The Express.
London, England, 1848-01-03 00:00:00

SCOTLAND.

EDINBCROIt, JAN. 1.
The solicitors before the supreme courts have pre-
sented a memorial to the Lord Advocate, pray ing that
Mr. Tait, the senior sheriff substitute for Edinburgh-
shire, and who has been in office for 21 years, may be
appointed principal sheriff, in room of the late Mr.
Speirs. Mr. C. J. F. Orr has been appointed com-
missary clerk, in room of Mr. Gracie, deceased. The
rumoured appointment by the crown of Professor
Miller to the chair of clinical surgery is said, in some
quarters, to be " premature," and perhaps may be so
in the sense that the vacancy has not yet been for-
mally intimated.
Messrs. Thorburn and Co. of Glasgow issued their
annual iron circular thin morning. Of 130 iron fur-
nices in Scotland, 80 are in and 41 out of blast. The
average price of pig iron during 1843 was 80s. 3d. ;
1846, 675. 3d.; 1847, 6.55. 4d. At the end of 1846 the
stock in hand was 140,000 tons (at end
of 1847, 60,000: during 1847 the exports
have been 390,000 tons), consumed in foundries,
malleable iron, &c., 150,000, in all 540,000 ; but as
the make this year has only been 480,000, the con-
sumption has exceeded the make by 60,000 tons.
Iron may, therefore, be expected to "look up" during
the course of 1848.

FIRES IN Entxstatcg.—The new year has been ushered
in is Edinburgh by two destructive fires. Happening
simultaneously the fire force was concentrated on the first,
and consequently the devastation prevailed for a time at the
second without any material check having been applied.
The want of water was also lamentably and severely felt.—
Fu tsr ',mg.—A fire broke out on Saturday morning, in
the engine-house in connexion with the printing establish-
ment of Messrs. A. Fullerton and Co., Edinburgh. Frian the
inflammable nature of the materials, the fire soon assumed
such a mastery that all attempts to confine its ravages to the
place in which it we, first discovered ()manse impracticable.
Owing to the scarcity of water, some time elapsed before the
engines could be brought into' play. The fire continued to
wax stronger es it went upwards, until reaching the third
storey, it burst forth with great fierceness. In a very
short time thereafter, the whole of the upper storey of
the building, extending in length to about a hundred yards,
was in a complete blaze. The fire was eventually subdued
&bent eleven o'clock, but not until the second and third stories
of the extensive building were completc ly swept by its ravages!
Altogether, the damage done must amount to several thou-
sends; but the Mears. Fullerton are insured to an amount
that will go far to cover the most of it. Upwards of 120 in
dividuals will be thrown ont of employment by this calamity.
—SECOND FlRE.—Scarcely had the alarm created by the
above conflagration subsided, when a iv port was communi-
cated that another fire had broken out in the work-
shop of Messrs. Hay and Ahlis, plumbers and brass-
founders, Hill-street-lane. The fire was confined en-
tirely to the premises in which it originated. We learn that
a large quantity of lead and other materials have been
destroyed ; and as for the building itself none of it remains
except the bare walls.