The Sun.
London, England, 1841-07-03 00:00:00

DISTURBANCES ON THEGLAS-

- - _
GOW AND EDINBURGH RAILWAY.
For some days past great excitement and bad feeling
have,prevailed among the labourers on the Edinburgh
and Glasgow Railway, arising, we understand, out of a
quarrel between the Highlanders on the one side, and
the Irish on the other. So threatening was the aspect
of matters on Monday last, that the local authorities
found it necessary to call in the assistance of the military
from Edinburgh. According to the latest intelligence
from the spot, the excitement had somewhat subsided,
and there was every appearance of the disputes being
amicably arranged. The facts of the case are these :
About a week ago some differences arose between the
Highlanders and the Irish in the neighbourhood of Fal-
kirk, respecting a snuff-box that was to be presented to
one of the persons connected with the railway. From
high words the parties, on Saturday last, came to blows;
and, according to the statement given, the Highlanders
were considerably to blame in the matter. A rumour,
happily unfounded, having run along the line that se-
veral of the Irish had been killed in the scuffle, a resolu-
tion was immediately come to by their countrymen to
avenge their deaths on the heads of the Highland-
ers ; and accordingly an attack upon the latter'
was planned for Sunday last. The greater number
of the Irish are, it seems, employed on the east, and
the Highlanders on the west part of the line ; and
it appears that the scene of the intended conflict
was near Winchburgh. The authorities of Stir
lingshire having learned the circumstances of the case,
wrote forthwith to the authorities of the county of Lin-
lithgow, forewarning them of the premeditated disturb-
ance, and requesting. their co-operation in preventing
the parties from meeting. This precaution was only in
part successful. On Sunday evening, about seven
o'clock, as a party of Highlanders were passing quietly
through Winchburgh, on their way to their lodgings at
Kirkliston, they were fiercely attacked by a large body
of Irishmen, and some of them severely injured. One
man in particular was ,nearly killed, having received se-
veral very severe wounds on the head, which for some
time deprived him of consciousness, and rendered it ne-
cessary to convey him to his lodging in a post-chaise.
He is even yet, we understand, not out of danger.
Matters having become thus serious, the local autho-
rities considered it prudent to send to Edinburgh. en
Monday for the assistance of the military—a portion of
whom went out to Winchburgh on Monday, and an-
other on Tuesday morning—there being in all about
seventy infantry and forty dragoons. The object of the
authorities was still to prevent the parties meeting,
which it was understood they intended to do on Tues-
day afternoon—the Irishmen having written to Edin-
burgh for a reinforceMent of their countrymen from
the Grass-market and' Cowgate, which summons was
obeyed by a considerable numer. About three o'clock
on Tuesday afternoon, the Irishmen had assembled
within three miles of Winchburgh, to the number of
about 1,500, many of them armed with heavy bludgeons;
and it was understood that the Ifig:hlanders were fast
approaching, to meet them from the west in still larger
numbers. The military were accordingly &awn up in
front of the inn at Winchburgh, and after loaL ing their
muskets with ball cartridge, were marched off ID the
scene of danger, where they placed themselves in from of
the Irish, in time to prevent the conflict.
At this time the whole line of railroad in that
neighbourhood was in commotion ; and the com-
mencement of hostilities was every moment ex-
pected. While those in the distance, however,
were listeninfi to hear the noise of fire-arms, their
ears were assailed by the far more pleasant sounds of
loud and - reiterated huzzas, which, upon inquiry, turned
out to be the good-humoured response of the Irishmen
to the peaceful remonstrances of the contractors, Messrs.
Gibb and Son, whose advice at once to separate was for-
tunately attended with the happiest result. The im-
mense crowd gradually dispersed, and by half-past five
all was again quiet. The military then returned to
Winchburgh, where they still remain.
Great praise is due to the authorities of Linlithgow-
shire and Stirlingshire, and also to Messrs. Gibb and
Son, for their praiseworthy exertions fur the preserva-
tion of the peace ; and we sincerely hope that their fu-
ture exertions will be crowned with equal success.—
Edinburgh Paper.

PORTUGAL.—In the sittings of the 19th of
June, in the Chamber of Deputies, M. Jose Estavao,
addressing the Minister of Marine, said he had been in-
formed that that the Governors of the Portuguese Afri-
can settlements openly connived at the slave-trade, and
that in so flagrant a manner, that, in order to facilitate
the departure of slave-laden vessels, they were in the
habit of ordering ships of war on idle errands in a dif-
ferent direction, and requested that measures should be
taken to put an end to the evil. The Minister promised,
in reply, that the subject should be strictly inquired into,
and the necessary steps taken accordingly.—Anti-Slavery

Reporter.
NON-COMPLIANCE WITH THE CENSUS RE-
V'S-N.-0n Monday last, at Newnham Petty Sessions,
the Rev. William Black, rector of Blaisdon, in this
county, was fined 51. and costs. It appeared from the
census paper, produced to the bench by the enumerator,
that the reverend gentleman had written on it, as an ex-
cuse for not complying with the Act of 3 and 4 Vic.,
cap. 99, the follownit, :—" The person to whom this
paper was sent cannot conscientiously make any return,
as he considers it highly sinful to number the people.
See the twenty-fourth chapter of the-second Bank of
Samuel, in the Holy Bible."—Gloucester Journal.
CURIOUS COINCIDENCE.—" It will be all the
same a hundred years hence," is a phrase that is often
used, but perhaps seldom realised. It is, however, a
remarkable coincidence, that in the month of June,
1841, E. S. Chandos Pole, Esq., was defeated in a con-
tested election for the borough of Derby, by the Hon.
J. G. B. Ponsonby, and that in the month of June, 1741,
German Pole, Esq., the great grandfather of the one
candidate, was defeated in a contested election for the
same borough, by the then Lord Duncannon, the great
grandfather of the other. We seldom give the world
credit for having been so enlightened, " a hundred years

ago."—Derby -Dinermbyy
intending not to be charged with the expense -of the
I then
made a
vow,
A strong instance of resolution has' recently,
come to light at Menilmanger, in the Calvados. A Jus-
tice of the Peace, whilst proceeding to put the seals on
he goods of a deceased lady its.: a protection to the inte-
rests of an only daughter, said to' tie insane, was much
surprised by the sudden appearance-I---e_this daughter,
who declared that she opposed the seals bed, put on,
operation, adding, " I am not mad, as it has been re-
ported ; two-and-twenty years ago my mother preven"ed
never to spe..k
me from marrying according to my liking, and lock id
Reporter.
room.
to any one again, as long as my mother should livt ;
' I have kept to it, and hre lam to look after my ov n
r concerns.' The lady appears in no way affected mei -
' tally by her long confinement, but her person is much al
tered, and she is now in her 40th year.
MUNIFICENT BEQUEST.—We have much sa-
tisfaction in learning that it appears from a letter, from 1
the Lord Bishop of Cashel and Waterford, to Sir John
Newport, that the suit respecting the munificent be-
quest of the late Mr. Fanning to the poor of this . city,
which has been pending in the Court of Chancery of
England during so many years, and in which Sir
John Newport interested himself much, is at last
happily terminated by a decree of the Chancellor,
directing the Master's report thereon to be con-
firmed, and that the sum of 34,000/. stock in Three
per Cent. Consols should be forthwith transferred to the
credit of the Board of Charitable Donations and Bequests
in Ireland, for the benefit of the poor of Waterford.
The transfer is expected to be made on the earliest day
of Transfer, viz., the sth of July. Sir John Newport
has been for a long series of years most assiduous in
tracing out and satisfactorily establishing the claim of
the city to this munificent bequest, and the venerable
Baronet has now the gratification a/seeing his indefati-
gable labour. successfully consummated, The Right
Rev. the Lord Bishop of Cashel, since his translation to
this See, has been the active and untiring colleague of
Sir John Newport in the ma tter.—. Waterford Mirror.
ONE NIGGER. EQUAL TO Two ENGLISH.
MEN.—An English minister happened not long since to
be in New York on his way to Washington ; and be-
hind his carriage there were two footmen dressed in
livery. Their appearance first excited the attention,
and then gradually increased the numbers, of the crowd;
till, at length, shouts and hurras were set up by the
boys, who cried hilt, "'Hurrah for the Englishmen !.
. that
two English foot-
men meanings
ry to do the duty which they
hurrah for the Englishmen ! It takes two Englishmen
gilgitgen.reic"es
toma\kveereontheoNu
I had been always accustomed to see o •ne negro perform.
COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS. •-.. The following
gentlemen were elected Fellowsof L:2
the College of Phy-
sicians at the usual annual m •
eetmg last week, the new
measures of reform not having
—l)r. Blair, Dr. Yeliol Dr lfet come into operation :
Y
Goldie, Dr. C. Forbes, Dr. M* orrison, Dr. Cooper, Dr.
D acarthur, Dr. Lefevre, Dr.
R. Lee, Dr. M. Hall, r. A. T. Thomson.—Medical
Gazette.

LATEST FROM AMERICA.—There is a man
living not 160 miles from Niagara, so deep, that it makes
day
held ,
p imitated
her
umbrella,
a
you giddy to look at him.—A band of music, the other
storm
so ell, that a young lady present
adv
musicians
et ale pd rov i ded forA b
ihseecrr l
tiF,n-
freshment of the
New York has an establishment with stohleir. usual
n
sliodiel,
of the street Bhaal:eplulotulsiep ;a"
sibgunt, a„ rivaluiicnorill the other
Bake-
house," and is carrying mon
away'all the other baker's cus-
tomers.—" I wonder," says a woman of humour, " why
my husband I quarrel so often, for we agree uniformly
on, one grand point—lie wishes to be master, and so do
I, '—A. despairing swain, in a fit of desperation, recently
declared to his unrelenting lady love, that it was his firm
determination to drown himself, or perish in the attempt.
BOMBAY.—A singular revolution has lately
been produced here in the newspaper trade, so to speak.
The preparation of Newspapers for European circulation,
now occupying more of the time and attention of the
publishers than the getting up of papers for readers in
India. The princip estalishment here, that of the
summa-
Bombay Times, begaal n to sebnd home monthly summa-
ries for the first time in October last, and then des-
' patched betwixt 300 and 400. It now
in issues about ten
times the number ; and finding
ordinar jorin
the ptinr, presses
' totally inadequate to supply the demay nds of üblic,
) is about to introduce a printing machine. Two years
. since a few hundred newspapers onl reveres sent home
from India altogether ; now there
5 10,000 despatched by each steamer. This should by
and by come to produce important effects at home. It
t is to the press of India that people at home must look for
▪ information on the affairs of India.