IRELAND.

The Lord-Lieutenant and the Countess De Grey arrived:at Dublin Castle on Monday morning, from England. On Tuesday, the Queen's birthday was celebrated by a grand review in the Park of all the troops in garrison. The Viceroy issued from the Castle in Field-Marshal's uniform, wearing the insignia of the order of St. Patrick, and surrounded by a brilliant staff. Four carriages fol- lowed, the Countess being in the first. The review closed at four o'clock, having lasted nearly three hours.

Sir Hervey Bruce, says the Londonderry Sentinel, has retired from the contest for Londonderry county ; leaving only Mr. Robert Bateson in the field. The election was fixed for Thursday last.

Another murder has just been committed at Tipperary. Michael Laffan, an under care-taker on the lands of Kilgurtin, on the Bowen estate, was found lying almost dead by the road-side, with a gunshot wound in his neck, and the back part of his head fractured. His bosom was burned with the wadding, and his hand, which clutched the scorched clothes, was also burned. An inquest was held at Tooma- vara ; nothing was elicited as to who the murderers were. The Jury gave a general verdict describing the fact.

The Nenayle Guardian mentions a still newer murder, that of Rod), Kennedy, of Loughane ; who was found with his brains dashed out, in a field, on the 22d. He had received a threatening order to discharge a female cousin who was his housekeeper, and one of his servants.

The Londonderry Sentinel mentions an inquest on the body of James Connell, who died suddenly on the 19th, of excessive drinking. He was to have been a witness before the Belfast Election Committee; and it is hinted that the "Radical party" spirited him away to a remote district and plied him with drink, so that he died.

SCOTLAND.

The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland was opened on 'Thursday week, with unusual splendour. Upwards of six hundred gentlemen attended the levee of the Marquis of Bute, the Queen's High Commissioner, in the Throne-room at Holyrood House,—a larger at- tendance than any for twenty-five years ; and not fewer than fifty car- riages swelled the procession to the High Church. On the motion of Dr. Gordon, Moderator of last Assembly, the Reverend Dr. David Welsh was elected Moderator of the present. The Lord High Commissioner then presented his Commission, and the Queen's letter recommending a general contribution for the poor: and in his formal speech on taking his seat, he assured the Assembly "of her Majesty's resolution to maintain the Presbyterian government of this church.' The Moderator intimated, that the Church acknowledged no head but the Lord Jesus Christ ; though they "appreciated the ad- vantages of having the supreme Ecclesiastical Court dignified by the presence of the representative of the Royal person." The first subject which touched upon the stirring question of the Assembly was the presentation of two commissions from the Presby- tery of Strathbogie,—one from the majority, whose course has been obedience to the civil law ; and the other from the minority, who have preferred the authority of the Assembly. The Assembly refused to entertain the commission of the majority ; one member decorously observing that they might as well have a commission from any seven "scavengers or tinkers"; ; and the motion to enrol the representatives of the minority was carried, by 215 to 85. Mr. Edmonds, a commis- sioner from the majority, who ventured to lay a protest on the table, was roughly catechized and repulsed. Some question was raised as to an interdict which had been served since the last Assembly ; but the house refused to entertain that.

On Saturday, Major Stewart, one of the commissioners from the Strath- bogie minority, rose with a copy of the New Testament in one hand and a paper in the other, which he described as an interdict of the Civil Court, forbidding him to take his seat as an elder from the Presbytery of Strathbogie : he did not look on the interdict with indifference, but he held that it would be criminal to obey it so long as the Church called for his services. The Reverend Mr. Dewar of Fossaway made a similar statement. Dr. Candlish did not propose to take any practical step with respect to the interdict ; but he moved a long resolution re- citing the circumstances, and declaring that the Assembly-

. . . "do invite and encourage the said Co nmissioners from the Pres- bytery of Strathbogie to persevere in the discharge of the sacred duty com- mitted to them, notwithstanding of whatever pains and penalties may be dis- regarding the aforesaid interdict ; relying on the strength of Almighty God, and the sympathy, countenance, and support of this General Assembly. And the General Assembly do further hereby protest against the attempt, now for the first time made on the part of any civil tribunal, to interfere with the con- stitution of the Supreme Court of this Church."

Dr. Cook moved a negative to the resolution ; but it was carried, by 173 to 76. The Assembly agreed to the motion of Mr. Dunlop, citing certain ministers, who had received the sacrament at the hands of the deposed ministers of Strathbogie, to appear at the bar of the house on Thursday, to answer for their conduct. Dr. Bryce and Mr. Robertson of Elton are of the number. Mr. Duguid, who had received ordination at the hands of the deposed ministers, was also cited to appear.

At the sitting on Monday, Mr. Cunningham moved the following resolution- " The General Assembly, having considered the overtures on patronage, re- solve and declare that patronage is a grievance, attended with injury to the cause of pure religion in this Church and kingdom—is the source of all the difficulties in which this Church is now involved, and therefure ought to be abolished."

He stated that overtures on the subject had been sent up from all the Synods of the Church with the exception of two ; and petitions from the people, though no simultaneous effort had been made to procure them, had been sent up. In the course of a very long speech, he strongly deprecated the argumentum ad invidiam that those who opposed patron- age ought to leave the Church : it "contained in it something low, mean, and despicable," and was "to be left to the lowest and most despicable defenders of patronage "- He did not mean to object, that in the course of a long discussion an op- ponent, after fairly stating his own arguments and views, should hint that these arguments of his were the more deserving of serious consideration, because he did not see how, on other means, parties would remain in the Church. A hint of that kind brought in at the tail of a discussion could not he objected to; but it was unworthy of a generous mind to think that, without attempting to meet the arguments of their opponents, or to bring forward others, the whole question might be summarily disposed of by the despicable mode of sneers and taunts to which be had referred.

No man could be regarded as meeting anti-patronage arguments in a fair way unless he addressed himself to this question, How or in what way ought the pastors of Christian congregations to be appointed? In considering the question, the first thing to be determined was, who were the persons spoken of? They were office-bearers in a kingdom which was not of this world ; and this of itself was sufficient to prove that their appointment was not-to be regulated by civil laws. After a long examination of Scriptural data, Mr. Cunningham came to three con- clusions— "First, that the Presbytery and the Church Courts ought to have a large share in the appointment of ministers; second, that the Christian people ought to have a distinct and important place in this matter; and third, that the patron as such ought to have no place or standing in the matter at all." He dwelt upon the chances to which the character of a patron was liable ; and insisted, that to argue that the patron by endowing and the state by establishing a church had a right to the patronage, would be nothing less than Erastianism ; for he held it to' be Erastianism to sanction the interference of the civil power in ecclesiastical matters under any circumstances. Further on, he made this declaration— "1 am persuaded that if the Church is mean enough and cowardly enough to refuse to protest against patronage as a grievance, and to demand its total abolition, she will forfeit the confidence of the pious and praying people of the kingdom of Scotland; the great majority of whom have a cordial and heart- hatred of patronage."

Mr. Bell, the Procurator of the Church, said, that although patronage might be a bad method of electing ministers, popular election would be worse ; as the lower classes have not the means of judging a minister until they got him. He had never heard of any safe method of abolishing patronage; and he called upon Mr. Cunningham to find some other mode of electing ministers, before be demanded the aboli- tion of that which exists. If patronage was denounced by the Scrip- ture as sin, it appeared to him, that, according to Mr. Cunningham's interpretation, the Church herself was Erastian ; and he did not see how Mr. Cunningham could remain in it.

Dr. Chalmers said he did not, any more than Mr. Bell, always accept the vox populi as the voz Dei; but he drew a distinction between the Democracy of the Church and the Democracy of the State-

" There is no analogy between them. When I speak of the popular con- science, 1 mean the conscience whose religious‘principle and conduct is not tried for the first time. if you mean by popular election society in general, then 1 frankly say that I would consider that as bad as the present system ; and the most unsavoury of all propositions, though quite in keeping with the character of the last Government, ever made to me on the settlement of minis- ters, was, that the right of patronage should be vested in the ten-pounders of the parish, instead of the religious communicants. Those who are alarmed at the initiative being transferred from the patrons to the people, keep out of sight the check upon the election that would be exercised by the Church Courts. And herein consists the value of the principle of spiritual independ- ence: if that principle be admitted, it will be a barrier against the abuse of the power of the patron, and it will be as much a barrier against the wayward, the capricious, and the wilful choice of the people ; and this may serve to mitigate the alarm as if an uncontrolled Democracy were to set in upon the land the moment that popular election was allowed in the Church." In a long debate, the motion was supported by Mr. Makgill Crich- ton, Principal Dewar, Mr. Earle Monteith, and Dr. Candlish ; the amendment by Dr. Muir of Glasgow, Mr. Macduff Rhind, Mr. Robertson of Ellon, Mr. Bruce of Kenett, Dr. Leishmao, Dr. Bryce, Mr. James Moncrieff, and Dr. Cook. On a division, the origi- nal motion was carried, by 216 to 147. The announcement of the vote was received with great applause. On the motion of Mr. Cunningham, a Committee w-ts then appointed to prepare a petition to both Houses of Parliament for the abolition of patronage.

On the following day, an overture was presented, signed by 160 ministers and elders, calling upon the General Assembly to make a declaration against the encroachments of the Civil Courts ; and Dr. Chalmers moved a resolution accordingly. He observed, that the disposition in high places to leave the Church in the hands of the Court of nession was no longer concealed ; and, lecturing Sir Robert Peel on the necessity of procuring sound information, he uttered the following solemn warning-

" The Government would do well to remember that there are two different kinds of physical force. if there be the physical force of the arm of civil power, in the shape of the constable, the magistrate, and the policeman, there is also the brawny arm of mad popular vengeance, raised in opposition to the law and to social order ; and in that respect it only follows the example of its superiors. Some shrewd spirits, and of more reaching intelligence, have begun to view this matter more truly. According to them, ours is but a kind of genteel Chartism : they will not be long in coming to the conclusion that the Chartists of high life ought not to have it all to themselves." Dr. Cook moved a series of counter-resolutions, which declared, among other things, that the Veto Act ought to be cancelled ; that the agitation in the Church ought to cease ; and that under existing laws there is great security against the settlement of unqualified or unsuitable ministers. Dr. Chalmers's motion was carried, by 241 to 110.