The Express.
London, England, 1847-09-28 00:00:00

at the 'management of the temporary relief, to pray that the
unfinished works may be completed, and that government
would take measures to advance the general condition of the
country.

SCOTLAND.
EDINTIDIIOII, Sere 2-5.
The sarans are making out a strong special case
against the Dukes of Atholl and Leeds. Exclusion
from Glen Tilt, and other interesting localities,
not merely keeps away vague admirers of "the
picturesque,„ or even average naturalists who may
by accident fall on a new specimen, but it
prevents the inquiring botanist from inspecting the
allome vegetation of Britain. The Edinburgh Monthly
Medical Journal gives a list of rare plants found on
the Braemar and Grampian mountains, and in Glen
Tilt, among which the Sarifraga ravitosa, Carer
Grahame*, arylropis campestro, lychnis illpinat are
to be found there only:
If, then, botanists are excluded from theee districts (mys the writer
in the Mehra Journal), they are cut off from the study of alpine
pla to tad what renders the outrage to science more glaring is the
fact, that many of these are found nowhere elm in Britain, erupt on
the Braemar and Grampian range, and several are confined to,
single spots on these bills. Agile, it fa in these districts
that the geologist finite the ?wet perfect illustrations of those
theories which have enabled him in modern time. to mil In
the pa.st revolubans on the thrum of the earth, and to trace the
changes it bar undergone from the most distant ages. It is in Glen
Tilt that Mutton, in 1785, discovered the Junction of the granite with
mica-nuts sod limestone, whereby he offered the first positive fait in
opposition to the Wernerith doctrines. This striking proof of the
ourreetness of those views now aimitted by the scientific world.
nature has placed in the preperty of the Duke of Atholl, and until
lately it has been freely rutted by naturalists from every civilised
land. But now, that nobleman not only Uireatens to prosecute every
re Alcman cuthious to confirm )0, notions by the personal inspection
it Ufa natural formation, but offers them direct molestation, on the
plea that they are disturbing his deer. More than one foreign pro.
kaaw of eminence, has in consequence been obliged to return to his
country, with the belief that the present dukes of Scotland are even
rr ore uncivilised than their barbmorie ancestors. It is singular to re-
ft et that at a period when government is encouraging scientific
expeditions to Australa, Van Dienint's Land, the Arctic Regions, and
other districts at the limits of the empire, our Highland glens and
mountable in its antra see shut out from investigation. It incurious
to know that woilst the Marquis of Northampton is, as president of
the itnyal Smithy, at the head of mimeo in England, arid Prince
Albert vielts annually the British Association for the advancement of
wiener, other noble lords are altogether insassib% to the honour and
gratification to be derived from favouring the ranee of knowledge.
Another instance of the revival of the Scots Acts
has occurred at the Sheriff Court, Elgin, where, in
virtue of an act of 1693, and a statute of George 11.,
a man was fined ten pounds Scots, and a guinea and a
half sterling of expenses, for pulling bent grass from
sand-hills. In the Scottish song of " Symon and
Janet," it is said that the dwelling of the ancient
couple was one
Surrounded mei' bent and wi' heather,
Wine mulreocks and plovers wear rife ;
and its value, from the vegetable and animal life ease-
ciated with it in the song, is corroborated by the scien-
tific character of bent given in works of natural
history. " Marsh bent grass," says Parnell, "is a
troublesome weed, as its long creeping roots impove-
rish the soil. It is eaten by cattle, but they are not
fond of it." One is therefore at a loss to know the
motive for pilfering this grass, as well as that for
prosecuting the thief, except upon the hypothesis of
that passion for litigation with which it is said the
folks of this side of the Tweed arc afflicted.
The twenty guinea premium of the East Lothian
Anti-Game-Law Association has been awarded to Mr.
Shepherd, a farmer, near North Berwick, who is a
conservative and protectionist, and who even broke a
lance with Mr. Cobden himself in behalf of the corn-
laws. The trial of the under-gamekeeper of Colonel
Ferguson, the liberal member for the Kirkaldy
burghs, for assault, contrasts somewhat awkwardly
with this. The official had struck one supposed
trespasser, and his dogs bit other two, one of the
latter being a female. A fine of three pounds, or
forty days' imprisonment, was the sentence on convic-
tion. Mr. Shepherd is a farmer, the liberal M.P. is a
landlord—and therein lies the difference.
Alas for educational progress ! The master of the
Edinburgh City Parochial Industrial School being
dead, and the mistress being unwell, the school is to
be turned into a fever hospital, twenty-four beds
being the mighty accommodation that has led to this
early abandonment of the system of preventing crime.
With this specimen of perseverance-before their eyes,
it is to be herd that the promoters of the protestant
schools and t e united schools will provoke each other
to renewed and sustained rivalry of good works. The
board is to impose an assessment of 11 per cent- for
the current year, and they calculate on saving 3001.
from the reduced rate of provisions. In discussing
the increase of fever, it was stated by more than one
member that the Highland Destitution Board should
give up 23,000/. at least of its 75,000/. in hand, for
the purpose of checking the Edinburgh epidemic.
Tho Highland committee will be as much puzzled
about the disposal of its surplus, as ever father was
with an heiress-daughter. The party who supplied
the Glasgow section with adulterated meal, is to be
tried at the ensuing Glasgow circuit for " falsehood,
fraud, and wilful imposition."
The Edinburgh anti-oath party are to petition par-
liament for relief : their prayer is for the legislature
to allow that a solemn affirmation in the following or
other form be substituted in lieu of an oath in every
case where objections to swear avowedly arise from
conviction that all oaths aro prohibited by the founder
of the Christian religion ; and that falsehood under
an affirmation be liable to all the penalties of perjury.

FORM OF 1117./VRIST. TO. I
A. 8., do, in the presence of Almighty God, udirm end declare,
that I shall—(here follow the things affirmcd, promised, and de.
clarml).
As some sects object to oaths, on the ground that
the name of the Deity is taken in vain, the proposed
substitution would still be open to complaint.
While her Majesty had, daring her visit in the far
north, been the victim of almost incessant rain, the
citizens of Edinburgh have been crying, like the chil-
dren of an Eastern desert, for water. The drought
has been unparalleled since 1842—that memorable
year in the history of the Water Company, when it
was forced to return a large proportion of the rates to
the inhabitants on account of the drought, against
which they had not adequately provided. Since then
they have been engaged in making other water-
works than those at Crawley, upon which they solely
depended. These are not finished yet, and water is
hardly to be had for love or money. The public
baths have been closed for three weeks, and families
who can afford it have emigrated to neighbouring
places where water is to be had. Meanwhile the
water company, who have been dozing over their
new works for the last four years, have been suddenly
roused to offer a large reward to whichever of the
contractors they employ who shall finish his job first.
In the distressing interval, many and sincere are the
prayers for rain.

REVOLTING CAME ire OLLEGOW.—On Wednesday, an
Irishman, named George Fay, was apprehended on the
charge of committing a most revolting deed of cruelty. It
appears that Fay, who is a master shoemaker, took posses-
sion in May last of a lodging, on the ground floor, in South
St. Mungoetreet, consisting of three roomy, kitchen, and a
closet. Upon taking possession of these premises, or imme-
diately after it—at all events in the month of May—the man
incarcerated his wife in the water-closet, and there she has re-
mained from that period till lest night, when one of the
inepectors of the Town's Hospital, having heard a rumour of
the circumstance, made further inquiry, procured assistance,
and relieved the unhappy creature. The prison of this poor
woman was 3 feet 10 inches in length, by 2 feet
11 inches in breadth, and was between 9 and 10
feet in height. The only mode by which the
air found admission was by means of a little wicket looking
into the passage, for the door was not opened more than
i once in three or four days, when food was tossed in to the
poor wretch as to a pig, and then it was immediately closed
I and barred on the outside. The prisoner was almost in a
state of nudity when discovered; she crouched amongst a
mvis of straw, and the place itself, as well as her person,
were in a state of indescribable filthiness. From the body
being so long bent in a sitting position the limbs were quite
stiffened ; ohs could not stand upright, and from long suffer-
ing the mind had become a wreck as well as the body. The
poor creature was taken to the Town's Hospital, along with
one of her children. Fay was apprehended, and there were also
taken into custody two of his workmen and the servant girl.
The latter handed in the food to her imprisoned inistrees,and
the shoemakers, while they whistled at their work, heard
the moans proceeding from the dreary den. All of them, there-
fore, knew the killing-by-laches which was going on within
a few feet of them, and yet none held out a hand to save.
The man Fay, we believe, admits that he has not looked
into his wife's prison for a month ; and since it received its
lonely tenent the closet was not entered by any of the
family What may have been the reasons, on the husband's
part, which prompted this Algerine treatment in a Christian
land, we know not ; but poverty had no hand in it, for there
were found by the police not only a good stock is trade of
shoes, but 191. in cash, The house has been shut up. On
Saturday the man Fay. with the servant girl and two of the
shoemakers who lodged in the house, were brought before
the sitting magi-trate at the central police court, to answer
a criminal charge brought against them on account of the
treatment the unhappy woman had received. The case,
after undergoing examination, was remitted to the sheriff.
Fay's statement in exculpation is, that his wife had become
a troublesome lunatic previous to his having confined her,
and that she was also much addicted to drinking.

FATIL ACCIDENT ON THE GRANTON TUILI;AY.—A me-
lancholy and fatal occurrence took place on the Edinburgh,
Leith, and Greaten Railway on Friday about noon, within a
hundred yards of Leith Docks. A wrest of the company,
Peter Mtn., in charge of the goods train, anxious to ascer-
tain if the switches ware In their proper places, ntshed for-
ward for that purpose ; but, unhappily round,
he wee esaght by
thebreke 0f.t9004 to breath'. oneof the tra d whlibe docima wee shoat
leaund, end fivee
or ten caini. t

30 years of age, and has left a widow and two infants to
lament his loss.