The Express.
London, England, 1847-11-17 00:00:00

SCOTLAND.

Old.Roow, Nos. 15.
The election of Lord Rector of the Glasgow Univer-
sity was decided to-day, aftcr a very keen contest.
To the surprise of almost all, Lord John Russell, who
was the former rector, has been defeated by Mr.
Mure, of Caldwell, member mr Renfrewshire. The
result is the more ungracious, prom its being almost
the constant custom to return the Lord Rector for two
years. Mr. Mure was elected by a majority of three
" nations " out of four, and 26G to 209 votes.
EDINnvaGH, N0v.15.

Two or three extensive hand-loom weaving esta-
blishments in Glasgow ceased working during last
week ; and in consequence, several thousand workmen
were thrown out of employment. Other stoppages
are expected soon. In Paisley it has been ascertained
on strict inquiry that the unemployed amount to
1,699. and the number of their dependents are
roundly estimated as above three thousand. As the
Scotch poor law provides no re! ief for able-bodied
labourers, the augmentation of this class is exciting
much local anxiety. Fever, there, too, is assuming a
form more than ordinarily maliguant. The mortality
is increasing, while of those who recover the duration
is greater than before, and almost always followed
by relapse, rendering a second confinement necessary.
Dr. Kaye Shutticworth has been in Edinburgh for
some days, but has from indisposition been greatly
prevented from fulfilling the object of his mission.
According to the Scotsman, he has failed in coming to
any understaint with the parochial schoolmasters.

(ding

NEW SnEntre.—Archilial.l Davidson, ER., ie garetted u
aberiff of Kincardine, in the room of G. L. A. Ikuglass,
Esq., deceased.

PROVINCIAL.

THE ALTERATIONS IN NI.tNCIIRSTER CATTIEDTAL.
—The scaffolding is now removed from below the roof of the
tier. story, and the ceiling may be seen bright and shining in
all the brilliancy of red and blue, green and gold. The
alterations near the pulpit are also last progressing to com-
pletion. The pews in front of the screen dividing the parish
church from the choir are now removed, and their site is
used as a cross aisle or passage. Near each pi!lar of the
screen arch, is placed an alms-box on pedestal, both of stone,
with inscriptions from Scripture, recommending almsgiving,
in old English letters of black and red, on a gold ground.
There are now of these alms-hos:cc, two at each end of the
parish church, one upon cash of the nights of atoll., leading
to the galleries, and one in the Trafford Chapel. The end
wall of the west or organ loft, is being diapered in the same
bright colours which cover the roof. The free scats lately
filling the centre aisle, have been replaced with the old seats,
oa giving more convenient access and cgreas. The reading desk
has been ;.moved from below the pulpit, and, in an altered
form and at a lower level, has been placed in front of a
pillar en the south side of the centre aisle, and the old pews
near it have been converted into open seats, which me free,
but are to he used only by alul's. In the midst of the centre
aisle, a little in advance of the pulpit and the reading desk,
a large bronze eagle has been placed, to be used, as is com-
mon in cathedrals, for the support of the bible. The offi-
ciating clergyman will descend from the reading desk and
take his stand at the eagle to read the scriptural lessons of
the day ; and here, too, the marriage harms will be pub-
lished. The eagle was only placed on Friday, A portion
of the plaster ceiling of the rood-loft having been removed
some months since, there was found on the old oak beam or
freizs a long inscription (Deuteronomy iv., 39 40), in old
English letters, about the time of the reformation. We be-
lieve it is in contemplation to remove the central part of the
rood-loft, so as to give an uninterrupted vista from the tower
end of the church to the east window. Portions of the
cayed oak work of the scrien which arc injured or de-
stroyed are to be restored. The general appearance of
the church is greatly changed by these alterations and
beautifying'.
_ _

SIGNS OF THE TIMES. Under the head of
" Barter," two advertisementa appear in the Midland
Cannata Herald of Thursday last, the one °Oaring " lease-
hold premises in exchange fur a ten-horse steam-engine,"
and the other " pianofortes for nails, ironmongery, or
carpets."

RDMOURED RESIGNATIDN:LA report has been pre-
valent during the last few days, that Sir G. It. Smyth,
Bart., contemplates an early resignation of his seat in parlia-
ment; preferring, at his advanced period of life, the comforts
of retirement to the bustling and harassing engagements of
a legislator. We (Ipswich Express) cannot vouch for thv
accuracy of the report, and only refer to it for the sake of
keeping the attention of the electors awake, that they may
be prepared to act on an emergency, should they be called
upon suddenly to elect another representative in parliament.
Wraimoam.—The Essex herald of yesterday pub-
lishes • letter from the Rev. G. Wilkins to a farmer, who
wrote to him inquiring how the wireworm had been exter-
minated on the rev. gentleman's land. The clerical agri-
culturist gives the following explanation:
Some ten years since, when I came to my living, and commenced
cultivating the little land I hold, it was. I may ray, full of wirewon9s.
Nothing could have been worse, for my crops were in some places
ruined by them entirely. What, then, did I dot I adopted a plan
which I recommended and published to periodicals many years since.
namely, of encouraging moles and partridges on my lands. Instead
of permitting a mole to be caught, I bought el I could, and turned
them down alive, and soon my fields, one after another, were full of
mole-bills, to the amusement of all my neighbours, who at first
set me down for half a lunatic; but now several adopt my plan,
and are strenuous advocates of it. My fields became exactly like
• honey-comb; and this continued even among my standing
and growing and ripening mops; not a mole was molested, but I
still bought more. Thin summer I had 14 brought, which I tanned
down, but they were not wanted ; I have nothing for theta to cat—all
that moles live upon Is destroyed—cad so, poor things, they must
starve or emigrate to some distant Mods and thus get bowstringed by
savage men whom they aka to servo Adopt my plan, and it will be
sure to answer. If you bare a nest of partridges, aLso encourage
them; all the summer they live on insects, on smeworres, B:c., and
consider how many millions a covey will destroy in a single summer.
Aptin : always remember that moles feed upon insects, and of which
the wireworm is the chief; if you doubt this, open a mole and peep
into his stomach. Again: do not fear that motes injure your
crops either in field or garden ; it is a low and vulgar error
to suppose that they root up young corn; they {never go any where
until the wireworms have first destroyed tke plants, and then, inno-
cent things, they are punished for others' faults' 1f you do Doe like to
ere their hills, knock them about with a hoe as I did ; It is • healthful
amusement, and they will do your lands [pied. Do not despise my
plan because the farmers will not adopt it your neighbourhood:
farmers adopt nothing till driven to it, and nothing that la new and
good. Again: have you the sable or white bug on your apple-trees
if so, do not kill ants ; my trees were fall of aphides, bat I found the
ants came to my help, and I welcomed them, and now I have not an
aphis on my trees.

SMUGGLERS AND THE COAST GUARD. —We
(Canterbury Journal) understand that an inquiry of three
days' duration termivated at the Dover Custom-house on
Thursday last. The investigation touched the conduct of
the members of the coast guard at the Townsend station,
Tic, chief boatmen Rule and Fox. The allegations
against the men, report says, were that Fox had left hie
guard while a boat, laden with contraband goods, wan
worked," and that Rule was also implicated in the trace-
action. The accused parties have been suspended, and the
evidence has been sent to the central board tn Lsndon, who
will decide definitively what coarse is to be pursued towards
the men.
NORFOLK.
LAND RECLAIMED FROM THE SE k.—A meeting
of Middle and South Level owners was recently held to
consid. r whether it would be advisable to assist the pro-
moters of the Norfolk Estuary, or Victoria county, by con-
tributing a stun of money towards the completion of that
undertaking, as likely to improve the drainage of the
county. See W. B. Ffolkes, Bart., was called to the chair.—
Mr. Childers thought they were, and would be, iu a condi-
tion to offer assistance to the Norf .1k Estuary—to help them
forward. There was, he understood, a correepading feeling
on the pert of Lynn; and if that could be carried out, they
should untantly be put into communiovion with the
Lynn people, to adopt means to carry out the
measure. if they agreed, it was expected that gentle-
men connected with the fens would join the Norfolk
Estuary as subscribers, and assist with their money
and countenance. Considerable discussion ensued, Mr.
Childers read his proposition as follows That at the next
half-yearly meeting of the Eau Brink Drainage Commis-
sioners it be recommended to them to appoint a committee
to meet any deputation that may be appointed by the town
and harbour of Lynn, and in conjunction with them to treat
with the directors of the Norfolk Estuary, in order to assist
them in carrying out their great cut from Lynn to deep water
at aea."—Mr. Clay seconded the resolution. He admitted
that without assistance the Norfolk Estuary must fall to the
ground. Such a scheme must be beneficial to the fen drain-
age, and ke could not see why it should meet with opposition.
The motion was carried by 16 to 9.