It will be a subject of regret to a large number of our fellow-colonists, that the Rev. Alexander Salmon is compelled, by the failure of health, to leave the scene of his zealous and successful labours during the past ten years, with a view of recruiting his frame by a visit to his native land.

Not only has Mr. Salmon won the esteem and affection of his congregation, by his faithful and self-denying labours for their spiritual good: but as a public advocate and promoter of many benevolent and religious objects, he is known and respected in a much wider sphere: and as a kind friend to immigrants from his native land, he has secured a lasting place in the well-deserved gratitude of many families now settled throughout the colony.

We are sure, therefore, that the subjoined report will be read with lively interest. It will be lamented, and not without very strong reason, that so worthy a Christian minister, on leaving the colony in consequence of personal affliction should be constrained to complain, publicly, of the unjust and ungenerous conduct of the Presbytery to which he belonged. All who know Mr. Salmon will fully admit the truth of his avowal, that he himself was, by his very nature, incapable of scheming and plotting to form partition, and carry out plans in any artful manner: and they will deeply sympathise with him in the trouble and sorrow which have been brought upon him by the plotting and party tactics of his professed brethren. We understand that the reverend gentleman's present affliction in chiefly due to a sun-stroke from which he suffered about five years ago.

A public meeting was held last evening in the Free Church, Macquarie Street, of the congregation and friends of Rev. Alexander Salmon, to testify their respect and affection to him on the occasion of his intended departure for Britain. The ministers, elders, and congregation of Chalmers Church, Redfern, united in the testimonial.

The chair was taken by Samuel Deane Gordon, Esq., M.L.A., at whose invitation the Rev. John Locke McSkimming, Minister of Chalmers Church, Redfern, offered prayer.

The CHAIRMAN said it was a painful thing to have to part with a long and tried friend and minister. Mr. Salmon, from the time of his arrival in this colony, eleven years ago, had undergone no ordinary labour and trial. He had been called, when new congregations were to be established, to take part in the proceedings. He had met with strong opposition from many who might have been expected to support him. They were met to express their sympathy with their minister on parting with him. For himself, he had always great pleasure in acting with Rev. Mr. Salmon. In time of affliction he had proved himself a most valuable friend and minister. We could ill afford to lose his services at this time. The congregation would not allow their minister to leave them without a testimonial. He then read an address from the elders and congregation, as follows:-

Rev. Dear Sir - We, the office bearers and members of your congregation, with feelings of deep attachment, beg, on the eve of your departure for your native land, to tender our sincere expressions of regret at being deprived for a time of the blessings of your ministerial labours; and we do so with feelings of deeper sympathy, when we contemplate that our separation has been hastened by the untiring zeal and anxiety manifested by you in the performance of your duties as a Christian Minister.

As attached friends who have been privileged under your ministrations to derive the unspeakable benefits of the pure doctrines of Christianity, we deeply lament the loss we are about to sustain and sincerely trust that God, in his gracious providence may see most speedily to restore you to wanted health and strength, those greatest of all earthly blessings.

With patient resignation to the dispensations of the Divine will, we humbly and devoutly recommend you to the safe keeping of Him who doeth all things rightly and well, earnestly praying that you may be spared to return in the fullness of the grace of the Gospel, strengthened in mind and body, to resume your labours as an ambassador of Christ with that zeal and faithfulness so constantly displayed during your long sojourn amongst us.

We offer you and your respected and valued partner in life our our affectionate regards, hoping that she may be long spared as a comfort and solace to you in all earthly trials.

We beg your acceptance of the accompanying purse of sovereigns, being the spontaneous and cordial offering of your congregation and friends, which they now desire to present in the true spirit of brotherly love.

Finally, dear Mr. Salmon, we desire and pray the Great Head of the Church may increase unto you that blessedness which alone cometh from Him, and that you and all who are near and dear to you may rejoice and be glad as the time draweth nigh, when you shall hear your Master's voice saying, 'Well done good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.'

The CHAIRMAN then presented to the Rev. A. Salmon a purse, containing 200 guineas, and the testimonial referred to.

The Rev. Mr. McSKIMMING then read the following address:-

Reverend and Dear Sir, - We, the undersigned, being the minister, elders and deacons of Chalmer's Free Church, Sydney, were appointed, at a meeting of the congregation, held on the evening of Monday, the sixth day of February, to draw up an address to be presented to you, expressing our great regard and esteem for you; and to give you the thanks of the people of our congregation for all your disinterested labours on their behalf.

We then, Reverend Sir, in name of the members and adherents of Chalmer's Church, have to tender you our hearty thanks for all that you have done, during the last five years, to promote the temporal and spiritual interests of our church and congregation. And in doing so, we cannot refrain from saying that you originated the movement for the establishment of a charge in the south end of the city, and used all your influence to induce the members of our congregation, residing in the southern suburbs, to join the infant church which first met in a hired house in Parramatta Street, though you were well aware, that by so doing, you were taking steps calculated to diminish both the numbers of your own congregation and its pecuniary resources.

And now that you are about to leave the colony to sojourn for a time in the land of your fathers, we assure you, dear Sir, that we shall always entertain a lively sense of our obligation to you. We have always found you in all our intercourse, to be a man of a generous disposition, and gentlemanly in your manner - ever anxious to aid us in our difficulties. As a minister of the Gospel we have found you to be sound in the faith, and bold in the defence of truth. Against error in various forms, you have contended with no small measure of success.

We trust that the voyage to Britain, and a temporary residence amid the scenes of your early life, will be the means, by God's blessing, of restoring you to health. And now we would leave you in the hands of that God who keepeth His own people as the apple of His eye.

On concluding the address, he handed to Mr. Salmon a purse, containing 30 sovereigns.

Rev. ALEXANDER SALMON then rose. He returned his warm and earnest thanks to his own congregation and the congregation of Chalmer's Church for the addresses and testimonials of their regard and affection. He valued the expression of their sentiments far more than the money.

In departing for a time to his native land, this meeting and its accompaniments would be a great consolation to him. It was a contrast of the most extraordinary nature to the treatment he received from his own Presbytery only last Wednesday. The people of Sydney might not have known of that treatment if he had not spoken of it here. He had applied to the Presbytery, with a memorial from his congregation, in the usual way, for release from his charge for two years, and they objected, on the ground that he should also have a memorial from the Kirk session. The objection was groundless.

A man is not ordained over a session, but on the call of a congregation. He maintained this before the world, that a release should be granted on a memorial from the congregation. This was common sense; and Presbyterianism was the essence of common sense as well as Scriptural principle. He appealed to their sympathy. He had been for three hours badgered by a church court, and the request of the congregation on his behalf set at nought. He could not understand why such a dead set should be made against his going home.

The congregation had requested him to select a suitable colleague in Scotland. With this the Presbytery had nothing to do until that minister came out. But a Doctor of Divinity and his satellites trampled on the principles of Presbyterian Church Government in their attack upon him. He hoped an able and pious man might come out to occupy this important sphere of labour - to maintain the truth as it is in Jesus.

He mourned over the want of brotherhood among those who are called brethren in the ministry. He could not bear to enter on the subject of the trials he had had to endure in this colony. He had much to mourn over in himself, but he never had one hostile feeling - he never plotted to make a party in the Church; perhaps he was not fitted to do it. His nature never fitted him to scheme and plot and arrange affairs in the Church of Christ, and he denounced all scheming and plotting in the church. Let everything be done openly and in order.

He thanked them for coming together in such numbers to sympathise with him on his departure. He ventured to say that while fulfilling his duties as a minister of the Gospel, he had laboured and given of his substance for the temporal and spiritual good of emigrants from the United Kingdom. In six cases out of ten he had no spark of gratitude for the labour he undertook for the temporal benefit of such. Yet there were cases which warmed his heart, instances of true gratitude. He had addressed them from the heart. He had had many things to perplex and provoke him in this land. Who had not? But he had experienced a large measure of kindness and attention in every part of this colony where he had been. If a minister honestly watched for the souls of his people, that would be recognised by them.

He thanked them for the expression of their respect and sympathy. He could have done without the money, but he could not have gone home comfortably without the expression of their esteem and affection.

He turned to the congregation at Chalmer's Church; he would always bear them on his heart. Some of them were among his most attached hearers in the Pitt Street Church; their address spoke of his conduct as 'disinterested;' he claimed the title; he had been disinterested; he had gone round to every family of his hearers in that part of the city urging them to unite and form a congregation among themselves.

It had been characteristic of his history that he did not care who praised or who blamed. From 1828 to 1843, in the great struggles in Scotland, he had been engaged in controversy. The grace of God softened down the spirit in which a Christian man carried on controversy, and on leaving this colony he confessed he had written rashly and spoken strongly on public questions. Holding his principles as firmly as ever he would seek more grace from God to moderate his temper in speaking and writing.

It was remarkable that their brethren, in urging on union with parties that are known not to hold the same doctrines, are creating disunion among ourselves. In the Victoria Synod the pressing on the union with other bodies led to the tyrannical expulsion of four valued ministers and three elders of their own communion; expelled without charge, or libel, by a simple vote of a majority. There was the result of premature schemes of union.

Here in Sydney, friends and brethren, when a brother minister applied for release, with a medical certificate, badgered him for three hours. He was never so uncourteously treated in all his life. They gave to him no word of sympathy - to his congregation no word of encouragement in promising supply.

In conclusion he earnestly and affectionately entreated the members of the congregation to continue firmly united during his absence. He hoped a minister would arrive from Scotland in eight months. There was an awful responsibility laid upon him in selecting a minister; yet no other way was open to them. He had a high respect for the judgement of this congregation. They knew what was Gospel. He had a warm affection towards them. Some who were among them when he came to the colony, were now painfully and bitterly against them.

He lamented that he had not more diligently visited his flock. Yet, he would say, many a time when he designed to visit them, he arose wasted and weary, and unequal to the task: but whenever, by day or by night, he heard of a sick or dying person, he was there. He had often risen from his bed and gone, not grudgingly, but willingly, to seek to do good to souls.

Again repeating his cordial thanks, he urged the people, whoever their future minister might be, to have a kind word for him whenever he visited them. A reproachful, repulsive spirit chilled a minister's heart. The display of such feeling prevented a minister from praying as he would. Let them strengthen their minister's hands, and encourage his heart.

He hoped he might be spared to return to them again, after a time. During his address (of which we give an outline only), Mr. Salmon appeared deeply affected with conflicting emotions, as he referred successively to the different treatment he received from the congregation and from the Presbytery.

On his resuming his seat, the CHAIRMAN stated that the business of the meeting was now over; and at his request, Mr. Salmon pronounced the apostolic benediction, and the meeting, which was numerous, and warmly sympathised with their minister in his trials and hopes, dispersed.