The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1804-07-11 00:00:00

NTONLANDSOCIZTY OF SCOTLAND.

A general meeting of this Society, in terms of
the coarter, was held in their Hall here on Mond 74
last, at which there was full attendance of the
Members to the number ninety; and among
others Lord Macdonald, the Hon. Colonel Francis
Gray of Little•mwn, the Hon. Major Arch. Mac-
donald, and Dudley Macdonald, Lords Polkemmet,
Metliven, and Ilinaatyne, the Lord Picivost of
Edinburgh, Sir Will;am Fettes, Bart. Lieutennat-
General Vyse, Admiral Deans, Major-General
Mackay, and a number of other respeaable names
of the law, military, landed, and commercial in-
terests. The Right Hon. the Earl of Moray, Vice-
President in the Chair; when, after a ballot, as re-
quired by the rules of the Society, the fcllowing
were duly admitted Members, their names ordered
to be recorded, and public notification of their elec-
tion given, viz.

sent,:trant General William Maxwell of Parkhill
',curl:not-General John Campbell, Royal Marines 11
Captain Richard %Wham I toward Vyse
Daniel Rutherford, Physidam and Professor of Botany,
Ginger:l, of Edinburgh
Robert W,Piam Dtf, Esq. of Ftttereaso
Teter Speirs, Esq. of Culeroick
Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Cameron, late of Madras
Captain Robert Campbell I lamlitois of Btilburn arid Dalserf
John Boc.ner, Esq. Solicdor Excise
Ale,rai.dcr M•Kerisie Shaw, Esq. of Muirtorm
Andrew Murray, E q. yr. of Murrayshall, Arivo,-ate
Jana Farquhar Gordan, Esq. Writer to t:le Signet
t ; .oree Bell La.!. Sorg •rin in Edinburgh
Alexander Lore, Esq. of Woodend
W tilts m Arbuth not, r cq. Secretary to the Board of Trustees
fm lotteries and ManufActuree
James Cazupbel, Esq. late of Demerara
Patrick Grant, Esq. Ibt.rch:nt, Baltimore, Virginia
James Conned, F.sq Merchant in Leith
James Short, Esq. of Commis
Rotors Kerr, Esq. of Chau*
Linning, Esq. Writer to-the Signet
William Gordon Macßae, Esq. Advocate
Macleod, E.g. of Lockimer
Plan Procter, Esq. of Coldcoats
Jaunts Watson, Esq Factor fur Lord Dundee
lobo Rae, l.aq. Factor fur Coal Arrnadale
John Menzies, Esq. Cashisr to the Duke of Gordon
Jarmo Mackay, EN.Gt hitmith and Jeweller, Edir.borgh
W them, Esq Factor for Ike Red if Glasgow
David Metric, Esq. Merchant in Glasir rw.
Alexander C Esq. Accountan', Llinburgh
Joseph Garilun, Esq. youngsr, of oon, Writer to the
%Met

Before procezding to ott.er business, it was stated,
that Mr. Macdonald of St. Martin's, who, at the
commencement of the Society, above twenty years
ago, had been chosen Secretary, during which period
Ise had afied gratuitously, and with so much credit
to himself and benefit to the institution, having
spome time ago intimated his intention to resign the
office at this general meeting; the Dire/tors had,
notice to them, been under
Bering of and suggesting, by
itleman qualified to succeed
at the same time to adopt
retaining his assistance and
lent of an Institution; in the
of which he had uniformly
such a warm interest; and'
ind proceedings of the Direc-
;iness having been read, the ,
(ea, and, in terms of the cog.
ns, and as authorised by the
five the office of Treasurer,
:inued for many ycan, and
Ir. Macdonald to that office,
would, es ?Pie, be a Di-
of all Committees, and have
idance over the funds and
the trouble and labour
,n, as Mr. Lewis Gordon
tor under him, and all monies
tot into the Royal Bank, the
3 of the Society : and, pre-
dd's leaving the Secretary's
inks of the Society were voted
able, and highly important
ion since its commencement,
by the Earl of Moray, the
se chair, in a handsome and
id, at same time, a very poii:e
;as read front his Grace the
cWitt of the Society, to Mr.

Macdonald, expressive of the high sense he ester-
tained of the services rendered by. him to the So-,
ciety, and also his Grace's satisfaflion at the pro-
spea of his still occupying a situation that conneBcd
him so closely to its interest, by superintending the
funds. •

The Meeting afterwards proceeded to ele.t a suc-
cessor to Mr. Macdonald as Secretary, when the So-
ciety unanimously, and with much approbation,
made choice of Donald Mac Lachlan, Lsq. of Mac
Lachlan, advocate, to be their principal Secretary,
with the usual powers ; and the seal of office being
delivered to him by the Vice-President, with a suit-
able address, Mr. Mac Lachlan made an appro-
priate return on the occasion.
The Society then took under consideration the va-
rious business which had been before their Commit-
tee of Direftors since the General Meeting in Ja-
nuary last, and approved of their continued atten-
tion to promoting the objeds of the institution, and
particularly of the premiums offered for useful in-
formation on different subjeas, for bringing barren
land into tillage, and other improvements in agri-
cultuie, mending the breed of black cattle, &c. as
appeared from printed advertisements eu the table,
previously published in the newspapers.
Among other matters which came eforrthe So-
ciety from the DireEtors, was an application from
the adventurers in the I ler ing Fishery, who, at a
meeting held at the prrt of Gri-niockb on the Aid of
June last, had deputed one of their number to re-
pair to Edinburgh, in order to a commaniag with
the Society, in regard to this important branch of
commerce and national wealth, with a request to
have the Society's support to an application to Par-
liament for having the bounties for the fishery put
on a better footing,. and to preventtheir trade from
being materially injured by admitting foreign her-
ring to entry in British ports.

The Meeting having heard the minutes of their
Directors on this subjeft, upon the different commu-
nications laid before them, now on the table, and
considering that the success of the herring fishery is
a matter intimately conneeted, not only with the
prosperity of the Highlands of Scotland, but an im-
portant source of national wealth, and at the same
time a most useful nutwry for our seamen t the So
ciery therefore remitted to the Direaors to take the
subjea of the herring fishery, and the representa-
tions of the adventurers, into their early consider-
ation ; and to take such measures, and make such
application, in name of the Society, in regard to
this business, as shall to them appear proper and
expedient.

Henry Mackenzie, Esq. Chairman of the Stand-
ing Committee of the Society appointed for investi-
gating into the history and authenticity of the Poems
of Ossian, laid before the Society the report of that
Committee, and at the same time satiafattorily ex-
plained to the Meeting the unavoidable causes of its
not being sooner brought forward ; one of these
was, the difficulty of finding persons qualified
to translate a variety of ancient Gaelic HSS. col-
lated by the Committee.

The Saeßety, upon hearing Mr. Mackenzie, Lord
Basnatyne, and other Members, upon this subjea,
so interesting to the genius, manners, and language
of our ancestors, and to the literati of taste over
Europe, appointed the Report and Appendix to be
published at the expence of the Society; and the
Meeting unanimously voted the tharths of the So-
ciety to the Committee, and in particular to Mr.
Mackenzie, for the great attuntien bestowed by him
in the course of the investigation. and the very able
manner in which he had condufted ihe busine,s in-
trusted to hini by the Committee, as appeared from
the report ~a the table ; and the Meeting farther,
for the rraons mentioned in the report, voted a
piece plate. with a suitable inser',nion, to Dr.
Donald Smith, t gentleman of distinguished eru-
dit;on, and part'cnlarly of ?he knowledged
eminence in Cat::: i:vretufe. as i.,ark of their
SCI:4 of the great benefit ionimittee had de-
rived fro‘o his knoNkiess..: ail services in that busi-
ness; and, on the motion of General Vyse, for a
Committee to inquire particularly int,: the proceed-
ings taken or to be taken for the pat tic-dim of the
manustripu, or other papers, containing the ori-
ginal of the Poems of Ossian. formerly in the pos-
ses;ron of the late Mr. Niaephrrson, the Society re-
ferred that enquiry to the Standing Committee ap-
pointed for the investigation into the natare and ori-
gin of these Poems.

Mr. Campbell, of Carbrook, from the C,
tee appointed for investiga.ing the qn airy and rela-
tive values of English and Scots barley ant! bigg,
reported, that considerable progress had been made
by Dr. Thomson, to whom the chemical part of the
business had been entrusted, in analysing and com-
paring these re.,peetive kinds of grain from different
counties, and as:ertaining their component parts ;
and that still more would have been done in this
way, but for the difficulty of obtaining proper sam.
pies from distant situations. That the operations of
the Committee had also been considerably forwarded
by the liberal offer of Messrs. Campbell and Young,
brewers, to permit the praßieal experiments to be
made in their brew-house under the inspettion of
the Committee, assisted by the communication of
every information which their long experience in
business enabled them to afford ; that, upon the
h. de, the Committee were hopeful of being able to
make a satisfaßnry report to the Society by the next
General Meeting.

Several other matters havin,,v been discussed and
referred to the Committee of Diredort, the thanks
of the Society were then given to the Earl of Mo-
ray, Vice-President, for his attention in the Chair to
the business of the Mating, and his readiness on
every occasion Co promote the views of the Insti-
tution.

About a fortnight since, ac a boy, ten years old,
was working at a bark-mill of Mr. BP ADU EAtes,
Milverton, Somerset, his hand was unfortunately
caught by the c rgs of the wheels; no one being
near to stop the horse, his arm was drawn in as far
as the shoulder, one of the cogs entering his shoulder
blade, and another his chest ; At that instant the
horse WAS stopped, a number of people asserohled,
and every exertion was ia•icctuilty used to extrinate
tlle boy's arm ; Mr. W. two, an eminent surgeon of
that town, was called in, who was under the neces-
sity of cutting off the arm in the mill. Ater suffer-
ing all the'e excruciatiug tortures, we it:e glad to
hear the lad n iu a (air of rccervery.

Wi:ha ro W ils,o a, Fog Fa:toe
David Mlitrie., Esq. Mercian
Alexander Ciniplie'l, El. A
Joseph CS.odun, Esq. youni
Ingnet
i Before procezding to of
. ' that Mr. Macdonald of
i commencement of the So
ago, had been chosen Seen
i '' he had afed gratuitously,
to had
and benefit e
tome time ago intimated 1
f.' t office at this general mee
i in consequence of this no
i the necessity of consiclerir
his approbation, a gentler
' Mr. Macdonald, and at
wme proper mode of ret
i advice in the management
i success and prosperity of
; prnved himself to tale so
on /nation, the report and
sots relative to this businc
Society approved thereof,
'cation of the Dire ors,
charter, resolved to revive
sli which had been discontint
unanimously defied Mr.
by which means he woi
sedor and Member of al
the general superintendm
saponditure, without th
of his former situation,
was to continue Colleitor t
1 to be paid as. at ;aliment
fully battlers or cashiers e
vious to Mr. Macdonald'
chair, the warmest thanks
to him. tor hit long, abl
•
illservices to the Institution ,
which were delivered by
r ace-President, from dm ,
impressive manner ; and, a
and esceileat leaer was
of &IA Provide