'SCOTLAND.
The Prince of Wales, attended by his usual suite, visited the Bass Rock on Saturday, and spent a couple of hours in climbing the steep crag shooting wild geese, and inepeeting the romantic and historic fea- tures of this stronghold.
A remarkable revelation has been made of the manner in which the -Carron Iron Company—an old, respectable iron manufacturing company in Scotland—has been carried on for many years. It was incorporated in 1773, and since 178G the management has been in the hands of one family : Mr. Joseph Stainton was the first manager, and on his death his place was filled by two nephews in succession—firstly, Joseph manager.
The and afterwards Mr. William Dawson, who is the present
The company under their deed are allowed to buy the *Mares of any re- tiring partner, and it seems that the managers have steadily availed them- selves of this faculty. From 1b30 till 1851 the Messrs. Dawson, it is said, have not permitted any share to be purchased by any stranger or partner other than a member of the families of Stainton or Dawson, and the charge now is. that " by means of false balances, abstracts, and accounts, and a general system of misrepresentation and concealment, the shareholders were kept in ignorance of the true value of the stock, and were thus induced to sell their shares at prices greatly below their actual worth." A process founded on these allegations has just been instituted in the Scottish Courts by] Colonel Maclean, who says that he was in 1847 induced to sell twenty shares mush under their value, and who-prays to have the sale set aside. He avers that the annual profits and the assets were systematically put down at less than their proper amount. Thus in the ten years from 1829 to 1838 there were, it is averred, under-statements to the extent of 17,1191., the profits being represented as 118,9251. instead of 294,5431. This system was greatly facilitated by the facts that the agents of the com- pany in Glasgow, Liverpool, and London, were members of the Stainton- Dawson family connexion, and letters are quoted indicating how the ba- lances and the statements were altered so as to show reduced profits. There was also a fund in London, known only to Stainton and the Dawsons, called the "Secret Reserve Fund," which amounted in 1838 to 77,7921., and which is described to have been chiefly accumulated by debiting certain consignments of military stores from Carron to the Board of Ordnance in London with breakages which had never occurred. These breakages went sometimes to the extent of 25 per cent, and Mr. Henry Stainton delivered to the Board of Ordnance, and received payment for the whole quantity sent, but remitted to Carron only the supposed proceeds of the unbroken goods. Thus things continued apparently until 1850, when Joseph Dawson died, -and William Dawson succeeded to the control at Carron, while Henry Stainton remained as agent in London. Dissension then, for the first time, broke out between the families of Stainton and Dawson. William Dawson, being mauager, called upon Henry Stainton to account for the London fund. Stainton admitted its existence, and handed over 96,0001. to the company. He died shortly afterwards, and the company made a claim on his executors for shortcomings, which was compromised last year by a payment of the enormous sum of 220,0001. Whether it is from these family feuds that the outside shareholders, or those who were formerly shareholders, gained an idea of the transactions now recounted, and which form the subject of the present action, does not appear, but it may be sur- mised that such was the case. For three-and-twenty years, according to the narrative of Colonel Maclean, some of them have been vainly endea- vouring to get information, and Sir James Gibbon Craig, amongst others, frequently warned the company of the illegality of their concealments. Still, these warnings are alleged to have had no effect, and in the following year Colonel Maclean was induced to part with his interest. This purchase threatens from the present proceedings to form a fatal bargain for the " company." The foregoing details are simply an abridgment of the sum- mons issued on the application of the complainant, but it is said that a Mr. Thomas Tod, of Drygrange, is likewise preferring a similar suit.
The Glasgow Bulletin relates the following melancholy occurrence to an English tourist on Goatfell. On Sunday, two gentlemen, one named Dr. Smith, made a tour of inspection to the peak. In their wanderings they went to the most precipitous side, and his companion was astonished to find Dr. Smith suddenly drop from his side into a crevice. All efforts to get him out were unavailing. On the fellow traveller's teturn with assistance, he forgot the spot where the occurrence took place, and no amount of examina- tion could guide him to it. Next morning the inhabitants were summoned for a search.
Another Scotch tourist met his death on a visit to the Trossachs, on Sa- turday last, in the following manner. Mr. James Anderson, calenderer, Buchanan Street, in company with Mr. E. Beswiek, of Manchester, left Glasgow at 10.45 a.m. to visit the Trossachs. At Inversnaid the usual coaches were found inadequate to convey the whole of the passengers; ac- cordingly, Mr. Anderson, Mr. Beswiok, Captain II‘Clintock, and his wife, along with a coachman, were accommodated with a one-horse dog-cart. Beyond the Aberfoyle Road, at the top of a steep declivity, the horse took fright,eand all, with the exception of the lady, were thrown out, and she was thrown out also a short distance further on. By this melancholy accident Mr. Anderson was killed on the spot, the lady received concussion of the brain, and is not expected to survive, and the rest of the party received se- vere bruises.
The Dunbar herring fishing on Monday was the best of the season. All the boats were to the east, and fished at the float. Quality good, quantity running from ten to twenty-five trans each boat. Prices, 20s. to 21s. per cream.
Proceedings have been instituted against the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway Company for burning coal in their locomotives instead of coke. This practice, which has hitherto been carried on in Alloa without any re- monstrance or complaint being made against it, has caused considerable inconvenience to some of the townsfolk.
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