The Sun.
London, England, 1844-08-17 00:00:00

ROBERT BURNS.

We have been favoured by a friend with the fol-
lowing extract from the original letter, of which he is I
in possession, and addressed to Mr. Nicol, of the
High School, Edinburgh, well known as a staunch
friend of the poet. The post mark is " Mauchlini":—
" I don't know how my farm may turn out, but I
shall fairly put it to trial. If it should not do, I
won't struggle with a ruinous bargain, but betake
myself to my excise business, as I have got my in-
structions, past trials, &c., and have no more to do
than ask employment from the Board.
"My present design is to inform you, that I have
left with the carrier from Mauchlin to Edinburgh, a
small cheese of last year's produce, which I hope will
do no dishonour to Ayrshire. You will please ac-
cept of it as a small acknowledgment for those obliga-
tions, which the world, so far from imitating, would
scarcely believe were Ito tell them. I propose it as
an annual tribute, which, my dearest Sir, you must
allow me to tax myself with while I am a farmer.
My best compliments to Mrs. Nicol, little Ned, and
all the family. Would to God, Sir, that instead of
this lame, dull epistle, I could send you a transcript
of my glowiog heart ....I think of you ! Louis
Cauvin, noble exception to the general doctrine of
original sin, remember me to him. Mr. ti air, too,
please give him my compliments.
"O, Mr. Nicol, can time ever extinguish the glow-
ing remembrance of you in my bosom! The idea of
your uncommon abilities may dissipate a little in com-
parison, but where, except surrounding the Fountain
of Goodness, shall I find a heart equal to yours!—
Adieu. ROBERT BURNS.
—Caledonian Mercury.

COMMISSION OF THE GENERAL
ASSEMBLY.
(From the Caledonian Mercury.)
The second quarterly meeting of the Commission
was held in the Assembly hall yesterday, at twelve
o'clock—Principal Lee, moderator, in the chair.
ADDRESS TO TIER MAJESTY.
Principal M'Farlan, before the Commission pro-
ceeded to business, said, there was a subject which
had an especial claim to priority. There was no in-
stance, he believed, in which Divine Providence had
conferred a peculiar mark of favour on the Royal
Family, certainly there was no instance in which that
favour had been marked in the birth of a Prince,
that the members of the General Assembly of the
Church of Scotland had not considered it a sacred
and imperative duty to come forward and tender
to the Sovereign the homage of their con-
gratulations for the auspicious event, and their
thankfulness to Almighty God for his goodness
to the mother for the preservation of her life and
that of the infant Prince. He would not at that hour
take up the time of the Court by indulging in any
tribute of praise of her Majesty the Queen, or to
speak of her conduct in her public capacity, or as a
private individual—of those qualities which called up
expressions of regard and admiration from all classes
of her Majesty's subjects, and which were the means
of securing to them the many blessings which, as a
nation and a Church, they had derived from her
reign. These feelings were still as warm and en-
thusiastic as ever, as was shown by the spontaneous
expressions of good-will and regard which had been
borne to her throne since the birth of the young
Prince. He would at once move, that an address
of congratulation for the auspicious event—for the
prospect of good health still afforded to the royal
mother and the infant Prince—and, above all, for the
additional comfort thereby accruing to the Royal
Family, as well as additional prosperity to the nation
at large; and their hope that these blessings may be
continued and perpetuated to the latest times.—
(Hear, hear.)
The motion was cordially agreed to, as also an ad-
dress to the Prince Consort, on the motion of Bailie
Mack, and both were remitted to a small committee
to prepare and transmit.
The report of the Committee to frame regulations
for expediting the trials of students, reported that
those as recently in force should be adhered to,
with some trifling alterations, which they recom-
mended.—Agreed to.
SIR DAVID BREWSTER S CASE.
This case, which came before the Court in the
shape of a dissent and complaint at the instance of Dr.
Ferrie, against a decision of the Presbytery of St.
Andrew's, to proceed by libel against Sir David
Brewster, having been called, parties appeared at the
bar. Mr. Montgomerie Bell, advocate, appeared for
Dr. Ferrie, Principal Haldams and Mr. Taylor of
Carnbee for the Presbytery.
After some desultory conversation,
The Procurator said, that there could be no doubt
that the printed libel which had been put into the
hands of the members of court contained a great deal
more than was at first intended. It was true that
the General Assembly had referred the libel to the
Commission under the general reference of all cases
not disposed of by it; but the Commission had now
seen the libel, and undoubtedly a glance at that docu-
ment was sufficient to show them, that they had to
deal with and decide a very important question of ju-
risdiction and relevancy—a question so important
that he could scarcely think it either proper or safe for
this Commission to take up unless it had been sent to
them by the General Assembly by special remit.
As that was not the case, he would propose that the
Commission should refer the whole case to the next
meeting of the General Assembly. He (the Procu-
rator) did not think it necessary to enter into the
reasons which induced him to propose such a motion,
but he might say, that he thought it the most wise
and prudent course to follow in this very important
and difficult case, if it were agreeable to the wish of
the House. He therefore moved that the Commis-
sion refer the case to the next Assembly.
After some further discussion, and the parties at the
bar having consented, it was unanimously agreed to
leave the case to be heard and determined by the next
General Assembly.
COMMISSION OF THE FREE CHURCH.
A stated meeting of the Commission of the General
Assembly of the Free Church was held in the New
College, George-street, Dr. Black, of Aberdeen, Mo-
derator.
It was intimated that twenty applications for new
charges had been forwarded to the Committee ap-
pointed by last Assembly to carry out the views of
that court, in reference to the sanctioning of charges.
It was agreed to remit these applications to the Com-
mittee, to state whether any and what number of
them were of a nature which warranted a departure
from principle, that the General Assembly shall be
the only court having the power to sanction charges
—to report at a future diet.
SABBATH OBSERVANCE.
Mr. Blackadder wished to call the attention of the
Commission shortly to this subject. He had advised
his friends to purchase stock in the Edinburgh and
Glasgow Railway, with the view of extending the
influence of those favourable to the principle of the
Sabbath observance in the affairs of that Company.
He was happy to say that his advice had been acted
on, and there was a possibility of their friends having
a majority in all questions relating to this subject.
There was to be a meeting of the shareholders on the
27th of this month, in Glasgow, and he wished to
impress upon all the opponents of Sabbath desecra-
tion the importance of being present at that
meeting, personally, and not allowing them-
selves to be represented by proxy. As some mis-
apprehension existed as to the extent of Sab-
bath desecration, he would state, that during the
six months previous to the 31st of July last, the
average number of passengers travelling on Sunday
on the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway was—first
class, 42 ; second class, 1,798 ' • third class, 732
making a total of 954 persons. The number of first
and second class passengers had not materially varied,
being nearly about the same in summer as in winter,
but the difference between these two seasons in the
tot
hhf
ri re
ejd class
July
lcyl
als
a s
se
tsbo was v
ne
being
geary upwards
daygv
ar er
cda
ot, s
nott
fha n n
31
oum,
50bbowe
phr
eil r
eon the 2
sot
nhs. ,hBo tl
Thishe
was a fearful state of matters, which he trusted the
AlllonMerri. Gibson,
Vree Church would do everything in its power to
correct.
of a os
East
After some discussion,
in
Glasgow,liilb ride Mr. Sheriff
others,
toic
, Speirs,,
Awlrli.ic
part, in reference to the
Bill on this subject lately passed in Parliament, a
Committee was appointed to inquire into its pro-
visions, with the view of petitioning the Legislature
on the subject.

SOUTH DEVON RAILWAY.—The works of this Com-
pany, at various places along the line between Exeter
and Newton, have actively commenced, and many oc-
cupiers of houses and premises through which the line
will pass have received notice to quit within twenty-
one days. In the Exwick fields, on the St. Thomas
side of the Exe, a great number of labourers are at
work. The contract, No. 1, extending from the south
side of the terminus of the Bristol and Exeter Rail-
way on to Powderham, has been taken by Messrs.
Carpenter and Chesterfield. The contracts, Nos. 2
and 3, run from Powderham to Teignmouth, and are
let to Mr. Waring. It is provided that half these
works shall be completed by the Ist of February next,
and the entire contracts by the 4th of May following,
under a penalty of 201. daily after that period. A num-
ber of men are employed in tunnelling near the Teign-
mouth beach towards Dawlish ; and the line is staked
out from Dawlish Beach to Starcross. Two shafts have
been sunk on the Brent side of the Marley tunnel, to the
depth of sixty feet, which is considered the level re-
quired on this side of the hill ; on the other side the
shafts will be considerably deeper. The progress of th
works is at times impeded by the flow
shaft. The strata is of sig!::. il 7;ater into the
unstone for about twenty
feet below the surface, a mixture of clay of slight thick-
ness, and very hard slate, with veins of white spar at the
evel of the line.—Plymout4.-To4n4a6,
At th,, pai.obridige Assizes, there came before the
grand jury (acid which will bh tried next assizes) a bill
of indictment about sixteen fci# ioNy, against certain par-
ties for refusing tcl obey an order of the justices to pay
a cl-i*h-ate,—carn4ride Advertiser.