SCOTLAND. The Standard announces that an association is now in
progress for the purpose of " promoting locally in Scotland the organization which has become all but universal throughout the empire "—to reestablish pro- tection. "The President of the incipient Society is the Duke of Mon- trose, its Vice-President the Earl of Eglintoun ; and amongst the Council will be found some of the most noble and a large number of the most in- fluential and important commercial names which Scotland can supply."
The Orion, a fine steamer plying between Liverpool and Glasgow, has been wrecked off Portpatriek, on her voyage Northward, with a lamentable loss of life. The disaster occurred at a quarter past one o'clock on Tuesday morn- ing, while most of the passengers were sleeping. The side of the vessel was stove in by a sunken rock ; she instantly filled, and went down in seven fa- theme water; there being no time to run her ashore. Out of alliundrd :, : fifty passengers, more than a hundred were saved; of the crew, thestowardelk 1.' the carpenter, and an apprentice, were drowned. The passenger% espeerallf.-,-1 , 0 those of the superior class, were unusually numerous ; many persons toltk1.1.-1. . not obtain bert and, fortunately for them, were left behind.. The wreck. / is very extraordinary, as the weather at the time was perfectly air and' :;:-,‘ ;Late the water calm. One account says—" Before any ofthe eabin- er't
bad time to dress, the water was up to their knees in the &bin: Tb.e tr
boat that was launched was so crowded with the panic-struck. Prisolanitsq /7 that she instantly sank, and almost all on board perished. In the second 1- boat a number of ladies were put, and they reached the shore in safety. In the mean time, the vessel gradually filled with water, and the crew and pas- sengers were left floating on the surface of the calm waters. AB soon as the accident was discovered from the shore, a number of boats put off, and picked up all that could be seen floating on the loose portions of the wreck, or swimming towards the shore. The wreck lies with the masts and funnel vertical, and half out of water ; and to the rigging several of the survivors clung until they were relieved. The place where the wreck lies is not a hundred and fifty yards from the shore, and quite close to the lighthouse of Portpatrick."
Later accounts supply divers details, sonic varying from the first state- ments. The weather was " calm and hazy," but there was no fog ; the shore and lighthouse could be seen. The ship struck 400 yards to the North of
Portpatrick harbour, rebounded from the rocks, and sunk seven minutes after. Lists are published of those who perished. Among them were, Pro-
fessor Burns, of Glasgow ; Captain 11'Nent the brother of the Lord Advo-
cate, his wife and two daughters, two sons escaping; Mr. Splott, a gentle- man about to proceed to Australia, lost his whole family and 7001. in money.
The blow on the rock appeared to be so much leas serious than it really was,
that generally the ship was not considered in imminent danger ; the master himself proclaimed that all would be saved by keeping to the steamer, and many persons began leisurely to dress themselves. It would seem that the great loss of life was among those who had clustered on the quarter-deck, who were submerged in the violent plunges of the ship as she settled down in the sea.
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