The Sun.
London, England, 1824-05-26 00:00:00

EDINBURGH, MAT 22.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

On Thursday his Majesty's High Commissioner
held a Levee at the Merchants' Hall, but was prevented by in-
disposition from walking in state to the Church. Captain Lord
NAPIER, with the. Lord Chief Baron on his right, and the Lord
Chief Commissioner on his left, walked as his Grace's substi-
tute, followed by a number of Members of the Church and the
Law. The first Dragoons kept the streets ; and the day being
fine, there was a great concourse of spectators. Amongst those
present at the Levee were--
The Lord Provost, Lord Napier, Honourable General Duff,
Lord Chief Baron, Lord Chief Commissioner, Hon. Baron Clerk
Rattray, Hon. Baron flume, Sir J. Connell, Sir Patrick
Walker ; the Moderator; Principals Baird, Nicoll, and Macfar-
lane ; Reverend Drs. Inglis, D. Ritchie, Grant, Duncan,
Lee, Bryce, Mearns, and Russell; Professor Meikleham of
Glasgow ; Henry Jardine, Esq. King's Remembrancer ;
the French Consul; Commissioners Earl, Parish, and Fer-
rier; Colonels Teesdale, Thackeray, Ramsay, and Harvey ;
Majors Webber and Sinclair; James Hope Vere, Esq. of
Craigiehall ; John Trotter, Esq. of Dreghorn ; John Horn
Elphinstone, Esq. of Logie ; George Abercromby, Esq. of
Birkenbog; Drs. Wishart, Abercromby, Ballingall, &c.
An excellent sermon was preached in the High Church, by
Dr. Brunton, one of the Ministers of Edinburgh, Moderator to
the last Assembly. The Rev. Doctor read as his text the 13th
chapter of first Corinthians. After Divine service, they pro-
ceeded to the Assembly Room, and were there joined by his
Grace the Commissioner. _

Dr. BRU NTON, in proposing as his successor to the office of
Moderator Dr. Duncan, Minister of Ratho, and Principal
Clerk to the General Assembly, paid a high compliment to the
character and talents of the Rev. Gentleman. It was not so
much from the opportunity which his office afforded him that
he presumed to move the Assembly to appoint Dr. Duncan to
be Moderator to the Assembly, as from the opinion he had
formed of his general character after an acquaintance of twenty
years, and the intimate knowledge of all the forms of House
which he had acquired during the period he had performed
the duties of principal clerk, which eminently qualified him
for the office. The motion having been seconded, was carried
unanimon sly.
Dr. Durrcax was called in, and his election intimated to
him, when he took the chair.
Dr. BRUNTON then stated, that as Dr. Duncan's office of
Principal Clerk was now vacated,py his election to the Moder-
ator's chair, it was incumbent on the Assembly to appoint a
person to officiate in that capacity.
The MODERATOR proposed that Dr. Ritchie, one of the mi-
nisters of St. Andrew's Church, Edinburgh, should officiate as
Principal Clerk. A letter was then read from Dr. Macknight, in
which he stated, that although considerably recovered from his late
severe indisposition, he would not be able to undertake the
duties of his office of Depute Clerk during the present session,
and proposed that the Assembly should appoint the Rev. Mr.
Simpson, Minister of Kirknewton, to officiate for him.
'lt was then proposed that Dr. Ritchie and Mr. Simpson be
elected Principal and Depute-Clerks, which motion was se-
conded by Dr. Inglis.
Dr. FORBES, of Old Machar, said, as he had some observa-
tions to make which applied merely to the gentleman proposed
as Sub-Clerk, it would be better to elect the two officers indi-
vidually. Dr. Inglis accordingly restricted his seconding as
applicable to Dr. Ritchie's appointment, which was unani-
mously agreed to.
Mr. Simpson was then put in nomination as Depute-Clerk,
when
Dr. FORBES said that the office which was now proposed to
be filled was one of much importance. He had no objec-
tion to the personal character of Mr. Simpson ; but the
Assembly had had no proofs of his habits of business and
fitness for the duties of the office. Being of , that opinion,
it had been his intention to recommend Dr. Lee for the
situation, of whose business habits the Assembly had had
strong proofs in his anxious research to recover the lost
records of the Church ; but since he had entered the
House, he had been requested by Dr. Lee to make no opposition
to the wishes of Dr. Macknight. To this he (Dr. F.) had con-
sented, but he hoped the Assembly would not lose sight of the
eminent services of Dr. Lee.

Mr. Simpson's election was then agreed to.
His Grace's commission, and his Majesty's most gracious let-
ter, were then read. After commenting on the religious and loyal
habits of the people of Scotland, which his Majesty attributed
in a great degree to the Clergy of the Established Church, it
added, that his high opinion of his Scottish subjects was not
formed from the humble duties from time to time expressed to
his Majesty, but of which, on a late happy occasion, he had had
occular proof. His Grace then . gave in the Royal warrant for
2,000/. to be employed in propagating Christian knowledge in
the Highlands- and lislands of Scotland.
The Aloxir.u.s.-rou.; 'after congratulating his Grace on his
re-appointment as Lord High Commissioner, expressed the
gratitude of the Church for the protection it received from the
Civil Authority. A Committee was then named to answer the
Royal Letter.
Principal NrcoLL suggested some improvement, with a
view to facilitate the business before the House.

Mr. WALTER COOKE proposed that a list of the causes
should be put up on the walls of the House, in order that
members might, without further trouble, ascertain what busi-
ness was to come before them, which was agreed to. The
Assembly then adjourned till two o'clock next day.

Yesterday the Assembly met at two o'clock. After prayers,
and some routine business, the following Gentlemen were
appointed to preach before his Grace the Commissioner, viz.
Reverend George H. Robertson, minister of I ,adykirk, in the
forenoon (to-morrow) and the Rev. Thomas Barclay, minister
of Dunrossness, in the afternoon. The Rev. Patrick IVlTarlan,
minister of Polmont, to preach to-morrow week in the forenoon,
and the Rev. David Wilson, minister of Stranraer, in the after-
noon. The Assembly then adjourned till this day at noon.

Eco It DER'S REPORT.-The Recorder made a
Report to the KING in Council of the prisoners who were capi-
tally convicted at the February and April Old Bailey Sessions,
in number 53, viz. :-William Hill, aged 36, uttering a forged
Bank note for 5/. ; Richard Stagg, 57, uttering, counterfeit coin,
he haVing been before convicted of the like offence ; William
Sykes, 22, John Willis, 17, John Gibson, 15, Edward Salt, 16,
housebreaking; Samuel Briggs, 21, Samuel Moore, 30, John
asterby, 34, Peter Ryan, 18, Jas. Baker, 19, Thos. Pearson,
19, George Lock, 20, J. Thomag, 18, Thomas Oakes, 14, John
Kesler, 17, Edward Brimmell, 20, Wm. Clutterbuck, 23, John
Wales, 17, burglary ; Joseph Thompson, 22, William Thom-
son, 24, James Thomson, 'l9, John'Adams Henley, 24, James
Lovett, 21, Mary Webb, 16, Catherine Driscoll, 17, Sarah
Amelia Milford, 21, James Nelson, 39, Thomas Phillips, 20,
Thomas Sutton, 17, Jane Moore, 26, Thomas Frederick Crees,
27,-Richard Hughes, 16, Richard Evans, 21, James Whitby,
45, Frederick Bolton, 18, Geo. Thomas, 24, Stephen Becks, 19,
Geo. Boswell, alias biddy, 17, Benj. Holloway, alias Henry
Griffiths, 17, Francis Henry Jermaine, 14, John Corbett,
18, Sheik Broom, 22, James Lamb, 18, Eliza Hillory, 24,
Wm. Whitehead, 27, Mary Ann Hudson, 28, Wm. Williams,
22, and James Sutton, 20, stealing in a dwelling-house to the
amount of 40s. and upwards ; John Hill Wagstaff, 27, uttering
a forged check for 250/. ; James Williams, 19, Fred. Scott,
18, and John Bass, 14, highway robbery.-When Wm. llill,
John Easterby, and John Hill Wagstaff were ordered for exe-
cution on Tuesday next.-All the other prisoners were respired
during his Majesty's pleasure.

Newfoundland Papers have reached us, bear-
ing date the 13th ultimo. Several ships engaged
in the Seal Fishery had put into St. John's. The
success of the fishers had been very indifferent,
and there was every prospect of the season being
a had one.

A letter from Honduras, dated 3d April, says,
" The undermentioned vessels, Zephyr, Glutton,
Elizabeth, Scotia, Treasurer, and Horsley Hill,
are about quitting our harbour, without convoy,
through the Gulf of Florida, and with full
100,0001. of British property on board ; although
a schooner with Spanish property form the neigh-
bouring port of Ornoa, and going to Jamaica, has
obtained the protection of his Majesty's ship
Helicon, Capt. DAwKlNs.—Prince ROBERT ar-
rived here, with the intelligence that his brother,
GuoilGE FREDERICK AUGUSTUS, King of the
Mosquito nation, was lately accidentally drown-
ed. - This Prince desires to be crowned, as vas
his predecessor, at Beltze."
Letters from Malta, received by an eminent
house in the City, fully confirm the account of
the 'explosion at Cairo, which appears to have
been more ext.ensive•than at first reported. Five
thousand persons are said to have lost their lives,
and property to the amount of- more than half a
sterling was destroyed. This letter states
that tile Turkish troops wilfully set fire to the
magazines, to avoid marching against the Greeks