SCOTLAND.
The Glasgow Saturday Post says of Lord Douglas—" We regret much to state, that this respected nobleman, who for some time has a very delicate state of health, is now so hopelessly ill that he grAf.flot expected to survive."
The Musical chair in Edinburgh University is again vacant. Sir Henry Bishop, who is now in London, has written to the Senatus stating that his health will not permit him to come and deliver lectures, and that in consequence he resigns the chair.—Scotsman.
The correspondence between the Duke of Sutherland and the Re- verend Dr. Patrick M`Farlane of Greenock, about sites for churches, has been published. The Duke began it, by asking for the grounds on which Dr. M`Farlane had stated that oppressive measures had been used towards the Seceders in Sutherlandshire. Dr. M`Farlane coupled with some explanation, in reply, the assurance that the Seceders were not combined for the overthrow of the Establishment, but that their sole ob- ject was to diffuse principles which they thought sound. On that assurance, the Duke answered, that be felt it to be his duty to give a favourable consideration to any applications for sites, provided they appeared founded on such principles ; reserving, however, to himself the power to determine the situation of such sites, and to grant them with due regard to the wants of the people, and to the welfare and security of the Establishment. Dr. M`Farlane expresses himself thauk- ful for the promise, and looks forward to future concord-
" In my former letter I said, that I was not prepared to justify every strong expression employed by my friends, lay and clerical, in the fervour of public speaking. But, bold as the position may appear, I take it upon me to say, for the Free Church of Scotland, that our object is not the overthrow of the Establishment. We hold the Established principle as strongly as when we were Ministers of the Establishment. We hold that the Church of Scotland has been robbed of its liberties. We propose to go annually to Parliament with the claim of right in our hand, and demand our restoration. And if the day shall come when the State shall do justice to Scotland, by inquiring into our claim and granting us redress, I may not say positively that we shall rejoin the Establishment, but certain I am, that none of the inhabitants of the realm will hail so blessed an event with greater joy than the ministers and people of the Free Church, or more cordially enter, if permitted, tutu communion with their brethren of the Establishment ; and that they will cooperate with them in every good work. Meanwhile, your Grace will be pleased to observe, that the last General Assembly of the Established Church, among other ex- traordinary proceedings, passed an act prohibiting ministerial communion with the pastors of other churches; thus preventing, as far as possible, all inter- course in spiritual matters between them and the ministers and the people of the Free Church. The conditions which your Grace attaches to the promise of sites appear to me perfectly reasonable. I cannot doubt that you will give to these conditions a liberal interpretation."
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