SCOTLAND.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 6807, 8 December 1883, Page 1 (Supplement)

SCOTLAND.

(KBOM ODB OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Edinburgh, October 18,

DEATH OP DR BEGG,

You will have learned by telegraph of the outstanding item of Scottish news this month—

the death of tho Rev. Dr Begg, when within a month or so of the completion of the 74th year of his age. The evont took most people by surprise, as it was generally thought the doctor was likely to live many more years, and but a few days before his decease he was Bpeaking in public with his accustomed vigour. It waa known to some, however, that his system had been attacked by disease, and shortly before his death ho twice Bwooned away, on the street. He was confined to his bed less than three days, and was conscious till within half an hour of his decease. The immediate cause of death was congestion of the lungs, which is stated to have been aided by his heart being dilated. It was a Saturday afternoon when Dr Begg died, and many, even of his own congregation, did not know of the event until they learned it in church next forenoon. The pulpit on that occasion was occupied by the Rev. Dr Nixon, formerly of Montrose, an old friend and supporter of Dr Begg, The latter had preached in his own pulpit as usual on the Erevious Sunday, and by a singular coincidence is last text consisted of the words, "It is appointed unto men once to die " —(Hebrews ix. 27). I need not dwell upon the immense number of panegyrics which wero spoken or printed upon him aa soon as his death was known. Even his lifelong foe, the Scotsman, came out with a kindly notice nearly four columns in length. The truth is, Dr Begg's manliaess and good temper kept, him from having any enemies, though he never had any lack of opponents. His sturdy patriotism, too, mado many proud of him as a fellow-countryman who abhorred him as an ecclesiastic. I shall not attempt to occupy any of your space by recounting even the leading facts of his life, as doubtless these havo already appeared in your columns, but pass on to mention his funeral. This took place in the Preston street Cemetery, close to his church. Services were held in tho residence of the deceased, in his church, and in tho ciosoly-adjacent Newington Parish Church. The funeral procession included representatives of the Edinburgh Presbyteries of the four principal branches of the Presbyterian body. In all about 2000 persons followed the remains to tho grave, but the number of spactators along the line of route and at tho cemetery probably did not fall far short of 30,000. It is reported that Dr Bsgg had mado considerable progross in the preparation of his autobiography. It is to be hoped this may be published, as it is sure to be good reading. It is also stated that Dr Begg, whose fund of anecdoto was notorious, has loft behind him a collection of stories in manuscript. Of the many literary efforts which he put forth during his lifetime, anil many of which wero very sucivsafiil. I shall only mention hin "Handbook ( ,f p,.,..-.,. •■ v/lneh'ii? rtill in demand, though it? :<,•■.»- fe v.<-k <.*iw.lcl 150.000 copies. J'ktj:.^:' ''<- T-: ■•: BTBOME FERRY RIOTERS. .■•■i;:K:i'-h ■:' Mii'.l-n!'., to IllOjt ponple, tbft 10 -.....). ■•,!;., ..v■■!■.' wiiti'titid in Uie GsUton Gaol, J'J'iiiiiiuitt'n mi it uenlence of four months' im-iirisoiiiiii-iit ior participation' in the Sunday i-i<its :i-t .Srrnmii Ferry, wore eleased on Sep-ti-mber 21, after -orviug not quite half of the I r.'-r:ii -<F tii—ir e«;:ti>ncn. It was stipulated that the men should at once proceed to their homos, but three of them remained to the close of tho day, and wore ontertainod at a " congratulatory toa-party," at wbich Dr Begg presided, and about 100 persons wore present. The speakers | included the chairman, Professor Lindsay, and

l Mr Gilbert Boith, of Glasgow, and tho foreman i of tho jury by whom the ox-prisoners wore j convictod. Ono of tho latter themselves also • made somo remarks. Dr Bogg, in a trenchant t speech, eaid that ho had succuoded in raising ■ thu £500 ho had asked for in order to give £50 i [ to each man to makii up for their loss of the best part of the season for earning their livelihood. It had been decided, however, not to give tho men tbo whole of the money at once, as "somo people who could contrive to get money didn't understand very well how to keep it." Ho accordingly handed each of thraa men presont a pooketbook containing £5, and stated that the balance would be disbursed to them at the discretion of a committeo of three gentlemen, whom he named. Tho mon wero cheered as they loft Edinburgh, and hospitably fed ut Inverness ; but at Strome Ferry there was no demonstration of any kind beyond the assembling of a good many people at the station to see them arrivo. THE GLASGOW NEW MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS. There wero grand doings in Glasgow on tho Cth inst., on the occasion of tho laying ef tho foundation-stone of the new municipal buildings to bo erected in George square. An enormous trades and Masonic procession was formed on thegrecn, and inarched by a route some three miles in length across the Albert bridge, through Gorbals and Lauriestou, back across the Broomielaw bridge, along Jamaica and Argyle streets to Anderston, and thonce by Sauchiehall and Buchanan streets to George square. The procession is estimated to have included more than 30,000 persons, with nearly 70 bands, and it took throe hours and a-quarter to pass a given point. A thousand buriy carters lod tho way, aud a batch of Glasgow's smartest washerwomen brought up tho rear. Thu procession was largely turned to account for advertising purposes, the biggest walking adveitisement being composed of nearly a dozen bread-vans. The whole of the central portion of George Bquare, in spite of its numerous monuments, *vas turnod into a gigantic platform—the largest evor erected in Scotland, —covering an area of 12,000 square feet, and accommodating 30,000 persons. On the eastern side of the square there was also erected a wooden amphitheatre accommodating 10,000 spectators. The stone was laid in Masonic fashion by the Lord Provost, who had boon initiated for tho purpose. His Lordship also made a suitable speech, which one of the bailies was about to supplement, when the band inopportunely struck up "Kule Britannia," cutting short tho flow of magisterial eloquence, to tho great amusement of those who. were near enough to witness the episode. In the evening there was a Corporation banquet in the City Hall. The buildings whose commencement was thus inaugurated will probably bo the finest of their kind in the United Kingdom. By a happy exception to the usual state of things in the western metropolis, the day was beautifully fine throughout. FESTIVE DOINGS IN ABERDEEN. . The " granite city " likewise has been having its gala day, on the occasion of. tho opening of tbeDuthie Park on the 27th ult. by the Princess Beatrice. Although the weather was very unfavourable, tho demonstrations are stated to have been on a scale exceeding any witnessed in Aberdeen since 1843. The Princess, who came from Balmoral, first drove to the music-hall, and there opened a bazaar in aid of tho funds of tho Sick Children's Hospital. She then proceeded to the new park presented to the city by Miss Duthie, o£ Ruthrieston, a trades procession of some 4000 persons, and many times that number of spectators, having preceded her. Her Royal Highness performed her part with grace and fortitude amid pouring rain, in deference to which the speeches were commendably short. The Princess also planted a memorial tree, making use in the operation of a silver spade presented to her by the Lord Provost.- In the evening there were a good many illuminations. The park, which has been beautifully laid out during the two years which have elapsed since its first turf was cut by the Earl of Aberdeen, will greatly add to the attractions of the city. It is situated near the south-western extremity of the town, close to the bank of the river. The money value of the gift is estimated at upwards of £40,000. OPENING OF DUNDEE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE.

At tho risk of creating the impression that all our chief towns have been seized with a mania for grand public ceremonies, I must mention yet another affair of the kind, which took place on September 28 at Dundee, in connection with the opening of the newly-estab-lished University College there. On this occasion, however, there was no procession. The Town Council opened the ball by presenting the freedom of the town to the Earls of Dal-

housie and Camperdown, two of the govornors of the College. Lord Dalhousie then declared the College open, after which the inaugural address was delivered by Professor Stuart, of Cambridge. The Provost thereafter entertained the elite of the company to luncheon, and there were plenty of speeches. I may remind your readers that the College owes its existence to the liberality .of Miss Baxter, of Balgavies, and the late Dr John Baxter, who respectively gave £140,000 and £10,000 for its endowment and buildings. One-third of the total amount indicated has been spent in the acquisition and equipment of the buildings, and the balance will be kept as a permanent endowment. The buildings aro situated on the north side of the Nethergate, and consist in part of several villas, which have been connected by a corridor 200 ft long. Chemical laboratories and lecture theatre have been erected at a cost of £10,000, and an adjoining church ha 3 beenbought and turned into a college hall. The College opens with five chairs —viz., Classics and Ancient History, History and English Literature, Chemistry, Mathematics and Natural Philosophy, and Engineering and Drawing. The professors are bound to conduct evening classes, and women are allowed to share equally with men in tho advantages offered by the new institution. A good many students have already been enrolled. THE CItOFTERS' COMMISSION.

This painstaking body has resumed its un pleasant labours, and has baen taking evidence in the counties of Caithness, Sutherland, and Inverness. The proceedings in some cases were marked by much keenness of feeling, the expression of which had to be frequently rebuked by the Chairman, who on one occasion found it necessary to carry out his threat to adjourn the sitting if quiet was not maintained. Some of tho statements made by the witnesses havo been impugned, and shown to be untrue or exaggerated. A libel action is also threatened by one gentleman; while in Orkney a landlord (General Burroughs), who was very restive under examination before tho Commission there, has evicted two tenants who then gave evidence. Altogether it is evident the inquiry has brought bitter feelings to a head in not a few instances. It must be admitted, however, that the Duke of Sutherland has come well out of the investigation, and I note tho fact with pleasure. His Grace ■ afforded tho Commissioners an opportunity of seeing for themselves the kind of work he has been carrying on for a number of years in reclaiming waste land. He conveyed them, on their way south from Wick, to Kinbrace, Caithness, and showed them the huge ploughs at work, turning up the moorland to a depth of two and a half feet, and unearthing massive boulders. He also showed them some 1400 acres of land in this neighbourhood which had been reclaimed, and formed into three farms, with concrete steadings, -and having between them 5000 acres of pasturage for sheep. In spite of all this, however, it was found very difficult to let the farms. No one would take them singly, and at last the Duke was obliged to let them as one to a gentlemau from tho south. This is disheartening, when the great outlay of capital involved is borne in mind. Experiments are being made in the planting of trees, and these may prove more successful. After witnessing with great interest all the operations in progress, the Commissioners availed themselves of the Dukes private engine and saloon carriage, and his Grace himself acted as their enginedriver as far as Helmsdale.

LANDED PROPERTY IN SCOTLAND. The revolution apparently in progress in the Highlands seems to have prejudicially affected the value of landed property there, as no one can tell what will be the upshot of the present agitation, and the cases of Ireland and Skye show-what things may come to. An illustration of the shyness of capitalists to invest their money in Highland estates was afforded on September 27, when the magnificent estate of Meggernie, Perthshire, was put up for 6ale by auction in London. The estate extends to 32,129 acres of good arable and pasture land, well let, with a peaceful history, splendid timber, more than 40 miles of fishings, and 50 square miles of shootings, beautiful scenery, and good neighbours. Yet, in spite of all this, when it was started at £90,000 it advanced but slowly to £103,000, at which very low figure it was knocked down to Mr Ballough, a cottonmnnnfacturer of Accriugton, Lancashire. If the land agitation spreads, as some think it will do, Mr Ballough may find his bargain not so good, after all, as from every other point of view it certainly is. Even before the Crofters' Commission threatening reference has been made to dynamite as a factor in settling the rent question. I may add here that the well-known estate of Glenormiston, near Peebles, wbich belonged to the late William Chambers, tho publisher, was sold by auction in Edinburgh on October 3, and fetched £28,000, being £000 above tho upset price. The purchaser was Mr R. Grieve, Thornburn, Peebles. The estate extends to 535 acres, of which only 460 ara arable. THE NORTHERN HERRING FISHERY. The completed returns regarding tha season's catch fully bear out what I wrote on this subjuct two months ago. At Wick the figures, both in the aggregate and in tha average per boat, exceed anything of the kind in tho previous history of tho port. lv Shetland tho samo is the ca.se, but in a still higher degree. Tho total catch fur tha season oyor tho islands amouuts to 192,000 crans, which is about a fourth of the entiro catch in Scotland this year, and nearly equals the gross capture of fish in Shetland during the six previous years put together. As 792 boats in all wero engaged, the average per boat is 212 crans; but as the old sixorn boats, numbering about GO, fished only a short part of the season, the average for each of the proper boats was really about 20 crans more. It is satisfactory to hear that the sixerns are fast going out of use, in favour of decked boats, in which the lives of the fishermen will be exposed to much less risk. DEN NEVIS OBSERVATORY. ' Tho formal opening of the observatory on the summit of Bon Novis took placo yesterday. The day was far from favourable; nevertheless a goodly company mado the ascent. From tho commencement of tba :iew_ bridle path— about ISGUft above the soa—nino of the 11 ladios who went up rode upon ponies, but the other two walked the whole way. The last 2100 ft of the 4440 of the ascent wero through snow from lft to 2ft deep, with a piercing wind blowing. When nearly exhausted, as they nmnded the tremendous procipices near the top, the climberß had new life put into them

by some pipers, who accompanied then striking up a spirited air. The climbers wet received by the arehiceet of the observator and others who had gone up before, and wh had hot coffee, &c. ready for thorn. Th observatory, though only partially finisbec was found to be a snug shelter. It was oponei with a very fow suitable words by Mrs Came ron Campbell, of Alonzie, the owner of tho to of the Ben, who has very cordially seonde tho _ movement for the establishment of th utation. Tho descent was begun amid drivini showers of snow, but was safely aocomplishei -by 4 p.m., and tho same evening about 10 ladies and gontlemen sat down to a banquet ii honour of the event, held in Fort William Lord Abinger occupying the chair. GENERAL NEWS. Tho University of St. Andrews is rejoicini in a munificent bequest of £30,000 for the pur poso of founding bursaries. The testator wa the late Sir William Taylour Thomson K.C.M.G., C.8., a nativo of Fife, who wa for many years hor Majesty's chief diplomats representative in Persia. The bequest is sub joct to tho liferont of his brother, and the tes tator prescribes that the bursaries aro to bi " for students of both sexes, and in the case o females to assist them as far as practicable ii qualifying themselves to enter the medical pro fession." Dundee High School has also come in fo: another large gift. It may bo rememberec that the late ex-Bailie Harris gave £20,000 tc the High School, and £10,000 to the Schoo Board for a secondary public school. Hii sistor, Miss Harris, has lately offered £10,00( to the High School for. tho construction of t contiguous range of class-rooms for the junio; and girls' departments, and her offer has beei gladly accepted. A sister ship to the New Zealand Shipping Company's new steamer Tongariro (launchec on August 23) was launched at Messrs Johr Elder and Co.'3 yard at Govan on the 2nd inst., and received tho name of tho Aorangi, Sho will carry 80 first-class, 80 second-class, and 250 third-class passengers, and is also being specially fitted for tho frozen meat trade. Her 'gross tonnage is 4200, and hor engines will indicate 4000-horse power. A third vessel of similar size and character, and built for the same owners, is Bearing completion in tha same yard. A terrible explosion of three tons of gunpowder took place at the Goatfield Powderworks, Lochfyne, on September 29. Happily the workmen had left for the day, or the results would have been most lamentable; but the manager was struck by a large stone and killed. Two or three other persons were injured, and a horse was killed. Trees were uprooted, the houses in the vicinity had every pane of glass broken, and some of thfim were unroofed. The cause of the explosion is unknown. The tercentenary of the foundation of Edinburgh University falls on the 24th Jnst., but the celebration of the event has been postponed till next April. It is supposed that this has been decided upon in the hope that before the latter date funds may have come in to make up the largo sum still required to complete the new medical school. I may mention, as evidencing the prosperity of the University, that since 1870 the number of students attending it has nearly doubled, while its graduates havo multiplied more than threefold. In 1883 the matriculated students numbered 3340, and the graduates 522. It was publicly stated in Dundee last week that in that town 24,000 persons lived in "houses" consisting of only • a single apartment each. Sir James Alexander Dunbar, Bart., R.N., of Boath, Nairnßhire, died on the 7th October of paralysis, after two days' illness. He kept aloof from politics, bud took an active part in furthering the interests of the people in the county in which he resided, especially in the direction of establishing public libraries. The sword of honour bought by subscription for General Sir Archibald Alison is to be presented to him at a public banquet in Glasgow this evening. Lady Alison chose a diamond tiara out of 20 articles submitted to her to select from, and this will be presented on the same occasion. Mr Thomas 6oats of Ferguslie, Paisley, a member of the firm bo known alike by its manufactures and its liberality, died on October 15, aged 74. Mr Coats took an especial interest in education, and was chairman of the Paisley School Board from its formation in 1873 up to his death. He gave £1000 to each of the five schools under the Board's control, and in the case of the last one erected he also gave the site free, with the adjoining park as a playground. Two years ago Mr Coats built, equipped, and endowed a handsome astronomical observatory, which he then handed over to the town as a gift. He leaves a widow and 10 grown-up children.