Scotch Notes.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIX, Issue 37, 19 June 1891, Page 5

Scotch Notes.

Thb eighth centenary of the death of St. Margaret, which occurs in November 1893, will be celebrated by the opening of a church under her invocation at Damferml inc. A suitable site was secured some time ago through the generosity of a gentleman since deceased, and preparations for commencing the building including ihe very necessary one of soliciting subscriptions, are being busily carried on.

The Glatgon Mail reports an act of devotion on the part of an English lady visiting the West of Ireland. Daring an outbreak of a virulent fever at Benvyle in Connenura, she went boldly into one of the worst cabins in the place, where several people lay ill, and per•onally nursed them day and night, until competent aid to replace her wai obtained. This heroic lady, a Miss MaDder, the Mail adds, had been a witness in the recent trials at Cork, when she was roughly handled by the Crown counsel, in giving evidence as to the conduct of the police at Tipperary court house.

Ths nnfortunate crofters have made another bold move for the recovery of their homes. A party of them recently proceeded from OroMbost to re-enter on the possession of their confiscated holdings in thrt deer forest at Park— intending to plant potatoes, rebuild their huts, and live upon venison and fisb until the crop was ready to dig. The superior force of the law, however, inteifered with the success of the daring plan, and the upshot was that a representative number of the adventurers were sent to gaol. Feeling in the island neverthele««, is strongly in their favour— and if the vox populiia this instance speaks tbe truth the men are the victims of grous ii. justice. It seemb indeed a very flagrant c*se of the deer against the man.

The ceremony of the profession of a Dominican nun which took place recently at the convent of Our Lady Help of Christians at Grieff, was especially interesting as the first profession in the older, which had occurred in Scotland since the Reformation. The community in question are conducting schools with markeJ success though in the face of difficulties and opposition.

Some curious revelations with respect to the religious condition of the Highlands have just been made, in the Free Church Synod of Sutherland and Caithness. It appears from the report on religion and morality read on the occasion that godliness and whiskey-drink-ing are looked upon by the primitive congregations as inseparably connected. Some striking instances of this were quoted, and the sorrowful conclusion was arrived at that an early introduction of tota 1 abstinence, or perhaps «yen of temperance, among the people in question, could not be expected to result in success.

Young Colonials are particularly well represented in the Faculty of Medicine attached to the University of Edinburgh. Out of 1,979 medical studems 270 belonged last year to the British Colonies, exclusive of India, which had sent 99.

Jennie Geddes has had a humble imitator at Kirriemuir, where some weeks ago the serenity of the Sabbath worship of a U. P. Kirk was disturbed by a zealous lady. In godly indignation she aimed her Bible at » member of the choir who had so far forgotten himself as to fall asleep during the eermon. Whether the pious dame is to be blftmed for an irreverent use of the " unaided Word " or praised for her fervour must be left as a question for the elders of the Kirk to determine. And, indeed, it may form as important a subject as many that divide their attention.

The belief that time is money appears to prevail largely at Campbeltown. The Highland parish minister there complains of the unseasonable hours at which he ia commonly called upon to perform the marriage ceremony. Bometimes it is at miduight, sometimes before five o'clock in tbe morning, the important rite being apparently fised for a moment wben there is nothing else to be done. Or do prudent Scotch lassies ioeist on taking the ball at the hop, as the saying is ?

By the death of Dr. Patrick Stirling of Dunblane, Scotland has recently lost a man who, besides being distinguished as a notary and land agent on an extensive scale, held a very respectable place in the world of letters. In early life he had been a pupil of the famous Dr. Chalmers. A work of his entitled " Gold Discoveries " attained to something like European fame.

The Scotsman, of April 18, publishes a leader on the reduction of licenses. " Many of the Magistrates at Licensing Courts," it says " unquestionably believe that they are doing a good thing in tbe cause of temperance by reducing the number of licences. They aie mistaken. They are simply increasing the value of the monopoly in the

hands of those whose licences are maintained." The writer qnotesf in proof cf his argament, the condition of things in Edinburgh. »• In 1888." be says, " there were 803 licences granted in tbe city. In 1890, there were 769— that is, the licences had been reduced by 34. In 1888, the total number of people apprehended was 6,996. In 1890 the number waa 6,336. Of luesa the number W , IO were drunk when they were apprehended was 3,932 in 1888, and 4,306 in 1890. Still further the number of persons found drunk and incapable in the streets was, in 1888, 2,190, and in 1890 it was 2,235." In reply to the objection that the difference was caused by the increase in the population, the writer states that tbe percentage to population both of apprehensions and drunkenness was higher in 1890 than it had been in 1888. " There is no possibility of mistaking these figures," he adds. " They show as plainly as anything can show that there is no reduction in drunkenness caused by the reduction in licences." Tbe writer pursues his investigations at some length, tracing the state of the case since the year 1854, and always with similar results. His conclusion is the following ;— « The lesson is one that ought to bo taken to heart. Let those who are urging that injustice should be done to honest men woo have invested tbeir money in a business sanctioned by the law think what they are doing. They have a £ood object. They wish to reduce drunkennesss. All the figures go to Bbow8 bow that tbe result of their ac ion is not the attainment of their obj-ct. Education will help them ; restriction will not."

It is much to be feared that Scotland bids fair to lose her timehonoured reputation for piety. At Last if the stata of affairs prevalent in Dundee is to be tak>n as typictl, an i sjme who ought to know say it v so, a very melancholy prospect oppns b >f ore us. A census has just been taken by the staff ..f the Dundee Advertiser relative to the attendance at the city churches, with the remit tha' a woeful falling off is show- as compared with that was the custom ten years ago. Then the attendance at forenoon worship numbered cose upon 31,000 ; now it amounts to little more than 24,000. The number of churches meantime has increased from 85 to 94 -four meeting houses or barracks of tbe Salva'ion Army being reckon -d among them. The percentage to population of cburch-goe/s ten years ago was 22 ; to-day it 19 15. If, th->rt.fore, as we have said is prob >bly the case', this state of thin? appies to tha whole country the downward path upon which Scotbnd has set out is evident. The Scotch people, in fact, are losing one of their distinctive powers of physical and moral endurance— that of sitting out with patience and even some feeling of stolid Contentment a service of the Presbyterian kirk. How far the national charac er is otherwise destined to degenerate remains to be seen.