SCOTLAND.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 4, Issue 216, 8 November 1860, Page 4

SCOTLAND.

[from OUR CORRESPONDENT IN SCOTLAND.] August 25, 1860. The great event which has taken place since I wrote you last is beyond all question the Volunteer Review, which was in the Queen's Park at Edinburgh on the 7th August. For several weeks before, it was doubtful whether there y?M to be a review or not, and also, if this was agreed to, where the review was to be ‘held. The authorities at the /Far office were loudly condemned for what was deemed a proof of their disposition to throw cold water on the movement, and the Edinburgh snobs were blamed for what was regarded as one among 4 the many displays of a feeling of hatred and contempt for Glasgow and all connected with it. When the Holyrood Parle was at length fixed on, there was a good deal of grumbling over the western parts of Scotland, but the strong feeling of loyalty, together with a spice doubtless of vanity on the part of the youths, overcame every other feeling, and on the day appointed twenty-one thousand appeared in the Park, and went through their evolutions in the'presence of the Queen and hundreds of thousands of spectators. You will see the scene very fully and well described in the newspapers which accompany this letter, and there is no need for my giving you a detailed account, but I cannot forbear saying it was a scene of the most impressive character it has been my lot to witness. 1 saw the Queen shed tears when, after her carriage had turned to the eastward, after leaving the Palace gate, she first got a good view of Arthur’s Seat and Salisbury Crags with every available inch of ground occupied by human beings. Scotland proved that day that there is blood, bone, and sinew in her yet; and the Times was so mortified that it became tongue-tied, and actually allowed the 9th of August to pass by without a report of the proceedings. For several weeks the weather throughout the whole country has been most unpropitious, cloudy and wet, and the consequence inevitably is, a late harvest. In several places the cutting of barley has begun, but there will not be a general reaping in Scotland—and we are sai 1 to be as far forward as they are in England—for two or perhaps three weeks. This fact has caused an upward movement in the price of wheat, and under the impression that there is a possibility of a large drain of gold to pay for corn to be imported, the monied classes are becoming cautious and close-handed, and the state of commerce is not so cheering us it was a few weeks ago. If we should have, however, a favourable change of weather, and we have had two or three fine days, the vaticinations of gloomy interested prophets will be disappointed. On all hands it is agreed that the cereal crop is very abundant; the crop of turnip is also remarkably good; and though there are many reports of failure among tinpotato fields, there is reason to think these ai-e considerably exaggerated. It is gratifying also to know that in Canada and the United States the harvest lias been favourable, and the crop much above an average ; so that, if from a deficiency at home we should be necessitated to import grain, the price is not likely to be exorbitant. We have recently bad some horrible and mysterious murders among us, and I now open my paper in the morning with a sort of shiul*. tier, under the fear that the first announcement that meets my eye may be that of some new atrocity. Iu London, Liverpool, and Edinburgh these barbarities have luken place, and as far as the Edinburgh case is concerned, it is painful to reflect that the scene of it was the Holyrood Park, where the display of low and loyalty took place only a week, or two be-, fore. It is in some of its aspects one of the worst cases that lias happened among us fur many years, and I hope, earnestly the debased and cruel scoundrels concerned will be found out and duly punished. It is in such cases that we are reminded of the adage, “hanging’s too good for them.”We are all more or less on the qui vivc about the events that are transpiring in the south of Europe, and at this moment Garibaldi is the most popular hero. Among tin conflicting accounts it is not easy to say what is the precise state of things till a day or two have passed, and the lies are sifted from the truth, but from what is known to have been accomplished in Sicily, there is reason to. believe that a force has been landed on. tin: mainland of Italy, such as to secure the complete overthrow of the iVeapolitau government in a short time. At such an event every lover of truth and liberty w-ill rejoice, for the Bourbon stupidity and wickedness,' great iu France. Attain, and other parts of Europe, seem to have reached the ne plus ultra in the peninsula of the Mediterranean. The latest authentic accounts say that Garibaldi lias attacked ai.nl taken Reggio. This is an old Greek town of about ten thousand inhabitants, situated in the province off Calabria, and nine miles from Messina. r Io show the utter disorganization of the country,, and the hopelessness of the 1 king retaining ids place, it may be mentioned that in the attack on Reggio four thousand Calabrian sympathisers joined the army of the Liberator.

EE VIEW OF SCOTTISH VOLUNTEERS IK JIULYROOD PARK, On Tuesday, the 7th. August. [From the Scotsman At half-past three, o’clock the corps which hail made application in time were all assembled, ami more than 20,000 leal and stalwart men, in all the panoply of war, stood waiting for the Sovereign. At twenty-five minutes to four o’clock, the battalions being all in line, with the. officers at

the front, her Majesty left Holyrood Palace in an open carriage ami four; and two or three minutes afterwards the royal cortege entered the park, amid the rapturous cheers of the congregated myriads of spectators, and the firing of a royal salute from the Queen’s Drive on the east.

On her Majesty’s arrival at the position assigned, the Royal Standard was hoisted, and the Volunteers gave a royal salute. After the salute, the officers returned to their places, and her Majesty, attended by the Prince Consort and the Duke of Buccleuoh on horseback, with the royal children and members of the Court also following in carriages, the cortege being preceded and followed by the whole of the staff officers on the field, proceeded slowly round in front of the troops, who stood in the attitude of salute Though the Volunteers, in obedience to military rule, were silent during the operation, the spectators on the platform and on the hill hailed her .Majesty with enthusiastic acclamations as she passed along. The effect of the cheering on the hill side was not less than sublime. Peal after peal broke forth in thunder, carried away by the strong wind, to be again, renewed, -

/Them ler Majesty had resumed her place in front of the 78th regiment, of the 29th regiment, and of the /Test York rifles, advanced in front of the line opposite to her Majesty, and, under the direction of Mr. J. Deacon, of the West York rifles, supplied the music to which the Volunteers marched past. Precisely at four o’clock, the staff officers took post with their respective divisions, and gave the order, “ Take ground to the right in fours,” when the whole of the battalions were put in motion—the Fife Mounted Volunteers leading, the Artillery coming second, the Engineers third, and then following the enormous mass of Rifles. As the vast force began to move, with measured tread, the scene assumed new splendour, no small portion of which was due to the gaiety and variety of colours arising from the cavalry, artillery, and engineers in front.

The van was worthily led by the Mounted A!ilies of Fifesliire, dressed in bright scarlet tunics, black helmets, and Hessian boots. This corps, at whose head rode their commander, Lieutenant-General the Earl of Rosslyn, was greatly admired—both men and horses. It is composed of the gentry and gentlemen farmers of Fifesliire—a line body of men ; ami their “ mount ” was such as no cavalry regiment in her Majesty’s regular service could approach. Then came the Ist Artillery Brigade, having in front the Edinburgh City Artillery, followed by a strong force from Tynemouth, Almviek, Sunderland, and Whitehaven, but the ma«s of the threo battalions of this brigade being made up, in addition to the large quota furnished bjr Edinburgh, of seven companies from Forfarshire. Special mention, however, is due to the very smart companies j'rom the geographical extremes —the Berwickon- Twin! ami the Ist Caithness. The 2nd Artilleiy brigade was beaded by the Greenock corps—a tall ami apparently well trained body, who were followed by companies from Ayj shire, Galloway, and Argyle. Eight corps iVon.i Fifesliire made an excellent, appearance, but not bitter thaw the Inverness, Stirling, and Nairn, forming part of the same battalion. The third battalion, composed entirely of Lanarkshire and almost all of Glasgow corps, drew fori!i special cheering, by their handsome appearance and the steadiness of their march ; their execution of the wheel in coming into the alignment of the saluting base being particularly lauded by military men. 'Hie Kiigiiicers, iu number nearly 200, came m xt, and were loudly applauded, especially the Ist Lanarkshire—stall, straight men, in wry handsome uniform. The Rifles, forming of course the groat mass of the force upon the ground, had in front two battalions of “Edinburgh City”—the company of Advocates, which was we hclii-ve llie first volunteer company formed in Scotland, if not in the United Kingdom, marching in front. Ihcy were very loudly cheered; and all our City companies, which immediately followed, marched with great st.M.nness. The Ist ■ Highland company, headed by Sheriff Gordon, received special, marks of popular favour. As the Highland companies approached, the bands ciased .playing, and the pipes of the 7Stli struck up—an arrangement adhered-to as each Highland company neared her Majesty's position. The rest of this brigade was chiefly. made l up from East Lothian and the counties of the Eastern 7><-rders; and the different hues, of their uniforms, and the evidence which most of them afforded of good drill, were much admired.

Forfarshire had the pla.ee of honour in the next brigade, sending about 700 line-looking men—a large, proportion of them attired in the Government grey, a mb exhibiting a great variety in facings and caps. Our Dundee friends had also, a company in the /highland garb, who made a very guod appearance. After Forfar came, its neighbour Fif’eshire, no whit behind in dress or drill. The third aud fourth battalions of this, brigade were made up of nearly 1500 of our English neighbours, stout ami straight, from. iVorthumberlaud, Durham, and Cumberland, who received, loud welcomes wherever they were recognised. The welcome, it need scarcely be said, being made specially cordial for a. Northumberland company, composed, w'e presume, of exiled Celts in the Highland garb. The Stirlingshire Volunteers, who made up the hulk of the third brigade, were a fine body of men, and their cap surrounded by a hand of the Gordon tartan elicited loud cheers. The Alloa and Tillicoultry men, coming from, the Gchils, might be taken as smart and, luiirdly specimens of the inhabitants of those districts, aud they had also evidently paid good- atten-

tion to their drill. The Aberdeen companies, all clad in dark grey, bad a compact and steady, though somewhat sombre appearance, to which the Inverness men, headed by Provost Mackenzie, furnished a pleasant contrast by their neat light-grey uniforms and green or red facings. The Sutherland men, who fol lowed, were also loudly cheered; partly, no doubt, in consequence of the great distance from which they had come to the Review—both they and the Nairn and Inverness companies having had to travel all night, and having to travel all night back again on their return. Next came the Perth and Kincardine companies, furnishing nearly 700 men. I'heir uniforms, which were neat and tasteful, were generally admired. The fourth battalion of this brigade was to a great extent composed of the Marquis of Breadalbaue’s Argyle and Perthshire Highlanders, they numbered fully 500, and about half the companies wore the Celtic costume. They seemed a fine, spirited, active set of men, and both they and the noble Marquis at their head were loudly cheered. Light pipers strode in front of the first company, who. made sufficient “ music” to supersede the regimental bands on the ground.

If compelled to such ; an invidious task as giving an opinion as to what county, taking population and other circumstances into account, did best where all did so well, we should perhaps be divided between the north side of the Forth and both sides of the Clyde. Fifesliire decidedly “ out a dash ” with her Mounted Rifles, her handsome Artillery, and her numerous infantry Rifles. But Lanark shire and Renfrewshire and perhaps we should add Ayrshire—exceeded all others in number, were at least equal in the matter of stature, and (especially Lanarkshire) pro'-ably were on the whole the first as to steadiness of inarch. The 2nd Division came next, under the; command of Major General Cameron. Among the officers who preceded this division rode Lord Elclio, in. the uniform of the “ London Scottish,” with which his name has now become identified. The first Brigade here, commanded by Colonel W, Hamilton, C. 8., was composed of Renfrewshire and Ayrshire corps, with very neat dresses, including those; of one or two Highland companies among! them.

Glasgow and' Lanarkshire furnished the whole of the next two brigades (with the exception of a corps; from Rothesay), numbering in the aggregate fully 4000 men. They attracted universal attention, not more by their numbers than by the neatness of their various uniforms, and their high proficiency in all the movements which they had to perform. Many particular companies were warmly and deservedly cheered. i The first and last battalions of the fourth j brigade were also furnished by Lanarkshire jj and the remainder came from J Dumbarton and! Dumfriesshires. END OF THE REVIEW. The silence of military discipline being abrogated by permission, duly given, the army of Volunteers before marching off the ground; gave vent to their royal enthusiasm in threei thundering “ cheers for the Queen.” Busby’s, shakos, caps, flew up on the points of swords, rifles, carbines, and from .twenty thousand lusty lungs the hurrahs Lurst forth far louder even than the hurrah of the tenfold more numerous spectators.

From the unequal levels of the ground not one company of Volunteers could at- any time commaud a view of the entire mass under review; some of them had their view limited almost to the immediately contiguous corps or battalions, but in marching past at various points, the turning and returning lines were' seen with striking effect. Great interest was manifested amongst the various corps and! companies in observing how their fellow-j Volunteers underwent the ordeal of marching: and the criticisms were geneiaily both generous and discriminating. For the honour of the /Test Country we may state that the marching of several of their companies was particularly admired by their brother Volunteers of ii’diuburgli—in many cases it was impossible that the bes -drilled armies in Europe could have turned out companies marching more compactly, steadily, and firmly. But, in truth, all did well; it was marvellous to see how slight were tiie irregularities of line produced ; and the soldier-like appearance of every battalion on the field must have been gratifying even to the Royal Mistress of so many legions as she might “ Through the armed files Dart the experienced eye, and soon traverse The whole battalion, view their order due,

Their visages and stature.” And even her heart, sovereign as she is of millions of subjects as loyal and devoted as those she saw before her, might “ distend with pride ” to know that the services ami the lives of these gallant bands w’ere pledged in defence of their conutry and her throne. HER MAJESTY’S MESSAGE. Lieutenant-General ITetherall, after riding for some distance beside the royal carriage, returned, and, addressing the staff and battalion officers said, h§ had been commanded by Her Majesty to express her admiration of the steadiness and precision which characterised the large body of Volunteers whose movements she had witnessed. Her Majesty.had been graciously pleased to say that their appearance and numbers reflected, the highest credit both upon their, officers and themselves and further, that she would take an early, opportunity of expressing- her satisfaction more formally in a General Order. This announce-, ment was received, with enthusiastic applause.

Lord Clyde and the Clan Campbell.— “On Monday,” says the ’Scotsman, “ when ( Lord Clyde, the pacificator of India, who has served with distinction in every great battle in which the British have been engaged since Corunna, was installed as a peer in the House of Lords, bes'des the hero being a Campbell, the Lord Bishop of Bangor, who read prayers, was a Campbell; the Lord Chancellor, who presided on the woolsack, was a Campbell ; and the new peer was introduced by the Duke of Argyle, now Lord Privy Seal, and chief of the clan.” ADELAIDE. Mr. McDougall Stuart has returned from his northern exploring expedition. The fierceness of the natives obliged him to return when he had reached the latitude of the head of the Gulf of Carpentaria, 150 miles east from some of the sources of the Victoria, lat. 18 d. 4 ra., long. 134 d. He has found that the country west of Lake Torrens and north of a line drawn from the head of Spencer’s Gulf to the head of the great Australian Bight (hitherto a blank on the map) contains several large lakes, some high hills, -Some considerable watercourses, and some tracts of excellent pasture land.

Flour, £l6 to £l6 10s per ton; wheat, 6s 10d per bushel.

VICTORIA. The Land bill having passed, 3,000,000 acres are to be surveyed and proclaimod for selection this year. The land is to be sold in blocks of not less than 40 or more than 320 acres at £1 per acre. Or a seven years’ lease will be given at Is per acre, with a right of purohase at any time during its currency at £1 per acre. The ministry are preparing a bill for the better regulation of the Civil Service, and propose retrenchments in the expenditure to the extent of £150,000.

T lie land under cultivation ir Victoria in 1859 was 298,959 acres, of which there were under wheat 78,324 acres; barley, 5,322 acres ; and oats, 77,526 acres.

The Exploring expedition, under Mr. Burke, had readied the Darling, from which it pro coeds in as direct a line as possible to the north-west coast.

The revenue for the year ending 30th September, 186.0, was £3,124,411 9s 3d, or £221,551 12s 9d less than in 1859, the decrease being chiefly in the Customs and Land revenue.

i At the Champion sweepstakes, run on the Ist /September, there were about 20,000 spectators." The'value of (he stake was £2OOO. Mr. Tait’s Zoo won by three lengths in ad jvance of Mr. Duppa’s Wildrake, a New Zealand horse. The other New Zea'and horses tthat ran were, Mr.. .Hargreaves’ Deception, |which was' fourth; Mr. Redwood’s Strop, I fifth; Mr. .Redwood’s Waimea, ninth. Strop dropped down dead immediately after the. race. CAFE OF GOOD HOPE. | ’The 11th August, is our latest, date. The papers were filled with accounts of the sayings and doings of Prince Alfred, who arrived on the 2.4 th July, (le was to proceed to Algoa| Hay in the L'uryaliis with Sir George Grey ; thence tu Graham's Town.; and thence again, according to circumstances, either through Kailraria to Alliwal North, Basutoland and the Free State, to iVatal ; or, direct to Alliwal North, down again through British KaftVaria to East London, and s/> by seam the Euryalus to jVatal.

Sir George Grey prorogued tlie Parliament in person on the 17th July.

Excavations for the Table Day Breakwater w<*rks are hr-/an.

The Colonial Secretary, the I Ton. Dawson W. Dawson, C. 8., is to leave the colony for /England in the- August mail steamer.

2’lie Cape Town Municipality is to become extinct at theend of ISGo. Parliament broke up without substituting anything to supply its

place. CHINA. Intelligence from Hong Xong to the 25th August has arrived from Sydney by the last mail. rim. British ami French-forces arrived • >h’the I'eiho on the 227th ami 28th July, but disembarkation did not begin till the Ist August. 7’hey occupied Peh tang, a town with aboui 20,000 inhabitants, the forts of which had been abandoned by the Chinese. On the 12th of August, says ilie Overland Trade Report, the allies advanced on the entrenched camp, which was situated midway between Pehtang and Taku. On their approach the Tartar cavalry boldly sallied out to meet them. The British cavalry immediately charged, utterly routing and dispersing the Tartars, who fled in all directions for refuge. The allies then stormed and took the camp, ilie enemy retiring through an opening judiciously left for such an event, and entrenched themselves in some villages hard by. From these they were dislodged, and were pursued until they-took shelter under the walls of the Taku forts, which appearing formidable and well defended were not then attacked On the 15th, however, a grand attack was 1 to he made on these forts. The rebels bad attacked Shanghae, but. " were repulsed by the French and British troops j that guarded the gates where the attacks were made.

A Noble Lady. —Miss Cornelia Barbour, a daughter of the Ho n. James Barbour, of Virginia, formerly Governor of the State, has resolved to emancipate her numerous slaves, and locate them in a free State, where they can enjoy liberty, and acquire property.