The Sun. — 1821-11-15 (London, England)

PROPOSED REMOVAL OF THE UXIVERSITY OF ST. AN  DREW'S TO PERTH.  In thepaper read by Ilr.Esdaile to the Literary and Antigua. rian Society, a circumstance was alluded to, which seems to have escaped the notice of all our National or Local Historians— we mean a negociation entered into and nearly completed, but broke off for some inscrutable reason, for the.transference of the University of St. Andrew's to Perth, in 1697. His information on tliis subject, Mr. E. dreir from copies of the correspondence taken from the Records of the University, and presented to the, Antiquarian Society of Perth by Professor Lee, of St. Andrew's.  Some of the reasons for Transference are curious enough— whether they still remain in force we pretend not to determine —let the lieges of Fife look to it. " 6th. This place (St. Andrew's) is a most thin and piercing air, even to an excess, seeing that nitre grows upon the walls of chambers where fires are used, if there be a light to the north for the most part of the whole year. And this is the reason why old inen coming tO this place arc instantly cutoff. " fith..Thikplace being now only a village, where most part farmers &ell; the whole streets are filled with dung-hills, -which are exceedingly noisome and ready to infect the air, especially at this season, when the herring Butts are exposed in them, or rather in all corners of the toune by themselves. " 9th. It may be considered whether the dissention betwixt the University and Citie at present be a reason, seeing it may prove impossible for us _to keep Gentlemen and Noblemen's children from incurring great hazards, considering the dispositions of youth to be reversed, so that if 'the Magistrates should offer to meddle, they would endeavour to resist them and tumultuate, and so expose themselves to the rabble of this place; or else be in hazard of burning the toune, which this last year they had certainly done in the case if Mir Henderson, had not, by a particular providence, thedesign been known by one of the Masters ane Iniur before it was to be put in execution. " 10th. The disposition of this people (there being few of worth eminent above the rest,) is much set upon tumulting, as did appear in the year 90, when they chased the students intothe Collect es and brought their cannons to the very gates to throw down the Colledge, and in one of their tradesmen drawing a whinger to Dr. Skeen, went in the Colledge, threatening to Murder him tht same year, as also Ja. Smith's threatening to drag him to prison. " 11th. The aversion and hatred they have to Learning and Learned men, which appears not only in the former instances,. but in that since our foundation there was never a farthing doted to the University by any Burgess in St. Andrew's: 2d, that in our knowledge there was not any capable to win his bread by Learning (except our present Bibliothecar) who was born in St. Andrew's ; :td, their entering college vassals by their tonnes, and so robbing the several colledges; 4th, the unjust and base methods they have taken to break the new mylne belonging to the University, and, in innu miserable instances of their encroaching upon us by imposing, at their own pleasure, annuities, taxes, &c. upon our vassals—their present design of robbing the Colledge, which they are not ashamed to publish." " The contrar of all these," the AI S. affirms, " may be reasonably expected in Perth." NVe hope so. There is one reason alleged, however, which we fear we cannot even yet (and to our shame be it said) boast the contrar" of—viz.:— " sth. This place is ill provided of -fresh-water, the most part being served with a stripe where the foul cloths, herring, fish, &c., are washed, so that it is most pairt neasty and unwholsome."