EDINBURGH.

Bruce Herald, Volume III, Issue 69, 3 August 1865, Page 9

EDINBURGH.

; ]u.,(F.rom our. iOwn.Cpvresppudent.J -. . ; - , - May 24tb,iLßGs. '.:■.. ."j:.j.: : i.;,-. ■■.:";■ '.; '■ U: u>.;.:-;-;;c ix </> t " :. :.j. '?;]?; ; . Our city, isat .^reseijt the of one of those atinual 7 g'd^biriri^s of ministers ? from ;>the sremotfrc Orkneys down tq .the Border Solway : irotxi England, La Belle Eranpe t and; other places of the. Continent, land from the distant Colonies, which have so long distinguished as each gT^en arid shifly May came round. The * Dailies' consequently ...present,- the usual preuonderance of reports of late sederunts, - and; .-able pleadings, and ecclesiastic«l discussions, which ispare'not much room for other topics of ; 'general interest ; in fact, the said Dailies are, much like a pitcher running- over with what we trust will water and refresh the land and the world many days hence. But I observe in to-day's paper an annbuhcetoent which strikes the citizens with surprise and sbrrbw, and which idme beside you T may read with like feelings, that is, the" sudden death yesterday of Sir PeteiScott. -This gentleman's name in connection with a remarkably, able and • successful prosecution of business, ,, ..and . with a truly religious and benevplefnG course oi action, has, ljong been conspicuous here. • As'-regards bis application to business, , your readers will, 1 believe^ remember with whatdiligence he availed himself of thf- : columns of/ I suppose^ 1 every English,

newspaper in 'the world to advertise the .same; la;recollecj^souaeI a ;recollecj^souae years ago of being* unexpectedly qonfrpnted with the familiar "name of/ " P^ter •Suott" in a newspaper : which fbtiridTts'Wriy/ihdmV-frpm the Western Hemisphere,, and I learned that this wa^-oiUy^one' example of that world- wide advertising' pi his. which ultima tely and deservedly led^tp the.realisation 6t a '' handsome fortune. And a/good part of this , fortune, as we well know here, iound its/ 1 way in tbinany arid philanthropic i '-channels.; {[ Indeed, . I ' believe not many ; more readily ■: anu -liberally /syjtripathised; rthfougJi. their .purse; 3vith every worthy object. Like a true business, man, before' responding' to. &n appeal, he had to be, clearly certified l ' of the real necessity of the case, and the moment this was fairly! made out the donation was not promised; . , but laid (Town, looking/ larger in amount than the party .pleading hoped for. . . Mr Scott w.ai ," a . devoted lover !pf Edinburgh in all her ..interest's, religious, 1 social, and 'ornamental, 'and' the town -has! more than once benentted by. his practical sense and correct eye 'for. the' beautiful in its improvement. ! ' ' '\ lam here reminded;of. the. passing, away of two other citizens of some note., I refer to Mr John Harthill, long* proprietor and manager of the "Waterloo: News. Room/ so useful in its day, until th? penny .paper successfully lured away the subscribers and shuo tip its,^ door, , and • -Mr. James MusheJ;, :p ( ublisher^ formerly draper, more widely, known , as a public spirited ditizeu, a staunch voluntary, a' tern pera nee advocate, and a good and g-enial ma.L. These names will "be ~ recognised by old -Edinburgh residents among* you, and therefore I have ventured to refer to. them in this plaCe. r-r .; , | ■ Not many days after the despatch of nry former letter the news arrived of the assassination of President Lincoln, anil broke like a thunder-cloud over the country. The same grievous "intelligence will no doubt have reached and awed "yourselves. Such was the strong, feeling evoked on every hand by the hearing, of this startling . crime? that -it was not long-, before; "Indignation' Meetings," solemn and hearty, i were held in every considerable community in the three kingdoms, and accordingly, as. might be expected, Edinburgh cast in Her mite with the rest at a Jarg-e and enthusiastic meeting ,on May 3rd, in the Music Hall \ and the speakers, such as Sheriff Gordon, Mr Buncan M'Laren, Dr. Candlish, Sir John M'Neill, (fee, expressed in sti'ong and eloquent terms, riot, so much their .convictions on- the political questions involved in that civil war— though this •was necessarily done to some extent— but their abhorrence of the. crime, and their sympathy with the. mourning -family and country so suddenly deprived of their head; 1 Appropriate resolutions to this effect were accordingly spoken to, carried, and eventually transmitted to. His ..Excellency the Minister of the United States, with r a request tßatf he would take the earliest- opportunity of communicating them to. his. government and to the Widow of the President. < ■■••■; - On the evening of the same day the Ar chitectural "Institute of -Scotland, composed .as it is of thorough antiquarians and admirers of remote and venerable things, .were served with a treat which only antiquaries could appreciate (I beg' pardon, by this I might seem to exclude true sons of Edinburgh, but of course I do.not), : at/ the house of Mr W. P. Newington, in the shape of a ' conversazione' over about 2l)0 relics and memorials of old Edinburgh, which it appears he has gathered together during- many years. and with riiuch labor andcost. At, the present timej when the face of Edinburgh . i«j so changed in many respects, and when, contrary to the" common rule, in her old (ige she actually looks younger and-fresher than ever, such an entertainment would have its special smack and' relish for those who had the. .privilege of its enjoyment. After the company had proved the hospitality oi their worthy host arid hostess : m the supi-: per room, they spent a pleasant 1 evening in con»ing over and admiring a collection of : origiriar drawings,/ engravings, portraits^ &c.^ illustrative of Edinburgh, its houseo, and its. noted inhabitants, embracing mostly .those oi the 17th and 18th century. The, views comprised numerous graphic pictures of ancient Edina,. from, v variety, of ppints.of me\y, which if would how be iiTupp^yible to obtain in the Mod jrn Athensj and the originftlr portraits 'em-

braced such celebrities as the Regent Earl of Morton, who was beheaded/, with the Maiden, now in our Antiquarian Museum; John .Kuox, Alexander Henderson, Mary Queen of Scots, Darnley, King- James VI, the martyred. Marquis of ;Afgyle, Henry Mackenzie, AUan Ramsay, - &c., &c, beskles various historical relics, probably the most curious of which was a copy of the 'Edinburgh Evening* Courant'; of Tuesday, the 1 7th September, 1745, containing 1 a laconic "intimation that . "Sirce our last, the Prince; with his ; Highland army, took possession of this place, (that is' Edinburgh), -.but;. must refer you tor particulars till. our next'!'" a leap between the journalism of those rebellious days and the " Special Reporting" and "Special Correspondents" ot these t But thus, doth time stride and change all. I believe a hearty benefit is really grained by looking 1 thoughtfully now' aiid then into i these .old /times 1 and things. '; / The Queen has just passed by, an her way to the favourite 'summer^ resting-place at Balmoral, which has now, in addition to the old attraction^ th^se'- related Co 'the .memory of the iate Prince^' still- doubtless ffritj.ci bus to thfr heart of her Majesty;. 1 By-the-vfayj it "is time that I "should-. supple-, ment what I -m.-ntioneu some. > time ' ago regarding 1 the Prince's Memorial in Edin-burg-h. The Queen has at length signified h ei' choice both of.; the desig-n and ..-the position. , I in' ay say. that neither have 1 given "much satistautioii to : the 'Etiiibiirg^j tolks. Her Majesty has decided' t>n '■■■Mv !)Squestriaji J Figure of- the ' Prince, given in hjsaesign, and it is her will- and wish that it should stand' near ":the centre of the Queen's Park", in full view of the PiilacH wiudcws. The '* cits" would have li referred a spot somewhere in the heai;t or the town, buc- the matter was iett to thel .ohoiceiol th.c Queen and of course the niosi graceful thing- tor them now to 'do* is to bes .plsus^d. aad- go dawn.tci see it as_ qtten as they oau, which they, and stVang'fer'visiters will uhvays do When viewing- the 'magni•riceiit park and hill scenery in thd very tocus of which the sratu'.e when completed will stand. So t^at.my own private tedling is that the "site will 1 turn* out to be bqlli pieturesque- and very agreeable, ... 1 beiieve the' precise spot contemplated is that on which her Majesty reviewed the .Royal Scottish Volunteers oh the" niemo T rable7th bf August, 18U0. ■ ;y ; - .■.,- ; The health and business of our city is pronounced .at present to be generally good. The weather, 1 thongh -May is"! not yet " oot," is remarkably sultry. Heavy thunder-storms have broken over many parts oi: the' country,/ and,, possibly ou£ stxare of these is yet in store. I scarcely remember a brighter or more- beautiful seasoc. We regret to hear of your present, but, I trust, only, temporary stagnation 1 und difficulties in Otago. Accept our best : wishes tor. your complete and early deliver anceoiit of them; ' (x "' ' ; ' ;: '• T, ;