The Express.
London, England, 1847-08-11 00:00:00

SCO TLAND.

EDINBURGH, AUGUBT 9.
With two or three exceptions the parties injured
by the fall of the hustings at Peebles are now
doing well. The election for that county is ex-
citing considerable interest, particularly as many of
the conservative votes are said to be fictitious, and as
the opposition have intimated their intention of scru-
tinising them thoroughly.
Distress generally shows itself early in Paisley, and
while fever is elsewhere abating, it is keeping eta-
, tionary there, if it be not icdeed increasing.
In order to settle his exclusive right of roadway
along the banks of the Don, Lord James Hay is about
to institute an action against an Aberdeen citizen foe
trespass. The Aberdonians are indignant about the
matter, and how much soever his lordship may gain
at law he will suffer dearly in popularity.
STBANHAER, AUG. 7.
Considerable excitement has been occasioned in our
district of burghs by the proceedings at the nomina-
tion and return of Sir John M"raggart. Strong
doubts are entertained of their legality. At Wig-
ton, on the 2nd inst., two candidates were put in
nomination—Sir John and Mr. Macaulay. The show
of hands having been declared by the Sheriff (with
considerable hesitation), to be in favour of the former,
a poll was demanded by the gentleman who proposed
Mr. Macaulay, and appointed to take place on Wed-
nesday the 4th. The sheriff immediately left the
hustings, and the assembly dispersed. After the
sheriff had returned to his residence, and while he
waif engaged making arrangements for taking the
poll in each of the tour burghs which compose the
district, the gentleman who had nominated Mr.
Macaulay waited'upon him and intimated a wish to
vrithdmw hiscandidate. The sheriff thereupon returned
to the hustings, the withdrawal of Mr. Macaulay
was formally announced, and Sir John M'Taggart
declared duly elected. No person suspects the inte-
grity of the sheriff; it is admitted that he was actu-
ated solely by a desire to prevent inconvenience to any
one. As tittle doubt is entertained that, seeing the late
hour at which the idea of starting Mr. Macaulay
was entertained, the result of the poll would have
been in favour of Sir John M'Taggart; but it is
thought that proceedings so irregular, if allowed to
pass without challenge, may form a dangerous pre-
cedent. Though the original nominator of Mr.
Macaulay was persuaded to withdraw bim, other
electors might have nominated hint afresh had the
meeting not been previously dispersed.
If Sir J. MTaggart's election is sustained, nothing
more will be required in future to secure the election
of an unpopular candidate, than to get his opponent
nominated by a voter who will consent to withdraw
him after the electors have dispersed, when the sheriff
may return to the hustings, and go through a form
, by which the unpopular candidate may be declared
member. The impression here is, that the sheriff,
after declaring the day on which the poll was to take
place, was, as our lawyers would term it, funrtus
officio :—that he could not legally interfere to prevent
% the poll taking place ; and that Sir John's return is
,; irregular and invalid. And, with a view to the pos-
sible consequences of conniving at such an irregu-
larity, the election ought not to be sustained.

THE FISHING TEADE.—Tho following important para.
graph occurs in the Fishery Board's report, recently pub-
lished, and strikingly shows the vast importance of this de-
partment of national industry : " In calling attention to the
boat account for this year, the commissioners have to point
out, that whilst 14,649 boats, manned by 60,279 fishermen
and boys, and 99,065 persons of all descriptions, were em-
ployed in the shore curing department of the fishery, daring
the fishing year 1845, the return for the fishing year 1646
contains 15,076 boats, manned by 61,224 fishermen and
boys and 99.833 persons employed, showing an increase of
427 beats, and 915 fishermen, and 768 in the total number
of persons employed. It does not appear to be unreason-
able to anticipate that them numbers nay be permanently
aalrdeenPtclisrnoeuaeli yeartie bVehrei.ch charitable a
the dicastsisLi)eud:ncizbailty.
ante of the West Hig
hlands threatened with starvation,
arising from the failure of the potato crop, individuals
having been in this way converted into fishermen, who were
previously utterly ignorant of the mysteries of that calling,
and who may now be led, frem a due regard to their own
intertsts, to prosecute it in future. The account of the ton-
nage and number of hands employed in Great Britain, in
conveying Liverpool and foreign salt for the fisheries, and in
exporting herrings, as well as embracing other statistical in-
formation, presents this year the following returns : the
amount of tonnage employed in carrying salt is 32,271, and
the number of hands 3,sB4—the tonnage employed in ex-
porting amounts to 36,4701, and the number of hands to
2,9l9—the tonnage of fishing boats amounts to 128,919—
the number of square yards of netting used in the fisheries
is 98,076,355—the number of yards of lines 5.5,172,903—the
value of boats 683,3941.—the value of nets 473,744/. 10s.,
and of lines, 98,9104 4s. and the total value of boats, nets,
and lines, amounts to 1,2.56,0181. 14e.
INCREASE op FEVER.—Fever, which seemed in Glasgow
and its vicinity to have met with a check, again appears to
be on the increase, more cases having been reporkd than
last week. The hospital, however, which has been erected
is new in full operation, and by the immediate removal of
the infected, and the fumigation of the houses, which is
regularly attended to, we trust that this dispensation may
soon be alleviated. The hospital has accommodation for
about 170 patients.—North British Mail.
WALES.

LUNATIC ASYLUMS IN THE PRINCIPALITY.—From
the report of the Commissioners in Lunacy to the Lord
Chancellor. it appears that the asylum at Haverfordwest,
which in 1842 was in a most defective and disgraceful condi-
tion, has been much improved, both in and to the condi-
tion of the house and of the patients. The commissioners
state that the patients appeared to be kindly treated, their
clothing good, and their persons clean ; and that the diet
had been much improved, and was given in sufficient quan-
tities, and no patient was under restraint. A remote patient
who was formerly kept naked in a dark and filthy room
during both day and night was at the time of the last visit
clean and neatly clad, and was sitting out of doors free from
restraint and amusing herself. A boy, who formerly slept on
loose straw, on a stone floor, in a small dark cell, now slept
in a comfortable bed, was clean and well clothed, and nearly
restored to his eriginal healthy state. Of the asylum at
Burton Ferry, in the county of Glamorgan, the commis-
sioners report as follows . " The paupers are lodged in out-
buildings, and the apartments appropriated to their use are
cheerless and uncomfortable, and the single cells are defec-
tive in construction, being small, damp, end incapable of
perfect ventilation. At the last visit, it appeared that the
roof and windows were not water-tight, and that although
the asylum is situate in Wales, and nearly all the eighty-eir
pauper patients confined therein were Welsh, and a large
proportion of them could understand English but imperfectly,
there was not one attendant capable of speaking the Welsh
language in the whole establishment."