SCOTLAND.'
The Town-Council of Edinburgh have last year had a surplus of 1781. over the city expenditure ; a novel circumstance.
In our paper of Thursday, we mentioned the terror and affright oc- casioned in a Leith Sunday evening school by a frantic incursion of the prophet Anderson. The effects upon tivo of the children have been very lamentable, and it is feared will prove fatal. One of them, a boy, was seized immediately with erysipelas, and another, a girl, with brain fever. Both are so seriously ill that their lives are despaired of.— Caledonian Mercury.
When the Right Honourable E. Ellice and his son, aged about eighteen, were lately on a shooting excursion at the seat of Mr. Mac- pherson Grant, of Inverishie, they paid a short visit to the Duke and Dutchess of Bedford, at the Donne. In consequence of the Castle being occupied by a large party, these gentlemen bivouaced in a sort o f but of two rooms, containing beds in the recesses ; and the same place was also lodged Mr. French, an Irish gentleman, likewise a guest. They retired before midnight ;. but Mr. Ellice, after he had been in bed a short time, felt a great heat in the small apartment, and got up to inquire into the cause ; when,- looking under his son's bed, he perceived a strong light of fire in the adjoining place, which lie knew was used as a kitchen. Not, however, suspecting that it had any communication with his room, he returned to bed, but was shortly afterwards roused by a cry of " Fire !" and by the appearance of a young man, a favourite servant, of Mr. H. Ross, exclaiming, " The gunpowder is in the closet." By this time, the mattress of Mr. Ellice junior, and the shelf on which stood the powder, were both in flames, which had actually burnt a part of the outside wrapping-paper of the canister, containing nearly twelve pounds of gunpowder. While the Secretary and his son were endeavouring to subdue the fire, the fearless youth seized the canister and threw it out of the window. But for this bold and re- markable instance of courage, which would have done honour to the most intrepid adult, the valuable life of the gifted and zealous Secre- tary would probably have been sacrificed with that of his son. Singu- lar to say, although every attempt was made to awake Mr. French, by breaking the window and battering the door of his room, so protbund was his sleep that he could not be roused till the danger was over.— Aberdeen Herald.
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