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Mr. Parker, Mr. Lyons, and Mr. Kirkpatrick, were appointed a committee to examine the Records of the Synod of Virginia.

Mr. Hunter, Mr. Hatch, and Mr. Semple, were appointed a committee to examine the Records of the Synod of Kentucky.

Mr. Clinton, Mr. Stimson, and Mr. Blake, were appointed a committee to examine the Records of the Synod of

Tennessee.

Mr. Taylor, Mr. Treat, and Mr. Trimble, were appointed a committee to examine the Records of the Synod of North Carolina.

Mr. Hughes, Mr. Leslie, and Mr. Wallace, were appointed a committee to examine the Records of the Synod of South Carolina and Georgia.

Adjourned till this afternoon at 4 o'clock, P. M. Concluded with prayer. Four o'clock P. M. the Assembly met and was constituted by prayer. The minutes of the last session were read.

Rev. Samuel Nott, from the Presbytery of Albany, and Mr. John Poor, a ruling elder from the Presbytery of New Brunswick, appeared in the Assembly, and their commissions being read, took their seats as members.

The delegates appointed by the last Assembly to attend the several Ecclesiastical bodies, with which the Assembly have a correspondence, reported respectively, and their reports were accepted.

A number of copies of the printed minutes of the General Association of Connecticut, of the General Association of Massachusetts, of the General Associa tion of New Hampshire, of the General Convention of Vermont, and of the General Synod of the Reformed Dutch Church, were laid on the table, which were ordered to be distributed by the clerks among the members.

The committee appointed by the last General Assembly to confer with a similar committee to be appointed by the Synod of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, should they deem it expedient to appoint such a committee, and to prepare a plan of correspondence between the two bodies, reported that they met a committee of the Synod of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, in the city of New York, Dec. 30, 1825; which committee on the part of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, consisted of the Rev. Alexander M'Leod, D. D., the Rev. James Christie, and the Rev. John Gibson. After Conference the joint committees resolved to submit to their respective bodies, the following articles of agreement, viz.

ARTICLE I.

The General Assembly and the Synod

of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, lamenting the existing separations between the members of the body of Christ, and believing that all the members of that body, being many, are one body; and trusting to the word of God, that these separations will not be perpetual, do agree to use all scriptural means, in the exercise of patience and prudence, to bring their several ecclesiastical connexions to uniformity in doctrine, worship, and order, according to the word of God. ARTICLE II.

In order to bring about this desirable object on the basis of the proper unity of the visible church, it is mutually covenanted, that the ministers, members, and judicatories of these churches, treating each other with Christian respect, shall always recognise the validity of each other's acts, and ordinances, consonant to the scriptures; and yet that any church judicatory belonging to either body, may examine persons, or review cases of discipline, on points at present peculiar or distinctive to themselves.

ARTICLE III.

The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, and the Synod of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, shall severally appoint two Commissioners, with an alternate to each, to attend these judicatories respectively, who shall hold their offices till they are superseded by another choice; and these commissioners shall have the privilege of proposing measures important to the church of Christ; and of delivering their opinions on any question under discussion; but they shall have no vote in its decisions.

ARTICLE IV.

In order to carry this last article into effect, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church will at their sessions, in May, 1826, appoint commissioners who shall attend the succeeding meeting of the Synod of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, provided the said Synod shall have concurred in the above plan of correspondence.

The above report was unanimously adopted, and the plan of correspondence agreed upon by the joint committees, was accordingly sanctioned by the Assembly.

The committee on Psalmody reported that they have had the important business of their appointment under serious consideration; and have arranged such plans of operation as they humbly hope may be efficient to the great object in view. They think they shall have the indulgence of the Assembly, under a recollection of the magnitude of the labour, if they defer a particular report until the meeting in May next.

The committee were continued. A communication from Mr. Harvey Chapin was read, and committed to the judicial (To be continued.)

committee.

OBITUARY NOTICE.

residence in Arch Street, Philadelphia, on Sabbath evening, July 23d, 1826, DANIEL JAUDON, for many years a distinguished teacher of a young ladies' academy in this city. A memoir of this excellent man and eminent Christian is in preparation

Died, after a short illness, at his for our next number.

The Treasurer of the Trustees of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church aeknowledges the receipt of the following sums for their Theological Seminary at Princeton, N.J. during the month of July last, viz.

Of Messrs. C. Starr and M. Allen, per James S. Green, Esq., from the trea surer of the Bible Society of Caledonia, New York, for the Contingent Fund

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Of Mr. William S. Plumer, one of the Theological students, per ditto, from
an unknown friend to the Seminary, for ditto
Of Rev. John W. Scott, a quarter's rent for ditto

Amount received for the Contingent Fund
Of Rev. John B. Davies, per Thomas Flemming, Esq., of Charleston, S. C.
for the Southern Professorship, from the following persons in the bounds
of Bethel Presbytery, formerly part of Concord Presbytery, viz.
1825, Rev. Robert B. Walker

James S. Adams

John B. Davies

Mr. Robert Harris

$10.00

10 00 87 50

107 50

$31 00

43 25

30 00

30 00

134 25

1826, Rev. Robert B. Walker

John B. Davies

Aaron Williams

$20 00
5 75
20 00

45 75 180 00

Of Mr. James Anderson, of New York, per Robert Ralston, Esq., for the endowment of a Scholarship

· 2500 00

Total $2787 50

Diew of Publick Affairs.

EUROPE.

The foreign intelligence which has reached us within the last month is not of great interest.

BRITAIN.-London papers to the 17th of June, inclusive, have been received in this country. The British Parliament was prorogued on the 2d of June till the 14th of that month, and then dissolved. Writs were immediately issued for calling a new Parliament. Shortly before the prorogation, some new regulations were adopted, to prevent bribery at elections. The measure was carried in the Commons, only by the Speaker's casting vote. Whether these regulations have had any influence in producing riotous proceedings at the pending elections, we know not; but such proceedings, to an unusual extent, appear to have taken place. At Carlisle the civil officers were driven off the ground by the rioters, who could not be subdued, till they were fired on by the troops that were called in to disperse them.-Several lives were lost. The whole kingdom was occupied, at the last accounts, with the election of members for Parliament, and nothing else attracted publick attention-unless we except the arrival of our countryman, senator John Randolph, and the sage and smart sayings which he is reported to have uttered.

FRANCE. The last advices we have seen from France are to the 14th of June inclusive. General Sebastiani, in the French legislature, had made an energetick appeal in favour of the Grecian cause. But although private sympathy and liberality in behalf of the suffering Greeks seem to be awakened, not only in France but almost

throughout Europe, yet we perceive no decisive indications that governmental mea sures are likely to be adopted in their favour-Although M. de Villele, the French prime minister, declared in debate, "that the cabinets of Europe had not been indif ferent to the interests of the Greeks, and that diplomacy would soon put an end to the evils deplored." Alas! there are deplorable evils to which no future measures can ap. ply a remedy. It is said that an unusual number of French military officers have lately resigned their commissions, displeased with the sacerdotal influence which has been exerted on military affairs. It is also said that a great number of families from Alsace, were in the act of emigrating to the United States. The French chambers were engaged in animated discussions on a number of topicks; but they are not of great interest to any but Frenchmen.

SPAIN. It appears that the British court is still using all its influence with that of Madrid to obtain from the latter a declaration of the Independence of Mexico and Colombia. As yet, however, there has been no yielding on the part of the infatuated Spanish monarch. Distress of every kind still pervades this unhappy nation.

PORTUGAL. The emperor Don Pedro I. of Brazil, who inherited the crown of Por tugal, has confirmed the regency appointed by his dying father; and has declared that his daughter Maria, about ten years of age, is queen of Portugal, and that he will remain in his South American empire-It is said that Maria is to be married to her uncle -Don Miguel-We scarcely believe this.

ROME.-The Pope, it appears, has appointed another bishop for the United States, with the title of Bishop of St. Augustine. His diocese is to consist of the States of Tennessee and Alabama, and the territory of Florida.

GREECE. It is stated in the French papers, that there is reason to hope a portion of the garrison of Missolonghi has escaped-The atrocious cruelties perpetrated by the Egyptian troops on their Greek captives, are almost too horrible for recital-Ibrahim gave orders to kill all the prisoners taken at Missolonghi; and as these were not suf ficient to furnish the six thousand heads and pairs of ears, which the Sultan had or dered him to send to Constantinople, he made up the number by the slaughter of unarmed peasants-How Christian nations can witness this and similar acts of cruelty and not interfere, is a problem which we beg never to be required to solve. It appears that Ibrahim is weakened by his victories, but it is stated that strong reinforcements are on their way to Greece from Egypt. In the mean time, the most unhappy and embittered dissentions still prevail among the party leaders in Greece. At present, the party of Colcotroni is triumphant; and Mavrocordato and Conduriotti have been obliged to flee for their lives, and have taken refuge at Hydra. It is affirmed, nevertheless, that since the fall of Missolonghi, all the Greek chiefs have redoubled their energy in calling their countrymen to arms. It appears that the National As sembly of Greece have vested the civil and military affairs of the country in a commission of eleven members.

RUSSIA. The Empress Elizabeth, widow of the late emperor Alexander, died on the 10th of May, while on her way from Taganrog to Moscow. She was a niece of the Grand Duke of Baden, was born in 1779, and was married to the emperor Alex ander in 1793. She accompanied the emperor in his last journey to his Southern provinces, and witnessed his death at Taganrog.

The recent concessions of Turkey to the demands of Russia, although productive of the appearance of pacification and satisfaction, on the part of the latter power, are by many believed to be nothing more than an advantage which will be used by Rus sia at no distant period, for the utter subversion of the Ottoman power in Europe, Some accounts represent the Turk as suspicious of unfair designs on the part of Rus sia, and as tardy in fulfilling the stipulations of the treaty, and as victualling the for tresses on the Danube-The last accounts, however, represent both the contracting parties as satisfied, and as manifesting mutual confidence.

The coronation of the emperor Nicholas had been put off till August, in conse quence of the death of the empress dowager Elizabeth.

ASIA.

It is a principle with us to correct our errors, whenever we discover them. Misled by the articles extracted from English papers, ignorant that the British were carrying on any other war in India except with the Burmese, and never having heard before of the town of Bhurtpoor, or having entirely forgotten it if we had, we represented it as the strongest fortress of the Burman empire. We find, by examining the map, is about fifteen degrees to the West and North of the Burman empire. The war there carried on had, it appears, no connexion with the Burmese war. It was undertaken professedly to restore to his throne a native prince excluded by a usurper, but really,

that it

we believe, to strengthen the British power in India. The expedition was conducted by Lord Combermere, with an army of 30,000 men, and a large train of artillery. This war is now terminated by the complete success of the British arms, and the taking of an immense booty-The British loss was 102 killed; 466 wounded; 11 missing.

We have seen the official despatch of Sir A. Campbell, giving an account of the renewal of the Burmese war. His representation is, and it appears to be a just one, that the negotiation for peace and the formation of a treaty, was a measure of deliberate perfidy on the part of the Burmese. That there was no intention to make peace, but only to gain an advantage by the cessation of hostilities-That the treaty which was to have been ratified in 15 days, had not even been sent to the emperor. When Sir A Campbell discovered the treachery, he attacked the town of Maloum, or Maloom, before which his army was encamped, carried it by storm, after a tremendous cannonade and rocket firing, and at the last dates was pursuing his march for the capital, Ummerapoora. The loss of the British was said to be only 14; that of the Burmese 500 dead on the field, 80 pieces artillery, 120 ginjalls (grasshoppers) 1800 stands of muskets, 20 tons of powder, a large quantity of munitions, and the military chest containing 36,000 rupees-It was hoped there would not be much more resistance. We believe that these successes of the British in the Eastern world, and the extension of their dominions there, will eventually be overruled for good, and for the diffusion of the gospel: yet those concerned in making these conquests "think not so, neither doth their heart mean so"-Wealth and power are their object; in pursuit of which they regard not justice, nor the waste of human life. Their responsibility is awful; although He whose prerogative it is, may bring good out of evil.

AFRICA-furnishes, for the last month, no intelligence of importance.

AMERICA.

PANAMA.-On the 20th of May last, delegates to the Congress, expected to convene here, had arrived from no other states than those of Peru and Guatemala. Chili, it appears, has not yet appointed delegates, and the republicks of Rio de la Plata are said to be strongly opposed to the measure. Jealousy of the dominant influence of Bolivar, and the fear of some measures which may control the will and power of the several independent states, are represented as the causes of delay. It is said that the course recommended by our country, when generally known, would have much influence.

COLOMBIA.—The aspect of the political affairs of this republick, which not long since appeared so promising, is at present very gloomy. Two great parties are formally arrayed against each other. General Bermudez is at the head of one, and General Paez commands the other. Both are organizing a powerful military force, and we fear that bloodshed and civil war will follow; unless the speedy arrival of Bolivar shall prevent the catastrophe-He, it is to be regretted, was so distant, and so cir cumstanced, at the last advices, that it was thought he could not be expected in Colombia soon. We hope he will arrive in time to interpose his influence, to prevent those conflicts of the opposing parties, in which all the tyrants in the world would rejoice, and which would be most inauspicious to all our sister republicks of the South.

BUENOS AYRES.-Hostilities between Buenos Ayres and the Brazilian Emperor seem of late to have been wholly confined to naval operations. The emperor has the most vessels of war, but the republick has so skilful a commander of her little fleet in Commodore Brown, that hitherto she has had the advantage. A new commodore, Captain Norton, is expected to surpersede the late Portuguese Admiral Lobo; and the destruction of the republican fleet is then predicted-with what probability we know not; but we are sorry to see an American, or an Englishman, taking the command of any forces, which are to act against those who are contending for their rights. BRAZIL.-On the 6th of May, Don Pedro I. Emperor of Brazil, opened what he calls the second National Assembly, under the constitution which he framed. He felicitates the "august and most dignified representatives of the Brazilian nation" on "the harmony which, under this constitution, prevails among the political departments in the best possible manner"-except in what he denominates "the Cisplatina Province"-otherwise called the Banda Oriental. He charges the inhabitants of that province with ingratitude, for revolting against his government, and declares that the national honour demands that this province should remain an integral part of his empire. Besides this, the speech contains little noticeable, beside what is embraced in the following paragraph, which we shall leave to speak for itself.

"I have confirmed the Regency in Portugal, which my father had created. I have given an amnesty: I have given a constitution. I have abdicated and ceded all the indisputable and irrefragable rights which belonged to the monarchical crown of Portugal, and the sovereignty of those kingdoms, to the person of my much beloved and

dear daughter, the Princess Donna Maria da Gloria, now Donna Maria the Second, Queen of Portugal. This was proper for my honour and the good of Brazil. Thus some Brazilians, though incredulous, will know (what they ought to have known) that the interest of Brazil, and the love of her independence are strong in me; that I have abdicated the crown of the Portuguese monarchy, which by indisputable right belonged to me, only because at a future day it might compromit the interests of Brazil, of which I am the perpetual defender."

UNITED STATES.-Within the month past, an occurrence has taken place in our country which has awakened, throughout the whole, the most lively feelings, and which will become a subject of most interesting contemplation for posterity. The two men, who, far more than any other two, were instrumental in promoting and proclaiming the independence of the United States in the Congress of 1776, after surviving that event for half a century, and witnessing as the fruit of it the unrivalled prosperity of their country, and receiving for themselves its highest honours, expired, at the distance of five hundred miles from each other, on the very day of the national Jubilee, and while its celebration was at the height in every part of the land.

JOHN ADAMS was born on the 19th of October, 1735; THOMAS JEFFERSON on the 2d of April, O. S. 1743. Of course, at the time of their death, on the 4th of July, 1826, the former was in his 91st, and the latter in his 84th year.

In the Congress of 1776, the motion for independence was first made by Richard Henry Lee, of Virginia, on the 7th of June. On the 10th of that month, a committee of the whole reported, "That these colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British crown; and that all connexion between them and the state of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved." The consideration of this report was made the order of the day for the 1st of July following: and a committee was appointed to prepare a draught of a declaration of independence; that it might be ready for immediate promulgation, if Congress should decide in its favour. This committee consisted of five members; namely, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Livingston. The draughting of the instrument was, by their fellow committee men, referred to the two first named-It was, in fact, prepared entirely, in the first instance, by Mr. Jefferson; and it is said that a copy of this original draught has been left among his papers. With some modifications, not at all affecting the spirit and design of the whole as originally written, this declaration was formally sanctioned by Congress on the 4th of July-the report of the committee of the whole having been adopted two days before.

Men of more deliberation than were the fathers of our country, never decided on momentous publick affairs. The matter of independence was most fully, freely, and gravely discussed. Some, of whose integrity, patriotism and wisdom, not a doubt was entertained, thought that it ought at least to be delayed. Of these, the late venerable John Dickinson was the most distinguished; and his ingenuity and well known powers of argumentation were exerted to the utmost, to obtain a delay. John Adams was his opponent, and the respondent of all who sided with him. It was, in fact, the acumen, learning, energy and eloquence of Mr. Adams, that bore down all opposition, and secured nearly a unanimous vote. In regard to this conflict, Mr. Jefferson characterized his associate Adams, by calling him the Ajax Telamon of the day. Hence it appears, that the declaration of independence was penned by the talents of Mr. Jefferson, and car ried through Congress chiefly by those of Mr. Adams. Mr. Jefferson seldom spoke in that body, and never, we believe, at any length. His powers were those of a writer, not of a speaker. We think the foregoing statement may be relied on as au thentick, although a part of it depends on verbal testimony-Yet the verbal testi mony was that of actors in the scenes to which it relates, with many of whom we had, in younger life, the honour of a personal acquaintance.

After the declaration of independence, the course of the two great men, whose death our country has been called to commemorate during the last month, is known to all our readers. They were, for a time, ardent political rivals. But it was among the happy circumstances of their protracted lives, that they outlived all their hostile feelings, and renewed, with the utmost cordiality, all the warm friendship of their earlier years. Full of days and full of honours, and on the jubilee of their country's freedom, they have descended to the tomb; and with a unanimity and ardour which does honour to our citizens, their virtues and their services are commemorated, by every token of the highest regard. Numerous reflections with which our mind is fill. ed we have not space, nor, in some respects, freedom to express. We desire to bless God, that he has hitherto raised up for our country such able and faithful men to manage its concerns; and it is our prayer, and should be that of all our readers, that our publick councils, and all the departments of our government may ever be guided and managed by those who fear God, possess wisdom, and devote all their powers to the promotion of the publick welfare.

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