The Sun.
London, England, 1842-07-05 00:00:00

REPORT ON THE ISLANDS IN

THE RIVER NESS. •
(From the Inverness Courier).
We subjoin, entire, the interim Report of the Com-
mittee of the Town Council, on the Islands in thet
River Ness. It is lamentable to see the present
state of those beautiful woodland retreats—one of the
bridges destroyed, and communication thus cut off
with the west bank of the river. Could not a sum be
procured, by subscription, to restore the bridge, and
place the islands in a state of security from reckless
and mischievous persons ? Or could not a ball, or
concert, be devised for this purpose ? town in
Britain can boast of finer walks, and our townsmen
should exert themselves to show that they appreciate
their beauty

" The Committee will, in this Report, chiefly bring
under the notice of the Council the recent history of
the islands, and the means adopted for rendering them
accessible to the public, as detailed in the Council
minute book.

"The first separate notice of these islands in recent
times, which the Committee have observed in the
Council record, is of date the 20th June, 1823, when
the lloard at that time resolved in future ‘to set the
grass in the Island annually, along with the other
branches of the common. good.
" Previous to this the island had been planted, and
the -grass was not cut or pastured, most probably for
fear of` injury to the young trees.
-" On ME? &l March, 1828, a petition was presented
to the Council (and which is engrossed verbatim in
the ree9rd), in'the name of Mr. John Mackay, banker,
and other live gentlemen, resident in Inverness, de-
scribing the islands a state of nature,' and pro-
posing to convert them into a place ofpublic resort for
the inhabitants, by means of chain or wire
bridges connected with both sides of the. river,'
the islands to be improved by the removal of
brushwood and trees where necessary, and walks to
be made according to a plan to be obtained from,
skilful professional persous."The necessary funds,
were proposed to be raised by subscription, and the
object of the petition was to obtain the approval
and sanction of the scheme by the Council, and
to get permission to use the ground for a certain
number of years, or from year to year, as the
Council should deem best. fur a small nominal annual
rent.'

"The Council favourably entertained the proposal,
but ordered plans and estimates to be laid before
them ; and finally, after several meetings and con-
ferences, the Alagistrates and Council, of this date (9th
July 1828), sanctioned the measure, but on' certain
conditions, particularly mentioned in a report by a
Committee of their own number, the principal of
which were, that no trees were to be cut, except
such as were absolutely required to be removed in
forming the walks : that the property of the town
should be carefully preserved, and that permission to
use the islands should be granted to the superintend-
ing Committee, only from year to year, at a nominal
rent of ten shillings. This rent seems never to have
been exacted, or paid ; but the Council's sanction to
the prosecution of the works was especially guarded
• by a proviso that the suggestions in their Committee's
report were strictly adhered to.
"No other notice of the islands is to be found in
the Council record till the year 1837 ; but the re-
,' porters have ascertained that the gentlemen olio un-
dertook the charge of them succeeded in raising sub-
scriptions for their embellishment, and the erection of
the connecting chain bridges, to the amount of
• 9441. 2s. Gd.—about one-third from inhabitants of
the town and neighbourhood, and upwards of two-
thirds of this handsome sum from friends at a dis-
tance ; and' that the whole of the money was exclu-
sively expended among the tradesmen and labourers
of Inverness and its vicinity.
"On the 31st October 183.5, a state of the com-
mittee's accounts of intromissions was submitted to a
meeting of the subscribers, convened by public adver-
tisement, at which meeting (Mr. Mackintosh of
Aberarder being in the chair), it was directed that
the whole accounts and vouchers should lie at the
office of the National Bank, in Inverness, for a month,
fur inspection ; and certain resolutions were passed,
complimentary to the Committee, and re-appointing
them, with some additional members,: and new powers.
The Committee subsequently recovered payment
of some arrears of subscriptions, but finally, having
expended in' re than they received, the loss of
421. 12s. 10d. was ultimately divided and paid up by
the three gentlemen who continued to act—namely,
'Messrs. Nicol, Thompson, and Mackay.
" In the year 1837, while Mr. Ferguson was Pro-
vost, the Town Council had their attention directed to.
the state of the islands, and they then virtually resumed
possession of them, and appointed a Committee for the
purpose of disposing, by public roup, of such of the
trees as had fallen into decay, or were destroying
the grmtli of others, and which could be remove
without injuring the beauty and appearance of
the place, and also for planting young trees, in room
of those that might be cut. down.' , A small quan-
tity of timber was cut and sold under this remit, as
after-mentioned. On. the 14th of August, 1838,
another Committee was appointed, to examine and
report upon the state of the bridges leading to the.
Nos Islands, and to procure estimates of the expense`
of repairing the same, and to consider the best means
for hereafter protecting the islands and bridges from
trespass ;' and as the bridge on the west branch of
the river, communicating with the lands of Bught,
had then fallen, or was threatening entirely to give
way, the Committee were, at the same time,. autho-
rised to get that bridge repaired so as, to render it
passable.
"Thies the islands were again taken under the ex-
clusive charge of the Magistrates and Council, and
the repairs of the bridges, so far as executed, w*
conducted. at sight of the Committee just alluded to,
.who, however, as directed by the Council, commu-
nicated with the Committee of subscribers to the
island improvements, and had several conferences with
those gentlemen.
" The Committee incurred accounts for repairs to
the amount of 671. - 7s. 2d., and the proceeds of the
sale of trees, which only amounted to 37/. 2s. 10d.,
were put at their disposal by a grant of the Town
Council of that date ; but of this sum only 281. have
been actually paid by the Town Chamberlain (being
for an account of Donald Mackintosh, carpenter), and
the balance of 91. 2s. 10d. is still undisposed of. Pro-
vost Ferguson has settled some smaller claims out of
two subscriptions procured by him (one of 51., from
John Fraser, Esq., of Edinburgh, and another of 11.,
from Dr. Andrew, of Edinburgh) ; but the following
accounts are still due, viz. :-
1. To John Gordon, mason, contract price
of repair of Bught Bridge £8 5 0
2. Do. Alex. Mennie for iron work thereof 21 14 6
Extra work thereon
Which amount has yet to be paid by the
town £3s 15 3

" The Committee have thus detailed all the recent
proceedings in relation to the islands; and they con-
elude this interim Report by mentioning that various
methods have oceurred to them for refiting the
bridges and preserving the islands as beautiful re-
treats fur the inhabitants ; but, under the former
remit, the reporters find that they have not been
authorised to obtain plans and estimates, and, before
recommending any precise course of procedure to
be :adopted by the Council and community, they
should like to have it in their power to consult pro-
fessional persons, with the view of ascertaining the
probable cost of reconstructing the bridges, of erect-
ing at lodge according to a cheap, but classical design,
which; it is believed, would be preferable to a mere
rustic edifice, and of devising means for the efficient
protection of the works. and whole
and permanent
property of the islands."

In proof of the earliness of the season, we may
state that there are several fields of barley already in
full ear in the neighbourhood of the town, being fully a
fortnight in advance of last season.—Aberdeen Herald.
The General Steam Navigation Company's favourite
steam-ship Princess Royal, Capt. J. W. Morris,' performed
the passages to and from Edinburgh in 42 hours each way.
The General steam Navigation Company's favourite
steam ship Rainbow, Capt. J. F►fe, arrived yesterday morning a
seven o'clock, from Antwerp, and landed her passengers at the
Brunswick Wharf, after an excellent. passage.
A NTWETt P, JULY 1.----The Rainbow steamer, from
London, as rived this morning, bringing over 96 passengers and
six carriages. The passengers were much pleased with their
passage.

Lord Athlone arrived in town on Sunday. lie came
passenger from Rotterdam in the General Steam Navigation
Company's mail packet Giraffe.
Tut; QUARTER SESSIONS, WORCESTER.—Else-
where we have fully reported the proceedings at the
Midsummer Quarter Sessions fur this county, which
have just conclut:ed. The number of prisoners for trial
7,
set down in the calendar was 11 and it approached
nearly to 130 before the Sessions were ended. The
present calendar has been loudly proclaimed as a fearful
witness of the increase of crime; but if we take into ac-
and further allow for the last
count the number of persons .emnamitted from Dudley
for a riot—the case .agt!,inst whom, by the way, was of
year than last, thus leaving
the very slightest description of such offenees_e,„
snliatneug:t:Erslie"eletohmismittals to accumulate—then
sabea:.i
joitni)sefrfaaisl
though the number of committals was this year 117,
while last year it was was only 80, we shall yet not find
so great an increase in crime as might be at first sup-
posed. There is absolutely no increase in the rural
districts; and unhappily we are at no loss in seeking
for a probable cause quite equal to account for a much
greater increase than has taken place in the manufactur-
ing districts. No 0118 can doubt that scanty employ-
ment and consequent privation are that sufficient canes.
A Presbyterian minister, in the reign of King
111., performing public worship in the Tron
Church at Edinburgh, used this remarkable expression
in his prayers Lord have mercy upon all fools
and idiots, and particularly upon the town council of
Edinburgh."i
Benefits are written on sand ; injuries are engraved
on steeL Spanish Proverb.
The late Lord Kingsborough's costly library is to
be brought to the hammer in Dublin.