EXTRACT FROM THE RECORDS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE FREE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND.
[Image of page 5]
EXTRACT FROM THE RECORDS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
OF THE
FREE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND.
At EDINBURGH, the twenty-ninth day of May, one thousand eight hundred and forty-five years, Sess. 13;
Which day the General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland, being met, and duly constituted.
Inter alia,
The General Assembly called for the Report of the Colonial Committee, which was given in by Dr. Candlish, on the part of Mr. Sym, the Convener, and read.
* * * * *
V. --NEW ZEALAND.
The General Assembly is aware that a project for the Colonisation of the interesting Island of New Zealand has been before the public for several years, and has already been partially carried into effect. In particular, a Scotch Colony to New Zealand was projected two years ago, under the name of New Edinburgh; but all proceedings in relation to that Colony have hitherto been suspended by circumstances to which it is unnecessary to refer in this place. It now appears, however, that all difficulties in the way of this undertaking have been removed, and matters have at length been brought to such a point that there is an immediate prospect of this Colony being established in the most favourable circumstances, and with every security for the Colonists being provided with the ordinances of religion, and the means of education, in connection with this Church.
Your Committee have recently had laid before them the proceedings and resolutions of an association of lay members of the Church, formed at Glasgow on the 16th instant, for the establishment of this Colony, together with various other documents; and the Committee having carefully considered the documents, and obtained full explanation on the subject to which they relate, took the opportunity of recording their high sense of the liberal and enlightened views which appear to have guided the New Zealand Company in relation to this [corner of page missing] and, without expressing any opinion regarding the secular [corner of page missing] or prospects of the proposed undertaking, which [corner of page missing] their province, and are best left in the hands [corner of page missing] honourable gentlemen who compose the [corner of page missing] difficulty in stating their warm and cordial [corner of page missing] on which this settlement is proposed [corner of page missing]
[Image of page 6]
provision for the religious and educational wants of the Colonists, and their anxious desire in these respects to co-operate with the Association, and to countenance and aid their efforts to the utmost of their power.
* * * * * *
Sess. 19. 3d June, 1845.
In reference to the Report of the Colonial Committee, given in at a former diet, the following motion was unanimously agreed to:--
The General Assembly having heard the Report of the Colonial Committee, approve thereof; and did, and hereby do, adopt the same, and express their cordial satisfaction at the zeal and ability with which the affairs of the Committee have been conducted. The General Assembly re-appoint the Committee, with their former powers and instructions, and remit to them the resolutions of the Synod of Australia, which were laid on the Assembly's table. Farther, the General Assembly express their thanks to Dr. Burns and Mr. Macnaughtan, for their very efficient services as deputies from the Free Church to Canada; and to Mr. King for the admirable manner in which be conducted the Theological Seminary, and discharged the duties of a pastor at Toronto during last winter. Farther, the General Assembly learn with great pleasure the prospect of the speedy establishment of the Scotch Colony of New Edinburgh in New Zealand, consisting of members of the Free Church, and with every security for the Colonists being provided with the ordinances of religion, and the means of education, in connection with this Church. Without expressing any opinion regarding the secular advantages or prospects of the proposed undertaking, the General Assembly highly approve of the principles on which the settlement is proposed to be conducted, in so far as the religious and educational interests of the Colonists are concerned, and the Assembly desire to countenance and encourage the Association in these respects.
Farther, the General Assembly having received a communication from Mr. Sym, resigning the Convenership of the Committee, accept of the same, with an expression of their warm acknowledgments for his devoted services while he held the office, and they appoint in his room Dr. James Buchanan, with power to the Committee to nominate a Vice-Convener.
Extracted from the Records of the General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland, by
THOMAS PITCAIRN,
Cl. Eccl. Scot. Lib.
