SCOTLAND.
The preparations for the dinner at Glasgow to Lord Durham are very spirited. Seats will be provided in the pavilion erected for the purpose to accommodate Aunt 11100; SOO will dine in side-ruoins ; slid two galleries, to hold 150 persons each, will also be raised. Still, many who wish to be present must be excluded by this arrangement ; and the Committee are therefore endeavouring to increase the accommodation. Lords Pannuire and Kinnaird, Mr. Wallace, Mr. Gillum and many other Scottish gentlemen of mark, intend to be present.
The loudly-trumpeted dinner to Sir George Murray took place at Fcrth on Friday. It is said that nearly seven hundred guests were present, and that upwards of a hundred could not procure admittance. Lord Stormont was in the chair ; and among the most distinguished persons in the company, the names of Sir Neil Menzies, Sir John Oswald, Sir Robert Dick, Sir John Maxwell, Sir J01111 Forbes, and Mr. Home Drummond are mentioned. After some preliminary toasts, and a suitable speech from the chairman, Sir George Murray's health was given ; and he of course rose to reply. He preluded, in some complimentary remarks to the Company, on the honour they had done themselves and him in choosing bin, for their Member ; and then ad- verted to his Parliamentary conduct. His hands, lie said, were use/eon as Lord Brougham's, notwithstanding the calumnies with which he had been assumed.
-I now think it roper (he contiontal; to allude very briefly to those measures which have been brought forward in Parliament since I was ref allied. Among these were two—namely, the Poor-law Amewiment Bill, and Mr. Wood's Bill, respecting the admission of Dissenters to the I .niversities. With the homer Scotland bad no direct concern, unless we were to look upon it no a beacon and a warniug to ourselves. Every ono was sensible of the great atatse of the English Poor-laws, entailing injustice on the rich as well as the poor. The subject was Inset with diflieulties. Many years had elapsed in endeavouring to devise a temtsly for the evil; and it is doubtful whether the most advantageous remedy has yet been applied. Had I presumed to take any sham in that discussion, I would have been disposts1 to view with jealousy the centralization system, which his the effect of concentrating abuses at one point whem the power to correct them is remote. I have also object ions to another provision of that act.—namely. She undue severity towards the weaker sex. (Great cheers.) As to Mr. Wood's bilk regarding the admission of Dissenters to the Universities, much misrepresentation has gone forth. There is no sub jeet on which party feeling has been more excited, or one where our religions feelings being concerned, party feeling is more likely to exist. The nomadmission of Dissenter- to the Universities has been represented as it great in- justice to Scotland. I etnnot see the question in this light ; for. let as observe the real amount of the grievance in reference to SC011:11111. 110W many individuals in the county of Perth have been deprived of admission into either Oxford or Cambridge? is there ally ? tweuty ? ten? tiro ? two? or even one? No There is not even one connected with the could) who suffers iu this respect. (Cheers) Still, if there is one individual in the county ago rioted iu thi, way, I will minabler it my duty to interpose, and, as far as possible, rdieve hint. (Cheers.; 1 think it right thus to explain my cundtiet, cannot force open the gates of the Universities through violence, nor make a breach in OM.% ails. The settlement or ssell a question lies properly with the Government of the country; who should do their endeavour to conciliate contending opinions, anti then bring before Parliament a measure most conducive to renwsly the evil. This course a as not, however, pursued. The bill brought in by Mr. Wood was his own. and against the second reading of which I considered it may duty to vote. This has been the cause of all the repro aches which have been thrown upon me. Now, in the first place, the bill was nuintelligible : the honourable Member could not explain it it was contra. dictory. and could not be reconciled in its Vali4)IIS clauses ; and Lord Althorp and Mr. Stanley. who sapported the second reading, said that it 11■0111■1 be impossible in its then shape to carry it through a Committee. Thai bill never again 111:1110 its appearance in the House and when a bill again appeared in the House, divested of the objectionable clauses, I gave it no further opposition."
His vote on Mr. Wood's bill seems to have been the principal topic of Sir George's speech. He next adverted to the charge of having broken a pledge to support it. It is but fair to give his own explanation_ such as it is !
•• What pledge have I broken ? How could I pledge myself to support Mr. Wood's bill. wheu its existence was unknown to me at the time of my election ? These ex-
pressions proceeded from the malignity of party. I do not gentlemen, to Ito address delivered by out here at the rlection. 'f he number of contending orators on th it occasion was so great, tool the commanding eloquance, or lather elmpteuce at eon/. mand—(Lond do, I'S 1111d lavyhter)- was so consp'etions, that I rend not be heard ; hat I allude to au earlier stage of the canvass. whew I Lad an opportouity of ;oldies:Mg the people; and alien I area this broad distinction, that I wrath! 1114 he /Wilt to Par- Bement as a pledged delegate, but as a hoe agent. al y' general political principles I vs:planted, but I never pledged myself to any particular yob. One asked me to vote for Annual Parliaments, a second for the Vote by Italtot—each 11311 bit partiettlar Host tom ; but I refused to giVI. 1,1011g0S 011 any one I • t. I have at all times pro- fessed moderate principles, cool have always been the humble advocate of toleration in the House of Commons ; but although 1 am the pledged friend of toleration, I am not a blind follower of Lord John Russell in his flirtations with the Dissenters. A Itlant,411 I voted in favour of the Catholic Relief Bill, that does not attach me to the Tail of Daniel O'Connell. (('heers.) I have too high a sense of' what is 11110 to my own character, and that of the great constituency which I represent, to act a subset- tient part iu the House of Commons."
Sir George then sported some commonplaces about the destruction by democratic hands of the governments of Athens, Rome, and Florence ; and ridiculed Earl Grey's maxim of conducting public affairs in conformity with the spirit of the age. He concluded by avowing his distrust of the Ministry and his reasons for it.
I do not Ike their mode of moving about, snore like itinerant agitators than great statesmen—giving an account of their stewardship to promiscuous assemblies, instead of resorting to the proper place for such explanations—the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It would seem that their explanations might be liable to misconstruction there ; and they are, acconliugly, ;timing at raising a host of friends out or doors su- perior iu power to both Houses of Parliament. I would ask to what party would the constituency wish their Representative to attach himself? I am sure they would rather see him rally rotund the trite British standard than follow in the wake of suell a Alinistry as I have described. (Cheers.) I have thus drawn aside the veil, if them was any such, and fully explained the motives by which my public conduct has been guided, whether you consider it right or not."
The healths of the Duke of Wellington, Lord Stormont, Sie Patrick Murray, and other gentlemen, were given. Several speeches were delivered ; but, as reported, they read like very Stupid and prosy productions. The Church of Scotland was the last toast given—by way of grace after meat, we suppose, for the party then seems to have broken up.
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