The Rev. Alexander Fletch...
The Times, 1824-10-22T00:00:00

YYetste ray, bee?in of thewssocise Prgabyteryof toond seae -sIt A Ilce'sAi66nCh-pe s Cintin4o treet. ."b:.s !The Rev. Mr. NVARASE, the: Aoderator, took tbe t air aVt'#!ee o'cloc;, at which time everyi:att of 'the chapdel, xc Dsthatilro;: priated to the reception of the mcmbers bf fhe Presbyccy, wa CoL.". pletely filled by persons of both sexes, anxiOus to wifDness tlic toro.' ceedings, amongst whom werc a great number of Mr. Flether's congregation. The Moderator requested the spectators to linten itteinively to. the proceedings, and to express neitlier applause I or disapprobation, A member of the -Presbytery proceeded so read sosote eaper in. a very low tone of voice, u wn whichl an individlual at the back of the chapel called on him to' Ispeak up."' The Rev. dt. HFyi here. ution observed, that the court was under the protection of the Lord Alayor- and that nece-oafcers were stationed in the chapel, to take into custody any perions lvho should interupt the proceedings. This piece of information wa& -received with some laughter and htssing. Silence being restored, the getleman who had read the paper be- fore alluded to, now read in a more audible tone some correspondence whitli had taken' p4e between the Mfoderator and Mi r. Fletcher. In this correspondence the MUoderator hai invited Mlr. Pletcher to at. tend a comrn-ittee bf tts' Presbytery on the 19th inst., to which ir.: Fletcher replied, that he protested against the proceedlngs of the Presbytery, and declined all further intercourse ithimen who, under the sancti6n of eccliriastical authority, had perpetrated adeed of the most cruel and base description against him. The Mloderator expressed a wish that some member shouli oc. cupy his place whilst he addressed a few word-s to the nasembly. ' Mlr. BIROADrOOT accordingly took the chair whilat the Re. ver2nd Mr. WAARRE addressed the Court. VIe felt himeelf called upon, in consequence of some reports which hoa gone abroad, to give some explanation of the conduct which he bad pursued with regard to Allr. Fletcher. It was non some time ago since varlout reports injurious to the reputation of Mir. Fletcher met his ear. Thiose reports Vwere entirely ex parte, and were evidently highly co. Ioured. He considered that he might be c alled upon to act as judge in the business, and therefore deternined not to allow his mind to be biassed by any of the rumours which were circulated respecting Mr. Fletcher, and he carefully avoided expressing any opinion on the subject. Indeed, so far did he carry his reserve, that many per- song supposed that he had taken the part of Mr. Fletcher. But they were deceived, for he always anticipated what would be the decision of the Svnod, although he never com- municated his opinions eveni to the inembers of his own fa. mily. When the sentence of the Synod was pronounced, he bowed to it, because he knew It to be the recorded opi- nioniof between two and three hundred holy men, who were above the reach of bias or prejudice ; and he likewise bowed toit from a conviction of its justice. He, in his conscience, ap roved of the judgment of the Synod, and believed it was that which the circum- stances of the case requited. At the same time he felt deeply for. his brother (AIr. Pletcher), and would lay his head at his feet if he would only listen to the advice of thosie who wisheti him well. AfMr. 1$WARItE then resumAed his seat in the chair. M ?r. KIDSTO'r stated, that in compliance with the directions of the Synod, he and the Rev. Mr. Hay proceeded on last Sabbath week to take possesesion of the pulpIt of Albien Chapel. There one of the eldersof thechapel refued to acknowledge the authorlty of the Synod, and debarred their access to the pulpit. In consequence of this, he and klr. Hay retired. The Rtev. MIr. LAW Wished to correct some erroneous statements which had appeared respecting his conduct in the newspapers. 'He had never declared in the Presbytery whether In his opinion Air. Fletcher was guilty or not guilty; but had merely said that there was a case made out which it was necessary to send before the Svnod at Edinburgh. It had been stated thatlie had gone to Albion Chapel to take possession of the pulpit, and to preach there himself. He went to the chanel with no such views, but in the performnance of a mnost painfuil duty. He could assure the people ofthe Albion Chapel, that he was tnuch better pleased to turn his back on them than to see their faces. He had Aone to Albion Chapel in obedience to the decree of the Synod, and( to put it out of Ir. F letcher' p er to say that no person had been to demand his pulpit. It migntbe neces%ary to state that the member of the Sy- noct who had edited the trial of Mr. Fletcher, had done so not so much with the view of bringingc before the public eye the correspon. dence which had passed between Mr. Fletcher and Miss Dick, as to make the public acquainted with the proceedings of the Presbytery and Synod. The newspapera had made copious extracts from the pamplhlet; but they had, in his opinioni, omitted to extract the most important part-namely, that which related to the conduct of the Presbytery and Synod. He hoped that the publication in ques- tion would operate a change in the minds of men. He was con- vinced that the conduct of the Presbytery and Synod required only to be understood to be approved of. Mlr. BRtOADFOOT was desirous thiat the Presbytery should take no further step in the business. That was to be wished for for seve- ral reasons. rhe unhappy business which had occupied so much of their attention had occasioned him much uneasiness. Many a night he had lain in hits bed awake, and cried in the bitterness of his sor- row. (A loud laugh.) alr. HAYcaUed upon the constables toturn out those wjho laughed. The injunction imposed on the police-oflicers was not very easy of execution, for the laughers composed nearly the whole of the specta. tori. One or two individuals were, however, seized by the con- stables; but after, considerable uproar, they were, we believe, aUow- ed to remain in the chapel. Mfr. BROADFOOT again advised that the Preabytery rhould take no further ste until the Synod nmet In May. He wished a door to be left openor reconciliation. If Mir. Fletcher could be brought to take a different view of OhS matter from that which he at present entertairned, and to acknowledge that he had erred, he (Mir. Broad- foot) would receive him with the utmost cordiality. Mlr. JOHsE, an elder of Albion Chapel, rose to present a memo- rial from the members of that chapel, complaining of certain mis- representations alleged to have beeii made by Mir. Kirkaldy, one of the members of the Presbytery, before the Synod at Edinburgh, re- specting Ar. Fletcher. Alr. HiAY opposed the bringingup of the memorial, on theground that the congregation of Albion Chapel bad refused to submit to the authority of the Synod. Until they placed themselves in stbjection to the Synod, the 'resbytery had nothing whatever to do with them. A scene of great noise and confusion now ensued. IMir. Jones re- peatedly atterapted to present his memorial, and Mlr. Hay as often interrupted him, ami&t the shouts of their respective partisans. At length it was put to the vote, whether the memorial should be re- ceived, and decided in the negative. Some other motion then appeared to be agrecd-to, but what it was we could not ascertain, on account of the continued uproar. The iModerator then, after a short prayer, declared that the as- sembly was adjourned. Mr. JoxEs then atteta.pted to address the spectators ; but upon one of the trustees of the chapel telling him that he wvould not permit him to go on, he desisted. The constables received directions to clear the chapel ; and here- upon a scene of most " admired disorder" ensued. Some persons wfho were of opinion that the constables treated thent too unceremo- niously, (as it really appeared to us they did), turned upon them, and maintained a kind of fight for about a quarter of an hour, to the great terror of the ladies, whose scream& added not a little to the noise wilch had all along characterized the meeting, and which, at this period, stood in need of no reintoreement of sound. Peace was at last brought about, and the chapel dooTs were closed. i TTH REV. ALEXANDER rLBTCI*R. '