The Sun.
London, England, 1853-11-04 00:00:00

JUSTICE TO SCOTLAND.

A crowded public meeting was held in tho Edinbtitigh
Music-hall, on Wednesday evening, in favour of the objects
of the "National Association for the Vindication of Scot-
tish Rights ;" the Earl of Eglinton, the president, in the
chair.

The leading speakers were the chief men of the defunct
Protectionist party in Scotland, namely, the Earl of
Eglinton ; Sir Archibald Alison, Bart. ; Sir James Walker
Drummond, Bart. ; Professor Aytoun, &c. Among those
prominent on the platform were the Earl of Buchan, Lord
Gray of Kinfauns, the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Sir
Hugh Hume Campbell, Bart., Admiral Sir Charles Napier,
&c. &c.

Letters of apology were read from the Earl of Erroll,
the Earl of Caithuess, the Earl of Dundonalci, Lord Ber-
iiedale, Lord Cochrane, Lord Colville, Lord Elibank, Sir
John Stuart Forbes, Sir James Colquhoun of Luss ; Mr.
Cowan, M.P.; Mr. James Baird, M.P. ; and from the
Provosts of Dundee, Dumbarton, Portobello, Crail, Kirk-
cudbright, Sanquhar, Ayr, Inverness, and Banff.
The Earl of EGLINTON, who wore the insignia of the
order of. the Thistle, then addressed the meeting. He
said—lt is most satisfactory to find that this, the first call
made on the nationality of Scotland, by an association
which has for its object the preservation of that nationality,
has met with so noble, so generous a response, not only
from the people of Scotland, but in the place in which i
is fit and proper that such a movement should originate.
(Applause.) Ido not indeed rejoice at the aspect of this
meeting, because it tells me that Scotland is in earnest in
her efforts to uphold her rights. (Applause.) And when
has Scotland failed when she has been in earnest ? (Loud
applause.) I rejoice that the meeting has taken place, be-
cause it gives me an opportunity of laying before the pub-
lic the motives by which its originators are actuated, and
to remove, I trust, many of the aspersions which have
been cast upon it. In the first place, I must most dis-
tinctly and emphatically avow that nothing can be farther
from my thoughts—as I believe, also, from the thoughts of
all those who are associated with me in this movement—
nothing can be farther from my thoughts and wishes than
to weaken or interfere with the cordial and intimate amal-
gamation of feelings and of interests which has been
established between the two nations. (Applause.) lam
not rash-headed enough to wish that the Union, which
has been established so happily for the peace, and
tranquillity, and prosperity of loth, should be inter-
fered with. I am not foolish enough to imagine that,
if such were my wish, any efforts of mine could sever
those who, I trust, are indissolubly united. (Applause.)
I can only say that, if I thought that the result of this
association would lead to such a misfortune, I would not
remain in it one other moment. I would not remain in an
association which I should then consider as dangerous
and as prejudicial to the best interests of Scotland. (Hear,
and applause.) But when I say that I rejoice in the
blessings of union—when I say that I rejoice that we have
one Sovereign, one Parliament, one imperial interest —I
am not the less desirous, ay, and determined, to stand up
for the rights and privileges of Scotland—(great applause,
lasting for some minutes)--and to claim that justice, and
to'claim that equality, from the hands of her sister, which
is her right. (Applause.) It is by carrying out the prin-
ciples by which that treaty was concluded—it is by dis-
pensing equal justice between the two nations—that you
will make that union more firm and more popular. (Hear.)
It is by fostering, and not repressing, the spirit of nation-
ality that yen can snake a nation great, and prosperous,
and self-reliant. (Applause.) You may make a Scotsman
discontented, but you will never make him an Englishman.
(Cheers.) I know the penalties which we have to pay, and
which we are ready to pay, for the blessings of union. I
know that the Sovereign must, for the most part, hold her
permanent Court in the metropolis of Great Britain ; and
where the Court is, thither will follow the rich, the titled,
and the powerful. I know that, for the sake of the tran-
quillity of the United Kingdom, we must bear, without re-
pining, the loss of our Parliament; but I do not know why
centralisation should be carried beyond the limits which
are necessary to carry out the meaning of the treaty.
Because the crowded thoroughfares of London hardly suf-
fice for the traffic which is incessantly pouring through
them, and the grass grows in the wide streets and squares
of Edinburgh, why is that inequality to be increased ?
Because London has absorbed whole counties, while Edin-
burgh is only growing at the rate of a country town, why
is that disparity to be promoted ? Why are all the offices
and boards which we require for the management of Scotch
affairs to be removed to England, and placed in English
hands? (Hear, hear.) We do not complain that a por-
tion of the imperial revenue, to which we so largely con-
tribute, is expended in the maintenance and improvement
of the royal palaces in London, or in making Windsor a
fit residence for the beloved Sovereign of this mighty em-
pire. (Applause.) We do not grudge England her palaces
and parks—her national galleries,her museup?s,her arsenals,
her harbours of refuge ; but we do point, with, I think,
feelings of just indignation, to the reverse of the picture
here—(applause)—to the neglect of our royal palaces, to the
destruction of our royal narks, to the absence of all assist-
ance to our national schemes, and to the neglect of our
national feelings. .(Applause.) We have no Windsor, ne
Buckingham Palace, no St. James's, no Kensington. no
Hampton Court—we have.only poor old Holyrood—(ap-
plause)—poor old Holyrood, with her falling galleries, her
roofless chapel, and her wasted park. Think you, if Linlith-
gow had been within the reach of a short excursion from
London, it would now be ruined and unoarod for ? (Ap-
plause.) Hampton Court, with her show-suites of aparb-
snouts, her pictures, her gardens, and her fountains, tells
a different tale. And I believe that the whoWexpendi-
tura on the birthplace of Mary, and the last residence of
gallant James before he went to the fatal field of Flodden,
has not surpassed 35/. ; and, if I ant not greatly mistaken,
5/. was the amount of money laid out on it during the last
year. We have no Hyde-park, and the Green-park, St.
James's-park, Richmond, and Windsor—all are provided
in rich abundance for our southern brethren ;,and new
Victoria and Battersea are added with unsparing and most
unniggard hand ; while the royal garden of Hplyrood is let
to a market gardener. Hundreds of thouanahave be?n
laid out in England in national galleries, in museums, and
in arsenals, while I really cannot tax my memory with any
thing being given to any public institution in Scotland,
except, I believe, some 15,0001. to the building on the
Mound, which must have been done in some moment when
the Chancellor of the Exchequer for the time being was
asleep, or Mr. Brotherton's motion for the time disre-
garded. (Laughter.) The winds blow as hard on the
Scottish shores, and the eastern coast is as bleak as any
that mariner has to contend with ; and the Scottish
sailor's life is as dear to his family and to his country as
that of any other. (Applause.) But we have no Dover,
no Harwich, no Portsmouth,., no Jersey, no', . Holy.
head ; there is not a harbour of refuge from Wick
to Berwick. (Hisses.) Education is .at present,
I believe I may say, on the. increase over the
world ; but in Scotland —as far as any assistance
from the Imperial Government goes—it has been
for many years positively discouraged. (Hear, hear.)
He next referred to the absence of encouragement to Scotch
professorships, and proceeded :—Now, can anything be
conceived more unequal than our representation, as com-
pared with that of England. (Applause.) England, with
her population of 18,000,000, has her 500, or, at all events,
upwards of 400 members ; while Scotland, with her popu-
lation of 3,000,000, has but 53 members. We have small
boroughs in England sending two members to Parliament ;
while populous counties in Scotland have only one. In
England there aro 20 small boroughs which send 40 repre-
sentatives ; while Glasgow, with a constituency of 16,000,
only sends two. The Universities of Oxford, Cambridge,
and Dublin, send each two representatives ; while the
Universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, and St.
Andrews, remain unrepresented. Well, gentlemen, it is
said—l have heard it said—" Yes, but you are a province
—you are an integral part of the United Kingdom." But,
we reply, " You do not treat us as if we were a proviuce ;
treat us as you treat. Surrey and Middlesex ; give us the
proportion of members which Devonshire and Shropshire
have, and then see whether Scottish interests and Scottish
claims will be disregarded." (Loud Applause.) It is to
remedy this inequality, and to put an end to this injustice,
that this association has been formed. (Applause.) It
has sprung from long repressed, but now openly avowed,
feelings of injustice. Scotland says that she will no longer
be neglected, and claims that equality for which her fore-
fathers bargained. (Applause.) lie then complained of
the inferior position assigned to the royal arms of Scotland,tn
d,
and contended that in emblems and devices inrlSco
they ought to take precedence of those in Ena and. Scotland,
they
long, he said, as man exists with all his passions,
imperfections, or his good qualities, so lonl!ationalinam;
well as personal and family distinctions ill remain
to the
and 1 for one will not submit withouotilnliAnin,pr
la
use.)
degradation of the ancient arms of Si.c d
surprise at Scotchmen
He then went on to express hiso
anomalous and irresponsible
havingsolongsubmitted to thei
lcnyate, who he said, though
government of the Lord Advocate,
of high talent, and great
no doubt a man almost invariably
I /aid and over-worked—with
professional ability,
his own professional business to to attend to_;. was never ha
in
the Cabinet, and seldom oven
the envy COMICiI---
changing Oftener oven than the Ministers tinder whom he
serves—ready
enough to
totallyotakep sprairirseefoonr anysible when
measures
which may be popular,
the
measures
are of a contrary tendency. Gentlemen, ha
Con-
tinned, we want a great officer of state who
shall be re-
sponsible for the government of Scotland—(Loud applause)
—who will not allow Scotch business to be neglected and
t
shelved, and turnemay to anybody whoh
happen to ake an interest in stover The interests of England are well
cared for. They have their Prime Ai-
misters, their Lord
Presidents, their Home
Secretaries, their Board of Trade, their Lords- of the Treasury, the colonies,the the
navy, the Post -officearmy,
; and even that very branche of the service the Duchy of Lancaster has important
as generally re-
presentative
in the C. •
Cabinet. (Laughter.) Ireland
,has
her entire separate Governs/rent. Scotland alone is left to
the tender., mercies of a lawyer, Who is looking far more
to his professional prospects, and, perhaps .to the upper,
seats of the bench, than to. making for, himself a great po-
litical character. (Loud applause.) Was there no one—
although we have a Scotch Prime Minister—was there
no ono to suggest that, when three noble lords were to be
invested the other day as Knights of the Thistle, it

rrO' %.1

might have been done a - ieW *weeks previously is ills
old capital of Scotland.. (Loud appinnse.) Now, it
is impossible to conceive that the country sinetikOlave
I gone on so long, allowing • ourselves to be9i4overned
I in this most anomalous, irresponsible, and .M.---tiatis-
factory manner, and I do lieldettna .the 'nr'sititillsOf this
association—whatever else maylrellow—shouldete to lay
before her Majesty, before Parlianient,^and before our own
representatives in both Houses of Parliament, the neces-
sity of this change. (Applause.) I have joined this asso-
ciation because I am opposed to the spirit of centralisation,
which has been carried too far for the good of this country.
(Applause.) I have joined this association because I be-
lieve in my heart Scotland has been treated with unfair-
' ness and neglect. I believe that this movement will be
successful because it is based on justice, and because it
will be carried on with earnestness but with moderation
(Loud applause.) I beg to read the resolution which I
intend to lay before you, and which I trust Will be re-
ceived with acclamation. I lay it before you as the basis
on which this association is founded, and which we mean
to act. It is in these terms :—" That the treaty of union
between Scotland and England recognises the supremacy,
asserts the individuality, and provides for the preservation
of the national laws and institutions of Scotland ; that any
' attempt to subvert or place those institutions under
.ilg-
lish control, under the pretence of a centralising economy,
would deprive Scotland of the benefit of local action, would
be injurious to her welfare, and au infraction of the true
spirit in which that treaty was concluded." (The reading
of the resolution was followed by the audience rising en
masse and cheering vociferously, and waving hats and
handkerchiefs.) The noble earl, after saying, "I. conclude
that this resolution is passed unanimously.," resumed his
seat amidst loud and protracted applause.
The Lord PnOVOST of Edinburgh moved the next re.
solution as fellows :—" That this meeting considers it ne-
cessary for the better administration of the public busi-
cess of this part of the United Kingdom, and for securing
to Scotland the practical' benefits of a United Legis-
lature, that the office of Secretary of State for Scotiand
be restored, with all the rights and privileges apper-
taining thereto; and this meeting invites the coun-
cils of cities and burghs of Scotland to petition he
Majesty to this effect." His lordship showed tha
the office of Scotch Secretary of State had continued
from the period of the union down to about 1740,
when it felli uto abeyance. He maintained the necessity
of the restoration of the office from the inability of our
Lords Advocate to manage the overwhelming amount of
business, legislative and professional, now entailed upon
them. With reference to the representation of Scotland,
ho instituted the following comparison between Ireland
and Scotland—Ireland has a population of six and a half
millions, Scotland has three millions, and England eighteen
millions. If, then, population be taken as the criterion of
representation, Ireland will bo entitled to this in the pro-
portion of 6. to 7i—or, in other words, she would be enti-
tled to 153 members. But if you take the element of
finance into account—that ix, how much she contributes
to the National Exchequer, the question assumes a diffe-
rent aspect. Ireland contributes 4,000,000/. out of the
52,000,0001 a or one to thirteen; Scotland contributes up-
wards of 0,000,0001. of the 52,000,0001., or about one in
eight and a half. If you take the finance aspect, then Ire-
land, in proportion to her contribution to the revenue,
would be entitled to 51 members, although, as to her popu-
lation, she should have 153. Take the mean of the two
sums, and Ireland will be found entitled to 102 members.
.Now, Ireland has 105 at the present moment. Ireland
has, therefore, got justice on that principle, and that was
the principle on which Schedules A and B were passed in
the Reform Bill of 1832. Now, let us have justice to Scot-
land. That is all I ask ; and, just by the same process as
that which I have applied to Ireland, Scotland is entitled,
in respect of population, in the proportion of three to 274,
or 73 members ; she is entitled, in respect of taxation, in
the proportion of ono to eight and a half, or 78 members.
Add these together again, and take the mean, and Scot-
land would be entitled to 75 members. Ireland, then, on
this principle, would be entitled to 102 members, and Scot-
land to 75. Whatever principle, however, Parliament in
its wisdom should think fit to adopt respecting the fran-
chise in England, Scotland should be satisfied with that,
but with nothing less. (Cheers.)
The LORD PROVOST of Perth seconded the resolution,
which was cordially adopted.
Bailie GOURLAY, of Glasgow, proposed the next resolu-
tion, namely, " That the representatives returned by
Scotland to the House of Commons are not in the relative
proportion of her people, or the amount of her revenue, as
compared with those of England ; and that this meeting is
of opinion that, in order to give the voice of Scotland its
just weight in Parliament, that number should be in-
creased to its fair proportion."
Mr. BAILLIE COCHRA.NE, of Lamington, seconded the
resolution, which was carried.
Sir ARCHIBALD ALisoN said—So great is the strength
of our case—so powerful and so appalling are the facts
which we can adduce—that we have .nothing to fear from
argument or from declamation ; we have to fear nothing
but misrepresentation;and that, accordingly, is the,weeisen
with which we have always been assailed. Fully admit-
ting the benefits of the union to Scotland, he proceeded to
mention one or two facts to show how Scotland has. been
treated in comparison with other parts of the empire.
What has been done (he asked) by the Imperial Govern-
ment for the groat object of national defence in Scotland.
(Hear, hear ?) We are not to be told that the peace of the
world is never to be broken. It never was in greater
danger than at the present moment, and, for aught we
know, a war may oven now be breaking out in the East of
Europe which may involve us next spring in determined
hostilities with perhaps the greatest' military power in the
world. Let mo tell you what preparations have been made
for this war in England, Ireland, and Scotland. The people
of England expect—and I hope with reason—that if a war
wore to break out they could muster 140,000 armed men-
-4.0,003 regular troops, 80,000 militia, add the dockyard bat-
talions. In Ireland there are 22,000 regular troops, and
12,000 police, admirably equipped, equal to soldiers of the
line, and paid by the Government. What is the state of
matters in Scotland ? Here we have only two battalions of
infantry, and ono regiment of cavalry, mustering among
them some 1,800 combatants! We have no militia ! There
is a militia force of 80,000 men in England, where the
people take good care of themselves ; but there is neither
paid police nor militia in Scotland, where the whole mili-
tary force consists of two battalions of infantry, and one
regiment of cavalry. What are we to do in the case of a
war breaking out ? And recollect that the Emperor of
Russia has always in the summer as many ships of the line
in the Baltic as could transport 30,000 men in a short space
of time to any part of our coast. I need not tell you
where the invading force would come to in the first in-
stance. Why, they would just come to the Firth of Forth.
If they came there, they would find the harbour of Gran -
ton prepared for them ; and, after threatening Edinburgh
with conflagration 'and plunder, and levying a contribution
of one or two millions, they might march to Glasgow, fol-
low the same course there, and then return to the Baltic
before England got a man of war ready. lam not to be
told that, this is not possible. What took place at Largs
many hundred years ago ? The Sea-kings of the Baltic
came there, and were only defeated by the Hays of Lun-
carty. lam glad to see that the nobleman who now so
worthily represents that gallant and patriotic family be-
belongs to our association. (Cheers.) We perfectly admit
that the centre of the country, where the arsenals, the har-
bours, and all the great points of the national defences are
principal object of attack ; and I
taombseufroeuinv found
e,
be considered necessary
may wouldb en
tehte grudge
to /
)auntyt
hsousuei
placesof in oi nn eay w
properliich
state of defence. For my own part, I hope the time
when thew counitr
the opinion
is not far distant
than
an
adetra • suin'l at Woolwich as
yshownill(ll bcoencvuorteidn
the citadel o
strong as makfeAntmewealesis.eni.Cheers and hisses.)
admit the necessity of looking iu the
by Parliament to
But while we
,I.„ fullychiefly, to the defence of the central
securemaking
as London,ye
a nDe ptf ord ,
r
Chatham, and Portsmon possibly
and
th asof
be, coo see no reason why Scotland should be left utterl
pilarsttsinoft-th-Oe'Lallion,
defenceless, without any force whatever, either maritime
or military, to repel an invasion. lam convinced that if
we were in danger, and if the Government assured us that
they could not afford regular troops for service in this part
of the kingdom, a militia of 30,000 strong could be raised
l Scotland in one week ; and I do net think there is any
man bold enough to say that the militia. of. Scotland, what-
ever may be said of the militia of other places, could not
b 3 trusted, for fidelity to misfortune, to Queen and coun-
try, has never been 'wanting in the Scottish nation.
(Cheers.) The learned baronet then proceeded to consider
the question of harbours of refuge. He concluded by
moving the following resolution :—" That while this meet-
ing does not wish to claim for Scotland Government as-
sistance for objects which are better served by local efforts,
yet, nevertheless, it is of opinion that a manifest injustice
is inflicted upon Scotland by its exclusion from the ad-
vantages of participating in the public expenditure, for
imperial and important local purposes of a national char-
acter, to the same proportional extent as in England and
Ireland, and that such exclusion is contrary to the intui-
tion and meaning of the treaty of union."
Mr. MITCHELL, of Moorepark, seconded the resolution, •
which was also carried.

• Mr. HENRY INGLIS. W.S., proposed the. fourth resolu-
tion, which was as follows :—" This meeting is of opinion
that the present state of the Palace of Holyroocl and its
neighbourhood is discreditable to the capital and the na-
tion; and farther, that the royal property and buildings
of Scotland should be administered by some Scottish board,
so as to apply the revenues arising in Scotland to their re-
pair, maintenance, and embellishment; that no further
sales of the' Crown property in Scotland should be made,
and that the purchase-money received from the recent sales
should be placed to the Scottish account."
Dr. ALEXANDER WOOD seconded the resolution.
Sir J. WALKER DRUMMOND moved the fifth reaolution,
namely, "That the National Association for the Vindica-
tion of Scottish Rights, which devotes itself to the accom-
plishment of the objects embraced in the resolutions
adopted by this meeting, is one deserving the cordial:sup.
port of every true Scotsman."
professor AYTOUN seconded the resolution, which was
carried.

After a vote of thanks to Lord Eglinton for presiding,
and a cheer for Admiral Napier, the meeting separatied.