SCOTLAND.

The society for the Vindication of Scottish Rights held a public meet- ing in the City Hall of Glasgow, on Thursday the 15th ; Mr. William West Watson, senior Bailie of Glasgow, in the chair. The ball is the largest place of meeting in Scotland, and it was quite full; with a plenti- ful sprinkling of ladies among the crowd. The chairman read several letters ; among them one from the Duke of Montrose, expressing sym- pathy with the general views of the Society, and especially mentioning the "most stringent and most unjust" parsimony evinced towards Scot- land in the granting of public money, and the inadequacy of the Lord Advocate to carry on Scotch business. In moving the first resolution, the Earl of Eglinton was greatly cheered. At the outset, Lord Eglinton made some explanations with the view of meeting public criticism. "The object which we have in view, stripped on the one hand of aspersions which have been cast on it, and on the other per- haps of a little too zealous advocacy—the object which wo have iu view is to preserve for Scotland her national rights, so far as these are consistent with a united Imperial Legislature and with constitutional government. If there be one thing on which I as an individual have studied to be explicit— if there be one thing on which every man with whom I am associated has been decided—it is in expressing our determination to preserve in all its in- tegrity the union between Scotland and England, and not to be parties to the sowing of dissension between the people of the two countries." He went on to enumerate the demands. "Now the first demand which we have to make is, that we are to have a Secretary of State for Scotland, instead of being left to the tender mercies of the Lord Advocate. Wo say that a law- yer who is a subordinate officer of the Ministry is unable to plead the inte- rests of Scotland in Cabinet discussions. We know that he has his own pro- fessional practice and interests to attend to, and therefore that he is unable sufficiently to attend to ours—that he is not a lit person to attend to the af- fairs of a populous and an energetic country. It was only the other day that the present Lord Advocate—one certainly as competent as any of his predecessors for senatorial duties, but, perhaps, less cumbered with profes- sional practice than some of his predecessors—said to his constituents, ballet, if he had known the trouble it was to have given him he would not have undertaken to bring in the Sheriffs-Courts Bill. Now, I have to say, that whether the Lord Advocate of the day has his own business to attend to or not, the affiiirs of Scotland ought to be looked after, and measures of import- ance promoted. We say that we require a Secretary of State for Scotland. We don't prescribe how that is to be done. We don't say how that office is to be revived, or that it is to be coupled with that of Lord High Connnissioner or with the Privy Seal; but we say that we de- mand a Secretary for Scotland, and that we have a right to do so. Now I appeal to any man of common sense or fairness in the Three King- doms, if there is an thing unfair, intemperate, dangerous, or contrary to the principles of the Union, in that remark. He asserted that Scotland has a right to a "considerable increase in the number of her Members of Parlia- ment" ; the population of Scotland having tripled, and her taxation in- creased nearly 6,000,0001. since the Union. He complained that " our royal palaces and parks are allowed to go to ruin, and that our Crown lands are sold and the proceeds thrown into the national treasury." It has been said that the Queen does not reside at Holyrood : neither does she at Hampton Court or Bushy ; yet these are kept up with royal magnificence. " We don't complain of that ; but if the exigencies of the state demand the sale of the Crown lands of Orkney and Shetland, we have a right to say Hampton Court, Richmond, and Bushy, should be sold also." "Then, we say, if na- tional galleries, and museums, and public parks, are constructed for the English, they ought to be constructed for the Scotch also; that if mil- lions are laid out on harbours of refuge in England, a few thousands might find their way to Scotland. If the police of England and Ire- land are paid, the police of Scotland should also be paid. If they construct magnificent edifices as post-offices elsewhere—(Immense cheering, the whole company rising to their feet)—I see you anticipate what I am going to say—they must put a roof upon ours in Glassford Street." (Laugh- ter and cheers.)

Lord Eglinton complained that no notice had been taken of the memorials to the Home Secretary on the degradation of the arms of Scotland. In con- clusion, he vindicated the movement as one prompted by nationality and patriotism. The resolution he moved was in these terms—" That the treaty of union between Scotland and England recognizes the supremacy, asserts the individuality, and provides for the preservation of the national laws and institutions of Scotland ; that any attempt to subvert or place those institu- tions under English control, and, on the pretence of centralizing economy, to deprive her of the benefit of local action, is an infraction of the true spirit of the treaty, and injurious to her welfare." Mr. Alexander Morrison, Dean of Faculty, seconded the resolution; and it was carried.

Professor Aytoun moved the next resolution, as follows-

" That, in direct violation of the spirit of the ireaty of Union, the office of Secretary of State for Scotland, the Scottish boards of Customs and Excise, and other branches of the Scottish local administration' have been abolished, or placed under English control, to the great loss and inconvenience of the mercantile and shipping communities of Scotland ; that Scotland is entitled to claim the restoration of the office and boards referred to, and the same should be restored accordingly."

Mr. Aytoun observed, that the association had been misrepresented as one hostile to the maintenance of the Union, and animated by a spirit of dislike to England and Englishmen : " a more preposterous charge than this it is utterly impossible to conceive." " We have been twitted with parading small grievances ; and it has been said, not without plausibility, that some of these, when considered separately, are in themselves too inconsiderable to justify a national remonstrance. It may be so. It may be that we neither could, would, nor should have attempted agitation upon minor points—for of all people in the world I think the Scots are the least amenable to the charge of sudden or reckless agitation ; but I do not believe that there is in Europe a country possessing laws and institutions peculiarly its own which is so preposterously governed as Scotland is at the present moment." Mr. M. Tennant seconded the resolution ; which was agreed to.

The other resolutions related to the deficiency of the representation in Parliament, and affirmed that the association is deserving of cordial•sup- port. The speakers were, Mr. E. P. Dove, of Edinburgh, Mr. W. Camp- bell, of Tillechewan, Mr. Alexander Baillie Cochrane, Mr. A. D. Anderson, President of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons in Glasgow, and Sir Archibald Alison. One sentence from the speech of Mr. Cochrane pre- sents all the grievances-

" We are sure that, if England had only one-third of the Members which Scotland possessed in proportion to her population, or to the amouut of taxa- tion which each man pays—that, if all the income from the public property was drawn from England to be expended in Scotland—that, if she had no Ministers to take charge of her interests—if the medical degrees of an Eng- lish University were valid in Scotland, but the degrees of a Scotch University were not recognized in England—that all Ettglishmen appointed to public office,. in England had to be examined before a board in Islinburgh,—I am sure that, if such monstrous wrongs existed is these instances, and in others too numerous to- recite, England would complain, and Scotland would aym- pathise : but I doubt whether England would complain with the same loyal- ty, courtesy, and respect which we have shown; our only desire being to in- corporate the kingdom, and to cement union between the two countries."

The meeting separated with three cheers for Lord _Eglinton.

A few hours after the conclusion of the meeting, intelligence reached Glasgow of the -death of the Countess of Eglinton. Lord Eglinton imme-

diately left Glasgow by special train for Eglinton Castle. The Countess had been suffering from aneurism for some time, but her illness was net believed to be dangerous. She died at four o'clock on the morning of the

16th. Lady Eglinton was greatly esteemed for her charities and kind- ness of heart. The Ragged School at Ayr, and other kindred institutions in the West of Scotland, she warmly supported ; and, it is recorded of leer, " never looked so happy as when attending the examination of some band of scholars picked up in the streets."

At a meeting of the Edinburgh Town-Council, on Tuesday, it was re- solved, in compliance with a request from the Association for the \ indi-

cation of Scottish Rights, to petition the Queen " to appoint a Secretary of State for Scotland ; who, during the Parliamentary recess, should re- side for a considerable portion of the time in Scotland, and should also have an office in Edinburgh." There was only one dissentient—Mr. Maitland Heriot.

Lord Robertson was taken seriously ill while judicially engaged in the Court of Session last week. He was carried to the robing-room, and the Court immediately adjourned. He is now reported to be fit for duty again. Dr. Wardlaw, an eminent minister of the Congregational Dissenters, died at Glasgow on Saturday, in the seventy-first year of his age and the thy-first of his ministry. He was born in Glasgow ; where, after a lapse of twenty years' preaching and ministration, his congregation built him a splendid chapel. He has written on many theological subjects. " In pri- vate life," says a Scotch contemporary, " Dr. Wardlaw was greatly be- loved. Nis manners were unaffected and conciliatory ; and he was a genuine pattern of the refinements, accomplishments, and virtues which mark the scholar and Christian gentleman."

The Queen has bestowed a pension of 1001. a year upon the family of the late Mr. James Simpson, "on account of his unwearied services for the great cause of national education." Mr. James Ewing, who represented Glasgow in the first Reformed Parliament, died lately, leaving a number of splendid bequests : one of them for Free Church purposes amounted to 18,0001., with 1001. a year to the Suatentation Fund.

A lady formerly resident at Glasgow has bequeathed 5001. to the cathe- dral at Perth and 20004 for the endowment of the bishopric of Glasgow.

A monument has been erected in the churchyard of Campsie to Wil- liam Muir, a poet of local celebrity.

The Glasgow papers note the arrival of -cholera in that city ; but they do not state that any fatal cases had occurred. At Faakine, near the Monkland Canal, and at Kilwinning, there have been several deaths.

At the High Court of Justiciary, William Cumming, a seaman, who bad served in the navy of the East India Company for many years, and for which he had a pension, has been convicted of murdering has wife. The imme- diate cause of death was oppression on the brain, arising from external hurts : her husband beat her to death. On one occasion she went to the Police-station after she had been misused and her husband had turned he

Iinto the street; but, with that strong womanly affection that is so often es. The Lord Justice Clerk exhorted him to humble himself before the Almighty confess his guilt, and implore forgiveness : there was no hope of pardon ea; him in this world. Jury was unanimous. Cumming was sentenced to be hanged. He tit dressed the Court in a firm tone, denying that he had intended to murder his wife, and expressing a trust that the Lord would have mercy on hies sures for her protection. The Court condemned the conduct of the Police., had they interposed, murder might have been preveuted. The verdict of the hibited in these eases, she refused to make a charge against her ruffianly hiss band : the officers did not allow her to stop at the station, and took no mess