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The Congregation, for nearly
ten years after the disturbances referred to in the last chapter, had a
somewhat chequered career, and was for about seven years during that time
without a pastor. Whilst the Committee of the victorious party was, with the
help of the Free Church Synod, trying to get a minister, two of their number
were plunged into litigation in connection with the debt owing to the Bank.
The story of the discharge of this debt by Mr. James Robertson, is
interesting, and deserves some attention.
It will be remembered that,
while the church was being erected, Mr. Coiler Robertson and a number of
other gentlemen agreed to guarantee a bank overdraft, in order that the
building operations might be continued. This arrangement was necessitated,
because at that time the congregation had not received a title to its
property from the Crown, nor had any trustees been appointed, to whom a
grant might be made, and the congregation therefore had no power to effect a
mortgage, or give any security to the Bank over the land, which it had been
permitted to occupy by the Government. The promissory notes given by the
guarantors were renewed from time to time, but at the beginning of 1858, it
was with difficulty that the Bank was again persuaded to renew them for
another twelve months. They were given by eight individuals for varying
amounts, the sum total of the guarantee being £4,200. Mr. Coiler Robertson's
guarantee amounted to £1,000, and that of his son, Mr. James Robertson, to
£600. Four other gentlemen gave their promissory notes for £500 each, and
two others theirs for £400 and £200 respectively. The eight instruments were
endorsed by Messrs. Coiler and James Robertson and another individual. While
the Bill for Union was before Parliament, Mr. Coiler Robertson and his
co-guarantors petitioned to be relieved from their liability.
The suggestion was thrown out
by the supporters of the Bill that, if the congregation went into Union,
steps would be taken to relieve the guarantors of their personal liability,
and other provision made for securing the money owing to the Bank. The
Congregation would not go into the union, as we have seen, and, on the
promissory notes falling due, on 25th February, 1859, none of them were met.
Some of the guarantors belonged to Mr. Fraser's party, whilst others,
especially Messrs. Coiler and James Robertson, were at that time holding the
church against the minister.
Under these circumstances,
the Bank of Victoria determined to take legal proceedings, and, on 4th May,
18.59, eight Supreme Court writs were issued against Messrs. Coiler and
James Robertson and the other gentleman who had endorsed the eight
dishonoured notes, claiming the amounts due on each with interest. The
cases, however, never reached the length of trial, as a settlement was
arrived at on 10th June following. On that date, the Bank overdraft amounted
to £3,694 6s 11d., and this liability was discharged by Mr. James Robertson,
one of the defendants, who gave a cheque to the Bank's solicitor for £3,908
12s. 9d., as representing the amount of the overdraft, with interest and
costs. The solicitor, after receiving this cheque from Mr. Robertson, paid
the amount due to his client, amounting to £3,858 18s. 3d., into the Bank by
his own cheque, and in consequence of these acts the proceedings in the
courts went no further.
This account of the discharge
of the congregation's in debtedness by Mr. Robertson does not agree with the
popular story which has been current for the last 40 years and more, and
which is believed by a large number of people, that the Bank refused to take
payment from Mr. Robertson in any other way than by proper legal tender, in
solid gold, and that he, with the
assistance of a friend, brought the money in two bags, containing
2,000 sovereigns each, through the streets of
Melbourne, and paid them over the counter. This story is proved by
documentary evidence to be a myth. The popular story is also wrong in
ascribing the payment to Mr. Coiler Robertson. This gentleman was ever a
good friend to the church, and gave large sums to assist the work; but, in
the great crisis, his son came forward and relieved his aged father from any
responsibility in the matter. The congregation should never forget the names
of this generous father and son. The esteem in which the elder gentleman was
held is shown by a resolution passed by a meeting of the congregation held
on 14th August, 1860, shortly after his death, when it was decided to
forward a letter of condolence to his widow and family and to place on
record an expression of the congregation's sincere and heartfelt regret and
sorrow experienced by them for the irreparable loss they had recently
sustained by the death of one who, by his zealous and indefatigable efforts
to promote the welfare of the church, created feelings of high respect and
esteem, which could never be effaced from the memory of the congregation.
The debt thus discharged by Mr. James
Robertson was one for which he was personally liable. He had no legal claim
against the congregation for recoupment; but the members always considered
themselves under a moral obligation, and had great sympathy with him. Under
the circumstances in which it was placed, the congregation was not able to
do anything towards repayment for many years. Mr. Robertson, nevertheless,
did not cease to take a generous interest in the church, and during the
years of great depression and trouble that ensued, he was ever ready to
support the cause out of his substance.
As was only to be expected, large
numbers left the congregation on account of the disturbances, and the
finances fell off considerably. On many occasions, during the next year or
two, the Sabbath collections were under £1 and several times less than 10s.
It was difficult to get ministers to fill the pulpit, and preachers from all
denominations took occasional supply. The people had just to take what they
could get, or, as one of the leading members expressed it, they had to
content themselves with "straw out of every nest." The sermons were often
very poor; but the people were critics, and, on one occasion, some of them
took the preacher severely to task for the sermon he had preached. The
offending divine admitted - "I would not preach that sermon in Scotland, but
I thought it would please them here," and was glad to escape further reproof
by promising to do better in the future.
These remarks apply only to the
English services, for it was found impossible to get a minister to officiate
regularly in Gaelic. Mesrs. Malcolm Ferguson, Malcolm MacQueen, and Duncan
MacIntyre, however, stepped into the breach, and earned great reputation as
Gaelic lay preachers, whilst the Rev. Alexander MacIntyre, minister of the
Gaelic Church at Geelong, also helped occasionally. Highlanders who are
still alive remember with gratitude the valuable services rendered by the
three laymen mentioned. The two former are still alive; the other, Mr.
Duncan MacIntyre, died, at an advanced age, two or three years ago.
In addition to these spiritual leaders
in the congregation, there were also several who rendered noble service in
temporal matters, among whom may be mentioned Messrs. Coiler and James
Robertson, Kenneth Gunn and John Gordon.
The congregation had, however, thrown
in its lot with the wrong Synod, as it learned in time. The Minority of
1857, which had become, after the Union, the only Free Church Synod, asked
the Free Church of Scotland to recognise it as such. The Rev. W. Miller was
sent as a deputy to Scotland to plead their cause. The Home Church, however,
determined to recognise the Union, and thus the Victorian " Wee Frees" of
those days were left out in the cold. They then began to quarrel among
themselves, and split again into two Synods. At length, in 1867, the larger
Synod came into the Union. The smaller Synod of those days still exists, but
has a very small number of adherents.
The people at St. Andrew's had become
wise long before the Union of 1867. This result came about through the Synod
not being able to get the congregation a minister, and the decision of the
Free Church of Scotland to recognise the Victorian Union. In December, 1861,
a call was sent to the Rev. Dr. Walter McGillivray, of Aberdeen, but that
leading Free Churchman declined to accept it. The billet, as Professor
MacDonald informs the writer, then went begging all over Scotland, being
offered to Professor MacDonald himself, amongst others, but no one would
take it ; and thus the Congregation felt that it was going from bad to
worse. At length, when its own Synod could not give it pulpit supply, it had
to depend upon the services of the Rev. Andrew Begg, a minister of the Union
Church, then without a charge, who occupied the pulpit for some time. The
Free Church Synod could not stand such insubordination, and appointed the
Rev. John Gardiner, who arrived from Scotland in March, 1862, to fill the
pulpit. The Congregation, however, would not let him preach, and stood by
Mr. Begg. This resulted in an altercation with the Synod, who refused to aid
the Congregation any further iii calling a minister, unless they
satisfactorily explained their conduct. The upshot of this was that St.
Andrew's congregation determined to join the Union. Several meetings of the
Committee and Congregation were held on the matter, and at length, on 7th
April, 1863, Messrs. Kenneth Gunn, James Brown, John Gordon and Alexander
MacLean appeared before the Presbytery of Melbourne, were warmly received,
and the request of the congregation to be admitted into the Presbyterian
Church of Victoria was cordially acceded to. The Rev. D. MacDonald, of
Emerald Hill (afterwards Dr. MacDonald) was thereupon appointed Moderator of
the vacant charge, and since that date till the present St. Andrew's has
been one of the most loyal congregations belonging to the Presbyterian
Church of Victoria.
The resolutions presented by the
Commissioners appointed by the Congregation to the Presbytery were very
lengthy, and had a very formal ring about them. They recited the resolutions
arrived at during the turbulent times, when the Congregation was a law unto
itself, their former connection with the Free Church Synod, the resolution
of the Free Church of Scotland declining to recognise the Free Church Synod,
and recognising the Presbyterian Church of Victoria as standing in the place
of the former Free Church Synod. The Congregation then declared that it
renounced the jurisdiction of the Free Church Synod, and placed itself under
the jurisdiction of the Free Church of Scotland, and as a congregation of
the Free Church of Scotland declared that it went into and united with the
body formed on 7th April, 1859, and known as the Presbyterian Church of
Victoria, and accordingly asked to be received into that body.
This was, in truth, a round about and
very formal way of doing the business ; but the resolutions were arrived at
after a great deal of thought, and discussion, and there is no doubt they
were regarded as the "correct thing." Before ending this part of our story,
it should be mentioned that, in December, 1859, the Union Church endeavoured
to get control over the St. Andrew's Church property, and sole control over
some other properties, in which a share was claimed by the Free Church. The
matters in dispute were referred to the Commissioner of Lands (Mr. James
Service), who gave a decision in favour of the Union Church as to the other
properties, but decided in favour of the Free Church party with regard to
St. Andrew's.
Full of spirit and hope for the
future, the people at once considered the question of calling a minister. A
number wished to have the Rev. A. Begg, who had preached for some months,
permanently settled as pastor; but Mr. Begg could not speak Gaelic, which
was considered a sine qua non by the majority of the congregation.
Moreover, that gentleman had decided to return to Scotland, which he did
about a week after the congregation joined the Union. In appreciation of his
services, a farewell social was given, and an illuminated address and purse
of sovereigns presented. The congregation then determined to call a minister
from Home.
At the request of the Committee, Dr.
MacDonald wrote to Mr. James Balfour, W.S., Edinburgh, the Agent for supply
of ministers to the Presbyterian Church of Victoria, asking that gentleman
to aid in selecting a minister, and to associate with him in his task the
Revs. Dr. Mackay, Dr. Candlish, Dr. Bonar, and Thomas MacLachlan. The
minister to be selected was to be one capable of preaching in Gaelic, as
well as English, two sermons in English to be preached every Sabbath, with
occasional Gaelic services, when required by the people. The letter further
stated that the income of the congregation was (notwithstanding its
chequered history - for some years) over £640 a year. It may also be stated
that the congregation, at the date of the disturbances in 1859, also owed a
large number of debts (other than that discharged by Mr. Robertson), and
those liabilities had all been paid.
In December, 1863, a reply was
received from Mr. Balfour, stating that, after careful enquiry, he could not
secure the services of an ordained minister, and that he, and those
associated with him, thought the best thing to do was to send out a
promising probationer, who, if found suitable, could be called by the
congregation, and ordained as their minister. The Rev. Angus MacGregor,
ALA., a distinguished young student and preacher, was highly recommended.
Mr. MacGregor arrived in Victoria in
April, 1864, and preached for the next few months. On 6th June, a
congregational meeting was called. The Committee reported that the prospects
of the congregation were very encouraging; there was an average of 250 to
300 persons at the services, close on 100 seats let, and the estimated
income for the ensuing year was £450. It was thereupon agreed to take steps
to call Mr. MacGregor, who had created a favourable impression, the stipend
promised being - £350 a year, including a house, to be raised as soon as
possible to £500. Accordingly, on 20th June, pursuant to the laws of the
Church, the Rev. William Fraser, of Bulla, held a meeting for moderation in
a call, and Mr. MacGregor was duly chosen. The call, which was signed by 201
persons, was sustained by the Presbytery, and the new pastor was ordained on
11th August, the ministers taking part in the ceremony being Revs. W. Fraser
(the former pastor), D. MacDonald, J. Bagley, and D. McCrea. A week later, a
welcome tea meeting was held, which passed off very successfully. A gown and
cassock were presented by the ladies to the new minister, and votes of
thanks passed to the Rev. D. MacDonald and Mr. Balfour for their valued
services in bringing about the happy result. The ladies also presented a
pulpit Bible (the one still used) and Psalm Book for the minister's use. It
was also stated that they had furnished the vestry and suitably draped the
pulpit.
The new minister, who was in his thirtieth year, was the
son of an Aberfeldie farmer, whose four sons were all very talented. Angus
was the youngest of the four. Two of his elder brothers were leading
ministers in the Free Church at that time, and the sons of both these are,
at present, preaching the gospel in leading Churches in the United Kingdom.
The congregation took kindly to the young pastor, and for a while things
went well. But subsequently affairs were not altogether satisfactory. The
minister determined to resign. A large portion of the congregation were
against him doing so. In August, 1867, however, he relinquished his charge,
and shortly after left the colony for New Zealand. On the eve of his
departure he was presented by the Committee of Management with the following
address :
" St. Andrew's Church, 24th September, 1867.
"Reverend and Dear Sir, -
"We, the Committee of Management of St. Andrew's Church,
beg, on the eve of your departure from amongst us, to record our sense of
your efficiency and ability as a minister, of your frank and cordial
disposition, of the kind interest you have taken in this Congregation, as a
body and individually, and of the sound and practical advice you have ,given
to this Committee, as its Chairman, at its various meetings; and we would
remind you that you carry with you our sincere wishes for your well-being,
spiritually and temporally, and that your success in any sphere to which you
may be called is our earnest desire."
Mr. MacGregor left the ministry and took up secular work
in New Zealand. He filled important positions in the Education Department
there, first in Dunedin, and afterwards at Invercargill, for many years, and
was subsequently Parliamentary Librarian at Wellington. He died not many
years ago.
The Congregation was thus again left without a pastor,
having during about half the time of its existence been in a similar plight.
The attendance at worship again dwindled, as was only inevitable, and the
Highland portion could not obtain an ordained minister to preach to them.
Mr. MacQueen, however, came to the rescue again, and the ministrations of
this earnest layman were much appreciated. He was now one of the elders of
the congregation, having been selected with Messrs. John Manson and Donald
Ross, by the Congregation, as the first members of Session, in April, 1866.
Mr. Manson, who was the first Session Clerk, had also been Treasurer of the
Church for some years, and Superintendent of the Sabbath School. Mr. Ross
was also for many years a valued worker both as a member of the Board of
Management and Session, and also as a. teacher in and Superintendent of the
Sabbath School. There were also several splendid workers on the Board of
Management, amongst whom may be mentioned Mr. Adam G. Melville, a very able
Secretary, and Messrs. Kenneth Gunn, Patrick MacLean, Duncan MacIver and
John Cordon. These men, with others associated with them, determined that an
effort should be made to obtain a minister of tried experience and success,
rather than an untried probationer. The congregation agreed with this view.
A Committee to choose a minister was at once appointed,
and under the able guidance of the Rev. D. Mac Donald (who had again been
appointed by the Presbytery Interim Moderator of the vacant charge), the
Committee at once started on its work. It had a two-fold task - (1) to keep
the pulpit well supplied with good preachers; and (2) to
obtain a suitable pastor. It succeeded well in
both these objects. A good pulpit supply was given by several ministers. The
Rev. Alexander Morrison, who officiated for the longest period, was much
appreciated. With respect to obtaining a pastor, the Committee went over the
names of all the Presbyterian ministers in the Australian Colonies, but
found there were few of such to whom, in their opinion, such an "important
charge could be offered, and of the few to whom it could be offered, not one
was likely to accept it." They therefore resolved to turn their attention to
Scotland. One of their number, Mr. A. Holm, suggested the name of the Rev.
D. S. McEachran, under whom he had sat at Cromarty, as most eligible for the
position, and after fully considering the matter, the Committee came to the
conclusion that the right person had been found, if only - he could be
persuaded to accept.
On 6th April, 1868, the
Congregation unanimously adopted the recommendation of its Committee, and
resolved to offer their minister a stipend of £600 a year, to increase with
the income to £800, and to raise £200 to defray the travelling expenses. £69
6s. for this object was thereupon subscribed at the meeting, and the balance
was shortly after all collected, mainly through the exertions of Mr. John
Gordon. On 20th April the call was moderated in, and on the motion of Mr.
Kenneth Gunn, seconded by Mr. John Gordon, Mr. McEachran's name was inserted
therein. The call was signed by 113 members and adherents, and was duly
sustained by the Presbytery.
The Revs. J. Oswald Dykes
(now Dr. Dykes) and George Divorty were commissioned to represent the
congregation's interests before the Free Church Presbytery of Chananny.
These two gentlemen had already been working in the interests of the
congregation in Scotland. They were both well aware of its history. Dr.
Dykes had just returned from a sojourn of about two years in Victoria, where
he had done splendid work in many directions, particularly in inducing the
majority of the Victorian Free Church to unite with their brethren of the
larger Union in 1867, whilst the Rev. Mr. Divorty was the first minister of
the South Yarra congregation (then known as Prahran), where he had laboured
for several years. Mr. MacDonald, who had known Mr. McEachran many years
before, when the former was a young Ross-shire probationer, and the latter a
recently ordained minister, had also written to his old acquaintance, laying
fully before him the full facts of the case, and urging him strongly to
come. The call duly reached its destination. It was accepted, and on 21st
November, 1868, the new minister, with his family, arrived in the Bay by the
ship "Suffolk," and with his advent an entirely new epoch in the Church's
history began. |
