Court in an elegant speech at opening. In the First Chamber, Lord Armadale was chosen interim President; and the commission of Mr Blair, appointing him Lord President of the Court, having been formerly given in and recorded, he immediately went to the Outer house with Lord Craig, Ordinary, to sit as Lord Probationer, and report the usual causes in that capacity.

without turning to the right hand or to the left, was his supreme and anxious wish. If long experience was a requisite towards the performance of his new duties, he might, without presumption, say he possessed it; for, during the long period of 44 years, he had been in constant practice at that bar. His Lordship concluded his most impressive address, which was delivered with much feeling and animation, with trusting that, by the aid and exertions of their Lordships, in their different chambers, the business of the Court would meet with dispatch, and justice be duly administered to the country. The Court was extremely crowded. Lord Melville was present, and sat within the bar.

The new Lord President (who is son of the author of the celebrated poem of the Grave) entered Advocate in the year 1764, and got early into high practice. In 1789 he was appointed his Majesty's Solicitor General for Scotland, in which situation he continued till the change of Ministry immediately after Mr Pitt's death, in February 1806. During this time, it is generally understood that he was repeatedly offered, at different vacancies, the high offices of Lord Advocate and Lord Justice Clerk, both of which he declined. He was chosen Dean of the Faculty of Advocates, when the present Lord Chief Baron went to the Exchequer. Mr Blair has been al ways distinguished for his independence of mind, for mauly eloquence, and profound knowledge of his profession. The appointment of so dignified a character to the head of the law department in this country must give great satisfaction.

On Wednesday November 16. Mr Blair having reported the usual number of causes as Lord Probationer, took his seat as Lord President of the Court. On this occasion the second division of the Court, in which Lord Justice Clerk presides, came down from the new court-room to the Inner-house, so that the whole Judges were on the bench at receiving the Lord President. His Lordship, on taking his seat, delivered a most eloquent and impressive speech to the Court, of which we can only give the outlines. Feeling, he said, the high responsibility attached to his situation, he took possession of it with fear and an xiety, and considered the present moment as one of the most important in his life. He alluded to three former il lustrious men who had filled the chair, men who were in the memory of all their Lordships, and whose shining abi. lities needed no praise from him. He particularly noticed the late Lord President Campbell, by whose retirement from business he was now raised to the honourable situation to which he was this day called, and remarked, among the many qualities possessed by that eminent Judge, his patient industry and indefatigable attention to business; qua. lities which, his Lordship observed, had often to him been a source of admiration, and even almost of envy. It would be presumptuous in him, he continued, to compare his talents with those of his predecessors whom he had noticed; but there was one quality in a Judge, with out which the most splendid abilities were of no avail, nay, even destructive -he meant that of a zealous desire to The Lord Justice Clerk gives nodischarge, with an upright mind, the du- tice, that answers to petitions, memori ties of his station. It would be affecta-als, and all other papers ordered by the tion in him to speak with reserve or Court, must be given in on or before doubt on this point, for his mind told the 1st of December next; and that, af him he possessed this desire, and that 'ter that day, every case will positively to do his duty, and to administer justice be taken up in the order which it stands between man and man, without fear or in the long roll, whether the papers a regard of any human consideration, wanting are given in or not."

The following notice, put up in the Outer-house, evinces the determination of their Lordships to give that dispatch to business which has so long been considered as essential to the ends of jus tice, and which it was intended, in a great measure, to effect by the recent division of the Court into two chambers.

COURT

appeal was made to the synod by a numerous body of the presbytery, not only because they conceived there was no good ground for such inquiry, but also,

because the movers of it had not com.

plied with the express injunction of the form of process, by having had a pre

ject with Mr Wright. This appeal came before the synod at the last meeting. Very able pleadings were made on both sides, after which it was moved and seconded,

COURT OF JUSTICIARY. Some time ago, an action was raised at the instance of his Majesty's Advo. cate against several Journeymen Paper. makers, for entering into an illegal combination or conspiracy to compel their masters to raise their wages. An objection against the relevancy of the livious private communication on the sub bel having been started by the Counsel for the pannels, the Court ordered memorials; and on the 19th of October their Lordships, after having maturely considered the case, and delivered their opinions, pronounced an interlocutor, finding the indictment not relevant as laid. The pannels were therefore dis. missed from the bar. The whole of their Lordships were present. Lords Armadale and Meadowbank supported the relevancy of the libel, and with them the Lord Justice Clerk concurred in opinion; while Lords Craig, Cullen, and Hermand, spoke against it. Their Lordships delivered their sentiments at great length, and in such a manner as evinced the deep attention they had bestowed on a subject of such vast import ance to the interests of the community.

"That the synod should find that the presbytery of Ayr have acted in this matter in a precipitate and informal manner, and that their sentence ought to be reversed.”

It was also moved and seconded,

"That the synod find the presbytery of Ayr have in this manner acted pro perly, and that it should be remitted to them to take such further steps in this business as they may judge best."

After reasoning at considerable length, the synod, without a vote, agreed to set aside the whole proceedings of the presbytery in this business; at the same time, sensible of the importance of the SYNOD OF GLASGOW AND AYR. sanctification of the Sabbath, they reA case of a very singular nature late commended to all the members withly came before the Synod of Glasgow in their bounds to be particularly atten and Ayr.—The circumstances are short-five to it, and to beware how far they ly these. In the harvest of 1807 there allow of cases of necessity, which may was a great deal of wet weather, and prove a stumbling-block to any of their much corn destroyed and carried away parishioners. by the floods. The potatoes were also greatly injured, so as to render them extremely scarce and dear, in consequence of which much distress afterwards prevailed in many districts of Scotland. At the end of one of the weeks it brightened up, and a drying wind had prepared the corn for being housed. The Rev. Mr Wright, minister of Maybole, at the conclusion of the forenoon's service, on the following Sabbath-day, stated to his congregation, that he conceived the favourable change of the weather might be made use of to save the harvest on that day, without violating the Sabbath. Several of his parishioners availed themselves of their pastor's advice. At the next meeting of presbytery, one of his reverend brethren denounced him as having violated the fourth commandment; and a solemn inquiry was accordingly voted by a majority of the presbytery. Against this resolution a complaint and

On Thursday night, Oct. 21st, it blew a heavy gale at Edinburgh from the S. W. In addition to the mischief usually occasioned here by high winds, such as blowing down chimney cans, &c. &c. we were sorry to observe that the large temporary building erected on the north end of the Mound, for the purpose of exhibiting the panorama of the battle of Trafalgar, was blown down, and the painting totally destroyed. It is a curious coincidence that it fell on the morning of the 21st, the anniversary of that day on which the hero of Trafalgar ended his career of glory.

On Thursday Oct. 25. came on another tremendous storm from the southwest, which did considerable damage on the west coast, and the plantations in the south of Scotland have suffered much,

DREAD

DREADFUL ACCIDENT.

on hearing of the accident, he set out in the middle of the night, with several of his servants and others, in two post chaises, and gave every possible assist

means, we are happy to say the London mail and other valuable articles in the coach have been saved,

"Mr Clapperton, the surgeon, is also entitled to much praise for his ready assistance upon the occasion; and the exertions of John Geddes, one of Mr Rae's servants, are particularly deserving of notice, who, at the risk of his life, went into the river with a rope fastened to his body, and saved the life of the lady (one of the passengers) and some of the mail bags, which must otherwise have been carried down the stream.

A dreadful accident befel the London mail coach which left Glasgow on Tuesday, Oct. 25. the particulars of which will be found in the following letter:-ance to the passengers, &c. and by this "Moffat, 26th October 1808. "We had, yesterday, a most dread. ful storm of wind and rain, and the rivers in the neighbourhood came down in torrents, such as have never been seen by the oldest people here. Among other damage occasioned by it, we are sorry to state, that a shocking accident has happened to the mail coach from Glasgow to Carlisle. At the bridge over the river Avon, about nine miles from this, at a place called Howcleugh, betwixt 9 and 10 o'clock last night, the coach had just got about half way over, when the bridge gave way in the middle of the arch, and the coach, passengers, horses, &c. were instantly precipitated into the river, a fall of about 30 feet. There were four inside and two outside passengers, The two outside passengers and two of the horses were killed upon the spot, and the other pas sengers made a miraculous escape with their lives; though we are sorry to say, they were all very considerably hurt. The coachman and guard were also much hurt; the former had his arm broken, and was otherwise much brui sed, and the guard received a severe contusion on the head.

"The other coach from Carlisle to Glasgow was narrowly prevented from falling into the same precipice. It was coming up just about the time the accident happened, and, from the darkness of the night, and the rate the coach ne. cessarily goes at, must inevitably have gone into the river at the same breach in the arch, had not one of the passen. gers who escaped given the alarm.

"By the exertions of the coachman and guard of the other coach, the pas. sengers who survived (a Lady and three Gentlemen) with the coachman and guard, who had fallen into the precipice, were enabled to extricate them selves from the dismal situation into which they were thrown, and conducted, to a place of safety till other assistance was afforded them...

"Much praise is due to Mr Rae, the Postmaster here, one of the proprietors of the coach, for his exertions and assis tance on this occasion. Immediately,

"The coach and harness are com pletely destroyed. Mr Rae has lost two valuable horses by the accident, and the other two are severely hurt and bruised.

"The bodies of the two passengers who were killed have been, found, and have been brought here this morning; they are Mr William Brand, merchant in Ecclefechan, and Mr Lund, of the house of Lund and Toulmin, of Bondstreet, London."

On Friday, Oct. 21st, Euphemia Vert was put on the pillory at Haddington in pursuance of a sentence of the Sher riff depute, for stealing money from her master. And on Friday the 28th, John Currie, Robert Alexander, and James Alexander, all carters in and about Edinburgh, were, in pursuance of a sentence of the Sheriff depute, publicly whipped through the streets of Haddington, for having, in a most cruel and unprovoked manner, assaulted. Andrew Rutherford, toll-keeper at Drem; and on the same day assaulted Thomas Cron, mill-master in Abbey, to the great ef fusion of their blood, and danger of their lives. Both sentences were pronounced upon the unanimous verdiet of an assize.

On Sunday Oct. 23. a whale ran ashore upon the farm of Longcarse, a little above Alloa, and was killed by the farm servants. It was of the kind termed fin-fish; it measured 43 feet long. There is a fin upon each side near the head and one fin, upon the back, within 12 feet of the tail. The belly is white, and covered with regular and deep furrows, like plaited work.

6. At Edinburgh, Miss Janet Rollo, daughter of the late Mr Robert Rollo, She

At Belfast, Mrs M'Caskill, Lady of Col. riff-clerk of Clackmannanshire. M'Caskill, a son,

7. At Righill, Mr John Young, farmer,