IMPROVMENTS IN EDINBURGH.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 4, Issue 177, 9 February 1860, Page 4

IMPROVMENTS IN EDINBURGH.

[From the Mercury, Sept.]

Seldom has there been so much activity iu building operations in Edinburgh and its suburbs as at present. The great and every year increasing demand for house accommodation has created an extraordinary degree of enterprise on the part of builders ; and in all directions operations for the . erection of new houses of every possible variety of style and magnitude are going on with briskness and vigour.

Within the city this enterprise is principally manifested in the erection of public edifices, and the renovation of old business establishments. In Princess-street especially there has been several houses demolished on whose sites handsomer or showier structures are to be built. The tenement which adjoined the New Club on the west has been taken down, to extend the premises of the club, and a new dining-room, drawing-room, and capacious billiard-room, will be added to the original apartments. The tenement on the east side of the Clarendon Hotel is to ;be taken down to allow of an extension of the Clarendon. Another building, a little to the west of the clarendon, has also been pulled down, and upon its site there is now being erected a. handsome edifice with an ornate, front elevation. It is intended for shops. When these buildings are finished, it will further improve the appearance of Frineesstreet.

The work of demolishing the old tenements in Shakespeare-square is rapidly approaching completion, and/in a few weeks there will not be a vestige remaining of that venerable group of which the Theatre-Royal was the centre and the chief. When the TheatreRoyal itself is to share the fate of its neighbours is not yet decided, but it must also soon be removed

In various localities throughout the city private dwelling-houses are going up with great activity, and will assist to supply the existing demand for accommodation. At St. Leonard’s there have recently been erected several handsome little cottages, with small plots of ground in front, and enclosed with iron railings. Lord Rassell Place and East Preston-street are being extended !by the erection of houses on the same plan as tlio-e already built in these localities; while a field adjoining Gilmore-place on the northwest, has been fenced for building purposes, aud the line has been traced out for a range of commodious dwelling-houses. The gap in the line of Castle-terrace, which so long detracted from the appearance of that thoroughfare is now being filled up by the erection of spacious buildings uniform with the others,

The Pittsburgh dispatch says:—“ Rev. James-Sinclair, formerly a resident in this vicinity, is now in charge-of two Presbyterian congregations on the border between North and South Carolina. He informs us that the greater portion of the population of five counties in that part of North Carolina, are of Scotch descent, and the Gaelic language is spoken even:by the slaves—some of whom understand no other. Part of his addresses are in the Gaelic, and his father is also preaching in that language in the same vicinity. Many of the ancestors of these people were driven from Scotland during the troubles of the “Pretender” or Stuart dynasty —having been pardoned under the gallows on condition of becoming exiled to the colonies of the Carolinas. Mr. Sinclair says, they are a most excellent, hospitable, quiet people.

Knighting the Loed Peovost of Edinbuegh—Her Majesty having signified her intention of conferring upon, the Lord Provost the honour of knigkthood previous to her departure from Edinburgh, the ceremony took place at Holyrood Palace last Saturday morning. The Lord Provost was in attendance at the palace at half-past 8 o’clock, and was presented to her Majesty by the Duke of Newcastle, the Secretary of State in attendance. Her Majesty having commanded the Lord Provost to kneel, the usual form was gone through, and his Lordship rose as Sir John Melville.

For.: .English residents and visitors in Spain no church but the Roman Catholic is to be found in all Spain, except at Malaga. To provide a remedy a fund is being raised, and subscriptions for the-purpose will be received at the office of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospal, Pall-mall. Duelling Exteaoedinay— A correspondent in Havanuah writes —“A Major of the rural militia, who is sixty-five years old, at Cuu.o, about four leagues from this city,

having had a quarrel with a man, a duel ensued with swords, and the old man killed his adversary, who was many years his junior ; the second of whom then took up the quarrel, and; lie, too, received his quietus at the point of the old Major’s sword; then ,a cousin of the first killed stepped forth, and he, too, was killed by the nervous arm of the old man; lastly, a friend of all the others'felt bound to avenge their deaths, but, upon receiving a rather severe wound, declared himself satisfied. The old Major, in full uniform, then came to Havannah and presented himself to the Captain-General, who ordered him to present himself to the commanding officer at the Cabanas. The commanding officer at that fortification received the old man with full military honours, did not deprive him of his • sword, but merely pointed out a room for him to occupy, and placed a guard of ‘ honour at the door. It is believed the old man’s gal- / lautry will cause his acquittal by the court before whom he will be tried.”

TnE Recent Gales.— The Liverpool Telegraph publishes a fearful list of the shipwrecks and loss of life in the first of the three recent storms —-viz., that of the 25th and 26th ult, when- there were 106 ships totally lost, the entire ciues; of twenty-nine of which were drowned, fifteen partially and sixty-two wholly saved. It takes no note of those driven on shore or otherwisedamaged. The Lloyd’s List on Tuesday gives also a fearful account from upwards of fifty ports of the effects of the second gale amongst the shipping on various parts of the coast. The hurricane on Sunday and Monday did considerable damage iu the metropolitan districts south of the Thames, destroying chimney stacks, park palings, and trees. /Several shipwrecks are reported on the eastern coast with considerable loss of life : at Winterton nine corpses were washed on shore. On Monday the Austrian barque the Tyrol, from the Sulina to Liverpool, was caught in the storm which then burst forth, and, after taking on board a Liverpool pilot, was driven ashore on the Burbo Bank, close to the Cheshire coast. Not a soul escaped. The Royal National Life-boat Institution . has everywhere signalised itself during the last fortnight ip the noble aid it has afforded in the cause of humanity.

The Election Commission.— After sitting eighteen days the Gloucester Commission was adjourned on/Saturday last for a week, the court in which they held their sittings being required for the Gloucester Quarter Sessions. The commission hoped to bring their proceedings to a close within a few days after tney reassembled on the 22nd instant, (to-dayln the course of the inquiry Sir R. Carden was examined. He admitted that he had' paid £4115 in 1857, and .£2545 in 1859. After the disclosures made in the court he was no longer of opinion that his last election was a pure one. Sir Maurice Berkeley was examined. Ilis evidence extended over many years. The gist of it was that he had always resisted and frustrated bribery, but that lie believed a portion of the constituency of Gloucesteiv—chiefly the old freemen—is corrupt. He recommends that punishment should, reach Ihe rich briber. From the report of the Wakefield Commissioners it appears that women were active bribers. The price of a vote ranged from £ls to £SO. The bribing business was conducted openly. Witnesses declared Wakefield to be the most corrupt constituency in.tlie kingdom. Bribes were called ‘ sugar’ and ‘ pills.’ Mr. Leatham, the ousted member, explained how he had been treated. He intrusted his affairs to one Wainwright, wha introduced him to Gilbert under the name of ‘Field.’ Wainright got from him, by Instalments, £3200. When Leatham, noticing many strange things, asked for an explanation, Wainright said, “ You must leave this to me, and ask no questions. You must give the command of a another £ 1000, though I don’t think I shall want it.” Mr. Charlesworth, the Tory candidate, said he had heard that his expenses were £BOOO. The inquiry continues.

The inhabitants of Dundalk, Ireland, in a public meeting, have resolved to present their townsman, Captain M‘Clintock, with a tesmonial.

Marshal MacMahon, on his late arrival at Lille, received an Irish deputation, who presented him, “in the name of Ireland,” with a gold medal. Another monster pastoral from Archbishop Cullen was read on Sunday in all the Roman Catholic chapels in Dublin. It touches upon all the old topics—national educuation, proselytising, the perilous position of the Popedom, and abuse of the revolutionary party in Italy. The ex-Royal family of France are still in Ireland. They dined with the Lord-Lieuten-ant on Monday and Tuesday, and *with him have visited the national schools. They have spent some weeks at Killarney. An old gentleman of 84 having taken to the altar a damsel of about 16,- the clergyman said to him—-“ The font is at the other end of the church, sir.” “ What do I want of the font ?” asked the old gentleman. “01 beg your pardon,” said the clerical wit,“ I thoukgt you had brought this child to be christened”’