SCOTLAND.
The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland met on Thursday the 19th, with the usual formalities. Lord Belhaven, Lord High Com- missioner, held a levee in the morning at Holyrood Palace. Lord Bel- haven then went in procession to the High Church ; where Dr. Forbes, the old Moderator, preached the sermon. Thence Lord Belhaven proceeded to the General Assembly. After prayer, Dr. Forbes proposed Dr. Barr of St. Enoch's as the Moderator for the ensuing year : this being agreed to, Dr. Barr took the chair, and the business commenced.
The Free Church Assembly also met on the 19th, in Tanfield Hall ; and elected Dr. Smythe, of Free St. George's Glasgow, as Moderator.
The Queen's birthday was celebrated at Edinburgh on Tuesday, with the customary rejoicings. The Lord High Commissioner held a levee at Holyrood Palace ; and in the evening Lady Belhaven gave a grand ball.
The Adelphi, one of the two Edinburgh theatres, has been utterly de- stroyed by fire. On Tuesday afternoon, about five o'clock, a carpenter dis- covered smoke issuing from the omnibus-box and the coulisse on the left of the stage, coming, apparently, from the music-room beneath. Flames soon followed; the scenes and proscenium caught fire; and in a quarter of an hour the whole interior was in a blaze. Nothing could be done to save the building; but the firemen succeeded in preserving the adjacent buildings : one of them, St. Mary's Roman Catholic chapel, was in much peril. In front of the theatre itself were the maaagei's residence and some shops; a great part of the contents of these was saved, but eventually the fire con- sumed this part of the premises. The theatre was insured for 30001. or 40001., and Mr. Wyndham, the manager, for 12001. The origin of the fire has not been ascertained. It was fortunate it did not break out a few hours later, when the theatre would have been crowded on the holyday occasion of the Queen's birthday. The Adelphi Theatre was originally known as Cord's Rooms, and subsequently as the Caledonian Theatre.
While a train on the Caledonian Railway was stopping at Slateford station, on its way to Edinburgh, it was run into by a mineral-train. Eleven pas- sengers were hurt, one or two somewhat seriously. The driver of the mine- ral-train is in custody for culpable neglect of duty and inattention.
On the Glasgow and South-western railway, near Dornock station, the en- gine of a passenger-train ran off the rails, down a small embankment, into a field ; the couplings broke ; the tender and luggage-van left the rails, and a passenger-carriage was overturned. The driver died soon after, and it was necessary to amputate a leg of the stoker.
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