Excerpt from Union of Presbyterian Churches in the Dominion of Canada: A Statement of the Steps Which Have Been Taken Towards Its Consummation, for the Information of the Venerable the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, Submitted by the Members of the Deputation From the Synod of the Presbyterian Church of Canada

The other two of the four negotiating Churches, after similar long and careful consideration of the question, voted very harmoniously in favour of Union. In the General Assembly of the Canada Presbyterian Church there were only two dissentients, while in the Synod of the Presbyterian Church of the Lower Provinces there was complete unanimity.

It is of course, much to be desired that all the members of the negotia ting Churches could unanimously accept the preposed Union - a Union felt by its promoters to be fraught with incalculable benefit to the cause of the Church of Christ in this great Dominion. Too frequently, in remote and thinly settled districts the people either suffer from the want of religious ordinances, or there are found rival churches of the same denomination struggling for an existence, and self-denying ministers enduring, through loyalty to their respective churches, the hardships and discouragements of diligent but ill requited labours. In more favoured localities, if there is not sometimes a redundancy of energies and resources that might be turned to good account elsewhere, there would most certainly flow advantages to the masses in crowded centres of population by better concerted action-and more harmonious co-operation than it is found practicable in present circumstances to secure. The impetus which the Union would impart to the Missionary enterprises of the Church, Home and Foreign, cannot be overestimated. Should it result in nothing more than the institution Of a Mission to our Roman Catholic fellow-countrymen Speaking the French language, upon a basis worthy the magnitude and importance of the interests involved, it is not too much to' say that all the time and thought and anxiety, (notto speak of the sacrifice of cherished predilections On the part Of very many, ) which these negotiations have cost, will be amply repaid by the advantages which the Union will. Assuredly bring with it.

Without undervaluing the benefit derived from our partial Endowment, contributing as it does in some degree to the independent position which is, we think, desirable for the Clergy, and not looking beyond the Provinces of Ontario and Quebec with which we are most familiar, it is not' to be questioned that the actual value of the Church property which will be brought into the United Church by the Canada Presbyterian Church, will be vastly more than we have to offer - even with our Temporalities' Fund thrown into the scale. The accumulated capital of their Widows' and Orphans.

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