Geelong Advertiser (Vic. : 1847 - 1851), Tuesday 16 April 1850, page 3


THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN PORTLAND. Our readers are mostly aware that the affairs of the Presbyterian Church, in Portland, have been in a very unsatisfactory state for many years, and one of the consequences of the confusion is, that a sum of money deposited in tlhUnion Pank some seven years ago, is now apparently without alegal claimant. The following letter addressed,by the Rev. Mr. Forbes to the Editor of the Portland Herald, affords some information on the subject. We may explain that the Editor of that journal is no other than the erst Rev. Mr. Laurie, who was expelled from the church some twelve months ago:Tothe Editor of the Por;land Herald. Sin. - Permit me through your columns to make public a statement, relative to certain monies contributed for the Presbyterian Church, now lying in the Union Bank here, to the credit of an account to which my name is attached, as the party depositing, and entitled to draw out. My object in making this statement are twos first to make the nature of my connection with the deposit distinctly known to the subscribers, and secondly to prepare the way for bringing that connection to an end, and relieving me from having anything to do with the monies. , In the year 1813, I was requested by certain gentlemen, acting as Trustees of the Piesbyterian Church Portland, to deposit the funds raised for said Church in a 'ank here on deposit receipts. Of these sums a small portion have been paid to myself direct, the rest was forwarded from Portland by Dr. Sutherland Treasurer of the church. Deposit receipts bore interest and the object of employing my agency in the matter, was to secure the greatest amount of interest. The following is an abstract of the monies committed to me. The first three items were paid to me directly, the rest was sent from Portland:1842 Dec. 30. Dr Thompson, Geelong ................... 10 0 0 1813 Feb. 8. Sundries collected by Niel Black, Esq.......... 10 10- 0 , Dr Patrick (now in Glasgow) ......... ....... 2 0 0 Aug. 7. Sundries remitted from Portland with deduction of £1 on account -of a draft for £50 sold for £49 139 4 5 Interest at various dates..... 7 13 7 £169 8 0 The last occasion on which I drew out, and again deposited the monies on deFrsit receipt-, seems to have been the 6th January 1814. On that day I left Melhoure on account of ill health, and was absent for nine months. In the meantime, the Bank ceased to pay interest on deposits; no Yemittances were made to me subsequently, nor any comuniuicalion imade to me on the subject. In October 1810,1 renounced communion with the "Synod of Australia in ,inr.exion with the Established Church of Scotland," on grounds known to all triho take an interest in such matters. The Rev Mr Laurie and his congregation continued to adhere to the body which I had left, but no request was made to me lt give up the monies aforesaid. I had so many matters to think of, that I lost right of the Portland Kirk and its funds altogether. !n January, ISIg, I received a letter from the Revd. Mr. Love, enquiring, on behalf of tile Presbytery of Melbourne, whether I had this rmiionry, and what was its aniountl. I cannot at this moment find the original letter, but its contents nay he gathered fronm the reply returned, and hereunto appended, (No. I,) and at a subsequent date the correspondence took place which forms the subject of appended letters (Non. 2 and 3,) Froln these documents it will be seen what my connection with the funds is, Dr. lihomison's and Patrick's subscriptions with Mlr. Black's collections were paid to me as a person interested in gett! g ri a Chirchi at Portilnd, in coiinectii will tile body to which I then belong'd. The other sums were sent to me il the name of the Trustees of the Church at Portland. In placing them in the Ia31, L 1 acted as their agent. (If they 1111 hold tile saine office, it would be

my duty at once to draw them out. The gentlemen who corresponded with me as Trustees were, Thos. C. Strachan, Wmn. Tulloh, James White, and W. S. Sutherland. [t strikes me there was a fifth Trustee, but if there was, I remember not his name. Besides the correspondence hereunto annexed, it is right that I should state that I had a conversation about these mouies with the Revd. Mr. Richardson, who called on me in January last, apparently to aicertain whether they could be had for the purposes of his church in course of erection. What the tenor of that conversation was, I need not state beyond this, that I communicated to him the contents of the letter now published. I give no opinion a3 to the rights of the various parties, who seem to be seeking these monies. I have my opinion,as of other events occurring around me, and persons with whom I come into contact. But I can take no part in any discussions that may arise as to either moral claims, or legal claims, or groundless claims. What I desire, is to have done wit' the affair altogether. I see that this cannot be accomplished without a guarantee of indemnity against actions by dissatisfied subscribers. The Trustees are the parties to direct me; I advise them to consider well the steps they may take, and to read carefully over the Presbyterian Church Act, William. IV., No. 7, particularly the concluding clause of section 5th. Hoping you will excuse my trespassing on your columns with this communication, I remain, Sir, Your obedient servant, JuMES FoanRs. Melbourne, 3rd April, 1850.