The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-05-25 00:00:00

CLERICAL INTELLIGENCE.

DECORATION OF CHURCHES WITH UNLAWFUL OR-
NAMENTS.—On Tuesday week the Rev. Chancellor Mar-
tin, the Rev. Archdeacon Froude, the Rev. Prebendary
George May Coleridge, the Rev. Robert. Gee, vicar of
Paington, and the Rev. Wilmot Henry Park, rector of
Ashcombe sat at the Chapter-house, Exeter, under a
commission issued by the bishop of the diocese, to en-
quire into a certain scandal and evil report, which existed
against the Rev. William George Parks Smith, minister
of St. John's Chapel, Torquay, as having offended against
the laws ecclesiastical, by having, on Sunday the fourth
day of April last, being Easter Day, set up, or caused to
be set up, in the said chapel of St. John, at Torquay, or-
naments unlawful, and not according to the ecclesiastical
laws of this realm, and to report whether or no there were
prima facie grounds for instituting further proceedings.
The ornaments complained of were flowers and crosses
on the communion table and elsewhere. After a long en-
quiry the chancellor announced the opinion of the com-
missioners to be that there were sufficient prima facie
grounds for instituting further proceedings. Mr. Gidley
then, on behalf of the defendant, stated that Mr. Smith,
under the provisions of the sixth section of the statute,
would sign a consent that the bishop should pronounce
such sentence as he might think fit, without further pro-
ceedings.

MUNIFICENT DONATION OF THE BECKETT FAMILY
TO PROMOTE EDUCATION IN LEEDS.—A correspondence
has passed between W. Beckett, Esq., M.P., and the gen-
tlemen to whom the Beckett family have entrusted the
distribution which they have made for promoting educa-
tion, in connexion with the church, in Leeds. Mr. B.
writes to Dr. Hook to the effect that his brothers and
himself having undertaken the administration of his
brother Christopher's affairs, they have considered
amongst other charitable donations they shall determine
upon, how they can do something in aid Of the church—
in accordance with the views which the deceased enter-
tained. They have therefore resolved that £lOOO be de-
voted, to assist the church in Leeds, in further efforts for
the promotion of education, and more especially in en-
abling their schools to obtain the benefit of the proposed
government aid, and that Dr. H. and two others named
should transmit a plan for carrying out the object in view.
These three gentlemen have, in reply, expressed their
grateful acknowledgments for the liberal donation, and
submit three propositions,—of grants for the erection of
new schools ; f grants (in order to obtain government
aid) in aid of existing schoolmasters' residences, and of
grants for the enlargement of the existing schools. Mr.
Beckett replies that these propositions will be perfectly
satisfactory. _ _ _

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.—The Venerable Assembly
of the Scottish National Church has again met. The
proceedings on Thursday and Friday were merely routine
and formal, with scarcely an exception. The address of
the Lord High Commissioner, on behalf of her Majesty,
was in the best spirit, and the reply of the Moderator
was every thing that could be desired. The election of
Dr. Paul, of St. Cuthbert's, to the Chair of the Assembly,
is a just tribute to so learned and distinguished a divine.
On Friday, the report of the committee on the colonial
scheme was submitted to the assembly. It referred to the
paucity of missionary labourers in this noble field of
Christian exertion, and we trust that the deficiency will
-be immediately obviated by the zeal and energy of the
young men in the church, on whom the call is made.
The committee earnestly recommended the appointment
of a deputation of ministers to proceed to Canada with
the view of stimulating and encouraging the members of
the church in that colony—a work of the most vital im-
portance to the spiritual welfare of thousands of our
fellow-subjects. The assembly cordially and unanimously
concurred in the recommendation of the committee, and
proceeded to appoint the Rev. Messrs. Fowler, Ratho,
Stephenson, of Dalry and Sneddon, and M'lntosh, of
Aberdeen, as a deputation to Canada from the Church of
Scotland.