The Express.
London, England, 1847-09-08 00:00:00

SCOTLAND.

El/ISM:MOH, SEPT. 6.
The anticipated legislation for Scotland during the
ensuing session, will embrace the law of entail, the
excise laws, the custody of lunatics, health of towns,
and, according to the speech of the Solicitor-General,
at Kirkcudbright, it is possible that the Marriage and
Registration Bills may again be brought forward.
The entail question has been well canvassed, and, ex-
cept among lawyers, the system, as it stands, has few
supporters. A pamphlet recently published supplies
the following information. Since the passing of the
entail act in 1683, the number of entails up to the
present date will amount to about 2,000, and the
amount of territory embraced will be about one-half
of the country. As to its operation, so far as land-
lords and their connexions are concerned, the follow-
ing are the burdens allowable by three statutes passed
subsequently to the original act :
On en estate baring s rental of
loxes 2OO
- -

First widows annuity 6OO
Interest cc six years' rents ix improre-
cunt. 360
Interest on three yeses' rents for pro
Cskets to roam children
aeoond widow's sneaky, doe-third of
rentalabg free rent. 239
- 1,524

• 176 0 0
Ose.third of surplus for extbsetioa of improve-
ment debt l3B 13 4

For heir in poomokra 317 6 8
But as by a fourth statute, called Lord Aberdeen's
Act, the heir cannot be deprived of more than two-
thirds of the rental, some of the above items must be
restricted ; and as even the restricted items must re-
main burdens on the estate, the current heir could not
provide for his own widow or children. Of course
this is putting an extreme case ; but it is one quite
within the bounds of possibility.
As to lunatics, the total number in Scotland, by
last return, was 3,413 ; and of those, 1,290 are in
public institutions ; the remainder, 2,123, in private
houses. Of the latter, the most distressing and in-
credible details have, in many cases, been obtained
by government inquiry. The Health of Towns Bill
will be a mere accommodation of the English bill to
Scotch usages. Of the success of revived marriage
and registration bills it were premature as yet to
speculate.
Rumours are again rife as to the probability of Mr.l
Cowan taking his seat for Edinburgh, and certain
parties are positive that he will not. Should their
predictions be correct, Mr. Dunlop, the late candidate
for Greenock, will likely be brought forward.
Another district surgeon (being the fifth within a
short period) has fallen a victim to fever in Glasgow,
and yet, in the midst of all this professional mortality,
the poor-law authorities are higgling in the most
narrow way as to medical remuneration for pauper
attendance. In Edinburgh fever is keeping sta-
tionary.
Our streets continue swarming with railway plea-
sure parties. Just now some five or six hundred
denizens from the manufacturing districts in the north
;
iafl!enct land are on a short Highland tour, having
through Edinburgh last week, after duly in-
specting the Athenian lions, and receiving a soirée
from the more cosmopolitan inhabitants.
The herring fishery on the north and east coasts is
drawing to a close, the success being, on the whole,
above average. The late storms, however, have caused
much loss of nets and other appurtenances.

Tea BELL Rocs.—Such was the visits* of the waves at
the Bell Rack on the night of Saturday, the 41st att., that
Neill& witness infonns us (thliallarpi Osumi) that, at
this mewls wens thaws wp *oaths bed of the
ea lies the Wallows of the slesathiworimaa lithe light-
boss bay" a height of uo leesliathaliessay ha.
Yana SZIPIWCICS wire Loos •tara,—.• awe-
rods* fat John o'
prone Jrawai, who OW hi lAN"
iThrea,Thunday,' mays:— ' We have had a =ls of
wad hen,imspea4lly Omagh tho pea night and
frees the N. sad I am pima* add, that its raw& haw;
soda beta Stith Two wad kw *ea driven ailwasswas
el then is a sehosaar, mill the Xery and JostsAiti
Die et Nan, Capt. Lowry, with istr boa
*:Bali.. She
slatelies %
a Mu wag of the river. The whir
al * a sloop with how Raab* was* the N,
aad Dodge. n• won el both wads law Mim
es
saved, althomahthsi etlhs Marva Naddosalio
This mad Ikea lilabs is Os asthwamil of the di dell aim%
is hared that belt will ha WM weed* Pat I sew* to aid
a ems et a maw eselsaela i .slaw. I haw Jet sew a
bearer, NIA hints* with thy islarthaara that •

schooner was driven ashore, near Tumid, this morning, and
that the crew have all perished. Both masts went over-
board intelidtately on her strilthig, My informant could
not tell her Clem, cargo, or destination. The custom-house
officers and coast...guard small off to the place. Au American
vessel is rolling very bawdy in the roads, being anchored
too farout—thegeneral mistake of captains. If she is well
found, she may stand out the gale. It is reported that two
other vessels are ashore farther to the westward