The Statesman.
London, England, 1820-02-17 00:00:00

milLrEn SCOTT.

A Mr. O'Brien has pnhlisheil a letter, stating. that—
" About three weeks since, accident placed before him
the title page of the last Romance by the Atetl:or of
If aeerity. sf the existence of whirls he bad not till then
a sitspic:un. Ile cast his eye over a few of its pages;
and they served to explain some anshigumas circumstan-
ces anti a return to strangeness in the manner of his
acquaintances. Ile determined to ask of Mr. Walter
Scott an explanation. The opinion a person so circum-
stanced might entertain of hum, totally miknown as be
was to 31r. Walter Scutt, never even having seen him.
must, it was true, he imlifferent to him. One whom you
hare never ihrt sissy injure, be adds, but cannot insult.
However, friends are lost by uncorrected misrepresen-
tation ; and he had hoped to leave an titiblrinighed
name, as the best portion be could bequeath his children.
(In these points he is insensible."
lie then continues—

On my arrival in London, I inquired at the house of
the publisher of Alr. Aicott's Works, where be Y•ts to lie
found. I was told he was in Scotland, probably at his
plare, about 20 miles front Edinburgh. I wrote to him
a letter, of which the following' is a copy, and waited at
the house of a friend his answer.

Mr. Scott lass not vostehsafeti a reply directly to toe.
He has written to my friend, enjoining bill, nut to show
the letter, but saving., as it appears, that never in his life
did he in stir u r his works point at a living character.
Thus the niatter stands.

1 am, Sir, with great esteem, Ere.
Lawlss, Jam. 12, Itoitt. J. o'll.

ase—lf the opinion entreat here be Wm, that pre, in
year romance of Iroahoe, have pet yourself forward as
the champion of modern chivalry—of chivalry, whose
activity is slander, w hose address, to Noland in the dark,
awl win...courage, not to blush at a lie—l am ready to
accept your challenge.
If in this hook pm really have meant to designate
air, the want of resemlolanee in the portrait, and of truth
Is the detail, are no reasons why I should nut demand sa-
tisfaction. The intention alone would constitute the of-
fence.

from fraud or eualiie, 'eon rsn have no objection to dis-
avow all individual allusion, and to give float disavowal
pablieity co-extensive with the utimAief your work
has produced to me.
My long perarcutions and deeply wounded feelings,
OW rK t:ae right to propose you this alternative.
Taw answer will hod me at (Wren-down Cottage, ()bl-
ame tionserset, whence I shall hasten, either to London

or to any place you war name within fifty miles of it,
and on auk• appointed .day, as circumstances may re-
quire.
I am, Sir, &e. Jalikire

To Walter Scott. Esq.
Carr of 31essrs. Constable and Co.. Edinburgh.

LINLITHGOIV.

WALOR AND OTIMRS O. TUX PanrmiT, MAGISTRATES,

AND COUNCIL OP LINLITuo:MV.

At last Michaelmas election of the Magistrates lathe
burgh of Linlithgow-, whets the names of the Connell
were inserted in the newspapers in the usual way, i dif-
ferent list was also published by desire of a law agent in
Edinburgh, of the names of twenty-six persons, said to
home hems duly elected Magistrates and Council, accom-
panied with a note, stating that as *err had hems a
donble election. the whole would become the subject or
legal discussion. Accordinely, no less than five differ-
ent actions, in the form of suspensions and interdicts,
arising horn that election, were commenced in the Collet
of Session at the instance of the last mentioned party
against the former, all of which, however, were soon
either dismissed or abandoned as untenable, and full
eon. jraid. But a petition .tod complaint, founded on
the election •
statutes, was also resorted to, in the tissue
of Allan Waugh and certain other persons of the twenty-
six above-mentioned, against the l'rovost, Magistrates,
acid Council, for setting aside the whole elertion, en the
ground of an alleged irregularity in choosing the Dea-
con of the incorporation of tailors, and that certain of
the Council were discitchjeed. This complaint being
followed with answers on the part of the Provost, Ma-
bestrates, and Council, and replies and duplies came to
advised by the Coort (First Division) on Saturday
last, the 12th February instant, when their Lordships
vaaninamely pronounced the following judgment, viz.—
,' Edinburgh, 12th February, IMO. The Lords having
resumed consideration of, anal advised this petition with
answers, replies, duplies, anal whole cause, find the com-
plaint not relevant, anal dismiss the same; find the peti-
tioners liable in expences of process, appoints an account
thereof to be lodged, and remit to the auditor to tact the
nat."