Mr. Colquboun had a public tneetiug with a portion of
his consti. tuents at Dumbarton, on Friday ; when after an explanation of his conduct in Purliament, a vote of approbation was passed. III the evening be dined with a party of one hundred gentlemen, whom be en- tertained with a long speed], and indulged in many sneers at the unhappy condition' of the Liberal party, and the shuffling policy of Ministers. Mr. Colquhoun, who protests that he is an old Reformer, described the course which he conceived a wise and honest Govern- ment would follow- ., Gentlemen, in regard to Ministers, while they allow others to abuse their princi- ples, they lay down no principles of their own, as 'Mr. Harvey has remarked; but thiS they do-xlienever they find a man in the country Vitt() pesters and ainuoys them with iews worse than their uall, that Mall they immediately buy up and put hint out of the way. I don't with to mention instances ; but it' you will turn yottr eyes to any or the prominent oppc 'lents of Ministers, who have been in the habit of pestering and 11111111t*iug them in the country, you will uniformly find that they have beeu gut rid of by being put into tonic snug place. One is sent to Greenwich—one is sent to a Judge- ship-one is sent to Canada-une is made a Tithe Commissioner -one is put upon the Poor law Cononission; in short, you will find that every person who has advueafed the most mischievous policy in Parliament, whoever he may have been, has been given or offered a place. And %that has been the consequence of thin conduct, but to hold out an encouragement to unprincipled men to annoy them with mischievous proposals. Only run ahead of them by some monstrous proposal, and you, sooner or later, will be paid for it. Now, I confess, that does not Weal to me the right course the Govern- ment ought to pursue. They ought in that respect to base their policy on sound principles. They might Lot, as Mr. Ilarvey has said, to embark in the crazy bark of expediency, and whenever a man begins to press extravagant views upon them, to take him on board, and put hint into a comfortable berth. They ought to commit thetmelves to clear principles in every course of policy they may adopt. and endeavour to depend fur support upon the just confidence of their country. For, gentlemen, hosing seen something of tee country, and knowing something of the feelings and habits of my countrymen. I ant bound to say (lint whenever the Government shall pursue a course ot straightlbrward and honest principle, wit shall no longer have meet- ings on Kersal Moor, we shall no longer have demonstrations at Westminster, no name crowded meetings at Birmingham. These are the conserpiences of the selfish course of policy sshuieh Government has pursued, in buying mid bribing the vote of every mi-chievoua agitator who annoys them, instead of atoning over to their side, by a high-principled course or policy, the affectioes of the honest hearts of friends. hilt if every Ituotgry palriut." bursting with heroic rage," who chooses to preach tip extravagant decti idles, Is to be pacified by being put into place, Ministers may expect that no !molter alit they get quit of one agitator than op will start another. They buy up Mr. O'Connell w hit the patronage of lreland--they buy up Mr. Sheil with a Greens ieh Commitssioueraltip ; but other men stint up and succeed theta in the career of agitation. The ..ale coat se of government is that which will draw the people along with them. It is all very well to talk in holyday meet ings Maier liberal Government ; the people see that they are liberal only to themselves. It is all very well to talk of Reform, when it is clear. as aunt Brougham said,that Ministers are only playing the miserable game of panics; awl to talk ot disinterestedoess, whet, the whole nation sees that they are only driving their personal interests. The people lime discovered the deception; they repudiate :laid detest it ; and hence these crowded IneetingS in Various parts of the country. Which may be regarded as indications of the discontent and indignation of an ag- grieved people. But the people will cordially congratulate auil esteem them a lien- ever they pot themselves into a right course of governmeut, by pushing torward great public and practical prineiples, and promoting and extending those instioations ot the, etendry which include and embrace them." The Dundee and Arbroath Railway was opened from Arbroath as far as Craigie, on Saturday last. The distance, fifteen miles, was per- formed in three.quarters of an hour, or at an average rate of twenty miles an hour, though the speed was sometimes twenty-six miles, and on the return journey averaged twenty-five miles. Four hundred pas- sengers besides the officers of the company went the trip. Among the former, were Lord Panmure, who has taken much interest in the under- taking, Sir John Ogilvie, the Honourable Mr. Howard, and Colonel Kinloch, besides the Provost, and many members of the Town- Council of Dundee. The Scotch paper which supplies these facts speaks of the steady motion of the carriages, each of which accommo- dates thirty passengers ; and attributes this steadiness to the larger gauge adopted—being 9i inches broader than the principal English railways, though 18 inches narrower than the Great Western.
We have just been told that Lord Panmure, with that unbounded benefience for which he is so universally known, sent for Provost Kay and Mr. Shiel to the British Hotel, when he stated to them that it was his wish to give a donation to the charities of Dundee, which he understood were languishing for want of support, and that be would place at the Provost's disposal 1,000/. to be applied in the way which should be deemed most beneficial.—Dundee Courier.
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