SCOTLAND.
Lord Bch° has intimated to his constituents in East Lothian, that his medical adviser has prescribed to him to abstain from all business for the next twelve months ; that he is about to proceed to the Continent, and will not therefore be able to attend to his duties in the House of Commons. He states that he has prepared a genusl measure for the abolition of tolls and the maintenance of public roads in Scotland by assessment; and that should the principle of the measure meet with the support of the county, where the subject has been much agitated of late years, he has no doubt that he will be able to intrust its conduct through Parliament to good and safe hands.
The official returns of the estimated produce of the crops of Scotland have been forwarded to the Board of Trade by the Highland Society. Since 1854, wheat has increased from 4,848,679 bushels to 7,270,962 bushels ; barley and bore have decreased from 8,290,746 bushels to 6,083,076 bushels ; oats have fallen from14,093,010 bushels to 31,966,381 bushels ; beans and peas have increased from 1,081,263 bushels to 1,279,440 bushels ; turnips have increased from 6,411,419 tons to 6,549,267 tons ; and potatoes have decreased from 629,915 tons to 413,890. The acreage of land under wheat increased from 168,216 to 263,328 acres. Nevertheless, the actual yield of food is estimated at 5 per cent less than that of 1854. The reason of this is, that the wheat crop suffered severely from the wet weather that prevailed at harvest- time, and that the potato crop is deficient in quality andquantity. Ma. Hall Maxwell, in forwarding the returns to the Board of Trade, remarks that the farmers make them willingly ; satisfied that "the inquiry is in no respect inquisitorial," and that the information acquired is of great importance.
Five lives have been sacrificed through one man's drunkenness in Shet- land. A boat left Lerwick in the afternoon for Bressay ; on board were Duncan, a fisherman, his sons James and Francis, Hunter a sailor, and two girls, cousins to the young Duncans. James Duncan had been drinking. after a time he wanted the bout to be put back, as he had left something at Lerwick ; against the wishes of the rest he strove to turn the boat round ; Hunter at length seized the drunkard, and held him for a time ; but then James got free, and flew at his father to strike him—all was confusion, and the boat was upset. Hunter got to land by clinging to the boat and eventually getting into it when it had righted, but all the others were drowned.
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