§ The Earl of Aberdeenpresented a petition from a presbytery in Scotland, to which he would for a moment call the attention of their Lordships. Like most of the petitions presented from that country in relation to the affairs of her church, it was not for the abolition, but it was for the preservation and continuance of patronage in Scotland, as established by law and as at present existing. He presented this petition because it had been sent to him by a body of men whose opinions were entitled to every respect, but he at the same time lamented that these reverend gentlemen had thought it necessary to send any petition to their Lordships on the subject. On every occasion on which he had been consulted respecting the expediency of addressing petitions to Parliament as to the unfortunate position of the Scotch Church, and the applications to him had been numerous, he had always expressed his disapprobation of presenting any petition whatever. Considering the manner in which these "patronage" petitions were got up, and the grounds on which they were founded, no effect was produced by them—no great attention was paid to them, and he felt sure that no member of any party or of any description gave to their presentation the least countenance or support. This he had always declared, 1021 and this was still his opinion. Such petitions could produce no good—their character was generally too well understood, The noble Earl then presented the petition from the presbytery of Garioch, in Scotland, in favour of the present system of patronage.