SCOTLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 244, 24 August 1864, Page 5

SCOTLAND.

OTJU envjf CORIIKSPOJTDENT.] Edinburgh, 25 th June, ISG4. Ihe season of assemblies and theological dinners is past, and Edinburgh lias subsided into its ordinary channels, whether of pleasure or business. The General Assemblies having brought their discussions to a conclusion, it might be interesting if it would not occupy so much of your space to give a short summary of their proceedings. Tho discussions on missions, management, Hnanucs, and discipline, wore however, so numerous, and tho space allotted to me is so short, - that I shall bo unable to do more than rctcr to tho leading matter under discussion in each Assembly. In the Freo Church Assembly, tlio chief battle was respecting the appointment of a professor of dogmatic theology at the Glasgow Free Church College. Tho competition hiy principally bc-tween Dr. Tslay Hums and Dr. l-orbes, the (list a wiiter of much eminence, and tho latter, like Cassio, a " great mathematician." The principal objection urged by Dr. Hogg, and the bigots, to the appointment'of Dr. Burns, was, that he was a man of " indefinite principles," booauso, in an article on ' Catholicism and Sectarianism,' lie had admitted that all was not bad about, episcopacy, and that somo valuable traditions had been preserved by the Church of England. These were admissions which, in Dr. Begg's eyes, were inconsistent with tho divino ordination of Prcsbytcrianism, and as a conscqnonco reflected on tho soundness of views of tho writer. In tho Edinburgh Presbytery, J) r. liegg had been able, in opposition to Dr. Candlish, to procure the rejection of Dr. Burns as a candidate ; but when tho question was submitted to tho Assembly, Dr. Burns was elected by a majority ot 77 votes. The question of Union between the Freo and United Presbyterian Churches, was again raised, but little advance towards a settlement was made, the committee being re-appointed after some little opposition.

In the Established Assembly, the liveliest discussion was elicited by tho question of innovation in worship. In the Assembly of ISoO, Dr. ilobert Lee, of Edinburgh, was enjoined to discontinue tho use of printed prayers in public worship, but as the revd. gentleman had refused compli-jiice with tho order, the matter was again brought before that reverend court, and the procurator strongly urged tho court to condemn Dr. Lee's conduct, and insist on its order being obeyed. JJr Lee made a very able speech in his own defence, denying that any law of the Church forbade the use of printed prayers, and showing that in what he was doing ho was acting more in compliance with tho early practice and teaching of tho church than those who condemned him. This speech was the ablest uttered during the sitting of the assembly, and had a mighty ell'ect on the decision of the court, which was to the effect that people and ministers should please themselves whether thov knelt or stood to prayers, whother they sat or stood to praise, and whether tho minister was to prepare his prayers or make them impromptu. This is a great matter iu some people's estimation, and betokens great advanco in liberalism in the Scotch Church. Dr. Lee lias since been to Balmoral, to preach before tho Queen, and would doubtless be congratulated by her Majesty on tho decision of the assembly, as sho follows closely in the steps of her lato husband, who took considerable interest in tho discussions of tho General Assemblies and sympathised greatly with the growth of free thought and toleration of our churches. While 011 tho subject of Churches I may mention that a bill brought before Parliament by tho Duko ot Bueelenrh, to remove the disabilities under which Scottish Kpiscopal clergymen labour is making progress, and will be a very acceptable measure to thoso chiolly affected by it. S>ince the death of tho Romish Catholic. Bishop Gillies, there has been a strong rumour that Edinburgh was to becomo tho seat of an Archbishop of tho Komish Church, Monseigneur Talbot being spoken of as likely to bo appointed. Now, howover, this is contradicted, and things are to remain as t-hev lire.

Much gratification is felt hei'e by the acknowledgment by tho Royal Geographical Society of London, of till! services of Captain Grant, the companion ol' Captain Spoke in tlio Nile explorations. It was not only llic medal which will.servo to remind him of the honour in which his services were held, liut the complimentary way in which it was presented that impressed his countrymen in a manner to them so satisfactory. Sir Roderick Murchison, tlio President of the Society, not only complimented him on his energy, industry, unci perseverance, but also referred to" his services in India during the mutiny, when although wounded he was tlio means of saving from disaster the rear guard of Jlavelock's forces when advancing to the relief of Lucknow. This episode in the Indian career of the successful explorer was not generally known, and has served to raise Grant still higher in our estimation. The Glasgow Union .Railway which as its name intimates, is intended to connect all the railways that run into Glasgow, and carry the trallie to one central station at .St. Enoch's square, has been tbo cause of not a little difliculty to the provost, and the council. A majority in the council being opposed to the bill proposing the construction of tJm Union .Railway, sent a deputation to London to hinder the progress of the measure in Parliament. Tlio Provost, however, and some of those with liim were converted while in London into friends of tho bill, and supported it before the Parliamentary Committee. As may ho supposed this gave cause to not a little offence, and when the deputation returned, the council rofused to pass the minutes of the previous meeting, on the ground that they were not a faithful record of what took place. An amended miuuto was passed, but this tho Provost refused to sign, and milling could bo done until the question was disposed of, the council was adjourned. Tho .Provost in the meantime took tho opinion of counsel as to tho validity of his objection, and was advised to sign tho amended minute. Tho minute being signed, the council relented and approved of what (ho deputation hud done, and ultenvards unanimously passed a vote of thanks, to thorn. The people of Glasgow, however, are not yet reconciled to the measure. 'i'hey object to the streets, especially on tho south side being cut up and crosspd by a Bcore or two of bridges, for the railway is to be a liigh level one, and also assert, afid with much truth, that the proposal is neither of Glasgow origin, nor carried out by Glasgow men. It seems that a London engineer, of the name of Blair, a native of Ayrshire, who had been apprenticed in Glasgow, conceived the idea of connecting the different railways, and at tho same time finding himself lucrative employment. Mr. Blair being of some standing as an engineer, found 110 difliculty in forming a company to curry out tho scheme, and so Glasgow, like London, is not only to have a railway that it has not asked for, but is to have it against its will, for tho measure is now almost certain to receive parliamentary sanction notwithstanding the opposition in the Lords of the deputation sent up by the people of Glasgow to defeat the measure. It seems a very odd thing that cities like London and Glasgow, can have these schemes thrust 011 them in spite of themselves; but such will be the case so long as parliamentary committees are content to take evidence of tho practicability in opposition of the schemes. The people of London are thoroughly alarmed at tho . many schemes that are proposed to connect, extend,

and multiply London railiray», Their cries hwre' brought the .Board of Trade to their resctw, awl' many of the erfls liavc been, averted, put it isdbnbt- 1 ' ful if ether towns vvoxild be so fortunate Q3 to got Government protection from, speculating company' ■ " mongers. ' ■■ ■ i: - • • A. singular case of 'fratricide has : toccurred.rims' • last mail at Rutherglen, near Glasgow. The deceased was a baker of the name of Love, living with hi» ; father and mother at Main-street, Eutherglen, His - brother, James f.ove, who is .charged with perpstrating the sad deed j« a dyer, mid- also .lives with his parents. For some tune his eiurity has been ques" -; tionedj and an opinion has been " ,:: it was not safe ;/or him to be at liberty, but' no one/ ' : - would take the matter m hand, aud so'th'e'maii wb» ' left at liberty, and attended to lns work. Being of rather, unclean habits, his friends requested him 'to '. get himself. shaved,. and with the avowed object of ' doiiig so he;borrowed a razor, from a neighbouring barber of the name of Einlay. This ivas fully a : fortnight before the murder, and as. he had not yet shaved, and the barber wanted his razor, the liouso • was searched, but no razor could befound, and it was concluded that" James Love; had.sold it for drink.,* " Robert Love, the deceased, and his father having been to Finlay's to bo shaved, returned home ; and found James sitting by the-fire,. aud tho matter.' of the raxor having been mentioned by the barber, Kober said, reproaching his brother "ho .would never borrow a razor and then sell it for drink." ! TjittK • notice'further was taken at the time. About two o'clock" the following morning. Mrs. Love hearing a straiigii ' gurgling noise in Eoberts' bed-room thought he was sick, and went to render him what'aid she could. ' bhe observed blood issuing, as she thought, from his 1 ' mouth, and at once alarmed her neighbours, who dis-; : covered that the young man's , throat was cut from ear to ear. Medical aid-was unavailing, and' sus-' picion being attached to the brother, lie and another silly-lad were at. once arrested; but the latter was soon after liberated, stains of blood having' been found on James Love, which connected hiin with the : murder. On James being examined before the sheriff, lie admitted that a blood-stained razor was found on a shelf in the house, was the one he had borrowed from ITinlay; .but when asked if lie had cut his 'bio-' - ther's throat with it, ho remained silent. He has been committed for trial, but it is unlikely, from his :■ 1 previously being considered insane, he will 'suffer for' : his crime: In a somewhat similar case, that of the ■ man Arnot, who killed a boy with a spado near Alloa, recently; tho man having been proved to be labouring under a delusion as to his being persecuted by the l'Vee Church, and as to tho boy's connection with his persecutors, was considered incapable of instructing counsel for his defence, and the informationbeing withdrawn. The man has been removed to Perth to bo guarded as a dangerous lunatic. Such, no doubt, will be tho case of James Love. We who live north of the Tweed have been not a little shocked by tho doings on a Sunday of tho Prince and Princess of Wales. On a recent occasion the royal pair having conceived the idea, late on a Saturday afternoon, of giving a small dinner party at Richmond on tho morrow, gave the-necessary-orders for preparations to be made. It was, however, it seems, too late to do all that was necessary on the Saturday, so on tho following day a private omuibua lei i Marlborough House for Kichmond. Intheiniddlo ot this "bus" sat the "chef" in his official white costume, and smoking a short pipe; around him and above him on the roof were disposed kettles and pans, pots and panniers, while round the vehicle sat hia assistants, all as jolly as gipsies—and gipsies they were alter a fashion, for tho house to which they wore going for tile day not being often used, was not provided with the kitchen requisites, hencs thoy.'carried their kitchen with them. Such a spectacle as thoy presented would not attract near so much attention in London as it would in Edinburgh, or in any of our northern towns; but even there it was not allowed to pass without comment. Amongst ourselves it has been the cause of much gossip, and. some few of the sterner and more uncompromising of our ministers have indirectly referred to it. from the pulpit. The Prince and Princess, doubtless, thought nothing of it, their familiarity with continental customs softening this down to a matter of no moment.

FBANCr. (From the "Times" Correspondent.) Paris, Friday, June 24, 7 a.m. Thf> news that the Conference had broken up without coining to any arrangement was followed bv a toit of panic at the Bourse yesterday. Indeed, among all classes the effect is great, and tho'conviction that an European war can hardly be avoided ia universal. Commercial people, -who hoped to the very hist, aro dismayed beyond measure at t-Ue prospect before them. There are some who from the outset were convinced that nothing which either a. . Conference or a Congress could do would avert great calamity, for they believed that Prussia would evade every settlement urged by the neutral Powers short of the aggrandizement which she had previously determined upon. The revolutionary party are delighted, and those who are hostile to the Imperial rule in France fancy that in the general contusion something will turn up to their advantage. Tho Journal des Debuts has, after some hesitation, published Mr. Kv.'ait'.s lotter, which appeared in your columns a iew days back. TheDebats makes some remarks upon it, still with the signature of tho mysterious personage, " Le Secretaire de la Redaction," to conceal tho author of the statement, attributing tho manner in which tho Metrical System. Bill was received to systematic hostility to Franco on the part of the English Government and Parliament. The Debats admits that Mr. Ewert is an ' exception to the general rule. He is a very enlightened person, and is one of those members of Parliament who think that one may bo a good Euglishman without detesting or insulting France. He has taken a great part in propagating tho principle of free trade, and has given himself much trouble in recommending to his countrymen tho mi trical system. Hut, while it feels much pleasure in publishing his letter, the Debats will not admit that it was mistaken in allirming that the opposition of Lord Palmerston's Government to tho scheme arose from any other cause than antipathy to ■ everything which has a French origin. The Debats, while repeating this unjust accusation, forgets that Lord Palm en-ton was driven from office from hia supposed condescendence to tho wishes of France in the Orsini affair. The -Debats observes that the plan of tho metrical system was adopted unanimously by a committee of 15, chosen, from among tho most eminent members of. tho Houso, after a thorough". examination. The Bill had been Mad twice, and passed by a large majority tho second reading. All thin, it thinks, should have opened the eyes even of the blind, and put a stop to the hesitation of all who were not actuated by a systematic - opposition. Thfc argument used by Mr. Milner Gibson cannot be misuuderstood ; it was that the metrical system is foreign, aud Mr. Milner Gibson, President of tho Board of Trade, employs it in favour of the old complicated mechanism of English weights and measures, which drives schoolboys and calculators to despair ; and it is bv means of this carioaturc of patriotism that he sought applause, aud that- he obtained it. The Debals persists in believing that there is no exaggeration whatever in what is said as to the cause of the opposition offered by the Cabinet which now governs England to the French system. It is owing to that resistance that a plan was defeated which would have hru ught closer to each other two nation by commerai aud li-ee trade, in which England justy boasts to havo taken the lead. But the metrical system will, in spite of all opposition, make its way in the world. As Mr. Ewavt remarks, adhesions are coining in. England will come in, though she may come in the last. Therj is no chance of conciliating "F. Caujue, Secretaire de la lledactjon," but by the adoption of the French metrical system. ■ Tlie Phare de la Maiwhe pubsishes some additional particulars respecting the engagement between the Alabama and the Kearsage. The crew of tho Alabama was composed of 22 officers and 122 seamen. The name of tho commander of the Kearßage is Winslow. He is a Southern, but he took service with tlie North. LTe and Captain Semmes served in the same ship. Three of the crew of the Alabama who were wounded during the engagement died on board the Kearsage after amputation. There are 11 wounded in the hospital with fractured limbs and burns. The surgeons expect to save them. Dr. Llewellin, the surgeon of the Alabama, is the only ■ ifficer supposed to have perished in the Alabama. Another olllcer who was wounded and was picked up by a boat sent out by the port admin? 1 , of Cherbourg died on board the boat. Five officers were saved by a French pilot named Mauger. These oflicers were landed in the afternoon at Cherbourg: one of them named Armstrong received a Blight bruise in the left side from the fragment of a sheU. Mauger likewise landed seven seamen picked up by him. the afternoon 52 of the crow oi tho Alabama who wore rocieved on board the Kearsago wore landed at Cherbourg. The number of wounded

'on "board 'the Kearsage "5b not known, iior is it known Whether the commander of the Kearsago during the long stay ho made at Brest did not enlist some experienced.gunners. It appears, according to the statement published, by the Pharc y that, some doubt existed whether any actio# would tako plaq%[f it „saya further that the r repoi t of a challange hayjng been given .and accented is not true. All doubt;,however, ceabcd' r iit l 7 on' Sunday morning. The Alabama got up her steam at that hour, and the commander of the French ironplated frigate Couronne sent an officer to inform Captain Semmes that his ship would escort him the limit Of the French -waters, that she -would not weigh anchor until after him,.wd that he would not in any -way interfere -with her movements. The preceding day Captain Semu.es, whom several persons had earnestly advised not to engogo the Kearsage, had shown himsolf inflexible) on thut head, replying that ho would prove to the most incredulous tliathis ship was not a privateer, intended for the attack solely of merchant vessels; that ho was in a warlijco poxt; and that he had consulted different French officers, who all declared that, in his situation, they would fight. Who could blamo him for regarding military honour in a higher point of view than any political feeling ? At 10 o'clock on Saturday evening Captain Semmestold M. Boafils, tlio agent of the Confederate Government, that ho was a Bomen Catholio, and, as ho could not assist at divino servico the following day, ho asked M. Boafils to promiso him to attend mass, and to have it offered up for liim. This request was religiously executed. Everybody aware of theso facts was convinced of Captain Semmes's inflexible resolution when they saw the Alabama sail out. of the western entrance at 10 o'clock, and, when out of the harbour, cliauge her course towards the Kearsage, which was coming from the east. The first shot was fired at 11 o'clock, the Federal and Confederate vossels being at the time eight naval miles from tho Cherbourg breakwater. The Kearsago was a heavier vessel than her antagonist, and her machinery was better protected by chains. Tho Alabama carried eight guns, six of which "were 30-poundeJS —0110 011 her stern of 58, and a pivot gun on her poop of 1001b. Tho Kearsage carried one gun less; four were 30-pounders, two of 150, and one on her fore deck. Tho two ships from tho commencement of the action presented their right sides to each other. They sailed round five or six times, tho Alabama always endeavouring to approach her adversary. Shots were exchanged during an hour, but not so well aimed by the Confederate as by the Federal, who fired patiently and accurately, having the advantage of skilled gunners. Nevertheless, the Kearsage received a shot at the beginning of the action'which would probably have sunk her were it not for the chains with which she was protected. She received several other shots which damaged the plating and oue ball struck her stern-post- six inches from her rudder, 'llie Alabama leeeived a shot, in her machinery at the commencement of the action, and from that moment tho crew fought tho ship with water up to the knee— some say up to tho waist. A second shot, which shattered her screw, caused her to sink stern foremost. Even before tho decisive shot, the Alabama had diminished her fire and let off her steaui. The Kearsage continued her fire at a long distance; the Confederate hoisted sail while the Federal continued firing. "Tho steam vessel Yeddo," says the Oirtnde, " Which hua just been constructed in the building yard of M. Airman, of this city (Bordeaux), and which is supposed to belong to the Confederate Government, left the roadstead yesterday morning. Sho had made a trial trip on Monday lust, and completed her preparations on the following day. Ihe Yeddo. measures 68*2 tons, and has a crew (entirely French) of 65 men. She his commanded by Captain Pater, who is a native of France also, and wan for a long time master of vessels belonging to Bordeaux. She is freighted with different kinds of goods, and is despatched by M. Arman himself through M. Causse, shipbroker. The Yeddo is bound for Amsterdam ; but everything concerning her departure and the object and aim of her voyage remained a profound mystery. To the last moment, tho freighters, oflicers, and seamen maintained an absolute silence to all the questions put to them."