THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF THE BRITISH COLONIES. In Canada the Presbyterian Church dates from the Conquest in 1759. Its first preacher is supposed to bave been the Rev. George Henry, chaplain of a British regiment stationed in Quebec. In Montreal the first Pres byterian church was organized in 1790. In Upper Canada the pioneers of Presbyterianism were from the Reformed Dutch Church. One of the earliest missionaries was the Rev. Robert Mc Dowell, who was sent by the Classic of Albany in 1798. Other ministers were sent from Scotland. and later, with immigrants from Scotland and the north of Ireland. Presbyterianism took firm root in Canada. In 1831 The Synod of the I'r•esby tcrian Church• of Canada was formed in connec tion with the Church of Scotland. It consisted of 25 ministers. The Secession Church of Scot land was also represented, and was known as the Synod of the United Presbyterian Church in Canada. In 1844, after the disruption in Scot land, a division took place in the Presbyterian Church in Canada, and 25 ministers withdrew. calling themselves the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. In 1801 this body and the United Presbyterian Church in Canada united under the name of the Canada. Presbyterian Church, with a roll-call of 220 ministers. The same churches in the lower provinces also united as the Presby terian Church of the Lower Provinces. After the confederation of the provinces whicb now form the Dominion of Canada, there arose a natural desire for an ecclesiastical union which had long been contemplated. Negotiations were begun in 1870, and the union was happily brought about June 15, 1875, in the city of Montreal, the Church thus united numbering 634 ministers and 90.65S communicants.
There are also Presbyterian churches in all of the other colonies. The Australian Presbyterian Church was founded while that country was still a penal colony. In 1830 the first Presbyterian minister was there in the person of Rev. Mr. Clow, a retired chap lain of a Highland regiment. The representa tives of the different forms of Presbyterianism united in 1867 on the abolition of State aid. There were in 1900 six Assemblies or General Synods in Australia and Tasmania, comprising about. 1000 ministers and 55.000 communicants, with total contributions to all purposes of about $980.000. In August, 1901. the Presbyterian churches of Australia united and signed the deed in Sydney, the Rey. Dr. Meiklejohn being the first moderator of the new body.
The New Zen land Presbyterian Church was founded about the year 1840. In 1900 it com prised two assemblies—the Otago and the South land—with 201 ministers and about 90.000 com municants. and its contributions were about $310.000. On October 31. 1901, these two bodies united and now form the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand. The first united Assembly was held in Dunedin and the Rev. James Gibbs was made moderator.
The Presbyterian Cuurelt of South Africa com prises three branches: The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of South Africa, the Synod of the Free Church Mission of Kallraria, the synod of the Presbyterian Church of Basuto Land. They had in 1900 71 and about 18,000 communicants, and raised about $73,000.
The Presbyterian Church. of Jamaica numbers 30 ministers and about 12,000 communicants, and contributes about $340,000.