GENERAL ASSEMELV. 263* 



a motion was made, That the Affcmbly fiiall difmifs the com- 

 plaint as a res hactenus judicatay which being put, it carried 

 iifm'tfs by a great majority. 



Saturday y May ag. 



The report ofthetrufteca on the Widows' Scheme, con- 

 taining an account of their proceedings fince lafb AfTcinbly, 

 and a ftate of the fund under their management being given 

 in, the unanimous thanks of the Houfe were given to Sir H. 

 Moncrieff-Welwood for his fidelity, attention, and prudence 

 in the management of the fund. 



Dr Walker, Moderator of laft AITevibly, informed the 

 Houfe, that, in confequence of an application made to the 

 Lord Advcoate, the Lonis of the Treafury had given direc- 

 tions not to levy from the clergy of Scotland the new houfe 

 and window duty often per cent, of the former taxes, impof- 

 ed by an a(5l of laft feflion of Parliament. The thanks of the 

 Houfe were unanimoufly given to the Lord Advocate for hi? 

 great attention to the intereft of the clergy on this occafion, 

 and alfo to Dr Walker for his diligence in the .ifFair. 



The Affembly proceeded tocontider the overtures from the 

 fynods of Lothian and Tweedd^ile and Merfe and Teviotdale, 

 on the Slave Trade ; and, after reafoning on them, the Aflem- 

 bly, in terms of their refolution on the fubjecft of limilar 

 overtures in the year 178S, approve of the fpirit thereof, and 

 think themfelves called upon, as men, as Chrlftian^-, and as 

 members of this national Church, to declare their abhorrence 

 of a traffic fo contrary to the rights of mankind and the feel- 

 ings of humanity ; bat they judge it unneceflary to proceed 

 further in this bnfinefs, truiting that the vviidorn and mercy 

 of the Legidature will take fuch fteps as they (hall thinkpro- 

 per for the relief of this unhappy race of men. 

 Monday, May 10. 



The AfTembly, in the cafe of the fchoolma.1:er of Bothwell, 

 after hearing panics on the point of jurifdiftion (a bill of fuf- 

 penfion having been prefented to the Court of Sefiion), with- 

 out a vote, fultaincd the appeal to the Synod, as competent ; 

 and having been informed by the Procurator for the Church, 

 that the queftion with regard to the pcwer of the fiiperior Ec- 

 cledaftical Courts to review the fentence of a Presbytery re- 

 lative to the qualitication of a fchoolmafter, is now depending 

 before the Court of Seflior, they authorifed the Procurator 

 and Agent to attend trt the rights of the Church in tb.is 

 caufe, and to report to next AfTembly. The AlT-rmbly th-.-n 

 referred to their Commiflion the merits of this caufe, and all 

 others which have been brought before them, whic'i they 

 could not overtake ; and was diffolved in the uAial manner, 

 and another Afiembly was appointed to meet on the 17th' of 

 May 1791. 



