Our Home Letter.

Otago Witness, Issue 1462, 22 November 1879, Page 6

Our Home Letter.

SCOTLAND.

(FBOM OUR OWN OOBEESPOND^NT.) Edinburgh, September 25th.

Things in Scotland are very dull just now, from a co-respondent's point of view, and what items of news there are to chronicle are of a more or less depressing character, as a rule. Writing under such circumstances, therefore, is a cheerless task, and the more so ■when a correspondent knows that, in spite of his being a mere chronicler and not a manufacturer of news, his readers will visit the dullness of the times upon him, and grumble at, rather than sympathise with, him. Perhaps the chief item of Edinburgh intelligence is the holding here, throughout last week, of the twelfth annual Trades Congress. The delegates numbered over a hundred, and represented about 90 societies, with a membership of half a million. The meetings were held in the Odd-Fellows' Hall, Forest road, under the presidency of Mr David Gibson, chairman of the Edinburgh Trades Council, whose opening address dwelt chiefly upon the reduction of wages by employers and the benefits of trade unions. It would be a dreary business even to enumerate the chief topics discussed at the daily meetings, and the discuisions themselves were usually of a very monotonous character, every speaker seeming to feel himself bound to abuse employers and praise and pity the employed. Occasionally, the personal jealousies of the delegates — which were found to be neither few nor weak — would break out, and some hot language would be indulged in, but as a rule the speeches were simply tiresome.' The delegates themselves seenfed to think so, for at' one of the sittings the complaint was made that not a few of the representatives, instead of attending the meetings, were enjoying themselves by seeing the sights oE Edinburgh. Doubtless the Congress haß considerable influence among a section of the working classes, for some of its members are well-known demagogues, but the mode of speech adopted by them is certainly not calculated to gain for their body the sympathy of the outside world, who seemed to look upon the Congress as furnishing a fair illustration of what an Irish Home Rule Parliament would be. One of the leading delegates seemed to be alive to the fact that the organisation to Which he belonged, was unpopular because it was undisguisedly selffish, and urged that trade unions should extend their sympathies, but his remarks led to no step being taken in that direction. Ifc is not likely that trade unions will grow in general favour until they are sot free from the incubus of leaders who can only maintain their positions and emoluments by playing upon the ignorance and the passions of the men who have too long been their tools.

Evidence only too conclusive of the wretched state of trade in Scotland is afforded by the half-yearly reports of the leading Scotch railways, whioh have been issued since I last wrote. The Caledonian finds itself only able to pay a dividend of 2£ per cent, for the sis: menths ending 31st July, the dividend declared for the corresponding period of 1878 being 4£ per cent.; and similarly the Glabgow and South- Western shows a fall in dividend from 3& to 2f per cent. In the last three years and a-halt the dividend of the Caledonian has fallen from 7i to 6£ per cent., and lite stook from 133 to 90. The latest decline in the revenue has been caused wholly by a falling off in the traffic reoeipts, which have decreased by no less than £102,764, as compared with the corresponding six months of last year. The decrease has taken place in all the departments of the Company's business, but most of all in the passenger traffic, which is explained at once by the great Bcarcity of money to spend in travelling experienced by all classes, and the exceptional inclemency of last winter. The North British is in an even worse plight than its great rival. A year ago it declared a dividend on its ordinary dividend of 2£ per cent., and Bix months ago one of 3| percent., whereas now it is obliged to declare bo dividend at all, either on its ordinary stock or on its 1879 5 per cent, preference stock, and only 2£ per cent, on its 1875 4£ per cent, preference stock. The gross revenue of the six months shows a decrease of £106,638, while there is an increase of £20,480 in the gross working expenses. As in the case of the Caledonian, the passenger traffic is mainly responsible for the unfavourable state of things, and it is precisely the part of a railway system of working on which it ia most difficult to effect any retrenchment, as any reduction in the number of trains run is sure to create a great outcry from the general public, of whom the shareholders of any company of course form a very small fraction. Both companies have been meditating a reduction of the wages of their employees, and the outline of a scheme by which the servants of the North British would have their pay reduced by rates varying from five to 10 per cent, was published a short time' ago. It is now stated that no reductions of wages or salaries will be made in the meantime, though it was calculated that the proposed scheme would effected a saving to the Company of nearly £50,000, drawn from the pockets of about 12,500 employees of all grades. The directors of the Caledonian Company have also resolved to defer resorting to thip very unpopular method of reducing expenses, and there is the more reason for their doing so, seeing that many of the Company's servants had to submit to | a reduction of the kind some months ago. If trade does not improve, however, the step will have to be taken.

Some of the smaller railway companies, as not unfrequently happens, seem to be doing batter than the great concerns. The Glasgow City Union Railway Company, for example, has declared a dividend of five per cent., and the Wemyss Bay Railway Company will declare one of 5J per cent. Perhaps it is Buch facts as these, added to the undoubtedly pressing necessities of the case, which have led to the initiation of a movement for the construction of a railway to connect the western districts of Glasgow more directly with Dumbartonshire. At present the service is by an exceedingly roundabout route, and it 'is felt that an improvement must be made,- and a large pro-

visional committee has accordingly been appointed to consider the scheme. This proposes the construction of a line from Yoker to the new terminus of the Caledonian railway in Bothwell street, Glasgow, with connections to the existing lines to the west of the city. The cost of the trunk line is estimated at £603,000, and that of the connections at £400,000. There is also some talk of making a line to compete with this one from the North British station at Queen street, with stations at Elmbank crescent, Minerva street, and Dumbarton road. It will be appropriate to mention here that Edinburgh has now been for somo weeks in possession of a new sub ■ urban service started by the Caledonian Rail* way Company. Trains now run from their station in the Lothian road, via Coltbridge and Murrayfield to Granton, Newhaven, and North Leith, and are likely to meet with good support, especially in the summer months, from the inhabitants of the still rapidly-growing west end of this city. Reverting to the subject of the reduotion of. salaries, I note that the Town Clerk and Treasurer of Govan a few days ago spontaneously offered an abatement of 10 per cent, on their salaries, to help to meet the deficiency in the revenue of the burgh caused by the dull times. The offer was accepted by the Town Council with thanks, and it is likely that a similar reduction will be made in the rates of pay of the other officials of the burgh, where things are in a very low state. The unemployed in Glasgow, even at this season, are estimated to number 30,000, and the authorities have already been making plans for meeting the increased distress whioh is sure to prevail as soon as winter sets in. A sad case of the kind, which came to light last week, has attracted compassionate notice. A man was found lying in a close dying of starvation, and was taken to a police-station, where food restored him sufficiently to enable him to tell his Btory. He was an engineer, and had been out of work for 10 months. He had known great want, and had been several days without food of any kind when he was picked up. It is to be feared his is by no means a aolitary oase, pitiable as it is. It is some satisfaction to put alongside this the fact that crime is lobs in Scotland just now than for some time past, which is doubtless largely owing to the inability of the lower olasses to buy as much drink as in more prosperous times. In Glasgow the number of arrests for drunkenness, assaults, &c, is muoh below the average, and the calendars at the Circuit Courts, just held throughout Scotland, have been unusually light. At Aberdeen and Dumfries there were maiden assizes — an event unprecedented in the history of the former town. At the same time it must be remembered that want as well drunkenness breeds crime, and if the coming winter proves severe, I should not be surprised to see this truth exemplified. What oan be expected of men who are only earning 4s 6d a week, as I was told the other day was the case with the coal-miners near Dalkeith, at the present time ? A number of colliers from Fife and Clackmannan have recently left for Australia and New Zealand, but these are among the better-to-do of their class, and those left behind are the poorest, and therefore the moat dangerous. Further emigration of coal-miners to the United States, urged by Mr M 'Donald, M. P., has received a check by the urgent representations made by their brethren there, that there is no work for them at the American coal-fields, and that under the new Tramp Act they are liable to arrest and imprisonment if they travel about the country asking for work. It is impossible not to feel keenly for men to whom every avenue of hope seems thus to be dosed.

Judge Bathgate was entertained to dinner on the 23 rd instant, in the Tontine Hotel, Peebles, by a number of his friends in that town and neighbourhood. The chair was occupied by Sir Graham Montgomery, vicelieutenant of Peeblesshire, and M.P. for the county, and Judge Bathgate's health was proposed by ex-Provost Stirling. Later in the evening Judge Bathgate proposed " The Agricultural Interest," and in doing so gave a luoid and tellisg description of the great inducements held out by New Zealand to farmers. lam muoh mistaken if his manner of setting these forth does not induce many of that class — honest, industrious, experienced men, who are struggling for a bare existence in the very hard circumstances which now attond their lot in this country — to emigrate to a land which offers them such comfort, and that on such reasonable terms. To reach this class of men Judge Bathgate's visit is admirably timed, while his capabilities as a Jeeturer are sure to be appreciated by them. I expect some fruit Boon from his efforts, but more as time goes od, and cautious Scotchmen have time to weigh his statements, and mako arrangements for a change of countries. The best emigrants are not usually those who are in the greatest hurry to be off, and this is especially the case with farmers. For a report of Mr Bathgate's speech I must refer you to yesterday's Scotsman, whioh devotes a column and a-half of small print to a report of the proceedings at the dinner. The personalty of the late Mr Alexander Whitelaw, of Gartsherrie, and M.P. for Glasgow, has been sworn under £692,307, while his real estate is valued at £300,000. Mrs Whitelaw receives £5000 a year out of the property, and of the nine children of the deceased, the four sons get about £100,000 each, and the five daughters about £50,000 each. The landed estates go to the eldest son.

The Knox Monument Committee have been energetically pushing on with their endeavours to raise a fund for the erection of a statue to Knox in Edinburgh, as well aa with the other arrangements. They have accepted a design for the statue by Mr D. W. Stevenson, A.RS.A.,of Edinburgh, representing Knox in his Geneva oap and gown, in the attitude of preaching, and pointing with his finger to a Bible lying open before him on a desk of the period of the great Reformer. If funds admit, figures of Patrick Hamilton, George Wishart, George Buchanan, and Andrew Melville will be placed at the four corners of the pedestal. The site fixed upon for tha monument is in Parliament square, at the west side of St. Giles 1 , and facing the High street. The Committee have resolved to send an engraving representing tho proposed monument, together with, a subscription sohedule, to

every minister of every denomination in the United Kingdom, the Colonies, and the United States, As all this effort is to raise a paltry sum of £2000, of whioh they have already got a fourth, the Committee would seem to be not very sanguine of receiving liberal support for their scheme. Truth compels me to add that, here at least, their chances of support have been much diminished by the disagreeable spirit in which they have met all suggestions, or oritioisms and to their having made it only too apparent thab they wish (to quote the secretary's own language) to "monumentally commemorate" themselves quite as much as Enox. In view of this, and of the paltry affair whioh, in the face of numerous protestations, they regard as a fitting memorial rjo Knox, it is to be hoped that Scotchmen in Otago, at all events, will not aid and abet them by giving their scheme any support. It is felt by all patriotic Scots that an Edinburgh monument to Knox should be on a national scale, and that it is a scandal to reduce him to the level of the disreputable Charles 11. and George IV., or evea to that of such respectable mediocrities as Allan Ramsay and* Adam Black. A suggestion has been made to take Lord Melville's statue off his column in St. Andrew's square and replace it by a statue of Knox, but this would hardly do. That Lord Melville has been honoured ridiculously beyond Mb merits iB undoubtedly true ; but it would be small honour to Knox to make him play the part of a cuckoo. If there is not money enough to spare just now for a memorial really worthy of Knox, it will be much hotter to wait till better times, and until the movement is inaugurated by men who think less of themselves and more of the man whom they profess to wish to honour. Talking of this, a statue of King Robert the Bruce was unveiled at Lochmaben, on September 13 ;b, in the presence of thousands of Spectator*, but the proceedings were much chilled by knowledge of the fact that of the £300 which the {statue had ooßt, only £120 had been collected. A good deal of ridicule has been cast upon the promoters for erecting a monument to the Bruoe on oredifc.

The foundation-stone of a new lunatic asylum for Dundee was laid on the 17th inst., with Masonic honours, by Lord Ramsay, R.W.G.M. of the Grand Lodge of Forfarshire. The building is situated at West Green, five miles from Dundee, and commands a magnificent view. It will measure 600 feet by 300 feet, and be two Btoreyg high. It will accommodate 300 pauper and 70 private patients, and its total cost will be £60,000. A new lunatic asylum for Dundee has been a necessity for some time, the old one being both overcrowded and built in by other buildings. The Edinburgh Daily Keview has published Borne tables setting forth the amount of the revenue voluntarily raised last year by each congregation in Midlothian connected with the three leading Pcesbyterian bodies, and the results thus arrived at are not without interest. They may be tabulated as follows :—: —

No. of No. of Communi- Amount raised. Churches. cints. Established ..78 .. 48,258 .. £46,060 19 7 Free ..66 .. 28,414 .. 68,850 14 10J U.P. ..60 .. 24,867 .. 66,161 1 8 The amount of State help received by the Established Church was £10,354. An examination of the tables shows that the members of that Church are very niggardly in their contributions for benevolent purposes, which represent the freewill offerings pure and simple, apart from seat rents. Some of the oases are simply scandalous. For example, St David's Parish Church, Gardner's Crescent, is put down as having 1104 communicants, who jointly contributed to the ten schemes of the Church the noble amount of £2 1 The minister of this church, Mr Webster, is noted as an advocate and personal supporter of theatres, dancing, and the like, whioh most ministers feel it their duty to oppose. Perhaps his flock, acting upon his advioe, spend all their money in theatres and dancing-rooms, and so have none to devote to the cause of religion. Bucoleuch Parish Church, Edinburgh, is about as bad, for- its 497 communicants only raised £1 between them for the ten different objects which the Church of Scotland collects money for, and which include missions, — Home, Foreign, Colonial, Continental, and Jewish, — education, &o. All these matters were considered by these two 'churches, with their 1501 communicants, to be worth £3 of their money. They are the worst, but' several other congregations are also convicted by the return of the grossest meanness, nothing approaching which is to be found in the figures relating to the churches of the other two denominations, so that the explanation is not to be found in the hardness of the times.

After a good deal of shilly-shallying, Mr Maorae has definitely announced his resignation of his Gourock charge, much to the chagrin of that bellicose congregation, which feels rather Billy at the position in which it now finds itself, and Mr Maorae is much less warmly spokan of ia Gourook than he was a month ago. He will not give a definite answer yet to the School Wynd congregation in Dundee, from which he has received a call, but the probability iB he will accept this call, if his health does not prevent him from doing so. This congregation is also in a rather uncomfortable position, in consequence of the Presbytery having censured its session for taking part in the movement, to get Mr Macrae as minister of the church, after the Synod had deprived him of his office as a minister of the United Presbyterian Church. At a meeting held a few days ago, the session resolved not to enter the Presbytery's censure in its minute-book, but the resolution was only carried by a majority of one, after a warm debate. The Presbytery, at a meeting held next day, adopted a motion which was practically another vote of censure on the session, and instructed the latter "to embody in their minutes the motion which was lost, as the only constitutional findiDg at which the session could arrive in the matter." The battle is still proceeding. The ob'tuary record of the month includes the following deatks : — Mr Charles Alexander, of Easter Knowe, Stobo, Peebleeshire, died towards the beginning of the month ; aged 56. As an agriculturist he was not only prominent in the district in which lie lived, but; well known over a. rough lar ge

area to those interested in agricultural and pastoral matters. He was the last male representative of a family whioh has been identified with Sbobo for 400 years.— Mr Mark Boyd, of Merton Hall, Wigtonßhire, a gentleman well known throughout Galloway, died at his London residence on September 12th ; aged 75. In 1851 he succeeded his brother, who was murdered by natives when on a cruise in his yacht among the South Sea Islands. Mr Mark Boyd was the author of the well-known book, " Personal Recollections of Half a Century," among which are some of the early days of Duuedin. He married the widow of the once noted " Romeo Coates."— The Rev. Dr Fraser, of the Fr«e Middle Church, Paisley, died a few days ago, in the 61st year of his age and the 31st of his ministry. Only in my last letter I mentioned the fact of his having been pre-

aented with £2000 by his people. He was originally a teacher of eminence in the Normal Schools in Glasgow, but on his siding with the Free Church at the Disruption he was turned out of his place, and thereafter entered the ministry. Besides being a widely-known and successful pastor, he was distinguished for his scientific attainments, to which, and to his zeal in the cause of science, Paisley owes much. .It was largely through his influence that Sir Peter Coats presented a museum to the towa. Dr Fraser leaves a widow, five sons, and three daughters to mourn their lobs. — Another person men* tioned in my last letter has also died Binoe that left. I refer to Mrs Duncan, of CouparAngus, who was 107 years of age, and was believed to be the oldest woman in Sootland.

The managers of the Royal Infirmary have been disappointed in their endeavours to get either the Queen or the Prince of Waleß to open the new buildings of that institution next month, and they 'are now communioating with the Duke of Edinburgh to «cc if he will perform the ceremony. Should he also return, an unfavourable reply, the Lord Pro- . vest will open the buildings : and he is certainly the moat appropriate person to do so, as he ha« done far more for them than have any of the Royal personages named. The Royal family, from her Majesty downwards, have a well-known dislike, for Edinburgh, , which they avoid as much as -they oan, and < the citizens are a little sore about this matter in consequence. It would not hare been inappropriate for the Prince of Wales to have opened a building whose foundation' • stone he laid ; but as at that time he was subjected to audible and unpleasant remarks regarding Lady Mordaunt, 'and was once hissed in the streets, his present refusal is ■ not to be wondered at.' The managers of the, Infirmary are meanwhile .energetically pushing on with a -view to,, having the patients transferred" to the new buildings ' before the opening of the University session in the first week of November. ' Inverary Oaßtle has been reocoupied during the past month by the Duke of Argyll and his family, after an absenoe of nearly two years. The damage done by the fire has been quite restored, and a considerable addition has also been made to the accommodation, though at the cost, some say, of a good deal of architectural effect.

Old Edinburgh residents will be interested to know that the well-known Princes street firm of booksellers, Messrs Edmonston and Co. , have been obliged to call a meeting of their creditors. According to a circular issued by the firm, their assets exceed their liabilities by £2700, exclusive of goodwill ; but in consequence of pressure by a principal creditor they have been obliged to place their affairs under tiust. The trustee selected is Mr T. Whitson, C.A., of the firm of Lindsay, Jamieson, and Haldane. The firm of Edmonston and Co. was constituted about two years ago on the dissolution of partnership of the firm of Edmonston and Douglas, known to every Edinburgh man, and occupied the premises in which the latter firm so long carried on their business. A disgraceful disturbance took place on the 10th inst. in the northern district of Glasgow. A large number of roughs accompanied the band which played before the judges on their way to the Cirouit Court at Maryhill, and called for certain party tunes, but their requests were not acceded to. The roughs accordingly attacked the band on its return, and severely handled some cf its members. ■ They then took possession of the highway, and pelted with stones every vehicle that passed, injuring the passengers by the omnibus to and from Glasgow. They also seized a milkman's cart and ran the milk into the road, emptied the contents of a bread- van into the road also, and wound up by entering a, number of shops, especially those in which articles of food were sola, where they pilfered largely, and [wantonly destroyed what they could not carry away. Two of the ringleaders, mere lads, were at length taken into custody, and order restored by the city police, who expect to be^able to make further arrests. The number of the rioters exceeded 500.

Two Dundee town councillors, named respectively Cowan and Gentle, have been figuring inpublicinan anything but creditable manner. It seems that after a meeting of the Town Council, a number of its members adjourned to a public-house and continued to discuss the proceedings of the evening. Eventually, Cowan's health was drunk, and when he was returning thanks he received ■ on the left ear a blow, which he described as " very unexpected and very stinging." It turned out that his remarks had not been altogether complimentary to Gentle, who took this ungentla way of revenging himself. For the defence it was alleged that the " blow " was a mere push given in the midst of proceedings whioh Were pervaded with a considerable amount of fun. The Sheriff seemed to think that both parties were to blame, and »o awarded the plaintiff (who claimed £50) a shilling as damages, and ultimately ordered him to pay the costs of the action. The vhole incident speaks little for the municipal rulers of a large town like Dundee, and is much more in keeping with the petty squabble! of some of the poky little boroughs which are seldom heard of except in connection witi such occurrences, e.g. Pittenweem.

Immense swarms of§butierflies have passed over central Europe, a plagie of grasshoppers has appeared in America, sad a regiment of Russian soldiers was stopped on its maroh aad foroed to retire before aa invading army of locusts.