The Rev. Messrs. Andrew Mitchell Ramsay and William Ritchie, the newly arrived Ministers of the Presbyterian Church, unconnected with the State, will preach for the first time in the Province, in the Baptist Chapel, Collins Street, on Sabbath next, Mr. Ritchie in the forenoon, and Mr. Ramsay in the evening.

Mr. Ramsay, as we believe most of our readers already know, was for many years minister of a congregation in Hawick, in connexion with the Relief Synod, as was Mr. Ramsay in West Linton, in connexion with the United Secession. Both, however, come here loosed as it were from their connexion with the bodies to which they formerly belonged, and take their position as ministers of a church, holding the standards and doctrines of the Presbyterian Church, but neither asking nor receiving State support.

It is probable that both Mr. Ramsay and Mr. Ritchie will remain in the province, measures being in progress for securing the establishment of the one in Melbourne, and the other in a suitable locality inland.

A public general meeting of the adherents to the Presbyterian Church, unconnected with the State, was held in the Independent Chapel, Collins Street, on Tuesday evening last, Peter Macarthur, Esq., J.P., of Arthurton, in the chair.

The meeting having been constituted with prayer by the Rev. William Ritchie, the Chairman called upon the Secretary, who read the following Report of the Committee:-

The Committee appointed at the public meeting held in the Independent Chapel, Melbourne, in the month of March, 1845, for the purpose of adopting measures for organising and establishing a Presbyterian Church in the colony on the basis of the Westminster Confession of Faith, and the other standards of the Church of Scotland, but entirely free from and unconnected with the State, have the honor to report, that pursuant to the resolutions then adopted, simultaneous applications were made to the Relief and United Secession Synods of Scotland to send out Ministers in connection with the Church proposed to be formed.

That the application of the Committee thus made was readily and literally complied with by the Relief Synod; while on the part of Secession Body the acquiescence given could scarcely be considered unconditional, they having deemed it prudent to leave to their minister the discretionary power of remaining unconnected with, or attaching himself to any other denomination, as circumstances might seem to warrant on his arrival in the colony.

That accordingly two clergymen, the Rev. Andrew Mitchell Ramsay and the Rev. William Ritchie, arrived in the district by the "Ann Milne," on the 4th of January 1847, the former having been sent out by the Relief and the latter by the United Secession Synod of Scotland.

That under the circumstances in which the Secession Minister had been sent out, as already stated, your Committee deemed it their duty to come to an early understanding with the Rev. Mr. Ritchie as to his willingness to join the Colonial Presbyterian Church, unconnected with the State, and having satisfied themselves upon that point, they proceeded formally to invite him to remain in the Province, instead of proceeding to Sydney, as originally intended. It was represented to Mr. Ritchie by your Committee that there was an immediate and urgent necessity for the establishment of one Minister in Melbourne, and another in the neighbourhood as an Itinerating Pastor, besides that, the Mount Macedon, Goulburn, Buninyong, Port Fairy, and different other Districts of the Interior presented wide and very promising fields of missionary labour.

Notwithstanding, however, the urgent entreaties of your committee, they regret to say that the Rev. Mr. Ritchie has not considered himself warranted in settling among us; his age and the state of his health preventing him from undertaking an itinerating charge, and his determination being to refuse, under any circumstances, to weaken the hands of his friend and brother, Mr. Ramsay, by remaining in Melbourne.

The Rev. Mr. Ramsay being now upon the spot, and ready and willing to enter upon the duties of his sacred vocation, it remains for this meeting to consider as to the expediency of requesting him to undertake the formation of a Presbyterian Congregation in Melbourne unconnected with the State, and to adopt such other measures as may seem to the meeting most desirable for procuring temporary accommodation for the performance of divine worship - the raising of Sustentation and Building Funds - and the general management of the temporal affairs of the Church until a Congregation shall be duly organised.

Secretary.

Melbourne,
2nd February, 1847.

1. That the Report now read be received and confirmed.

2. That the Committee appointed at the Public Meeting in this place in March, 1845, be empowered to procure suitable accommodation for the performance of Divine Worship, and for other congregational purposes, and generally to manage the temporal affairs of the Church until a congregation shall have been duly formed.

3. That the Rev. Andrew Mitchell Ramsay be requested to officiate as Minister, and otherwise to undertake the organization and establishment of a Presbyterian congregation in Melbourne, unconnected with the State.

4. That separated subscription lists be now opened for the purpose of raising funds to be called "The Sustentation and Building Funds of the Melbourne Presbyterian Church, unconnected with the State," the former to be applied towards the maintenance of the Pastor and meeting the expenses necessarily contingent on the performance of Divine Worship, and the latter to be set apart for the erection of a suitable place of worship, so soon as a sufficient amount shall have been subscribed for that purpose.

5. That Mr. McGregor be appointed the Treasurer of the Sustentation and Building Funds now ordered to be raised, and that Messrs. Campbell, Ritchie, Lumsden, Robert Campbell, McArthur, Young, Dods, McNiece, Barr and Shearer, with power to add to their number, be requested to solicit contributions to the Fund.

The meeting was then closed with prayer by the Rev. William Ritchie, and a vote of thanks given to the Chairman for his able and impartial conduct.

ROBERT CAMPBELL

The last number of the Rev. James Forbes' religious periodical the "Christian Herald," referring to the arrival of the Rev. Messrs. Ramsay and Ritchie says - "An attempt has been made by the friends of Dr. John Dunmore Lang, to hold both Messrs. Ritchie and Ramsay before the public as Free Church Ministers. However flattering it may be to those adhering in the colony to the principles and testimony of the Free Church of Scotland, to see the members of other sects assuming her name, and thereby acknowledging it to be more respectable than their own, the morality of the proceeding is somewhat questionable. We cannot however, believe that either of the ministers mentioned, both of whom seem to be estimable and good men, will be parties to anything of the sort."

We join most cordially with our Rev. brother in his detestation of anything in the shape of "a pious fraud," and we feel particularly gratified in having it in our power to set his mind at rest as to anything of the kind being attempted, or even thought of by the friends of Dr. Lang.

Messrs. Ramsay and Ritchie do not belong to the Free Church of Scotland, nor do they come here in connexion with that or any other body open to a connexion with the State. They come as ministers of the really Free Church, - but as far as Mr. Forbes' Free Church is concerned, they may set up the old sign of "no connexion with the shop over the way."

We go a little farther than the Rev. Editor, however, in our views of what constitutes "very questionable morality," for we find some difficulty in determining which is the greater act of dishonesty - the fraudulent assumption of a name, - the pretence of adhering "to the principles and testimony of the Free Church of Scotland" while swallowing the loaves and fishes of the State Church, - or the using the Church and pulpit of the Residuaries to denounce and abuse them - all of which have been done by a very intimate acquaintance of the Rev. Editor of the "Christian Herald." without bringing down upon his head the rubuke of our religious contemporary.