15 JANUARY 1859, Page 6

SCOTLAND.

LORD PANIICHE ON WHIG PRINCIPLES.

The good town of Brechin presented its Provost on Monday with a piece of plate as a testimony of the respect of Brechin for Provost- Guthrie. In the evening they gave him a dinner, and among the guests WEIS Lord Panmure. It was natural that the health of that poli- tician should be proposed, and Lord Southesk proposed it. This gave the late War Minister an opportunity, which it seems he needed, of talk- ing about reform. Mr. Baxter, member for Montrose has recently been taking Lord Panmure to task ; and his lordship replies that so long as reform is continued on the principles of the Reform Bill of 1832, he will ever be a "steady, progressive, and determined reformer."

It would be well if Mr. Baxter looked to his own conduct ; especially as "he is rather seeking popularity in Arbroath and Montrose by sup- porting the shipping interest in their demands for protection than ad- hering rigidly to the principles of Free-trade." Having sung the praises and catalogued the benefits of the Reform Bill of 1832, Lord Panmnre thus referred to his own principles.

"Essentially—however unpopular the expression may be—essentially, / say, they are those of a Whi„a. The old Whig principles I understood from the life, conversation, speeches, and character of the man whose name I bear—Charles James Fox. The principles of Whiggery are these—to main- tain the liberties of the people against the encroachments of the aristocracy 4nd of the Crown. These were the principles upon which Mr. Fox acted, and upon thesa principles I act still. But, gentlemen, there is a reverse to what I have thus stated. Whig principles atop at a certain point, and then turn ; and, while maintaining the just rights of the people, they are equally prepared, if necessary, to defend the rights of the Crown and of the aristo- cracy, from undue encroachment on the part of the people. These are what I understand to be Whig principles."

Mrs. Reekie, a widow, died at Pathhead, near Kircaldy, last week. She was known to have been the last of those young lasses who lighted the fires in Ravenscraig Castle when the men of Pathhead kept armed watch and ward nightly for the return of Paul Tones.. She often referred to this period in her life, and described minutely the appearance of Mr. Shirra, when en- gaged in praying on the beach for that wind which drove the vessels of the dreaded Paul down the Firth. She was 27 years single, 44 years married, and 28 years a widow, and was in the habit of saying that she had lived three lifetimes. Her offspring was as follows : 9 children, 65 grandchildren, 116 great-grandchildren, and 3 great-great-grandchildren—in all 193.— Edinburgh Courant.