SCOTLAND.
Mr. Macaulay is the only Member of the Government connected with a Scottish constituency who is threatened with an opponent. A section of the Voluntaries and Free Church people are endeavouring to prevail upon Sir Culling Eardley Smith to come forward as a candidate; the object being to punish Mr. Macaulay for his Maynooth vote. The result of the hostile movement was not communicated by the last accounts; but the prevailing opinion was that the effort would prove abortive.
The Dundee Chamber of Commerce held a meeting on the 2d instant, and voted thanks to Sir Robert Peel and his late colleagues, for their exertions in passing the Corn Bill and the Tariff; and to Mr. Cobden and his coadjutors of the League, for their unwearied and successful efforts to bring about the consummation. An address to Sir Robert Peel, expressing the sympathy of the Chamber on the undeserved and ungenerous obloquy to which he had been exposed at the hands of the opponents of his mea- sures, was also agreed to.
The passing of the Free-trade measures was celebrated with much spirit at Perth, on the 1st instant. The Town-Council subscribed in aid of the rejoicings. The Trades walked in procession. Addresses to the Queen, Sir Robert Peel, and to Mr. Cobden, were voted. There was also a public dinner.
We hear that a Spanish vessel had gone into anchorage at the Orkneys with a cargo of flour, which was to be discharged there the moment the new Corn-law comes into operation. The inhabitants of the Orkneys have lately been greatly distressed for want of bread-stuffs. The Spaniards are
to take payment in fish, the great staple the islanders.—Edinburgh. Witness.
There has been some serious rioting at Paisley, on pretence of celebrating the passing of the Corn Bill. On the night of Monday week the populace let off fire-works, and made a bonfire; after a time, they scoured the streets and purloined everything combustible to add to their fire. The Magis- trates and Police interfered, and after a sharp skirmish the mob was dia.- parsed: On the %Bowing night the same practices were renewed; and te • feed a great bonfire, quantities of new timber were stolen. The Police ageht interfered, but were beaten and forced to retreat; and it was not till a detachment of the Eighty-seventh Regiment was ordered to the spot that the riotous assembly was broken up. Twenty of the offenders are in gaol.
The embankment of the Union Canal has given way at two points, near Ratho and in the vicinity of Linlithgow, and has done much damage by flooding Sada and covering crops with sand and soil. The cause of the disaster was the empty- ing of part of the canal for repairs; which increased the volume of water us other places: the great quantity of rain which has recently fallen also helped.
Previous page
