The Express.
London, England, 1862-12-25 00:00:00

nssmurioN IN SKYE.

The following minute has been published on
behalf of the Free Presbytery of Skye :
At a meeting of the Free Presbytery of Skye and Uist,
bold at Parkes on Wednesday, the 17th curt., the mem-
bers were engaged for some tame in considering the present
state of the people of their bounds in Skye, with respect to
means of switenance ; and came unanimously to the follow-
ing findings :
1. Having entered into conversation on the condition
and prospects of the people of their respective snipe-
gations, it was speedily found that the minds of all
the brethren had been deeply exercised for some time
past on this painful subject ; that many individual
cases have now been reported by each one of the
brethren present, of such a nature as fully to show
that immediate relief is necessary for the preserve-
Um' of life, and that these cases have hest toted to exist
in the following districts of Skye, viz., Kilmuir and Sten-
scholl, Suizort, Brarsdale, Parsee, Strth, end Sleet, with
the north end of Ramsay and the Island of Rona; that in
the absence of the Rev. Yr. of Duiriniah, the
brethren preset moot undearaketo give any precise state-
ment of the rooditioia of that district, but that generally
speaking the brethren have no reason to think that matters
it some parts there are really in a better state than in the
districts already mentioned. 2. That the brethren
severally have been making pretty eztensive and
awful survey of the present and prospective COP
ditioa of the people of their own bounds respectively ;
and that it has been found that, painful as are the owe
already referred to, these cannot be said to form, by any
maws, the bulk of what must, in course of a few weeks
hence, be the amount of actual destitution of food, and
the danger to health and life in three districts. 3. That
while the means of snbsisteoce to the hulk of the people
of this island are at lust but scams sad bare, a sucoessioe
. .

of three years very novella' and edemas to crops and
fallings has this season reduced the bulk of the people to
circumetaeces in which very many families are absolutely
and painfully unable to supply to themselves the means of
subsistence; and that, with all that can be supplemented by
the daily Labotus of as many among them as are competent
to earn ordinary wages, there is still presented to the minds
of the brethren a prospect of human suffering, for the next
six months at least, which they cannot contemplate without
greet satiety. 4. That conflicting statementa on this subject
having obtained publicity, the brethren feel bound, es mat-
ter of obligation and duty, to make equally public what, to
their own personal observation and knowledge, is the true
and actual state of the case ; and knowing further that cor-
rect information on this subject is desired by many Chris-
tian members of society, they resolved thetas extract of these
resolutions shall be offered to the newspaper press of the
country ; amain they feel at liberty to take this step without
testifying to their own dread of any public systematic mode
or process al gratuitous distribution of food, even in times
of necessity, as being, notwithstanding all exertions to the
contrary, exemdiogly dangerous to the interests of mo-
rality and religion alike. The brethren of this Presbytery
hereto subsenbing agree to lay the case before the Chris-
tian benerolence of their country at large, and io the full
confidence that from that source sufficient shall be provided
from smell'

Tae Nsw GOVERNMENT Omens. —Yesterday
some 200 men were (missed in completing the extensive I
foundations for the future foreign, colonial, and other
Government offices. The magnitude of the works may be
estimated from the fact that the same number of men have
been employed daily during the last six months on the '
foundations, under the contractors, Mews. llelk and
Loris, the area extending from the park and the Privy
Council-Mike in Whitehall, on the one aids, up King-
street to Charlerstreet, the remnitieg depot, up to the
site formerly occupied by the State Paper and Stationery-
office, extending over a surface of several thonseed Immo*
feet. The foundations throughout are laid in 14ft. deep of
solid concrete, being equal to that on which the Houses of
Parliament are built. In one place where the ground was
treacherous the foundation had to be carried down to a
depth of 30 feet. Preparations are being made by Mr.
Scott, the architect, for constructing the building after the
designs selected by Lord Palmerston and the committee of
the House of Commons, is the Palladian style. The build-
ing will be so constructed as to be made available at it
proceeds for the public business.
The cotton question is giving our generals a great
deal of trouble in Tennessee and Mississippi. So keg as
boyars are allowed to follow the flag, it seems impossible to
keep army officers from taking a hand in speculations,
and this, of nouns, leads to corruption. General Grant has
ermoluded to try a new plate, which may work better then
say age of the old onee. He has determined to have all
cotton bought, shipped, and sold on amenat of the
swot, paying the owners a fair pries, and trend t►e
milts to the Tressary department—lfisseari popsy.