Southern Presbytery—Revs. Neil Cameron (Moderator), St. Jude’s, Glasgow; D. Mackenzie, Kames, ministers; with Messrs. Donald Macdonald, St. Jude’s; A. Sinclair, formerly John Knox’s, ruling elders.
Northern Presbytery—Revs. Ewen Macqueen, Inverness; Donald Beaton, Wick; Malcolm Gillies, Halkirk; and William Matheson, Chesley, Ontario, ministers; with Mr. William Couper, Wick, ruling elder.
Western Presbytery—Revs. Donald Graham, Shieldaig, and Donald M. Macdonald, Portree, ministers.
The retiring Moderator (the Rev. Neil Cameron) conducted divine worship, and preached from John iv. 38—”Other men laboured and ye are entered into their labours.” After public worship was over, the Moderator constituted the Synod with prayer.
The roll was then called, and a letter of apology was read from Rev. M. Morrison.
Mr. Donald Urquhart was appointed officer of court, and agreed to undertake the duties.
At this stage the Moderator (Rev. Neil Cameron) intimated that his term of office had expired, thanked the Synod for their kindness to him, and said that it now lay with them to appoint another Moderator.
The Rev. Ewen Macqueen moved that the Rev. Malcolm Gillies, Halkirk, be appointed Moderator; this was seconded, and unanimously agreed to.
The Interim-Clerk of Synod (Rev. D. Beaton) intimated that it now fell to the Synod to appoint a Clerk in place of the late Rev. James S. Sinclair. It was moved by the Rev. Neil Cameron, and seconded by the Rev. D. Graham, and unanimously agreed to, that the Rev. D. Beaton be appointed. Thereafter Mr. Beaton, in accepting office, made the customary solemn promise to discharge the duties of the office with fidelity. The newly-appointed Clerk pointed out that there was a number of Synod minutes which had not been signed owing to the death of Rev. James S. Sinclair, and asked authority for signing these. The Synod authorised the Moderator and Clerk of Synod to sign these minutes.
The Rev. N. Cameron said he had also to report that there was a number of the Southern Presbytery minutes and minutes of kirk-sessions which had not been signed owing to the cause mentioned by the Clerk, and he asked for authority to have these signed. The Synod authorised the Moderator and Clerk of the Southern Presbytery to sign the unsigned minutes of the Presbytery, and the interim-moderators and Clerks of the respective kirk-sessions to sign the unsigned minutes of the kirk-sessions over which Mr. Sinclair had been acting as interim-moderator, and any kirk-session minutes which for other reasons were unsigned.
A Committee, consisting of Revs. N. Cameron, E. Macqueen, and D. Beaton, were appointed to draw up a tribute to the late Clerk, Rev. James S. Sinclair.
The following members of the Northern Presbytery, Revs. E. Macqueen and M. Gillies, were appointed to examine the minutes of the Southern Presbytery and also of the Western, and Revs. N. Cameron and D. Mackenzie were appointed to examine the minutes of the Northern Presbytery.
It was moved by the Rev. Ewen Macqueen, and seconded by the Rev. Donald Graham, and unanimously agreed to, that the Rev. N. Cameron be asked to send his sermon for publication to the Magazine. Mr. Cameron expressed his willingness to comply with the request.
The Rev. D. Beaton, Clerk, moved that Revs. N. Cameron (Convener), Ewen Macqueen, and Mr. Gillies (Moderator) be appointed a committee to draw up a Loyal Address to the King. The motion was agreed to.
The Clerk moved that the members of Synod meet as a committee on Bills and Overtures in the Hall of St. Jude’s Free Presbyterian Church at ten o’clock next morning. The motion was agreed to.
It was further agreed to that the Synod hold two sederunts next day—at 2.30 p.m. and 5.30 p.m.
The Synod adjourned to meet again (God willing) on Wednesday the 24th instant, at 2.30 p.m.
The meeting was closed with praise and prayer.