The Express.
London, England, 1847-10-20 00:00:00

SCO TLAND.

EDINSTROPT, OCT. 18.
The dean and faculty of advocates seem resolved
tkat stay Edinburgh fever who may they shall be
held guiltless of the achievement. They first refused
to yield up the capital sum left in their hands for the
erection of Chaliner's hospital: now they refuse the
accumulated interest. 1)r. Alison reckons that pre-
mises, attendance, and medicine could be procured at
the rate of 235. per month for 400 fever cases, and for
the period of four months the total cost would be
2,0001.; but although the advocates have et least
3,300/. of accumulated funds, they will not advance a
stiver. The citizens must, therefore, do all themselves,
and as fever has long been a decennial visitant, they
should see to it, that, for once, really compre-
hensive measures should be adopted. One improve-
ment would be to make the management of the uew
hospital popular, keeping it out of the hands of the
infirmary managers altogether. Individually, these
gentlemen are worthy men enough, but their meetings
are all held in secret, and almost entirely beyond the
control of public opinion ; they are net the parties to
enjoy a monopoly of the medical treatment of the
' poor at a crisis like the present.
Dr. Alison has published his pamphlet on the
Highland famine. His great rival in pauper econo-
mics, Dr. Chalmers, published his contribution on
the subject in the shape of an article, probably the
last thing he printed, in the North British Iterieer,
entitled " The Political Economy of a Famine." At
the first appearance of the grim spectre, the divine
rushed to the press with remedial measures; the phy-
sician, continuing his diurnal rounds in the Cowgate
and Orass-market, watched its distant progress, and
now, at its close, brinks out a pamphlet, bending all
that has passed into his favourite theory. Dr. Chal-
mers was for moral, Dr. Alison is for legal, relief to
the able-bodied pauper ; and perhaps the truth lies
somewhere between them. But, without entering on
this quest in rezata, let us see what Dr. Alison now
proposes. Like Dr. Chalmers, he starts with Mal-
thus, and holds that pestilence and fever are evi-
dences of a redundant population ; that fever prevails
most amongst the Irish and Highlanders not entitled
to legal rehef, there being 106 districts in Scotland
where there is no assessment, and a nearly
illusory relief for the poor; that the resources
of the Highlands have not been properly developed
by capital and skill, and that if proprietors were
bound to support the poor on their estates they would
find remunerative employment for them rather than
allow them to be idle ; that at present the Highlands
have a population so redundant, that emigration alone
can communicate adequate relief; that the whole sur-
plus funds might be applied to the due drainage of
the population. " Nay, lam persuaded," lip the
doctor, " that few would scruple to renew their sub-
scriptions, provided they had any security that propri-
etors would develope their resources, and maintain
the remainder without further claims on the country.
But I cannot think it right that while we have perio-
dical returns of Highland destitution, a proprietor
should be enabled to advertise a property for sale, at
the upset price of 48,0001., and to state, as an induce-
ment to purchasers, that the whole public burdens are
401. a year. See advertisement of sale of lands in
Skye, Edinburgh Courant, Sept. 6, 1847."
The Edinburgh presbytery has had a special private
meeting anent the appointment to the Hebrew chair,
and have named a committee to report, first, if a
majority of the senatus academical can object to the
professor-elect on account of his not having taken the
test ; and, secondly, if the chair be a theological one.
The practice had wont to be for the professor, after he
had received his presentation, to go to the presbytery
of the bounds, subscribe the formula, and then, on
presenting himself to the senatus, produce his certifi-
cate of subscription. Bat, in the present case, should
Mr. Maerlouall not be asked to produce a certificate,
as for the last quarter of a century has been the use
and wont, then the probability is that the presiding
officer, who is one of the magistrates, will induct.

COLLISION AT SEA.—THS DTZAMER VATIODARD AND
THa MINERVA.—We (Glasgow Saturday Post) have bet
favoured with the following notice, describing a fearful odd-
don whkk took place between the Vanguard Mande sad
the Illlasevs kit ht, off Corsewell Point :
Nthigothd eialA lath Oct, i ath.—Tbe Vampish, walk lek
Overeat lr Death thatenley about Wirt 4 pow via wards
tintaimar doeuximithoskso. kaki a light
11 was.pdg at the rata
rat thole Ll= the add =very ekeloslS thad sad
a than am a smith was nos ailed, ow those blow dike lime
shod ter. la a tow width deer, the stesorrlin witle
Moot to he the liflorwa, NA Dahlia; dr the dam' Edda(
Sere seam Weida Cr ole aftelood. A wain mead Ithellatth
wile do mow at U. Vaethend did eh Is kir roar to
avert do amodow Jade. It wood be Isepadat le ft.
scribe the bilks that lid Ike kers et Ow add.'
at the that. Os the two von& Ike' meth* the Ma It dU.
Misr% wad dn. the denstri lewd the Vathethd awls
=IIIL ease a
tirur =me
is
as real es the smairei et the
gara. an. IR Mt kabob mdtlr Is lot at the
time aids W were athoilly mass Wad la OW isdlit
dresses. hawked's ins wok ter tka theft of tht )ibtorth, but 09