SCOTLAND.
It is reported that the Marquis of Douro will contest the county of Kelso at the next election, in the Conservative interest.
On Saturday, the Judges of the First Division of the Court of Session unanimously passed a bill of suspension and interdict against a 'wenn resolution of the Edinburgh Town-Council, prohibiting any of their body front attending Divine service in the Established Church in an offi- cial capacity. On Sunday, several of the Council went in their robes, with their insignia and officers, to the High. Church. Subsequently' the Council have resolved to resume the old practice of going to chureh. in municipal state ; leaving it, as before, optional with the members to attend or not.
We understand that an interdict has been served on the Revereod John Mactavish, of Ballachulish. near Fort William, prohibiting the use of a tent and the assembling of people to hear the gospel on a piece of land belonging to Maclean of Ardgour.— Witness.
Two occurrences have recently excited attention, as illustrating the operation of Lord Aberdeen's Act. The Reverend Mr. Smith was pre- sented to the Tolbooth Church in Edinburgh, and his call was respectably and numerously signed. Three parishioners, however, objected that his style of preaching was not level to the capacities of the pariahionera, nor calculated to instruct or edify them. The Court of Presbytery ordered the presentee to preach the same sermons before them ; after which, a reso- lution affirming the objection was carried by 14 to 6. The gentleman who moved that resolution admitted, "that the discourses of the pre- seutee were excellent in doctrine, matter, and language." The Reve- rend Mr. Wilson was presented to the parish of Portmoak, in the Pres- bytery of Kirkaldy, before the passing of the bill ; but he was recently opposed by some of the parishioners, male and female. It was objected that his discourse did not "edify," and that he had a habit of looking about him while preaching. That, explained a friend, was because he saw the people leaving the church at the end of the sermon. The ob- jectors, however, were loud : the ladies were headed by a Mrs. Barbara flay Donaldson, who uttered the denunciation—" Empty wa's for him ! empty wa's for him ! nae a living soul '11 gang near him." The objec- tions were consequently held to be proved.
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