The Express.
London, England, 1849-01-29 00:00:00

SCOTLAND.

FINANCIAL REFORM.—A public meeting or the
inhabitants of Leith favourable to financial reform was held
in the Assembly-rooms there on Saturday last; Provost
M'Laren in the chair. A letter from the Lord Advocate,
the member for the burgh, dated 17th Jan., was read,
stating that no one could be more deeply impressed than
was his lordship with the necessity for financial reform ; but
that be regretted that it would not be in his power to attend
the_prosent meeting.
THE QUESTION OF THE RIGHT OP WAY THROUGH
OLIN TILT again occupied the Court of Sessi',n on Friday
and Intraday. Counsel having been heard, the case was ad-
journed till Thursday, when the defender, the Duke of
Athol, Is to lodge written defence*.
An EXPLOSION startled the inhabitants of Edin-
burgh on Thursday. An intense vibration of the earth shook
the -henna near the Canongato ; the inmates were in some
caws thrown down ; end windows were broken. Toe case
of the disaster was non ascertained, and the attention of the
crowds who now thronged to the spot was drawn to a sheet
of bright flame arising from the gas-holder of the Edinburgh
Gas Company, which told too truly that the immense gum.
tity et gas which it contained had, by some unknown means
caught fire. In another ;moment the whole was one sheet
of flame, the crowds which lined ;the Calton-hill, Regent-
road, and the adjoining points, from which a view of the
burning mum could be obtained, forming as it were en
im-
meue amphitheatre in the distance. The fire con-
tinued to blaze with groat fury until gradually, as the gas
was consumed, the gas-holder immerged in the tank amongst
the water beneath, and the conflagration was ultimately ex-
tinguished by means of wet blankets and coarse sacking
being spread over the shattered remains of the gasholder.
The mysterious part of the matter is, by what means the gas
in the holder became ignited. The gasometer was com-
pletely isolated, surrounded by a wall, and, as we are
informed, no fire or combustible substance allowed inside.
t here were in the gar-holder at the time nearly 300,000 cubic
feet of gas, the greater portion of which would of course be
consumed. The total damage was estimated at about 2,0001
EXTENSIVE FORGERIES IN GLARGOW.—On Wed-
nesday last a eerie of forgeries wen discovered to have
been perpetrated by Mr. Alexander Buchanan, the senior
partner in the firm of Buchanan and Anderson, gingham
and puniest, manufacturer., 62, Queen-street. Buchanan,
it is said, for a considerahle period, was in the habit of re-
tiring the forged documents a„day or so previous to their bo-
oming due ; but on Wedneedsy this precaution had been
neglected, and a bill of 6791. was presented by one of the
banks to the ostensible acceptors, W. B. Biggins and Co.,
who, of coarse, were astonished at the production of such a
document. This caused the bank to communicate with the
Individual, who on the pretence a oondsg to the office to
explain, made his escape, and has am sense been heard of.
The extent of the forgeries is variously stated at from
12,0001. to 20,0001, but at any rate It is generally believed
that them have been forgeries to the amount of 7,0001. • n
one of the Glasgow banks, and 6,0001. on another. Then
are • number of other bills for various amounts in the Lands
of different parties, bearing the same signature, as also a sig-
nature purporting to be that of John Fife and Co., riser-
chanta,Benfleld-street, all drawn by Alexander Buchanan,
and likewise pronounced forgeries.
THE ANCIENT STONE BRIDGE AT INVERNESS has
been destroyed by an overflow of water coming down from
Lochneas. The west side of the town has been much
flooded, and most of the poorer population will suffer con-
siderably.