Gordon, George Hamilton, 4th EARL OF ABERDEEN'S CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE REV. DR CHALMERS AND THE SECRETARIES OF THE NON-INTRUSION COMMITTEE: From 14th January to 27th May 1840. WILLIAM BLACKWOOD & SONS, EDINBURGH; M.DCCC.XL. PREFACE. WHEN the following Correspondence took place with the late Convener and Secretaries of the NonIntrusion Committee, Lord Aberdeen had not anticipated that communications which had taken place some time previous to any intention on his part of proposing a legislative measure, would have been made the subject of public remark, both in the official report of that Committee, and in a speech delivered in the Assembly by its late Convener when that proposed Bill formed the subject of discussion. The tendency of the observations, both in the report itself and on the occasion above alluded to, is to convey the impression that the measure lately submitted to Parliament by Lord Aberdeen, is of a character different from that which, from previous correspondence, the Committee or Dr Chalmers were entitled to anticipate, and indeed falling so far short of what they had been led to expect, as to justify a feeling on their part of" disappointment and surprise." If Dr Chalmers, while expressing the opinion that "he had good reason to expect that Lord Aberdeen would have brought in such a Bill as was likely to satisfy the Church, which he had not done," and that he, therefore, "had right and reason to be disappointed" with the measure proposed, had explained |