StOTLAND.
The Ayrshire election to supply the place of Colonel Blair, who fell at Inkerman, began on Tuesday, in the town of Ayr. Two candidates were put in nomination. Mr. Bellof Enterkin proposed, and Mr. Fullerton of Overton seconded, Mr. Oswald of Auchencruive. Mr. Macredie of Per- ceton proposed, and Mr. Lang of Broadholat seconded, Sir James Fergu- son of Kilkerran—described by his proposer as an independent Conserva- tive, opposed to the aggressions of Popery. As Sir James is in the Cri- mea, his address was written before Sebastopol. Mr. Oswald said he came forward as a Liberal. Trite, he had not always held Liberal opin- ions; but he was one of the ninety men who supported Sir Rob3rt Peel in-1846, one who preferred free trade to civil war. After that, he had to consider whether he would remain one of an isolated party—a Peelite, whether he should go over to the ranks of Lord Derby, . or whether he should join the Liberal ranks. He chose the latter course. Inconsistent, if you will—he did not care whether consistent or inconsistent—it was & conscientious change. He would support reform, and the Government in energetically carrying on the war. The show of hands was in favour of Mr. Oswald ; but a poll was demanded on behalf of Sir James Ferguson. At the close of the poll, on. Thursday, the numbers were—for Ferguson, 1510; Oswald, 1381 ; majority for Ferguson, 129.
A series of religious services in connexion with the war has been ap- pointed by the Presbytery of Edinburgh to be held in the city churches. The first, held in St. Andrew's Church last week, was numerously at- tended..
In the far North there has been a considerable fall of snow, stopping the passage of vehicles over the coach-roads.
A swindler has got a good deal of money from farmers in the Upper Ward of Lanarkshire, by pretending that he was a sheriff's-officer sent to summon- them to act as jurymen at Glasgow : on payment of a fee he granted them exemption. He afterwards extracted money from shopkeepers in villages to abstain from prosecuting them for having light weights, as he alleged. The rogue is now in prison.
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