England, Scotland, Ireland, Canada and the United States have beer opening mission stations in China for many years. In 1902 the rep-presentatives of these Churches, together with the members of the Chinese Presbyteries, met and formed a Federal Council, which has assembled from time to time discuss the possibilities of organic union. On April 17, 1918, this Council was dissolved and a Provisional General Assembly was formed. All the Presbyteries in Manchuria and China Proper at that time were instructed to sena representatives to perfect a General Assembly of the Chinese Presbyterian Church. The membership of these Presbyteries is now about 90,000 and constitutes the largest ecclesiastical organization in the Far East.
The representatives of these Presbyteries and Missions met at the South Gate, Shanghai, on Saturday evening at 8 o'clock About 20 members from the north were detained on account of the troubles in Chihli amd Manchuria, but the proceedings were carried out as far as possible. The first Moderator, Dr. P. F. Price, Professor in Nanking Theologica! Seminary, preached the opening sermon. His text was from Matt. XXI, 42 "The stone which the builders rejected the same is become the head of the corner." After the address the Assembly was organized in part and committees appointed. The Rev. Zia Ts-hsi of Ningpo was elected Moderator, which the Rev. Robert Fitch, rp., as Moderator Interpreter; and other officers were also appointed.
On Sunday the pulpits of the Chinese Presbyterian Churches were filled by leading ministers of the organization and a Unioa Communion Service was held at 3
7 The optimistic spirit of the meetings indicates a commendabi2 loyalty on the part of the reo-presentatives to the system of doctrine and polity of the Presbyterian symbols which cannot be disturbed by the nationalism of ecclesiastical fusionists.
The sessions of this General Assembly continued during the week.
Tue French police again distinguished themselves on Thursday by arresting 23 men wanted in connexion with armed robberies committed in the Settlements. The: suspects were taken into cui ly in the neighbourhood of Bubbling Well Police Station, where after capture, they were interrogated. Three weeks ago, it will be remembered, members of this police force apprehended the notorious Wong Sian-di, who confessed to 27 murders, together with his confederates.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.