SCOTLAND.
Mr. Grant Duff has visited his constituents at Banff and Peterhead, and has delivered to them his views upon political and local affairs. At Banff he discoursed in this wise on the state of Europe-
" I am not, I confess, one of those who take a very cheerful view of the present state of things in Europe. I see in the disorganized condition of the Turkish empire the bitter root of grave complications in the future.
see in Italy a political volcano, ready at any moment to burst forth and envelop the civilized world in a general conflagration. I see France ruled by a man who inherits the name and the traditions of the bitterest enemy which England ever had. I do not think that man has any personal dis- like to this country. It would be strange indeed if he had, but circum- stances are very strong. He is a firm believer in destiny, and he has been strangely belied if he does not think that destiny will one day drive him to war against England. I know that in such a war he would not have the warm support of the mercantile classes, who have something to lose, but of those to whom he owes his position—the army—the men of the blouse— the French peasantry. I have tried to fight against my conviction, but have failed to overcome it, that a war with England would, at first at least, be popular in France. I am perfectly sure that no one knows better than Louis Napoleon that such a war would end, as all such wars have ended, in the humiliation of his country. What we have to fear is a sudden and desperate and reckless attack. About the ability of Louis Napoleon there can be no doubt, but I do not think that he is that far-seeing statesman which some people suppose him to be. I do not think that he is a person who will be content to subordinate his present brilliant success to the hope of triumphantly carrying out a great policy, perhaps for a time unpopular. We may doubt how far the enthusiast who said, 'Let my name be withered provided France be free, was or was not sincere, but we may be sure that the first object with the present Emperor is the maintenance of his own power. Such being my pews, I think one of the first, nay, the very first, auty of the Government is to maintain a home squadron ful to make any sudden attack Impossible." (Meers.) sufficiently power- • The Glasgow Daily Mail has some news of the progress of Sir Roderick Iffurchison in the far North. It appears that on the 6th Sir Roderick wised, in the steam-ship Pharos, at Cape Wrath, from Zetland, whither he had gone on a geological survey. On the 7th, he walked, accom- panied by Mr. Peach, a collector of fossils, from Cape Wrath to the inn of Durine, a distance of twelve miles, without seeming in the least de- fatigued, notwithstanding that the day was very warm. It is stated Drat the zealous investigators generally rise at six o'clock, and seldom re- tire to rest till between ten and twelve at night. Mr. Peach was fortunate enough to discover in Unst, the most northerly island in Britain, two or three specimens of a plant called the " Arenaria Norwegica," which does not occur in any other part of the kingdom. They proceeded, on 10th, to Stack Cottage, and thence they direct their course to Assynt and Ullapool.
An afflicting incident occurred at the Bridge of Earn last week. A young sailor returned from sea to the house of his grandmother. He was an orphan and the old lady had brought him up. He had been in the house two days, when suddenly, without warning or further provocation than a gentle re- monstrance to a proposal to go out, the youth killed his grandmother on the spot with a knife. His aunt coming in he assailed her, but by this time he had lost his knife. Then he went out and walked towards the river, with- out hat, shoes, or coat, and stained with blood, intending, it is supposed to cast himself in. He was arrested. The crime is ascribed to temporary in- sanity brought on by drinking.
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