SCOTLAND.

The Duke of Wellington is understood to have treated the authorities of the town of Dumbarton with as little courtesy as he did the deputa- tion from Paisley. The Magistrates and Council having voted a con- gratulatory address to the Queen on the recent Royal birth, sent it. in the pride of their hearts, to the Duke for presentation. An answer came promptly enough; but its purport is said to have been, that "Field- Marshal the Duke of Wellington had no acquaintanceship with those who had sent him the address ; that he knew nothing about the ancient burgh ; nor did be hold any official situation in her Majesty's Govern- ment." It was added, with characteristic nonchalance, that "his Grace declined to present the address, and had given it to his porter, who would keep it till sent for."—Glasgow Saturday Post.

The parish of Kettle, in Fife, became vacant by the death of Dr. Barclay, on the 13th December. The Crown is patron of the living. As it was understood that the present Government would not give the people a " leet," certain parishioners held a meeting, and instructed their chairman, Mr. Arnott of Chapel, to request Sir James Graham to allow them to submit a list of four or five names, out of which the Crown might choose a presentee. Sir James simply replied, through the Under Secretary, that be did not " require any list of persons chosen by the parishioners in the vacant parish of Kettle to be sent to guide him in advising the Crown as to the presentation of a fit minister." On this the Witness, a violent Noointrusionist paper, observes-

" We call the special attention of our readers to the insulting answer re- turned by the Under Secretary, by direction of Sir James Graham, to a re- spectful application by the parishioners of Kettle in regard to the filling up the vacant charge in that parish. He acquaints them that Sir James Graham requires no list from the parishioners to guide him in advising the Crown as to the presentation of a fit minister.' What a contrast to the noble liberality and. confidence in the people shown in the answers to similar applications by Mr. Fox Mauls under the late Administration! How any person can continue to look for any settlement of the Church question, favourable to the rights of the people, from a Government which seems to lay it down as a principle of .conduct to trample upon their rights and to outrage the feelings of the people on every occasion, we cannot comprehend."

The Conference of Dissenting Ministers, &c. on the subject of the Corn-laws was opened at Edinburgh on Tuesday, in South College Street

Church. Mr. John Wigham was called to the chair. tdore than seven hundred persons were present ; and among them were Mr. Wal- lace, M.P., and Mr. Ewart, M.P. The nature of the meeting is de- scribed, in the following summary of the means taken to convene it-

" Printed queries, drawn up in the plainest phraseology which would suffice to elicit an unbiassed opinion, were sent, early in December, to every Dissent- ing clergyman in Scotland—Presbyterian, Independent, Catholic, Episcopal, and Methodist, so far as known. They were asked to state whether their own opinions, and the opinions of their congregations, were or were not in favour of a free trade in corn and the abolition of the present system of restrictions. Ministers were also invited to attend the meeting. To the Secession, Relief, In-

dependent, and Baptist Churches, 670 circulars were sent ; and 494 answers were received. Not one minister out of the 494 expresses an opinion is favour of the present Cbrn-lams. With regard to the opinions of the people, 431 of the minis- ters state that their congregations are nearly unanimous in approving of the total abolition of the Corn and Provision laws, and Free Trade; and only three state that their people are not nearly unanimous. Of the remaining 60, about 15 state that their people are either in favour of gradual abolition or of a fixed duty; and the others omit to answer the question. Not one minister states that a majority of his congregation approves of these laws. There were 90

. circulars sent to the Episcopalians, 85 to the Roman Catholics, and 21 to the Wesleyan Methodists. The general import of the answers was, that these bodies declined taking part iu the proposed meeting. The answers from the Roman Catholics generally stated, in very decided terms, that they and their people were strongly opposed to the Corn and Provision laws, and in favour of Free Trade."

The first resolution, which was moved by the Reverend Mr. Marshall of Cupar Angus, declared, "That this meeting, composed of persons belonging to different Dissenting

denominations from all of Scotland, not attending as the office-bearer's or

representatives of churches; but yet truly representing the sentiments and feelings of their brethren in the quarters from which they come, are of opinion that the Corn and Provision-laws are opposed to the benevolent designs of our merciful Creator, as manifested in those principles of our nature which prompt men to engage in traffic." • * • This declaration is an index to the general purport of the speeches of ministers which followed. Some accounts were given of distress in various quarters ; but they seem to have been less elaborately prepared than those adduced elsewhere. Mr. Marshall dwelt strongly on the effect of misery in urging men to look from their mere grievances to the causes, and to seek broad political changes instead of merely topical remedies ; and in extinguishing the natural emotions of the sufferers, to whom children are a burden. But the chief interest attaches to

the speech of Mr. Hope, a farmer; • who condemned the Corn-laws, as he said, "ex cathedra," on actual experience. He showed how little the practical aviculturists in his part of the country required the ex- isting "protection " of high, prices : he was speaking of the threat that Repeal would throw large bracts of land out of cultivation— "Of all the arguments I ever heartLurged against the repeal of the Bread- tax, it has always appeared to me the most futile. I ask, is there danger

of any of the land running away?—Surely not. And if at present the pro- dace is sufficient to give food for the labourer, and leave a surplus to the landlord, what is to prevent it doing so, even if the nominal money-value

of the produce should be lowered? In the county of East Lothian, where I reside and farm, a great deal of the land is only once grass in six years; and this is a rotation requiring a larger. expenditure in money and labour than if

the grass were allowed to remain for more than one year. What do you think ,may be the actual outlay per acre in money in carrying on the necessary

operations of an average farm, irrespective of the price of grain ?—why, not half a guinea per imperial acre ; all other charges and expenses being regu- lated entirely and immediately by the prices of grain. The landlord is paid his rent generally in wheat. The labourers receive the bulk of their wages in the produce of the farm—grass for their cows, and specified quantities of the different kinds of grain. And it can make no difference to the farmer what may be the nominal value of the hay and oats raised by himself, and consumed by his horses and cattle. ' * Now, unless it is contended that the repeal of the Bread-tax would cause such a demand for labour that the labourer's share of the produce must be greatly increased, how is it possible that a single acre can be thrown out of cultivation ? But if this argument is used, then, I say, the sooner the whole empire is turned into pasturage, the better. I think I have said enough to prove that high prices are not so very necessary to the farmer as some are apt to imagine. But I tell you more, that in 1836, when wheat was selling at 36s. per quarter, we did well ; but that since then, in 1839 for example, with wheat at 72s. per quarter, just, double what it was in 1836, farmers in East Lothian, myself among them, actually lost money. We did not grow grain sufficient for our rents and ex- penses : the additional quantity wanted must be made up; the higher the price the worse for the tenant. So much for the benefit of high prices to us tenant-farmers who pay. corn-rents. Steady markets are of far more import- ance to us than high prices with violent fluctuations." Mr. Wallace prophesied that he and Mr. Ewart would be found in a very considerable minority ; for those who seek abolition of the Corn- law " will get a positive refusal from this Bread-taxing Parliament." In that case, he would propose that they should petition the Queen to dismiss her Ministers. Mr. Ewart doubted whether Sir Robert Peel is a man "able for any thing. but little reforms " ; and he declared that Mr. Christopher's proposition would be worse than the present system. The meeting sat till ten o'clock on the night of the first day.

A supplement to the Dundee Advertiser is devoted to the report of a meeting held at Dundee on Thursday last week, by the Anti-Corn-law- Association of the town and deputies from the various Anti-Corn-law and Free-trade Associations of Forfarshire, Fifeshire, and the neigh- bouring counties connected with the flax and linen trade, to petition the Queen and Parliament for the repeal of the Corn-laws and other restrictions on commerce. Bell Street Chapel was the scene of the meeting. Mr. Edward Baxter, the President of the Dundee Associa- tion, took the chair; • and about fifty deputies—magistrates, merchants, manufacturers, and tradesmen—were among those who crowded the platform. Letters were read in excuse of absence, from Lord Panmure, whose state of health kept him away, and Mr. George Duncan, the Member for the borough, whose plea was—" I have been specially re- quested, by the Directors of the Dundee and Arbroath Railway, to go to Edinburgh today on some urgent business of theirs." Both expressed their entire concurrence in the object of the meeting. Lord Panmure's letter was received with cheers; Mr. Duncan's with marks of dis- approbation. In introducing the business of the day, Mr. Baxter reviewed the general subject of the Corn-laws ; and he entered into some calculations to show the extent to which they had defrauded the consumer. In the four years ending in 1840, wheat had cost on the average 66s. 4d. the quarter ; in the previous four years, 46s. 8d.: wheat from Poland landed here cost 47s. Supposing the price of corn had been raised by the - Corn-laws only 10s. a quarter, the tax would amount annually to thirty- six millions; but taking the excess at 17s. 8d., as indicated by the fore- going figures, the tax on the consumer would amount to fifty millions. Mi. Baxter held the distress existing since 1836 to differ in character from the difficulties of 1812, 1815, and 1826; for immediately after those years, trade had revived ; but since 1836, it had greatly declined. From 1827 to 1834, the shipments of linen from Dundee to the home and foreign markets increased at the rate of 29,605 pieces a year: omitting the years of prosperity, 1835 and 1836, and the year of distress, 1837, in the year ending June 1839 the exports amounted to 717,070 pieces; in June 1840, they fell to 695,459; in June 1841, they were at 697,295 ; and in the six months ending on the 30th November, there was a de- cline of 29,457 compared with the shipments of the same period in 1840. In 1836-1837, there had been 190 bankruptcies in Dundee ; in 1838-1841, 210.

Sir John Ogilvy addressed the meeting as " an invited guest": a member of the class of landowners, but holding the opinions of the manufacturing class, he regretted the alienation between the two ; and he besought his hearers to appeal to the reason of their opponents, rather than to the passions of their supporters.

Mr. David Baxter, the brother of the chairman, supplied some statistics to show the effect of depressed trade on the working-class. First, the numbers of the factory-weavers in and out of employment- " Total number of looms, 4,931 ; of which in employment, 1,232; partially employed, 554; unemployed, 3,145. Total of persons employed, 1,319; par- tially employed, 554; unemployed, 1,458: starchcrs employed, 87; unem- ployed, 113—total, 3,531. Of those employed, 360 are working Government sailcloth, the contracts for which are nearly made up."

Similar particulars respecting the employment of out-door weavers could not be procured: but their condition is displayed in' the state- ment of the decline in wages-

" In 1836, weavers' wages were 40 per cent higher than they are at present. Wages were about 25 per cent higher in 1836 than they are now ; the fall has been graduaL Wages in 1836 were 25 per cent ; in 1837, 1838, 18 per cent ; 1839, 10 per cent higher than at present." The total number of mechanics employed in machine-making, for the last few years, had averaged 1,638 ; there are now employed, 758 ; unemployed, 880. The average of masons employed in quarries by six of the most extensive contractors had been 405 ; recently, 66 ; un- employed, 339. Other trades presented similar results. Mr. Thomas Saunders vied with Mr. Edward Baxter in his estimate of the burden imposed on the consumer by the Corn-laws. Up to 1791, the price of wheat had not for a century averaged more than 408. a quarter ; from that time it had averaged not less than 65s.: taking the annual consumption at 40,000,000 quarters, the increase on the price, 15s., would have obliged the people to pay " the enormous sum of fifteen hundred millions sterling, all drawn from the productive classes for the advantage of the landlords." Mr. Landale, of Kirkcaldy, feared that the additional duty lately im- posed by America on our linen-manufactures would reduce the export to that country, lately our best customer, to at least one-half. The re- solution which he had to move asserted, "That high-priced food and depression of trade invariably accompany each other ' ; an axiom which

had become established since the war. At that time every principle of political economy was set at nought ; and in no instance during the last twenty-five years have we had high-priced provisions without ex- periencing a diminution in the demand for our manufactures and much distress among our work-people. He was sure that he spoke the sen- timents of the meeting in saying, that he cared not what Government gave us an effectual system of free trade. The answers of the manu- facturers to "the list of questions" [circulated by the Anti-Corn-law League, we suppose] showed that at least one-third of the manufacturing population is out of employment ; and all declare that they have no prospect of any improvement under the present system. For the last fifteen years, the country had been distracted by the strife of parties ; neither of whom appear to have given one moment's consideration to the causes that are gradually undermining our commercial prosperity, till it is almost too late to remedy them. Mr. Kinloch, of Kinloch, moved a resolution disclaiming any inten- tion to injure the agriculturists, and expressing the conviction that the removal of all restrictions on commerce would be favourable to the true and permanent interests of all classes of the community-

" He had been for a long. time satisfied that the interests of both classes were identified; and that to legislate for the one at the expense of the other, would be ultimately prejudicial to both. If the manufacturing classes were ruined, on whom could they depend as consumers of their corn and cattle? The great decrease in the consumption of cattle was worth a thousand arguments ; and the landlords would be very stupid indeed if they did not see the practical effects of such a state of things."

Mr. F. L. Carnegie, of Boysack, was in the same position with Sir John Ogilvy, as a landowner sympathizing with the manufacturer and con- sumer. If there were any truth in the arguments which he had learned from Adam Smith, (who, for all the Duke of Wellington's contradiction, did say that the repeal of corn-laws would benefit the agricultural classes,) it was certain that they applied to a total abolition, in preference to any modification- " for himself, he had not only no objection, but a strong desire to see the abolition made immediate. He thought, however, it might be expedient to meet prejudices and apprehensions by a compromise ; and therefore, would not object to that proposed by the late Government—with this proviso, however, that it involved the principle of finality. He thought it would be better to have a duty of Ss., terminating by a progressive annual diminution of Is., than to admit of a permanent fixed duty of 5s., or even 2s. 6d.; the one mode mining a principle which might subsequently be acted on in adverse cir- cumstances, while the other did not. Finality here was the reverse of Lord John Russell's; of which he entirely disapproved."

At a remote period he had been induced to examine the working of a change in the system-

" He was first led to inquire what might be the amount of land occupied in raising luxuries, the consumption of which might be expected to increase with increasing manufacturing prosperity. The land, under a four-course rotation of cropping, was half productive of what, for shortness, be would call beef, (in- cluding, of course, mutton, cheese, butter, milk, vegetables, &c.) and half only in corn : but a small proportion of land only could stand this. The remainder was in five-course, where three-fifths were for rearing beef and the remainder for corn. He was within the mark when he asserted, that three-fifths of the whole area of Britain grew luxuries, which were all consumed at the present exaggerated prices: and yet there existed the enormous amount of misery and starvation which the statistical details, so clearly, and evidently so honestly made up, bad that day demonstrated. From his own observation of the habits of the people of this country, he was satisfied that, could they only afford to pay for it, they had generally both appetites and digestion, to consume, to their great comfort and benefit, double the amount of luxuries they now attained without in the least diminishing the expenditure of .corn. Singularly enough, he was more than borne out by the statistical inquiries that day elicited on the question of butcher-meat consumed in Dundee; but, if it required three-fifths of the land to furnish the beef now consumed, it would then, when the popula- tion was virtually doubled, require six-fifths, or more than the whole area, to grow luxuries alone, without reckoning on what was required for wheat and for malt, the amount of which he had not called into account, but left to be set off against pastures otherwise consumed."

Mr. Carnegie thought that a great error had been committed, in giving exaggerated accounts of prices at home and abroad ; thus ex- citing hopes and raising fears, neither of which were likely to be rea- lized : the late rise on foreign prices of corn, occasioned by what might be considered a very moderate amount of demand, showed that. Accounts of diktress were given from other places. The nature of the resolutions, which passed without opposition, is sufficiently indi- cated in the foregoing- outline of the chief speeches.

In the evening, a soirée was held in the chapel; where " the cus- tomary refreshments were furnished," and the usual speeches made. About fourteen hundred piligps were present, and fully one-third of them were females : it is said to have been " the largest tea-party ever held in Dundee."

Provost Blaikie, of Aberdeen, has received a letter from the Earl of Kintore, enclosing a check for 300/. for the poor of that town.

The number of the -unemployed and their dependents, in Paisley and the surrounding district, was estimated on Saturday at 14,817.

A Chartist convention was held last week in St. Ann's Church, Glas- gow ; at which sixty-three delegates from various parts of the West of Scotland were present. Among them was Mr. Feargus O'Connor. Three questions of importance were debated. The first was, whether the annual petition about to be got up in favour of the Charter should include a prayer for the Repeal of the English Poor-law Act and the Repeal of the Irish Union. These additions were strenuously advo- cated by Mr. O'Connor ; but on a division he was outvoted by the cast- ing-vote of the chairman. The next question related to the use of moral or physical force. The Reverend Mr. Brewster moved that the convention should repudiate the use of physical force under any cir- cumstances. This was deemed too stringent ; and an amendment was proposed, to the effect that, in their efforts to obtain the Charter, they should use every peaceful, legal, and constitutional means. On a divi- sion, only five voted for Mr. Brewster's motion, and 56 for the amend- ment. The third question was, whether the Chartists should as here- tofore move their " usual amendment," the Charter, at public meetings. This gave rise to a very long debate. Ultimately it was determined, that while the Chartists continued to conduct themselves as they had done hitherto, the Convention approved of their exercising their right of being present at public meetings and taking part in them, and of pressing the principles of the Charter ; but recommended that, except

in cases where resolutions are proposed by the speakers or listeners, no resolution should be moved by the Chartists. The sum of 351. was then voted to the families of those suffering in the cause. A motion being made expressing satisfaction at the growing progress of Chartist prin- ciples among the middle classes, Mr. O'Connor moved, by way of amendment, a vote of thanks to the working classes for the resistance they had made, and were still making, to oppression and oppressors. On a division, Mr. O'Connor was again outvoted, by a majority of 40 to 10.

James Boyd, engine-man on the Dundee and Arbroath Railway, was arraigned tbefore the High Court of Justiciary, on Friday last, on a charge of culpable homicide ; he having on the 11th October last con- ducted the train in such a manner that the engine struck the body of' Margaret Steven, an old woman residing at Wesihaven, whereby she was knocked down and killed on the spot, or died immediately after. The prisoner pleaded " Not Guilty," and gave in a written defence. He pleaded the contract with Government, which, requiring the whole journey to be performed in forty-five minutes, obliges the mail-train to travel at the rate of thirty miles an hour. There is a crossing at West- haven, with a wicket-gate : there is a considerable bend in the road ; but as soon as he saw the woman, he reversed the engine and caused

the whistle to be sounded: unfortunately, the woman was deaf; and it was physically impossible to stop the train. He admitted the danger of the crossing, but for that he was not answerable. Lord Moncrieff, in charging the Jury, explained the state or the law— The Directors of the Railway Company have obtained an act of Parlia- ment to constr-.ct this railway ; but in working it they are no more then a private trading company, differing in no degree from the old mail-contractors. The contract into which they may enter with the Post-office may be perfectly lawful ; but they are bound to know that the contract can be performed with

safety to the public. It is important to observe, that there are crossings for the

express purpose of the inhabitants going from one side to the other; and those persons have just as good a right to their pathway across, as the Directors

have to their pathway along the line. The Directors have a right to run at

any rate they choose; but then it must be consistent with the safety of the public, and particularly of the inhabitants of these villages. It has been said that if the prisoner did all that his employers required of him lie should not be answerable for any accident that might happen : Lord Moncrieff never heard before of a doctrine like this—that a man may go on to do that which is attended with danger to the public, and against rights reserved to the public, and yet shall not be answerable!

The Judge concluded, by giving it as his opinion that the prisoner was culpable in this case, though not in an aggravated degree. The Jury retired about a quarter of an hour, and, by a majority, pronounced the prisoner " Not Guilty." Boyd was accordingly discharged.

An accident occurred on Saturday last, on the Wishaw and Coltness Railway, by which, unhappily, two lives have been lost. The railway runs on an inclined plane so far as the village of Motherwell; and the waggoners, before starting from the top of the line at New Mains, are in the habit of placing the horse in a carriage or basket, when the train moves down the rails at its own momentum. On this occasion the waggoner followed the usual custom, and at the same time gave a man and a woman a drive in one of the waggons under his charge. The train had proceeded to about half a mile from Wishaw, when the first waggon entered a lye—the tongue having been left open ; and being thus di- verted from the straight course at the moment that the mass was moving

with great velocity, the waggon was overturned, and killed the two pas- sengers above referred to on the spot. Their bodies were frightfully mutilated. We have heard that the driver is not by any means blame- less in this matter.—Glasgow Herald.