The Express.
London, England, 1851-03-22 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, SATURDAY EVENING, MARCH 22, 1851.

The wretched state of industry, in the useful arts and ' ALLAN M. I'AVIS/en FISMINO.
in commerce, throughout all these countries of bigoted In a secluded nook of one of the wildest noel moot soli-
Dupe rstition, and the enormous money treasures pournig tary ports of the Argyllshire road, where it in washed by
into Itume through the channel of wealthy visitors from the Atlantic waters, there stood 110011 c thirty years ago the
every civilised nation un earth. naturally attract large nun- cottage of a Highland fisherman. The traveller who
ben of indigent tradesmen from protestant countries.. No should now look for its site, would probably be unrewarded
sooner do these unfortunate ones pay with their health the for h.o pains;—it has long eince mouldered from the face
usual tribute to the sultry climate than they are seized of the earth. A key stones, half buried among s red, are all
Upon in their helpless state by charitable friars, and carried that remain to indicate where the humble dwelling of hu-
into hospital., never to escape with their life but by em- man hearts once eenctified the bosom of solitude ;—yet
bracing popery. If death happens hethre conversime the were its walls the mute witneesee of love an deep—of agony
body of a heretic, whatever his rank and station in life may as iutense—as ever lived and burned within the soul be-
have been, when surviving friends do nut succeed in convey-' neath the roofs of palaces. Nature is no respecter of
ing it at suer by emugeline proceeses over the frontier, is pieces. The passions w hirh obey her call belong alike to
refused iutennent, and reserved fur the most °Moue prne- all her children; the decay which follows her footsteps,
tires of public execration. In such a cane, the children is the appointed lot of all things wherein these children
' are torn from the surviving parent, to be educated in have apart here b
ellow.monasteries. I At the period uf which I speak, the cottage stood at the
The numerous rich and noble families front" this very base of a range of lofty and precipitous cliffs, which,
country, who are residing at Rome, are allowed, for their retiring in a semicircle from the +here at that particular
t spot, left a recess at their feet, whose only opening Wan to
Sunday devotion, only a private house " beyond the walls ; "
a locality appointed to them in sign of public contempt. ; the sea. This little nook, nut more than half an acre in
This is the only protestant meeting-house guttered in all the extent, wan during high water entirely separated from corn-
papal dominion... Protest-inn anxious to display abroad i munication with the world beyond it, as the sea flowed up
their superiority in wealth end rank, consent to sneak on , the base of the rocky walls which, girding it on either side,
1 which it was at such times possilde to obtain egress from it,
the Lord's Day, ut Rome, into the most ignoble place of extended themselves along the coast. The only mode by
' worship ; and, in the enjoyment of a commanding position,
so much easier to be obtained in foreign society than at was one accessible to no foot, save that of a daring MO fear-
home, it is deemed neither hardship nor disgrace to submit i less craigsman, that of scrambling on hands and knees
without a murmur to such injunctions as that which pro- , across the face of the rocks, which, beetling over a sea so
hihits, fur their devotional meeting's, the use of either bells, 1 high and tempestuous, looked as though they defied the
organs chanting, or any outward mark and distinction of a pigmy efforts of man to surmount their mighty rampart.
church' or chapel. Nor is any permanent clergy appointed I Yet this feat, frightful as it would have appeared to one
there tootficiate throughoutthe year. An hospital for iudigent unaccustomed to it, hail more than once been accomplished
proteetants was eetabliehed, through the proieworthy efforts by the bold and sure-tweed inhabitants of the coast, by
of the Chevalier Bunsen when ambassador at Rome, with l means of strong wooden poles, ropes to aid their descent,
fund. collected by him and his sueeeeson from rich visitors; I and a judicious method of availing themselves of every
but it is nut allowed to take the name and privileges of a I projecting bush, or tuft of heather, to assist their toilesome
hospital ; and, by a disgraceful submission to the public progress. At ebb tide, a narrow strip of nand, turning the
stigma of ignominy, its existence is preserved only as being I projectieg headlands, afforded a path wherby to gain the
' the private house of Mr. Bunsen. During his functions, wider extent of shore beyond them, some three-quarters of
too, and through the energetic co-operation of the Russian a mile along which was situated a row of fishermen's cot-
ambassador, the only protestant cemetery in all the papal tars.
states was suffered to receive consecration. Nevertheless, the solitary cabin above-mentioned stood aloof and se-
when some insolent priest had inscribed over the gate eluded from all, yet wearing a character very superior to
Searle° publico," the diplomatic representatives of pro- that of the others. Its appearance, in fact, was nearer that
tedantism contented themselves with ordering during the of the neat and carefully-kept abode* of the pea...entry on a
night, a new coat of painting for the gate ! Lowland gentleman's estate, than the slovenly but of a
Northern fisherman. Some pains had been taken to form
In this state of things, a practical " demonstration"
a little garden beside it, at the sheltering foot of the cliff; and
is suggeated by. our protestant pamphleteer. He
these pains--screened as it was from all high winds, even
proemial; the collecting of large funds, for the rata- from those blowing off the sea, oncost in ordinary weather
blishment of protestant churches, schools, hospitals, —had been attended with considerable success. Every
and cemeteries at Rome. and in various localities of thing around the door was kept in extreme order; and the
the papal dominions, wherever a number of resident narrow strip of grass on which the sand had not encroached,
*creed its a little bleaching-green to the fieherman'e young
protestants might be found sufficient to make such a
and lovely Lowland wife, on which she was often to be
pro vision necessary ; afterwards in Florence, Naples, seen spreading out her clothes, with her baby upoi
l'alenno, Venice, Milan, Vienna, and finally in Spain the grass besides her, while awaiting the return of bur
and Portugal. This undertaking would yield in husband from his fishing; at which time it was her usual
Christian merit, and paitical as well as commercial custom to repair to the beach, in order to assist him in
carrying up his nets to the house.
importance, to no missionary expedition. All pro-
Allan aluelavieh, her husband, was a tall and handsome
tcatunte, of every country and denomination, might young Highlander, who had, about two y' •an previous to the
join in this work, which will lame the right hand time of which I write, arrived in that part of the country to
of Austria, by calling into action the powerful, but settle, with his newly married wife. He was a native (Arne
coast, and had been bred a fisherman from chilabood ; but
hitherto misapplied, power of Protestantism in
some time before his marriage he hail left the country, to ac-
Italy, and find a host of helpers in Germany,
compare his faster-brotherya young Highland gentleman, to
land, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Russia; the Ilridge of Allan, a watering-place in Stirliugshire,whither
of which countries secure pence and welfare to mil- he had been ordered for his health. The young taint's
lions of papists by their toleration to such as reside affection for his footer-brother was such that he could not
in their respective dominions, endure to be separate:el from him, and Allan left his fishing
toe with him. The laird returned no more • he died in
Those, however, who ore so foolishly proud of our
the Lowlands; but Allan MaeTavish came back, enriched
social condition as to deny the need of anxiety and watch-
by a -mall leery front him, and accompanied by one of the
fiancee, and so well satisfied with filling their own countrryy
prettiest girls in all Stirlingshire as his wife. From that
or town with works of charity and ecclesiastical magni
cease, are but too apt to pray with the Pharisee 0 Lord, time they had continued to reside in the Cove of Craigna-
varroeb, us the spot where their cottage stood wan named,
thank thee that I am not as other men are !'"f'hose works
of charity, of which the opulent can boast, as being their to all appearance the happiest of couples. They were
doatingly attached to each other ; and when, 'on returning
only ucklevement in the vineyard of the laird, arc but like
the rotten fruit .if a withering tree, destined to return to' from his fishing, Allan alaelfavish sat down beside his clean
and cheerful hearth, with his infant on his knee, while his
the generous soil of Christian society nothing but poisonous
genus of ingratitude and corruption. wife spun or mended his nets beside him, he at least felt
Such a withering tree, consumed by the malignant that the world did not contain for him a spot so blessed es
blast of pride and selfishness, would lie the church or state his own little home.
from which, after the agitation of this violent storm, no But there was one heart in the group that felt as though
other fruit should fall than empty discussions, boasts, threats, it dared nut be happy. Margaret Weir, the young wife
of Allan, loved her husband with a depth and intensity of
' and declantations. Grant heaven that this agitstian be
I affection which bad lea her to 41., an site had done.-to vie-
fruitful of good works! May the pride of our arch-enemy
be his fall, and may the Protestant churche be exalted I Fete filial duty for his sake; hut which could not teach her
s
only through Christian law and virtue, in the ezere;„,. of to forget the Ilion she had committed, or the parent whom
she had deserted; and the consciousness of her disobedience
reciprocal toleration and true charity under God's blessing !
was with her in her happiest hour, to sink her heart us
with a weight of lead. She was the only child of a wealthy
fanner, onginallv from Ayrshire, who had come, during
his daughter's childhood, immediately after the death of.his
wife, to settle in Stirlingisire, not far from the Bridge of
Allan.
Andrew Weir was one of those who still retain, almost in
all their original strictue,i, the peculiar tenets and ideas
of the Cameninians, of whom there are many to be found
at the present day in the wild and lonely districts of the
south-western part of Scotland. His notions of family dis-
cipline, and of strict seclusion from those who held a dif-
ferent doctrine from his own, were extremely rigid ; yet,
notwithstanding these, the affection which he had borne
hie daughter was very great, nor had the harmony subsist-
ing between them ever experienced any interruption, until
the arrival of Allan MacTuvieh near their place of resi-
dence, and his subsequent acquaintance with Margaret,
first broke in upon the calm tenor of her life, by intro-
ducing sensations to which her heart had never before been
awakened.
The intimacy of his daughter withthe young Highlander
had continued for a considerable time ere Andrew Weir
became aware of it • for Margaret knew her father's pre-
judices too well to dare make him acquainted with her lover.
M came to his knowledge by accident, and his anger was
proportionably great. In common with many of his coun-
trymen, Andrew entertained an extreme dislike to High-
landers, which dislike, in the present instance, received
tenfold confirmation from the circumstance of MacTuvish
being a Papist. lie would liars considered himself as
signing the warrant for his daughter's eternal perdition,
had be not instantly forbidden all Intercourse between them.
At this juncture Allan's foster-brother died, and left hint
the legacy already mentioned; but with his death, at the
same time, ceased all the reasons fin the young man's
remaining absent from hie own country. He contrived an
interview with Margaret ere he should depart. It is needless
to linger on an oft-told tale. The struggle between filial
affection and all-powerful love in the heart of the unsophis-
ticated girl, was severe and long-continued; while the re-
ligious feelings in which she had been educated contributed
to swell the amount of reluctance and of terror with which
she contemplated the step to which she was urged. But
love at last prevailed. Margaret fled from her father's
house with her lover.
They instantly proceeded to Edinburgh, where they were
married by a Burnish priest, and then sought the lonely
solitudes of Allan's old Argyllshire mountains. But Mar-
garet—so inlet had been the filial obedience in which she
was brought up—so severe the religious thith of her youth—
could nut find happiness the portion of her manned life,
notwithstanding all the kindness of her husband, the love-
liness of her infant, and the peacefulness of her home. The
Image of her grey-haired father going down in his sorrow
to a lonely grave, mourning, in bitterness of heart, the sin
and the falling-away of his only child, was ever before her
She concealed from her husband the remorse which em-
bittered her happiness, but often, when his boat was on the
sea, and she was alone in her little dwelling, with her
infant,—not a sight or a sound of a human being near,—
nothing but the sea-birds screaming from the cliffs, and the
sea making wild music to their song, as it plashed and roared
against the rocks that shut out the cove from the world—
often at such an hour would Margaret look back to the
image of the cheerful farmhouse in the green sunny holm
by Allan Water;—to the blazing ingle by whose side stood
her old father's chair ; to the venerable form of that now
forsaken father, as he opened " the big Ha' Bible," to begin
the evening worship, while she sat by his side, and the farm
servants formed a circle around.
Alas ! her accustomed scat was empty now. The name
of the undutiful daughter was heard no more in the dwell-'
ing of her childhood. Had she indeed still a father? ca
had her guilty desertion not broken his heart and sent him !
to a death-bed which no filial band had smoothed ? Then
would she press her baby to her heart, while the tears of
bitter and fruitless penitence fell on its innocent face, and
pray to God that her sins might not be visited on it ; nor
be punished in her own person by a like instance of ingra-
titude in her own child.
The return of her beloved husband might for a time dis-
pel these miserable thoughts; but still they came again
when he left her, sometimes even when he was by
,her side.
And when, as often happened, his boat was out in rough
and tempestuous weather, the anxiety and the terror ofpoor
Margaret were indeed terrible. She seemed ever haunted
by some mysterious dread of punishment through themeans
of warmest affections—her husband or her child.
There came a bright sunny day in April, when the sun set
' calmly and cloudlessly, leaving a long train of light over
the sea. Allan MeeTavish went to bed at sunset, bidding
his wife awake him at eleven at night. It would be high
tide in about an hour after that time, when his boat would
be meat easily floated o 6; and he, in company with the
fishermen who lived in the huts already mentioned, farther
along the coast, were then to depart for their deep-sea fish-
ing. Margaret determined accordingly to sit up until that
hour. in order to obviate any danger of not waking in pro-
Der time had she laid down to sleep. But as the night dark-
ened in, and all became stillness and silence in the cottage,
aa unwonted drowsiness crept over her; inspite of all her
efforts her eyes closed—thoughts wavered before her mind
is confused and shapeless forms till they gradually melted
away into dreams; and leaning her head upon a chair
beide the low stool on which she bad seated herself, she
sank into a profound sleep.
When at last she opened her eyes, which wan with a sud-
den start, she perceived her huslmnd standing on the floor,
and nearly dressed. Casting her eyes towards a silver watch',
(the gift of Allan's foster-brother), which hung upon the
wall, she perceived by the fire-light that it was after eleven,
and flintily rose from her seat, en that confusion of ideas
which attends a hurried awakening from sleep.
e Margaret, dear," said her husband kindly, " what for
did ye stay out of bed ? I never knew it till I wakened,
and raw ye sleeping there."
" Have I no' been i my bed," exclaimed Margaret, as
she looked around her. " Ou' ay, I mind it, a' noo. I just
fell asleep sittiu' aside the fire. An', Allan, whar arc ye
gamma e'en noo ? "
" Where am I nun ?" returned Allan. "Where would
I be gaun ? Ife're no awake yet, Margaret, dear, I'm
for the boat, lass."

Recollections of a Rifleman's Wife, at Mote and Abroad.
By Mrs. Vitsblaurice. Hope and Co.
Recollections which may enliven a fireside when
associated with the memory of friends do not always
make a lively book. It is very pleasant to refer to
old letters which babble of pleasant days gone by,
but this pleasure is more the result of re-awakened
sympathy than of any great interest in the places
which are described. This volume is an instance in
point. The Rifleman's wife, in company with her
husband, went to various military stations, and from
these stations appears to have written letters home
to her friends. They contain Kline passages pic-
turesquely written:
rtynocrit Gossip IN 1827.
In the course of this summt r P. mouth was honoured by
a royal visit. His late majesty, William IV., then Uuke of
Clarence, was on a tour round the coast, and it was an•
sounced that the duchess was to name a three-deeper, the
building of which we had watched with much interest. I
was delighted with the opportunity of seeing the launch of
a that-rate, and it quite answered my expectations. The
royal party, attended by the admiral and his lady, the
governor and his staff, proceeded to the slip in which lay
the noble revel; a band of music was on board, and
her deck covered with people. After some preli-
minary forma, the duchess, dashing a bottle of wine
against the vessel, gave her the name of the "Royal
Adelaide ; " the hand struck up the national anthem ;
the guns on the battery of Mount Wyse fired a salute, and
amidst the cheers of thousands the beautiful ship glided
into its future element—impetus ipse Jecit Harem. A se-
rious accident had nearly occurred at this moment, from the
duke's advancing first, as they were removing the
shores, or or last supports, on which the vessel rested ; Lady
Northesk saw the danger, and pulled him back. We lad
gone with some friends in a boat to the opposite side,
whence we had a view of the whole ; and I never saw a more
animated scene. The shore was lined with spectators; the
water covered with boats; colours floated at the mast-head
of every vessel in Hamoaxe, to welcome their royal sister
among them ; and the glory of an August sun was shining
over all. The next day was not so favourable for a review
of the troops on the government parade. The rain came
down, as it does in Devonshire, in good earnest ; but his
royal highness, declining elm the shelter of an umbrella,
stood it all for some hours, addressing each regiment in turn,
and showing a wonderful memory of all the different actions
they had at any time been enraged in. Besides two com-
panies of engineers and artillery, the Ist and 2nd battalions
of the Rifle Brigade, the 18th, or Royal Irish, the 43rd, and
the 29th, were present on this occasion. This last regiment
is remarkable for its excellent internal economy, and the
management of its schools, &c. There is a peculiarity in
their mess, from the officers always sitting down with their
swords, since the time the regiment was once attacked in
India when they were at table, and were nearly cut to
pieces. In addressing the Rifles,—in company with whom
his royal highness had served on the Ilelder,—he went
over their history from the formation of the regiment,
and wound up by saying, "And what more can I say
of you riflemen, than that, wherever there has been
fighting you have been employed, and wherever yen
have been employed you have distinguished yourselves
Another royal visitor at Plymouth this year was the Por-
tuguese prince, Don Miguel. He was as good-looking as a
little man with an indifferent countenance could be; was
fond of dancing, but had no taste fur manly sports, his
principal amusement in the morning, it was said, beieg in
shooting cats from the windows of his hotel ! A review
and some public entertainments were given during the time
he was delayed by the badness of the weather. At last, to
the great relief of the admiral, Lord Northesk, and the
governor, Sir John Cameron, on whom devolved the duty of
entertaining the intellectual prince (as it would have bean
contrary to etiquette for him to go to the house of ray
private gentleman), the wind moderated, and he embarked
with his suite ; but before they got out of the Channel a
heavy gale set in from the south-west, and in all the agony
of sea-sickness, from which royalty itself is not exempt, he
sent orders to the captain "to stop the ship." A lesson
from Canute might hare made him a wiser man.
The Russian fleet,—or some part of it, I ought to say,—
came in after this for a few days. The Russian sailor is a
sort of amphibious animal—half soldier, half sailor. The
admiral and some remarkably ugly officers came on shore,
and some of our officers went out to visit their ships, which
appeared to be in a dirty, ill-ordered condition,—the sailors,
in shakos and boots, lying about half asleep en the decks !I
In short, they did not leave a good impression, in a place
like Plymouth, of the maritime economy of Russia.
A more interesting arrival was that of the (Dena from
Illhotaiwo, with the body of Captain Bathurst ou board,
who was buried with military honours a few days after ;
sod the solemnity of the scene was increased by the sudden
Math of a young officer of the 96th, who, when the troops
wore all drawn up in line to receive the body, staggered
*sward a few paces and fell lifeless to the ground. It was
only the week before that he had told • lady, to whom he
was talking in the theatre, that ho always had the impres-
sion that he should die suddenly. The Genoa was one of
the ships which had suffered severely at Navarino: being
fir-built, every shot told additionally by splintering the
wood ; teak, from not doing this, it would appear, is much
to be preferred fur ships of war.
The book contains aim lively and pleasant de-
scriptions.

Miugrare, a Story of Caddied Spa ; and other Tales. By
Mrs. Gordon. 2 soh. Hope and Co.
One chief story, and three shorter ones, penned by
a lady of much talent, who here offers a pleasant
evening's reading for those who like to leave fur
a while the world about them, and set off upon a
fanciful tour in the regions of romance. The tales
have each a dash of dreamy superstition about them
to heighten their interest, but not enough to weaken
the reader's faith in the narratives or to lesson his
liking for the writer. We may quote as a specimen

" The boat!" almost shrieked Margaret, as the recollee- Tribunals of Commerce. A Letter to the Merchants,
tion seemed to rush upon her; " the boat !—Oh, no, Allan, Bankers, fradens, and others of England. By Fat acre
ye miunna' gang the night! No the nicht, Allan. Ye LYME, Esq., author of "Iteasons for our having Tribunals
mamma' gang." of Commerce, &e." London: Effingham Wilson, Bail.
" Not gang to night !" exclaimed he in astonishment. " Remarks on the Utility and Organisation of Tribunals
"And what for TO ?—I must gang in Italian hour's time. of Commerce." By J. M. EfIASE/L, Est. Loudon,
Aud gang ye to your bed, hinny, and tak a sleep." WOOdiall.
" Oh, .than,' said Margana, bursting into tears, "toe Ana/pi. of Couseils des Prud'honmes. By Ws. FELKI7,
guided by me, and tak na the boat the nicht, or we're a' Nottingham.
the it."
" What's the matter, Margaret?" anxiously inquired he. Mr. Lyne's pamphlet is rather a report to the mei--
" What's pitteu that in yer bed?" chants of London, who have supported hint, of tho
" I had a dream e'en now, Allan," sobbed Margaret, progress as yet made in the movement, than
any account of the working of tribunals of commerce
" that warned nee coo to let ye gang. I fell lasicep, and I
dreamed that I was sittiu' her', i' the ingle-neuk, an' at *home or abroad, but this is supplied in the brief
waitin' till it was time to weaken ye for the tishia', .01' on
address of Mr. Fraser. Mr. lf.yne's pamphlet con-
e sudden the dour opened, and my auld ranker came ben,
and stood afore me; there whar you're %tannin', Allan. tains, however, many incident:it illustrations on a
An' I thoeht he leuekit gay an stem-ways at me; an' says subject now of very great prominence—trade tiibu-
he, ' Margaret,' says lie, 'tell your husband to bide at home nals—and, in connexion with them, functions of arbi-
the nicht, tool no gang to the ((shin' or yell tration. may be rue It is sitciz 1111011 as a novelty, or even a fo-
ular to say that in the present
it when ye canna' mend it.' And wi' ;hat he turned route,
an' gazel awe' agin, or ever 1 had poocr to speak till him; day this is look
an' I startit up, and waukenet wi' the fright. But oh, reign importation, and the most complete models WO
' Allan!" and Margaret burst into a flood of weeping: " it's have for refercius• are those on the continent, whereas
no for nal that I have seen the auld man this night. 1k trade tribunals. and arbitration between the litigant
ruled hy the warnin' he gird me, and dinna gang to the —• ,
virtu s. are among the most ancient institutions of this
fishin'."
city and country. 'llte fact of it is we have! theorised
" Hoots, bairn," exclaimed her husband, "your father
liked na' me. It was mule like he wad warn ye no' to so-fur, and we have been so desirous to make the ad-
let me gang to hinder me front some good than from ill. ntinistration of the law perfect, that we have thrown
No. no, Margaret dear, gang I moat, this night." it wholly into the hands of lawyers, and thereby dis-
Margaret again wept, wrung her hands, and implored her
jointed it. Thinking we are following Bentham
husband not to go But, superstitious as every Highlander
is, on this night his wile's mysterious decant made no ire- and the cause of improvement, we are going farthest
preesion upon Allan MacTavish. His spirits, on the con- away:.
tniry, had seldom seemed so high or so excited. Ile led Without taking one of the purely commercial MACS
Margaret to the door, showed her the calm, clear sky, cited by Mr. Lyre, let us tike one connected with
brilliant with stars, andthe full spring-tide coming so trait- hendicratt—that of two goldsmiths, or two clock-
quilly into the little bay; asked her with a kiss, if this were
a night to let a dream frighten him from his fishing, and makers, or two plumbers. who quarrel as to the ful-
without awaiting further reaaonrtraucc, strode to the place filtnent of the proper execution of ante piece of work
where his boat was monad; and as lie pushed it from the in connexion with the World's Fair. According to
shore, turned his head, one,. more to utter a light and the present course, they will have to go to the Court of
laughing farewell. " Gang to your bed,my bonny l'eggy,' Queen's Bench or the Court of , and after
he ft
he said, " and ha up belyve the morn to see the grand boat
' load o' fish that I'll bring ye back." a terrific expense they are ready for trial. A host
Margaret stood main the shore, and watched his boat as of tradesmen ts brought up on curb side as witnesses,
it doubled the headland, until, through the darkness, her but the judge, the advocates, and the jury, know
strutting eye could no longer discern it, heedless the while nothing of the subject, and never handled a
of the still advancing tide that now laves' her feet. She tool in their lives. They are ignorant. without the
merit of impartiality, because they have not the eon-
dried her tears, and looked up to the calm heaven, where
ma a cloud obscured the dark-blue }maim of night ; till at
last, half re-assured by her husband's cheerful anticipations, fidence of coming to a right &vision. Either the
half cheered by the serene aspect of the weather, she re- trial proceeds to the vexation of all members of the
trade, or the judge', conscience-stricken us to his in-
turned to the cottage, and after commending him, in a
cepability of administering justice, suggests an arlii-
fervent prayer, to the protection of Heaven she replenished
the fire with peals, and lay down beside her child, where, . -
tration, not, however, to goldsmiths, clorkmakers, or
in a short time, she fell into a profound sleep.
plow- long Margaret had slept she knew not; but it could plumbers, as in Franco, but to a number of the bar.
not have (Wen very long, (or, except the fitful flashes of the It is needless to say this unhappy individual pockets
tire-light, all was il irkinaa in the tottao, when she was his fees, without the satisfaction of doing his duty.
suddenly awakened by a loud and prolonged sound. She . „
iwo or three hundred years ago the case would
stared up in bed, and listened in an agony of apprehensiou
that almost froze the blood in her veins. It was no dream, have been different. Ha the litigants gone to West-
-no 44,111140 u—she distinctly heard the loud, wild hemline' minster }tall, the indignant judge would have driven
lof the awakened blast, raging overhead as thought it woult them away, but they would utve appealed to their
tear off the very roof of the cottage, and scatter it in its fury. resmetive comp hies, the goldsmiths, the clock-
Shemit ern, orthe plunders, ter master ant wardens of
had sunk to sleep when all was stillness on earth and in
lc 'l
heaven. She awoke to a tumult as awful as though all the
winds hail at once been set ina• from their cave, and de- which, being int•mbers of the craft, would have
spatched to waste their wrath upon the vexed bosom of the settled tlte dispute, basing full power to compel tho
appearance of parties, and would, perhaps have
sea. nut, (tinier and more awful than the w inds, there came
amerced one of the litigants in a fine for r di
' another sound—the raging of the waters, as they rose in
gracing his craft. This •jurisdiction the companies of
s-
their night, and dashed themselves with a loud booming
roar upon the cliffs. Margaret sprang from her bd, and,
undressed as she was, rushed to the cottage door. The in- the city of London have to this day by their charters,
saint she raised the latch, the force of the tempest dashed it but they have been grudually ousted of it, mat by
open against the wall. She looked out into the night. A misuse of it, but by the courts of mimeo) law, so
that if in a case like that cited the prime warden of
pitchy darkness now brooded over all things; every star
seemed blotted front the face of heaven : but dimly through
the Goldsmith's company woe to call before hint two
the gloom she could descry the white crests of the waves, as .
goldlinnt 8 irn ti . either of the itarttea, by. ap-
h in CI I II'•
they surged and lashed the beach within a few yards of
the cottage door. The tide had risen to a height almost no- placation to the superior courts, could battle the Jung-
exampled on that coast, beneath the influence of a vernal diction.
storm ;it had far overpassed its usual limits within tho The French courts are, however, more jealous of
Cove of Craignavarroch ; and on the rocks, beyond which the administration of justice ; nor will even the tri-
, it could nut go, it was breaking high—high over head—with
a noise like thunder. Never was change in the weather hunals of erminterce undertake handicraft eass. In
more sudden and more complete. Margaret stood for a most French towns there arc Councils de l'eud-
-1 moment in speechless horror and dismay; then, rushing back /mottoes of the various trades, in tlte native of our
Mot. the cottage, she fell upon her knees, and held up her
City companies ; and the judges refer to them. In
there are various associations of trades, which, bands to beaten: "Lord God!" she exclaimed, '• have Parise
mercy! have mercy !" She could not utter another word.
Shc hid her face in her hands, and sobbed in agony. stran as it may ge! sent here, advertise their readiness
Still the tempest raged, and the waves roared on. Mar- to arbitrate trade cases, or to undertake references
garet dressed herself, and carefully covered her infant, front the courts. There is an association for the
whose sweet sleep was unbroken by the fearful tumult. mechanical engineers, which works exceedingly well.
Again she went to the door, and 'maid, looking into the But imagine the surprise of Lord Broughton and the
night, regardless of the wind, which drove a heavy rain Law Iteform Society, on taking up the Dolly News
against her face. She strained her ears to distinguish some
sound—some cry—amid the pauses of the hurrieane. As some morning, and finding m its itdvertising
well might she hone striven to distinguish the low music columns :--" Association of Mechanical Engineers.—
of the woodland bird, as the wildest shriek that ever broke The council, in which are Messrs. Boulton and Watt,
Nlauelslay and Field, Stephenson, Bran-tali, Fox and
from the lips of despair and anguish, in the midst of an
uproar of the elements like that through which she had Henderson, Itobinsons and Hassell, &c.. undertake
dreamt of hearing it. But those frorn whont that sound
must have come were far—far beyond where her ear could gratuitously, or for the expenses out of pcket, to
catch their voices. decide cases relating to machinery and inechunical
She closed the door, returned into the room, and knelt engineering, or to undertake any references from the
down again on the floor, burying her face and closing her several courts at Westminster and Dublin, and the
cars, as it to shut out the noise of the tempett, while her Court of Session, and to supply competent scientific
whole frame shook with the gasping sobs a high brought no
witnesses in causes litigated to town or country.
tears to relieve her; and ut every fresh howl of the blast,
she shuddered and her limbs shrank closer together. She Subscription, five shallop a year." Such is mutatis
tried to pray, but the words died upon her lips. She could mulamlis the announcement of the Paris association,
not speak; she could not even think ; she ouly felt as though to the benefits couferred by which the members of
she were all one nerve—one thrilling nerve—quivering be- the trade attest.
ucath repeated and torturing pangs. The Royal Contmissioncrs for the Great Exhibi-
On a sudden the wiud sunk—completely sunk. For the • •
tom, In establishing tribunals for deciding tech-
space of three minutes there was not a breath heard to blow.
Margaret raised her head, and listened. All was still. She Meal questions, most certainly did not cull in
was about to sprit* from the ground, when back—back it members of the legal profession, but the' con-
came again—the hideous burst—the roaring bellow of the mittms'
to have a practical acquaintance with tho nicknamed juries, are constituted of men
augmented hurricane, us though it had gained strength and supposed
fierceness from its brief repose! Back it came—shaking the
se.
veral branches of business. The observance of the
very cottage walls, and rattling the door and little window
as if it would burst thent open—and Margaret flung herself principle here recognised is what is demanded by tho
forward again with a wild shriek, and clasped her hands advocates of tribunals of comment, but it must not
over her ears again, to deaden the sound. be supposed they wish to oust the legitimate juris-
Then she started from the ground, as a thought struck diction of the lawyers. Cases of pure law are, how-
her, which seemed to bring some taint gleam of hope. 'cif ever, very few. Out of 60,000 cases brought hetiare
kepis when the storm began," said she to herself.
"lie the Tribunal of Commerce of Paris no less than
may never hoe won farrer nor the houses about the craigs
yonder ;—or they may hae pitten back in time to get ashore 40,000 were undefended, and the action of the court
there ; and he'll be bidin' the melanin's light, and the (man' became purely ministerial. Of the remainder which
o' the wind, or he come back here again. Oh ay, that'll came on for hearing very few involved 'stints of law.
just be it! Surely—surely that be it," she repeated, as Supposing the 60,000 cases to occur in England, the
if to assure herself of the truth of what she said. She took
ouestion is why for 40,000 undefended causes the
down the watch from the nail on which it hung, and looked w
at it by the tire-light. The hand pointed to half-past two. ponderous and expensive machinery of Westmitister
" Oh! will it never be day ?—will it never be Licht again i" Hall should be put in action.
she exclaimed, as she replaced it, "that 1 may win yont Although the constant action of the law courts
the craigs, rind see gin he be there." She went again to has been to destroy other jurisdictions and other
the door. All was darkness still, and wild uproar without. than law arbitration, yet the necessities of the public
No gleam of light to announce the far distant dawn. A
fresh burst of wind drove her back. " Oh!" she exclaimed, have led to the formation of independent inst.itu-
wringing her hands; "oh ! gin he had been advised by tions. The profession of accountants, new increasing
me. But the dochter that left her faither's grey hairs to in all our great towns, adds to its functions the arbi-
mourn her, deserves na' a better lot. It was e'en owre tration of mercantile accounts and disputes, and it is
muckle guidness to gie me a warnin' o' it." well known a large amount of litigation is thus dis-
The long, dark hours of that terrible night dragged on— of. The members of the Stock Exchange are
on—in all the torments, the unutterable torments of sus- posed
virtually subjected, in defiance of the law, to a tri-
posse. And if anything can aggravate these torments, it is
enduring them amid darkness. There is something awfully bunal of their own, the committee of which is yearly
indefinite at all times in the thick, impenetrable gloom of chosen, and which not only derides all complaints
night ; but when that gleam is armed with terrors, and big between and against members, but in ease of the
with dangers, to which the very impossibility of ascertaining failure of a member seizes his assets, and divides
their extent adds tenfold to the imagination, then it is that "
we truly feel the full amount of 1 awfulness. them forthwith among the creditors. The Chambers
itsAt last a
faint glimmer of grey light began to break over the turn- of Commerce of Liverpool and other towns, have
bling waves. Again Margaret was at her cottage-dour. It attached to them committees of arbitration; and at
was barely light enough to show her how mountainous were
Dublin is an ancient society for the like purpose,
the billows that dashed and raved upon the shore,—how
thick and heavy were the clouds that darkened the sky. called " The Ouzel Galley."
The religious bodies, however, have long organised
The wind howled with unabated fury, and the rain drove
against her by fits. She could just discern, by the faint themselves against costly litigation. The Society of
daybreak, the white foam that marked the top of the waves, Friends, as is well known, embodies in its tonstitu-
which were now ebbing from the bay; while a thick rib of
don, an express provision against recourse to tho
sand and sea-weed upon the gross not far from the door, law tribunals, unnecessary litigation in which is
marked how fearfully high they had flowed through the
treated in the nattire of a moral offence. The an-
night. She cast an eager glance towards the cliffs. Surely
by this time it would be practicable to scramble along their cient congregations of the Spanish and Portuguese
base, and to reach the path on the shore to the fishermen's Jews in this country have, as Mr. Lyue states, the
huts? She felt as though it were impossible to remain
following bye-law :
another instant in that state of terrible uncertainty. But,
The vestry (which meet monthly, composed of five gen-
then, her infant ! She durst not carry it out by so hazardous
semen elected annually) shall hear the complaints and dis-
c path, in the wet, cold, dark dawn; and should she leave it
utes that may arise among the emgregaturs, whether for
behind it might wake and miss her. Shc turned distractedly p
offences or fur debts, and shall endeavour to reconcile the
into the room, and approached its bed. It was still in a contending parties, persuading them to that which is rca-
sound and tranquil sleep; and with a desperate effort of
tenable and just, or advising them to leave their cases to
resolution, site determined to make the attempt. She the decision of arbitrators, making every exertion to pre-
approached the door, and fastened her plaid firmly around vent the parties carrying their compluiuts into a public
her, ere she stepped forth upon her storey distinguishable court ot. justice.
1 wer.
Although them are no tribunals of commerce au-
thorised by law in this country, there are some in
strangeA i that
s n moment,siLto. eizinMaiirscrsoret.
hers
Acrozildtheaitprenthshohltdd
our distant possessions, and the number of English
past
mheorm, likraepitdhaptaws:inagsieowfZ.,bmyethinedirzirnid
merchants now in London, who Imre acted as judges
dimness came over her sight ; she could not be said to see—
of
balpeinna object.a and
but she felt as if something cold and wet had glided swiftly the tribunals in our colonies or abroad, is stated
by her, with a scarcely perceptible contact, into the house. by Mr. Lyrae to be above thirty. In France these
A damp dew overspread her forehead ; her limbs trembled tribunals are not so modern as they are supposed, but
are of ancient origin. It is stated, on the authority
maslci:ushstienhadetiveciltuy tmum.d.ed round,
of the minister of justice, that they are established
aannTddhlblenluigtedhbetinnwet..atht.hhe oo,feairra,
that,
within the beam, it acute' and regulated by the edict of 1563, the ordonnanco
vanquished the darkness; but a bright gleam flashing up
from the fire, showed everything in the room distinctly fur o f 1673, the Code of Commerce, book 4, the decree of
an instant's space ; and, by that gleam, Margaret beheld October, 1809 ; the law of 3rd March, 1840; and
the figure of her husband standing within the door, pale, the decree of the 28th August, 1848. The French
BB it seemed to her, and dim, and shadowy, with the water
dripping from Lis clothes and hair. The fire-flash sunk as have at any rate adhered to the wisdom of their an-
cestors.
instantaneously as it had shone, and all again wars obscurity,
as she dropped upon the floor in a swoon.
When the unhappy wife again opened her eyes, and re-
covered her perceptions of what was passing around her,
she found herself laid in her own bed. The bright glorious
sunshine was beaming in at the cottage window, as though
to mock her desolation. Several women, from the neigh-
bouring fishing village, were in the room ; one of whom
held in her arms the infant of Margaret, whom she was en-
' deavouring to sooth and quiet : and at the moment she
raised her head, the door opened, and upon the self-same
spot where she had that morning beheld his likeness stand,
site saw the lifeless corpse of her drowned husband borne
in the Irma of some of his comrades, who had with difficulty
rescued it from the devouring waves; yet rescued it too
late to save.

A GRIEVOUS ACCIDENT happened yesterday, at
Ditchiogham, near liungay. Mr. Cuddon, a brewer and
maltster, Wili having a vault of considerable extent built,
with an arched roof rising five feet in the centre, and a
considerable quantity of soil had been laid over the sides of
the arch, leaving the crown uncovered. Yesterday morn-
ing three men and two
i boys were working in the interior.
when the whole roof fell n. Four of the persons were
killed, and one, Mr. Cuddon 's brewer, was extracted alive,
but with one of his thighs broken. Atir i esent there is no
reason to believe the roof was unskilf I co or
the work insufficiently performed; but
the unusually heavy rains of the last feet:
manner undermined the building. :.... '''5,,e.„..'..;.-- .. , ..t.,
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