Scotch Notes.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVI, Issue 12, 13 July 1888, Page 3

Scotch Notes.

An interesting exhibition was opened in Edinburgh on May 7 of thrt works of lady artists. The inhibits include paintings in oils and watcr-colouis. Bi sides the usual cacvas and paper, plaques, tiles, china, screens, and tables form the material on which the work has been done. Some of Ihe paintings are veiy clever, but, if a judgement may be arrived ai from the subjects treated, ihe movement for a i ivalry between mea and women his not ma-ie much progress m At least one-third of the pictures show a distinctively womanly taste, in representing fruits and flowers.

Mr 1 Bradlaugh h^s caused some amusement by questioning the Lonl Advoc ac in Parliament as to tbe right of Mr. Kenneth J. Brand Secretary of the Conservative Association in Kast Edinburgh to sell tickets for a lottery whose prizes include, among other things, a box of cigars. Tbe object of the lottery, it may be added, is to furnish the hall of the Association. The Lord Advocate, in replying, remarked that the only objects on the list of prizes that might properly be named woik3 of art were poi traits of certain noblu Lords, a screen, and possibly a volume of Lord B;acon.'-fitld l d selected speeches. And theie is certainly a sense in which these spetches may be regarded as ver> notabV works of art. There was but little of nature's generous promptings in the utter.-.ncesof Lord Beaconsfield.

A metting of the Dalk,ith Free Presbytery has carried the following resolution : — Whereas ihe Confth u ion and articles of Le'i<-f, being uninspiro<l, aic lulle 10 tiroi and im^eifectii n ; whcicas in the piovuknre of God, ficeh light has beeu lucr.aaingly thrown 9a

the meaning of the Divine Word since the Westminster standards were drawn up ; and whereas it ia right and requisite that the written •tandards and th« living f.dth of the Church should be in fullest harmony, it is hereby overtured to the venerable tho General Assembly of the Free Onurch of Scotland by the Free Presbytery of Dalkeith to take this whole subject into earnest consideration, aud to do in the mattar as may eeem good." The creed of the Covenanters appears to be in some degree of danger, and it seems within the range of possibilities that we may yet behold the strange phenomenon of a Church looking back upon maityrs who differed from her in very essential points, and would probably submit to be martyred again rather than acknowledge themselves as holding the present beliefs. But such are tbe vagaries of private interpretation.

A diacorery of great interest to arcbasolojists has been made at Lochavulin, near Oban. It consists of a partly submerged lakedwelling. Quantities of human bones have also been found in the immediate neighb urhood. Learned people from all p^rts of the country are hastening to inspect and examine these remnants of another world — though hardly a better one.

The Glasgow exhibition was opened by the Prince of Wales on May Bth. His Royal Highness, wh > was accompanied by the Princess, received an enthusiastic welcome, and everything went off with the greatest possible iolat,

The Government system of emigration has been brought into action in Lews, whence 21 families, consisting of 113 persons, have been sent to Manitoba, each head of a family receiving £120, repayable in annual instalments at the end of four years, and every male immigrant over the age of 18 obtaining a free grant of 160 acres of land. The movement, however, is not popular among the crofters, who, in a meeting held by them at Aline, have condemned it— while land at home is withheld from them. They have also expreesed their intention to use all constitutional means to put an «nd tu.the substitution of game for human beings, and the sporo which they look upon as their ruin. In a reference made at this meeting to the refusal of Lady Matheson to give the people more Und, as they had petitioned vi tt uu d °' a contradiction was given to certain statements of her ladyship s as to the subdivision of crofts by the tenants. It was amrmed that, on the contrary, such subdivision had been made by the employee of the landlord, and tbe divided crofts let at double rents. A^ protest was also made against the Government's neglect to comply with the recommendation of the Napier Commission by building a harbour and piers, and their rendering loans abortive by prohibitive conditions. Six of the Barvas men have been fined for throwing down, in December last, a dyke belonging to a man whom they tried to make ]oin them in taking forcible possession of land occupied by the minister of the parish. It is, further, reported that tbe men discharged by the Sheriff on the charge of breaking down dykes on Deli *arm, Ness, have seized on the land and sown it with potatoes and oats. Lady M-itheson meanwhile has let Stornoway Castle, and betaken herself to foreign parts— shaking off tbe dust of the ungrateful island, jref using to starve with due submission, from her aristocratic shoes. But if dust enough would fall from her shoes to give the crofters the additional soil they require they would not greatly regret her ladyship's depaiture. It is to be reasonably hoped that the ordinary charities dispensed by her will be continued by the incoming tenant of her mansion.

The Chief Constable of Edinburgh has informed the Town council of an extensive Sunday trade done in methylated spirits by the druggists of the city. The stuff is purchased under various names Buch as ' finish." « dynamite." " polish," &c. for dram -drinking purposes by degraded members of the population, but the difficulty in stopping the trade will be that of proving a knowledge of this purpose existing on the part of the druggists. Bad as is the ordinary unnking at the public-houses, the practice in question is infinitely worse. Here, besides, is Sabbath-breaking extraordinary in Auld xicekie.

Church matters in Skye show something of a disturbed aspect. At the Episcopal church a row is going on relative to the extreme Ritualism of the incumbent, who, according to the " unco quid," has swallowed a double dose of " Popery." which is breaking out in all his actions. — At the parish church a battle is proceeding about the introduction of instrumental music. And, on the whole, if the deil has not a high old time of it, he is not the humorous being which in some quarters, he is tsken to be,

The labour party express themselves as determined to secure representation in Parliament. If opposed by the Liberals they declare they will vote for the Tory candidates'. Although Iheircaube is one that deserves sympathy, aud in which the interests of the great body of Irish settlers in Scotland are involved, it will be a great pity if anything is done by the party to give effect to the old watchword " divide and rule," and to increase the Unionist majority or weaken the strength of their opponents. But of this there is manifest danger.

Mr. William O'Brien M. P., has commenced an acti< n for libel against the Glasgow Herald for publishing the following passage in its issue of March 21 :—" Mr. O'Buen made a scathing speech A Manchester on Monday night, in which he taunted Mr. Balfour, amid the applause and laughter of tho audience, with taking such precautions forh s own safry that it is practically impossible for any section of Nationalists t» repeat in hit person the victory of the Plv*nix Park " The words in Italics constitute tho alleged libel.

The Bishop of Argyll and the Isles, and Father McDonald of South Fist, have each written a letter to the London Catholic Needle-

work Guild relating the sad condition in which the islanders are situated. They are in a state of chronic starvation and in need of everything that chanty can supply. Evea the reductions made in their rents Dy the Laud Court have not as yet resulted in giving them any relief.