SCOTLAND.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 5, Issue 230, 11 April 1861, Page 4

SCOTLAND.

'("From our own Correspondent.)

■Edinburgh, Jan. 24,1861. We have had onr usual New Fear's festivities—.some of them of a very proper kind, others very shocking and irrational. /lie day Was such as to allow people to venture forth into the streets, and the enjoyment seemed to Ire general and hearty. Since my last the severe frost has made Curling the order of the day, and those who are fond of that manly and bracing game have had ample opportunity of gratifying themselves. Onr streets have been in a woful plight, and ioud and long-continued have been the complaints, hi which I believe the poor oab horses Would have heartily joined, against those in •authority for neglecting them. We have had a number of very exoiting meetings of late—two of them in reference to an object of which 1 have spoken so often, that I would not. have referred to it again, had it not been that those meetings are worthy of special notice; X mean the Annuity tax. Our representatives, Black and the Ijord Advocate, called a meeting of their constituents on Monday, the 24th of last month, to an account of their stewardship—Amt the great topic of the day was the Annuity tax. It was thought, and still is, by many of the inhabitants, that our members had acted treacherously in this matter, and feeling ran very high. It was heightened by a report that the meeting was to be paoked by the special friends of the members. Whether this were *o or not, certain it is, the large public hall, capable of containing upwards of 2000 people, was crowded, and a very uproarious meetiug was held. , The honorable gentlemen with the utmost difficulty obtained a hearing, and were much interrupted, and-at last escaped a vote of censure by the Lord Provost, who was in the chair, saying, that “he thought” the number of hands held up was in their favour. Another meeting nearly as large was held lately, and the conduct of the members unsparingly condemned. Some say they will lose their seats ; others say, no. We will not vaticinate-—time will tell. The other meeting to which I refer was

held in the Music //all also, in connection with the Cardross case. This is the case of Mr. McMillan, who was minister of the Free church of Cardross, near Glasgow, and who was deposed from the office of the ministry by the Free Church Assembly, on the grounds of immoral and indecent conduct. This man appealed to Caesar, and by doing so has excited quite a stir throughout the country. He says that in the manner of his deposition the Assembly broke their own rules, and thus

violated faith with him; and ou this ground claims damages. The point at issue now is, whether a Civil Court has the right to review and reverse the decision of an Ecclesiastical. Court, that Court having no connection with Government. It seems as if the Lords of

Eession were inclined to say yes; and the other dissenting Churches are united with the Free Church to fight the battle of religious freedom. Leading ministers of all the dissenting bodies addressed the meeting in very able and elaborate speeches, which were listened to with deepest interest ami most heartily applauded by the largest audience ever convened vrithin the hall. It was most densely crowded, and multitudes were unable to gain admission. Had I .been writing from Glasgow or M an-

cliester, I would have been telling you how

the crisis in the United Slates and the mis- i ' management of the Bank of France, have made things very unsteady and money very dear. < But in Edinburgh we feel these things comparatively little. Our city does not live by trade, h'c cannot help, however, looking ■with deepest interest on the contest that is now being waged across the Atlantic. The United States seem to be reaching a most important epoch in their history. But these heavings and convulsions show only the more clearly how' deeply rooted is the national evil ~-or “ institution ” as it is called —of slavery, and how difficult will be the work of liberation. But at whatever cost we saylet the oppressed go free. //aving made peace wbh China and obtained compensation for our trouble, we have now lime to consider the maori war; we have been all very much shocked and chagrined at the incompetency of the commanders. Now, however, we rejoice to hear that a signal victory has been gained, and the leading chief finally removed beyond the reach of doing harm. I hop® by this time you are all quiet again. Certainly, had affairs been at all properly managed, peace might have been restored long ere this. The accounts of mismanagement are positively grievous and scarcely to be believed. It would seem as if little children or old wives commanded British soldiers in New Zealand. It is said that the abolition of the passport system in France was hastened at the request of the Empress, who thus gracefully acknowledged the kindness which she everywhere received in her progress through this fine countiy, AUSTRIA. . j

Austiua, referring to the proposed sale ofj Veuitia, hasdeclared that she will not “ barter: lier honour, against cash.” She is willing: enough, however, to do this in reference to! Venetian dividends; or rather a premonitory symptom of her bankruptcy may be seen in her I announcement that in Veuitia, where hitherto a metallic curency has prevailed, Vienna Bank notes (which are worth what they will fetch from a purchaser of waste-paper) will have a forced currency on aud after the first day of January. Count Ladislaus Teuf.ki, arrested in jSaxony, at the instigation of Austria, as a

politic il, offender, has been released by the Emperor Francis Joseph, after a personal interview, in which, it is said , the Count promised to conduct himself as a faithful subject. His,arrest in Saxony,'as a violation of the general practice, if not the law, of European nations as to political refugees, had excited great indignation; but his release, though satisfactory, does not, from the circumstance of his submiting himself so fully to ‘ Imperial demands, compensate for the original outrage of which Austria was the prompter, and Saxony the instrument.

There is at present a most active and extensive system ol recruiting for Hungary going on in Naples, under the direction of Hungarian officers, who have either remained in or come to Naples for this special purpose. Almost all the officers of the late Garibaldian army who have enlisted are promoted a step in this Hungarian corps. Generals Turr ‘and Eber, who are both at Milan, are likewise actively engaged in recruiting for Hungary. Milan indeed may be considered as the Hungarian headquarters, but both the Neapolitan and Milanese recruits receive instructions to repair to Constantinople as the common spot of rendezvous. Almost the whole of Eber’s brigade has enlisted for Hungary. This is likewise the case with the battalion formerly belonging to Turr’s division commanded by Major Tanara. The corps of Garibaldi’s Guides remains at Naples, were it would seem that Colonel Missori awaits the orders and, at the fitting moment, the arrival of Garibaldi. The-general recruiting for a Hungarian campaign, likely to take place at a very early period, is openly carried on.

The introduction of the notes of the Austrian Bank into Venetia has greatly increased the political ferment in chat unhappy country, /lie tradespeople have already two prices; the one is reasonable enough, the other is exorbitant. If purchasers of goods offer to pay in silver, the value of the article, with a small profit attached is asked , but if they proffer Austrian paper, the tradesman raises his prices soma 60 per cent. Is it possible that ‘such a state of things can last long.;? HOLLAND. A correspondent of th e Daily News, dating //msterdam, January 9, writes,—“ The great enemy of Holland—water, has again put forth its strength, and broken down the dams which] protected households and farms from its de-l vastations. The enormous masses of snow I which have lately fallen have swollen the rivers! to a fearful extent, and the streams, impeded! in their course by the vast accumulations ofj ice which have formed in different parts of the] principal rivers, have burst their artificial bar-J riers, and iii their destructive career swept) away houses, trees, and cattle, /he wretched! inhabitants of the inundated districts, driven! from their homes naked and foodless in this! inclement season, are ip a state of destitution! scarcely conceivable by those whose happy • privilege it is ‘to live at home at ease.’ They never had much, but what tiiey had is irrevocably lost; and were it not for public charity, they must die of cold and starvation. The uudrowned cattle have collected in the higher localities, whence it is impossible to. rescue them, so that they remain within the narrow compass of a dam-top, till, stiffened with cold,! they drop dead, /he whole scene is described! as heart-rending—beyond the power of words! to describe. Liberal subscriptions are pouring; in from all parts of the country for the relief) of the poor creatures suffering from this great] calamity, which, I am sorry to add, is extend-j ing in every direction.” - j

PRUSSIA

The death of the King will leave' his brother, the Prinoe of Prussia—who has been Regent of the kingdom since October, 1858, and now succeeds to the throne —thoroughly! free to act on his own responsibility, which, the influence of the Queen, and a too nice deference to ideas of what was due to his; brother’s policy, are alleged to have hitherto; partially restrained him from doing. His son, the nephew of the late monarch, Prince Fre-derick-William, will now become the Princei of Prussia, and direct heir- to the throne, towards which the daughter of our Queen is thus also brought another step nearer. The late King, Frederick-William the Fourth, was a remarkable example of iho fatal effects of want of decision of cliaraoter in a ruler. He was in many respects an able, and, in regard to art and letters, a highly accomplished man ; but as a. sovereign, his infirmity of will neutralised all his other good qualities, and rendered his reign unsatisfactory; in the extreme to his own people, and the position of his kingdom inglorious in its relations to foreign powers. . The same vacilla tion which caused him to dabble iu constitutionalism at home, and so to tamper with the hopes and expectations of his subjects as ultimately to deprive them of all respect for his promises or purposes, pervaded his foreign policy both on the occasion of the grand European crisis of 1848-9, and at the epoch of the Russian war, /n the former case Prussia chad many chances of placing herself at the [head of the Constitutional and Liberal party jin Germany, and throughout Continental Eujrope, in contrast to the despotic and repressive ‘policy of Austria, all of which were allowed •to slip through the feeble fingers of the King. In regard to the Eastern war, the personal ! consideration that the late Empress of Russia was bis Majesty’s sister, naturally influenced him towards refraining from taking any active part with the Allies; but there again, he could scarcely be got to. declare even his ultimate course of neutrality, and long erabar rassed the Powers by appearing to give signs of a willingness to join their alliance.

A proc!hniat!Bn : 'of King; JTillium I, dated 7th January, is published. It commences by paying a feeling tribute to the virtues of the departed King, to whom Prussia owes so, much of her present greatness. It proceeds :■—“ 1 remain faithful to the traditions of my house in proposing to myself the mission;of elevating and strengthening the patriotic spirit of :my people. ‘ I will consolidate and build up the rights of the State on: their historical basis; and I wi.l maintain the institutions which King Frederick-William IV. has -brought.into life. Faithful tolhe oatli T took on assuming the Eegeucy, I shall protect the Constitution and the laws of the kingdom. May I, by the merciful aid of God, succeed in leading Prussia to new honors ! My duty towards Prussia coincides with my duty towards Germany. As a German Prince, I am bound to : strengthen Prussia position’-which, accprding to her glorias history h'rftll the development of her military: 6rffjwßsi<k, slie.jmlist, for 'tfie good of all German}, occupy among the German States. Confidence;in the peace of Europe is shaken, but I shall endeavour to preserve the blessings of pea*e, gangers may, nevertheless, arise for Prussia and Germany. May the courage which trusts in God, and which has animated Prussia in her great periods, then manifest itself in me and in my people, and raay the latter then stand firm.by my side, and; follow. me with faithfulness, obedience, and perseverance ! ” SPAIN.

Prince josn op Bourbon renews his claims to the throne.of Spain, and represents-..that country as being in a deplorable state. The Epoca asserts that the Moors are making great efforts to collect the necessary funds fur the payment of the second instalment of the indemnity. Extensive inundations have taken, place in Spain, causing great devastation.

The Clamor Publico; m the name of the Liberal party, expresses great satisfaction at the appointment of Sir J. Cramptor. as English Minister at Madrid, The Espana states that Messrs de Rothschild have refused so comply with a request addressed to them by the Emperor of Morocco to make - him a loan sufficient to pay the indemnity due to Spain. The same journal complains that large quantities of French 2QrV pieces have been I introduced into the' country, and Circulate ! freely, and that silver coin lias been given for j them. On the birthday of the Princess Dona j Maria de la Conception, the Queen gave 1 60,000 reals to the poor of Madrid, and held a reception in the Palace. Her Majesty also presented a sum of 40,000 reals to the suffeivrfrom the inundations in Granada. The Senate had devoted another kitting to tlio debate on the bill on military .prfimoi ions, and had once more adjourned the discussion. The Discussion, referring to the abolition of passports in France in favour of the English, recommends that the Spanish Government shall adopt a similar measure for Frenchmen in Spain, in order to obtain a like concession for Spaniards in France. ’

The Madrid journals. publish: a letter, addressed by Abd-el-Kader to a Spaniard of his acquaintance, in which he expresses thanks for the sympathy‘ which the Spanish press lm> manifested for him. In this epistle the Emir indulges in philosophical reflections. 4 Among other things, lie says that “from the profound experience he has acquired in the course of years, lie perceives that nothing in this world is equal to complete tranquillity that “ the power is 'a torment, and that whoever accepts it will perhaps 1 have reason to repent at the last judgment; ” that it is-“ like a waxlcahdlfe, because it consumes itself whilst lighting others, ” &c.

TUNIS The Bey of Tunis has promulgated a constitution ! Taxes are to be proportional, aud none are exempt from them. Liberty of worship is assured, which is a great relief to the Jews, who are numerous in the Beylick. The conscription is established ; the army is to be recruited by ballot, aud the term of service fixed. Trade is free, and the Government renounces all-kinds of commercial tr msactions. A tribunal of commerce is to be established, composed half of Mussulmans and half of the j subjects of friendly Powers. Lastly, the right of purchasing and possessing landed property is secured to foreigners. TURKEY. French emissaries - are most active among the Christian populationsof ■- Turkey. T-IPe non-Catlibliiy Are' utgecl to join the Latin church, m' ! 6rder to claim ;the protectorate of France. As this is not; confined to Turkey, the Porte will have enough bn its hands. The fact of agencies being* also employed in Germany is one which has been more than once stated, and which there is now good reason to believe. - * ■*'

Z’he Jeddah claims have been definitively settled. They are to be paidjin full in Turkish consols at 53. :

The Grand Vizier’s report on the Foumelia mission has been published. The Vizier declares that the complaints - were exaggerated. The Christians, he says, are not exceptionally oppressed, but the Greek clergy are much to blame. . •

A commission of inquiry, under the Presidency of Ethem Pacha, is to be named for Minor. - .

The 5 money : iiidrk6t-is still depressed. The Bulgarians have commenced seceding from Catholicism on account of the refusal of the Porte to graut separate Patriarchates. The Pope has recalled Omar Pacha from exile, and has appointed him Commander-in-Chief of the army which, is, to be concentrated on the Pauitb®.

Curious Social Customs in Iceland.— Commander Forbes, in his recently published account of Iceland, says that lie had arrived at the home of the chief resident of an outlying place in Iceland, whither he had been specially recommended. Here he was attended by the daughters of his host, three very pleasant young Indiesj upon whom lie oestows the very suggestive names of Lively, Blithespeech, and Chatterbox : •

the eldest daughter, soon entered to exercise her prerogative of putting the sti’anger to bed, and, / am bound tosay, she peeled me with a rapidity and dexterity somewhat astounding. My host now gave me his blessing and departed. Feeling somewhat abashed and embarrassed at my unprotected state, 1 blew out tlie light and slipped into bed, not knowing what other ordeal might be entailed upon me. The ladies, then retired ; but, as I was on the point of dozing off, I became aware of the presence of these angels by their whisperings, and recognised the voices of Blithespeech and Chatterbox, whp, apparently doubtful , of my locality, satisfied themselves tangibly and retired. “ Having broken my shins over a threeleggeJ stool in a futile attempt to fasten the door and -prevent further intrusion, I composed myself once more-; hut Blithespeech soon appeared lamp in hand, followed by her sisters, respectively armed with a bowl of; milk'and a bottle of brandy; the former was. by my bedside Lively thrust the i latter under my pillow,-and, bestowing a mostunsentimental kiss, departed.” . | In Iceland, however, the ladies enjoy privi-j leges not commonly, enjoyed by the sex in other parts of the world : - , “ Gentlemen sometimes exchanged estate, live stock, and. wife.. 7f the latter disapproved of the proceeding, the law courts were avail able, and, as the statutes -were all in favour of the ladies, they, never failed to have their own way. Z’lkir property being, in all cases, secured to them, they often obtained a divorce on very .trifling grounds—such as convicting their .husband of wearing a shift, or any article of' female apparel; in fact, the wife had only to tell her husband that they had ceased to be man and wife, and the marriage was dissolved. The ladies then usually turned a trifle gay, set up hostelries on their own account, where they entertained their friends gratis, until one more favoured than the rest

was accepted as a husband. ! Women were further protected by the! most stringent anti-kissing, laws , any, one] kissing anybody, with or without the lady’s] consent, save his own lawful wife, was liable] to a fine of 144 . ells of - wadmal per kiss—] enough, as M. Mallet quaintly remarks, to! furnish a ship’s company with monkey jackets, l'he love-ditties of amorous or broken-hearted j swa n might likewise be prosecuted, and the] perpetrators severely fined, for the benefit ofi the hard-hearted young lady ; but, for the] honor of the -/celaudic, fair sex, let it be recorded that this was not often resorted to. And when it is added, that no one was permitted to take unto .him,-elf a wife unless he was possessed of a certain amount of property —viz., 720 ells of wadmal, or its equivalent—aiuf the ladies were permitted to ride astride, not even a bloomer could complain of their condition.” .. A Modern . Miracle —,Z’he well-known French missionary, , 'Father Bridaiue, W’as always poor, for the .simple reason that he gave away everything, he lmd. One evening he asked.for a night's lodging of the curate of

a village through wdiich he passed, and the worthy man having only one bed, shared it with him. At daybreak Father Bridaiue arose,.according.,-.to,.custom, and went to say his prayers at the, neighbouring church. ; Hemming from this sacred duty, he met a beggar, who asked an arms. “ ! my friend, I have nothing !” said the good priest, mechanically putting his hand in his breeches pocket, where, to his astonishment; he found something hard wrapped up in paper, which lie knew 7 he had not left there. He hastily opened the paper, and seeing four crowns in it., ciied out that it w;as a miracle! He gave the money to the beggar, and hastened into the church to return thanks to God. The.curate soon after arrived there, and Father Bridaiue related, the miracle with the greatest unction ; the curate turned pale, put his hand in his pocket, and in an instant perceived .that Father Bridaine, in getting up in the dark, had taken the wrong pair of breeches; he had performed a miracle with the curate’s crowns! Holiday* with Hobgoblins, by Dudley Costello.

; Holloway's Ointment and Pills. —-Medical maltreatment and neglect, and imprudence on the part of the sufferers themselves annually destroy thousands of lives that might have been saved with the greatest ease, by the use of these perfect antidotes to disease external and internal. Multitudes of rheumaticm sufferers are now limping to the grave with contracted joints and| in constant agony who may be cured in a fewl weeks by the Ointment, and tlie vital strengthJ of a still greater number is oozing away through! scrofulous sores, and other exhausting outlets of] suppuration which might be promptly and safely cured by the same means. Whilst the heart beats the patient rreod not despair; Holloway’s remedies will prove a very present help. 28