Scotch Notes.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XX, Issue 44, 19 August 1892, Page 4

Scotch Notes.

Atotntion has recently been drawn to the well of St Queran, which is situated near Dumfries, on the Maxwelltown side of the river Nith, and which, some years ago, was restored by the proprietor of the* estate containing its site, from being a watering hole for cattle to the condition of a properly-kept well. Recently a clearing out of the well has brought to light, among the rubbish, several pieces of the copper coinage of the realm, and the proprietor, a Mr Dudgeon, who is also a devoted antiquarian, is curious as to bow they got there. He relates that, on his first undertaking the restoration of the well a silver coin of the reign of the English King Edward 111., was found among its surroundings. The question that now disturbs him is as to whether the Catholics of the neighbourhood are in the habit of making offerings there— a probability that seems to him enhanced by the discovery among the coins of some medals of the Blessed Virgin. St Queran, as is stated on a board near the well, was a saint of the eighth century, and the water at the present day is believed by some people to be endowed with healinsr qualities. As an illustration of the value of land in Scotland we may state the case of General Farqubareon's estate of Bredar in the Donside district of Aberdeensbire, which has just been sold for the sum of £26,730. The estate consists of 2,000 acres, and yields a rental of £1,300. The price paid, therefore, does not seem exorbitant. The Primrose League baa delighted of late to honour certain of their Scotch dames. The post of difficulty, if not of danger, occupied by these ladies, no doubt, pointed them out as objects deserving of special recognition. The Grand Councillors have, therefore, awarded special service clasps to Miss Macmaster and Mesdames Sloan, Lambie, Archibald, and Gillies, of the Ballochmyle Habitation. The Honourable Order of the Grand Star has been awarded to Lady ' Strathallan, of the Aucbterarder Habitation. On the other hand, a branch of the Women's Liberal Association for the border counties has baen inaugurated at Berwick. Lady Fanny Marjoribanks presided on the occasion, and Lady Aberdeen delivered an address. Her Ladyship said it was the people of Berwickshire who had first made her a politician. She added that the ! 70,000 or 80,000 women, who had banded themselves together since J 1886, must do much towards promoting the vie ory of the Liberals. Lady Grey moved a vote of confidecce in Mr Gladstone. Lord Aberdeen also addressed the meeting— c< ndemnirg the Ulster conference as an Ora ge demontrration. A lively scene recently took place in a church at Deeside, where a contest came off between rival precentors. The batie was fought by singing, either rival giving out a different psalm, and the congregation divided their vocal forces. Tne precentor who was final.y outroared left the church amid a ditnonstiation more stirring than pious, and that would have done b. nour to the 4( gods "" in a theatre. Great distress prevails in Shetland, where, owint? to a failure of the fisheries on the West Coast, a large Lumber of men are out of work. The failure teems principally due to an ill-judged and ill. managed exchange cf tha boa s formerly in use for otLers not so suitable. The take of cod and ling tbis year falls short by £6000 of that of last year. The bopa is that some entirgetic capitalists will step in and, in their owu interests, provide the craft and oth.r things necesBary for amendment. For tome time the " sudden and awful appearances " of a mermaid off the coast of the parish of Deernef s in Oikney, have occasioned wonder, and withal some dismay, among the unsophisticated inhabitants. The creature is said to be apparently easy to captuie. So fr.r however, rone have been found br*ve enough to mk interference with her. A curious gentleman in the South has now offered £200 for her person, dead or alive, and, cons, quently, preparations for a h zirdous attempt have been taken in baud. The town of luverkeitbing his been much moved by a muiifesta tion of the dynamite fiend . An effort was made, the other day, froni some motive not , a yet revealed, to blow up .. house there— the result being a good deal of noise and ecme damage to windows. Ti ere were no more serious effects, but the sensation caused was i xtreme. The inauguration at Old Cumnock of a monument to a famous Covenanter known as Peden the Prophet, has been the occasion of

agaio bringing oat Profesbor Blackie io full force. The Professor performed the ceremony and delivered an address ia wdioh he dealt hardly with the memory of the Stuarts. He said they had entered into an infamous conspiracy to crush all manhood and liberty in the country by turning Scotchmen into Englishmen. Ho farther stigmatised them as a compound of foxes and tigers. Prelacy also came in for a few hard knock i from the learned speaker. The Eav Dr James Kerr of Glasgow, who was another of the speakers on the occasion, recommended that tha stool of Janet Geddes, which, he said, waa still preserved should be hurl ed at the head of Presbyterians who were the readers of prayer books. On the whole the memory of the prophetio Covenanter was honoured in tolerably strong language. But were be still in the flesb perhaps he would not feel the less flattered on that account. The result of the General Election, ia Glasgow (says the Observer of July 9) io no gain to Home Rule. So far as the city counts, the Liberal army is still content with marking time. In the four divisions still held by Mr Gladstone's followers the majorities are either in substance the same as formerly, as in Bridgeton, or else largely increased as in College, Blackfriars, and St Rollox. In Camlachie and Tradeston our allies have made gifts of the seats to their enemies and ours. We have no title, perhaps, to offer a criticism on Liberal management, bat we trust we will be pardoned for observing that the disasters of Tradeston and Camlachie,||and especially the latter, were entirely preventive. If there existed in these, or in all British con. Btituencieß, a machinery equivalent to our National conventions at home the interests of our allies would be more Becurely safeguarded and Liberal energy consolidated to the direction of Liberal succesß. As matters stand the bestowal of the seats to the Tories was wholly gratuitous. The Traieston Liberals have only themselves to thank for losing the division by the misdirection of some eighty votes. Their defeat is the reward of wanton and even contumacious procrastination. In Oamlachie the defeat has to be acconnted for in large measure by the misplaced tenderness of the party managers towards Mr Cunninghame-Graham. The local leaders acted with promptitude acd energy, but the party wirepullers displayed towards their deserter a deference or something softer that was both undeserved on his part and mischievous in its public effect, The Glasgow Observer gives the following details relating to Catholic Schools in Scotland, as furnished by the Bine Book for the year ended September 30, 1891 :— The number of Catholic schools has increased during the year by eight. There are now 174 schools in the country, of which number 166 were examined during the period mentioned above. These 174 schools are made up of 237 departments —27 boys', 25 girls', 43 infants', and 142 mixed schools. ... A very high percentage of our schools earn the higher grant (Is 6d) for discipline. The excellent mark was given to schools with 35,550 in average attendance, or 8812 per cent, of tho whole. The shilling grant was only given to 11-88 per cent., or on an average of 4792 out of the whole school examined. In this the Catholic Schools show a bight r return than Board Schools, where the percentage waa 78-96 and 20-69 respectively. Only two schools were refused the grant for English. Five lost the geography grant, but the history was earned in the 85 schools taking it. One hantlred and forty-four schools earned the higher grant for English, 140 for geography, and 65 for history. One hundred and six Catholic Schools teach three class subjects, 74 take two, and seven take one subject. Twenty-five departments earned the higher grant for sewing. The cookery grant of four shillings was paid for 604 girls, and 63 girls earned the lower Kranr. Of the three grants, " fair," •• good," end " excellent " for the standard subjects, 7 84 per cent, of the number in average attendance received the low< st mark, 66 96 were marked "good," ami 25-20 as " excellent." Above Standard 111. the 3* 6d grant waa paid on atx average of 553 scholars, or 11 27 per ceut , as compared with 13 63 in Board schools.