SCOTLAND.
The religions riots in Ross-shire have been quelled. On Saturday, the Lord-Lieutenant, the Sheriff, and several Magistrates, supported by some hundreds of special constables, and backed by a reserve, a detach- ment of the Eighty-fourth Regiment, installed the Reverend Mr. Mackenzie in his manse at Resolis. The manse and church were quite deserted. About fifteen of the rioters have been captured in their houses. However, threats have been put forth, that the people will show themselves again when the soldiers are gone ; to meet which, it is proposed to establish Constabulary and Yeomanry corps.
Allan Mair, the old man who was convicted at the last Stirling Circuit Court of beating his wife so that she died, was hanged on Wednesday week, in front of the Court-house. He bad heard the sentence of death pronounced without seeming moved; but as the time for his execution approached his manner change& An account, which we abridge, says— He was attended by several religious ministers; to whose religions in- structions lie listened most attentively, and even sometimes appeared to be softened and affected, exhibiting at the same time a pretty accurate knowledge of the principal doctrines of the Bible; yet it was apparent these made and left but a slight impression on his mind ; and he would eagerly turn from au& topics to talk with all the garrulity of age concerning his former life, his trial, and the testimony of the witnesses. On these occasions he generally. gave way to passionate bursts of grief, almost invariably succeeded by denunciations of the wrath of God on the heads of those who gave evidence at his trial; and, rising up in bed, from which he seldom rose, he would clinch his hands, and vehemently declare that he was innocent of the murder of man, woman, or child. He went to bed at eleven o'clock on Tuesday night: about two o'clock on Wednesday morning he awoke, and, hearing the noise made by the workmen in erecting the scaffold, anxiously inquired the occasion of the noise, and im- mediately added—" Oh! ay, they're putting up the gibbet. What a horrible thing to be hanged like a dog!" He then fell into a disturbed sleep, from which the striking of every hour awoke him; and he would exclaim, "That's an hour less I've to live." At the time for rising, he was with difficulty persuaded M dress. He would receive no sustenance in the shape of food, but eagerly drank a glass of wine. He then took farewell of Mr. Campbell, the Governor of the Prison, and thanked him warmly for the attention and kindness with which be had treated him. As the hoar approached, he became very restless ; and os. leaving the cell was very much agitated, and wept bitterly. He had previously declared his resolution not to walk; and had accordingly to be supported by two men, who led him into the Court-house. During the customary religions exercises, he wept much, the tears streaming through his bony fingers wheat he pressed them to his face ; and every now and then he wrung his hands. He seemed to take little notice of what was passing around him ; his mind being. evidently absorbed in thinking of his approaching execution. After the exercises had been concluded, a glass of wine was brought to him ; bat he re- solutely refused it, declaring that "he would not go into the presence of God Almighty drunk " Here the executioner, who was singularly attired, in a light jacket and trousers seamed with red and black, and a huge black crape mask, entered the room : on seeing whom, Mair started back, and every NMI) appeared to quiver with the intensity of his excitement. The executioner then advanced to pinion him ; but Mair shrank away, evidently alarmed at hii approach. On the rope being passed round his arms, he complained that it was hurting him. " Oh, dinna hurt me," said he, "dinna hurt me! I'm auld- I'll mak sae resistance. An' oh! when I gang to the gibbet, dinna keep me lang—just fling me off at ance." After some difficulty he was pinioned; and, the mournful procession being formed, he was led out between two officers to the scaffold.
On emerging from the Court-house, and when the gibbet and the bit. mense crowd met his gaze, he held down his head, and groaned piteously, lift- ing up his bands and ejaculating, " Oh Lord! oh Lord I He was instantly led to the drop ; but he declared he was unable to stand; and, as be had ex- pressed a resolution to address the multitude, a chair was brought for him. On sitting down, he appeared to gather additional strength and resolution, and addressed the crowd thus- " I hope you will listen attentively to what I am now about to say to you, as this is the first time 1 have been permitted to tell my mind to the public. I have been most unjustly condemned, through false swearing : and here I pray that God may send his curse upon all connected with my trial—I curse the witnesses with all the curses of the Hundred-and-ninth Psalm. There is one person connected with the parish who brought in false witnesses to con- demn an innocent man. When in prison, this person came to visit me ; but I told him that it was a wonder the God of heaven did not rain down fire and brimstone upon him as he did upon Sodom and Gomorrah. He it was who brought false witnesses against me—who brought Roman Catholics, who wor- ship stocks and stones, and others to swear away my lite : but God will curse and eternally damn him." After going on in a similar strain for a minute or two, he'paused for a little space; upon which the executioner, thinkiog he bad concluded, stepped towards him, and inquired if he had done ? " No, Sir, I am not done! ' replied he warmly, lifting up his clinched hand and striking it violently upon his knees " I'm not done ; I'll say much more, if they will allow me." And he went ea with the same mixture of asseveration and curses, for about five minutes more. Then there was prayer. The Reverend Mr. Leitch bade him farewell ; when hi stretched out his hand, saying, " Farewell, Sir, farewell; I'll soon be in eter. nity." The executioner then put the cap on the old man's bead, adjusted the rope, and placed the signal kandkerchief in hir hand. At this time he was sit- ting in the chair on the drop; and although the cap was drawn down over his face, continued muttering bis anathemas against all who had connexion with his trial. He was then desired to rise from the chair, in order that it might be removed : but he replied that he could not, wept piteously, and While in the act of exclaiming " May God he—" the fatal bolt was withdrawn ; and the wretched old man, uttering a heavy groan, was launched into eternity. For a moment be raised one of his hands, which had not been properly pinioned, to the back of his neck, seized the rope convulsively, and endeavoured to save himself; but his grasp instantly relaxed, and after struggling violently for some time be ceased to exist.
To another account is appended a sketch of Males life-
" Allan Mair was born five weeks after the death ti his father. MS WARR having married again, he left the paternal dwelling at nine years of age. His mother thinking he was lost, advertised Lim in the newspapers of the day ; the knowledge of which afterwards reached him, but did not bring him home. He bad gone to England at that early age; where he remained, employed as a drover, for twenty-five years. He was next employed to conduct one hundred and sixty Merino sheep, belonging to the Earl of Selkirk., to his settlement upon the Red River, in North America. For this job he received 160 guineas. After remaining there for a few weeks, he made his way to New York ; where begot into the employment of Mr. Lloyd, an extensive dealer and shipper. He was employed by him principally in baying grain to he ground into flour. Here he was doing well, and saving money, and getting every day more into the confidence of his master. He was then placed on shipboard, in one of Mr. Lloyd's ships, as supercargo. This vessel traded regularly between New York and Kingston in Jamaica. He continued in this trade upwards of four years ; when, by some means, he had learned that his mother was engaged in a law- plea. He then returned to Scotland, bringing with him 2,000 guineas, which all went to the lawyers in a very short time; which, it seems, while it directed his mind to litigation, at the same time rendered him sour, and perhaps some- what misanthropic. After all, we cannot think or say that Allan Mair was a sane man; at least he was a decided monomaniac ; and, looking at the mur- derer of the late Mr- Drummond, and others who have escaped on a similar plea, it need not unsettle the public mind when we frankly declare our eons ic- don, that, as a living despised wretch, poor Mair would have more lastingly im- pressed the vulgar mind, than by his superannuated corpse hanging, as it has done, for the usual time."'
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