near the place called Duncan Hog's Hole, the hook or tackle in front of the pole gave 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 superintendence 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 101. 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. C259 No. IV. ECCLESIASTICAL CHRONICLE. 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 Tweed. dale 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 cus tom, 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 unanimous ly agreed to; whereupon Dr Taylor was called in, and his election inti mated 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 success. ful 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 20001. 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 as sist 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 enjoy ed. 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 in the views of his learned friend as to the propriety of making the appointment 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 Mack night. Mr Moncreiff replied; and, after some farther observations by different members, the vote was called, when there appeared For Dr Nicoll's motion, 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 certi ficate 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 |