The Express.
London, England, 1847-05-11 00:00:00

STATE OF THE COUNTRY.

The esoditioa of the &wintry, en tee as Whet from the
several limaljoernals, is not becoming mere afflicting, though
it would be mere than hasarious to my that we have seen
the worst. Fever doss not abets—destitution is, as usual,
'hut - of

wren-mod outrages on property us numerous, not.
any gross character. With all these drawbacks, however,
it is toomlatory to find that tillage is programing every day,
and that the growth of the crops is favourable and moat
promising, Omagh in some localities wheat hos partially
failed, and potatoes look suspicions. The weather continues
to be very wet, and the atmosphere cold and chilly, without
any indication of a speedy alteration to a more dry
and genial tomperature.—The election for the county of Gal-
way is flied for Monday, the 17th May.

SCOTLAND.

EDINBURGH, MAY 8.

The following is the substance of private commu-
nication' received from two intelligent electors con-
nected with the Elgin district of burghs, and in
referee,* to the approaching contest for their repre-
sentation. Mr. Duff is the second son of Gen. Sir A.
Duff, brother of the member for Banffshire, and
nephew of the Earl of Fife. In Banff and Macduff Mr.
Duff will be strong. Elgin, Invernry, and Cullen,
will generally be favourable to Sir A. L. Hay. Peter-
head will probably be divided. On the whole, Sir
A. L. Hay's chance is the better of the two ; but as
neither of the candidates are particularly well liked
by the whole ef the electors, the appearance of a
third candidate would alter the face of matters
materially.
Some of the county meetings have mooted tie sub-
ject of the Ordnance survey of Scotland. It was
commenced in 1809, and was discontinued for three
years, for the purpose of expediting the English sur-
vey. It was again commenced in 1813, and was,
with certain intervals, languidly carried on until
1822, when it was suspended for 16 years, in conee-
weft of the demand made for the completion
of the survey of Ireland. In 1838, the survey of
Scotland ti as again taken up, but the sum set
apart for the work between that and 1843 was
barely sufficient to keep it on. In 1843-4,
the annual grant was in to ,0001. ; in 1844-5,
it was 10,000!. ; in 1845-6, 10,000/. ; in all, 29,0001. ;
but it appeared that the whole sum expended in the
survey in Scotland, out of those grants, was only
13,0004 leaving a balance of 16,0001.,which had been
retained from the Scotch, and applied to the English
surrey. The whole sum hitherto expended on the
survey of Scotland was only 40,0001. ; whilst on the
survey of Ireland, which commenced inter, there
had been expended nearly. 800,0001. ; and on that
of England 574,0001. Another objection has
been urged by scientific men, although over-
looked by the county gentlemen, which is, the
threatened execution of the Scotch survey on a smaller
scale of projection than those used in the maps of
England and, Ireland. The delay of the Scotch survey
is the more to be regretted, as the existing maps and
charts contain, with few exceptions, error in delinea-
tion of a serious character. Some years ago a paper
appeared in the Nautical Magazine, from the pen of
Mr. Galbraith, mehematician in Edinburgh, showing
that, so far as the Hebrides were concerned, " the
master of a vessel, trusting to the charts
in ordinary use, must, almost with certainty, I
be wrecked if his reckoning be right." According to
Mr. Gelb; aith's sketch map, the whole of the island of
Islay, where the Exmouth was lost, is laid down in'
the common charts about two miles south-east of its
true position—a similar blunder being made in refer-
ence to Arran, Pladda Light, Ailsa Rock, and even
the town of Greenock. But besides being of nautical
importance, the survey, if completed, would have
been of great service for railway and other engineer-
iPT"Skye, Capt. Elliott, the inspector of the

board of destitution, found that about one-Afth or
fourth of the eligible boll was =own, and, except
for external aid, would so remain. He, therefore, oa
his own responsibility, purchased 800 or 900 bolls of
seed corn which he accidentally met with, and an-
nounced that he would follow the same course in
Iton-shire unless advised to the ' contrary. After
mach discussion, the board sanctioned Capt. Elliott's
conduct, and arranged to provide separate funds for
the expense, as the purchasing of seed corn was for-
merly disapproved of.

When in Skye, Capt. Elliott, the inspector of the