Scotch Notes.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVII, Issue 2, 3 May 1889, Page 3

Scotch Notes.

THK action brought in Edinburgh by Mr. Parnell againßt the Times was dismissed by Lord Kin near with costs, Tae matter rested on a question of jurisdiction. Mr. Parnell, the pursuer, argued that the court had jurisdiction on two grounds, first, because the newspaper containing the libels had been published in Scotland, and secondly, because he had arrested funds in Scotland belonging to the defenders Loxd Kinnear abode by his former decision that the Times newspaper was certainly published in Scotland, but said there was no authority for holding thnt pub'ication alone would give jurisdiction against a foreigner who had not been personally cited. He went on in a long argument to show that the law of Scotland, that the jurisdicion of the court over foreigners might be created by the arreatment of their personal funds in the country, had not been complied with, as tbe Rums of money arrested were due not to Mr. Walter personally out to the copsrtnery or firnf in which he was a member. Basing his decision on these arguments, Lord Kinnear Faid the judgment must be to sustain tbe first plea in law for the defenders and to dismiss the case.

The rather unusual spectacle was seen the other day at Glasgow of the Channel and coasting steamers plying from tbe Clyde lying idle in the river. The cause was a strike of seamen, who demanded an advance in their wages of 5s a week. After a good deal of difficulty and inconvenience, the matter was arranged and traffic was resumed— no one, as is usual with regard to strikes, being much the better for what had occurred.

According to the annual report of the Chief Constable of Edinburgh, just issued — the number of arrests made during the year shows a considerable decrease. This, however, is not a sure way of judging as to the decrease of crime, aod has especially proved fallacious as applied to certain English cities. It is fortunate that other means exist of arriving at just conclusions, and, so considered, crime in Edinburgh has of late years constantly tended to diminish in a very marked degree. This is the more remarkable, since, if we may judge by the increase in the number of beggars, poverty seems largely on the increase-

A rather interesting divorce case has occurred at Aberdeen — from which we learn some of the vagaries played by the enlightenment of the times. The case wan that of a woman who had married a spiritualist, and who, amongst the rest, complained that her husbind,

being himself a vegetarian, had expected that she also would confine herself to such dint. One?, she said, when she had baen found by him in the act of eating a piece of beef, be bad not spoken to her for a fortnight. The consequence of her enforced abstinence was tint she fell into a weak state of health. Her specimen of advanced thought at length betook himselt to a spiritualist settlement in New Mexico, whenca he wrote iovi ing his wife to join him. He did not, however, forward any money to pay her passage, nor even mention when or how his familiars might convey her through the air. Having had enough of the enlightenment of tbe day, the wife sought release from the matrimonial bond.

Anything connectei with the worship of the golden calf is always a subject oi interest. Ie is not, therefore, to » trivial % matter to chronicle that a coachman in tbe employment of Messrs Younger and Co.. Brewers, at Edinburgh has unexpecetedly come into a fortune of £80,000. The inheritance is derived from an uncle of the fortunate he ; r who has recently died in the Unit d State?. Such are the j >ya cf emigration, as an old song has it . It is a pity there are not a few more of the kind.

An old and profitable branch of industry has been revived in Midlothian. It takes the shape of the renewed working, atter an interruption of over fifty years of the Wallyford collieries on the ertate of the Earl of Wemyas. Tne oal is said to be of excellent quality.

A moit. wonderful and unexpected success has attended on the effort made to provide half-penny dinners for the poor school children of Edinburgh. The enterprise which, it is ne kHcsj to say, is a boon to maoy hungry little ones, is self-supporting. I' seems almost incredible that a sufficiency of whole? nu food could be cupplied at such a price. But fact as we koo », seems often stranger than fiction .

The students of natural history have been much exercised by the capture by some Aberdeen fishermen of a skate, whicb, evidently by way of experiment, and a very ciuel experiment it was— had been mutilated. Its tail and snout had been cut off, and a letter branded on each side. Toe unfortunate creature had still maniged to survive, although the mutilation bare traces of hiving been done some time ago. What the object of such barbarous vivisection was it is bard to divine.

Biota have occurred at Holy Island owing to tbe floating ashore of the cargo of a vessel wrecked in the recent gales. Of tbis the fishermen were making their own, when the customs authorities interfered and prevented them. Tbe result was an attack upon tbe police-station, and riots of rather a eerious kind. It was necessary to bring over a number of constables from Northumberland to restore quietness.

It would appear that an organ is not the only musical entity that can disturb the worship of the kirk. In a church near Brechin for example, a few Sundays 6ince the precentor took it into his head to protest very streanously against the manner in which some members of the congregation were singing a psalm. " There's some o' you over in the corner there oot o' tune a'thegither," he cried, p )intinu in the direction he mentioned ; " that ill no do wi' mo ava'." The minister had to reach down from the pulpit and admonish the irate muiidan by rapping him on tbe bead before he would allow tbe psalmody t> proceed. It may form a question for theologian;* as to whether an attempt to train a choir under the circumstances was Sabbath-breaking.

Lord Hopetoun, speaking at a conversazione at Linliihgow tbe other nitfht, made a defence of Lord Salisbury with respect to the fathom matter of tbe " black man. Indians, reasoned his Lordship, were not ashamed of their colour, and to c ill them " white man" would seem to them the insult. The reasoning is certainly ingenious, but tbe point it seems prioc pally to prove ia the folly of the reisoner. Lord Silisbury meant " black man" as a reproach and the Indians so accepted it.

A district near Linlithgow is now being supplied with water by electricity. Tqj people inquestiot had for some 'itne been put to the inconvenience of drawing wa'er from the Kingscivil quarry. It, however, occurred to the manager of the Linlithgow Oil Company to come to their aid, aod the requisite machinery was erected in the engine room under his control. This is situated at the distance of a mile and a half from 'he quarry, and the water is raised t>y means of it to a height of 135 ft. Tbis is possibly tbe only application of electricity to each a purpose to be found in Great Britain. It may, nevertheless, form a precedent for greater undertakings.

The victory of Sir John Kinloch m the East Perth election was celebrated in the Meigle district by tin burning in effigy of Mr. Balfour. The figure was dressed as a barber, and placed on the top of a big bonfire, where it was consumed — to the admiration of a large crowd of spectators. The pile was kindled by Master Kinlocb. The title of tbe figure, displayed on a placard attached to it, was " The Irish barber." Tbis was emphamiog the result of tbe by-election to some purpose.

Some results ot the Stuart exhibition lately held, and other displays made of relics and pictures of the Royal House referred to, have been to prove that many thing* related of Mary Queen cf Scots are false. The Queen's f^mocs beauty, they say, for instance was a complete fiction. Her hair was of all sorts of colours ; her forehead and nose were barbarous, and even her eyes were as ugly as they well could be. She used her eyes, nevertheless, so as to persuade people

■be was surpassing^ lovely— a rare, or indeed, perhaps * wholly lost, art that would be of inestimable value to plain women, and to whose acquirement or recovery it might well reward tr c sex to devote themselves. It also transpires that of the tapestry reputed as wrought by the fingers of the QueeD, a portion at least is the production of Petsian loom?. The " fiction-crusber," in a word, has been btuily at work, and, before bis task is ended, he may succeed in proving to his own complete satisfaction that tbe Queen never was beheaded, but died in her bed with her head on her shoulders, not to say on her pillow, as any decent gentlewoman should die— and certainly would die if she got tbe chance, and could not prevent herself from dying at all.

It may be of gome comfort to somebody to know that if tbe Highland glens have been stripped of their human inhabitants, tbe more valuable animals in whose favour they were driven out have thriven and multiplied in their stead. la consequence of a hare* drive recently made on tbe Morven estate, Deeside, some seven hundred red deer, startled from the neighbouring forests, made their appearance on Morven Hill. The spectacle they presented on the snowy heights is described as strikingly beautiful. Tamer flocks, however falling of well peopled abodes might in some eyes appear more beautiful still.