1843.] THE 
GARDENERS’ 
CHRONICLE. 47 
index of the wheel barometers, in all parts of the town, 
went round the circle, passing over the lowest marks, 
and rising the reverse way, to beyond “ fair; ”” afterwards, 
the index came back the way it traversed, and then re- 
mained at the lowest point, “very stormy.” The ma- 
rine barometers were affected in exactly a similar way. 
Indications of this kind took place about the 6th of Ja- 
nuary, 1839—the period of one of the severest storms 
ever experienced in Ireland. 
Newry.—At the Newry quarter sessions last week, 
Mr. Jones, the assistant barrister, in his charge to the 
grand jury, gave the following account of the increase of 
litigation resulting from the protracted and still existing 
distress of the farmers: —‘* At the sessions for the pre- 
sent quarter he had heard 3,000 civil bills; 2,000 at 
Newtownards, and 1,000 at Hillsborough. There would 
probably be another 1,000 at these sessions, making alto- 
gether 4,000 civil bill entries. This was a larger number 
of entries than he had ever known to be brought before 
him at the sessions for a single quarter. Since he first 
came to this county there was a positive increase of one- 
fourth in the number of civil bill entries. The extra- 
ordinary increase on the present occasion he attributed 
to the depressed state of the lower classes. Though the 
last harvest was a most luxuriant and bountiful one, yet 
still, in consequence of the low prices, jt did not afford an 
adequate remuneration to the farmer. 
Downshire.—In the storm of Friday, a melancholy 
calamity happened on the coast of this county. The 
orning was so fine that almost all the boats from New- 
castle to Analong went out to their fishing in the bay, 
where they had an unusually good take, About noon it 
came on to blow with snow, Two of those nearest the 
shore succeeded in returning, but nine boats were swamped, 
together with another which went out to attempt a rescue. 
The men were all from the fishing village of Analong, and 
the pretty watering-place of Newcastle ; 27 belonging 
to Analong, and 47 belonging to Newcastle, have been 
drowned. By this sad event no less than 26 families have 
been left destitute, 
SCOTLAND. 
Edinburgh.—The letter of Sir James Graham convey- 
ing the answer of her Majesty’s Government to the 
memorial transmitted to Sir Robert Peel, and the other 
members of the Administration, by the General Assembly, 
has been published since our last. It is in every respect 
an important document. After minutely recounting the 
leading facts of the questions at issue, it states, that when 
the Government consider the nature and extent of their 
demands, they find them to be no less than the reversal of 
the solemn judgments of the supreme courts of law; the 
repeal of the statute under which for a period of 130 years 
patronage has been administered in Scotland; and the 
concession of privileges, not such as are ascertained and 
defined by constitutional law, or the recorded decisions of 
competent tribunals, but privileges such ‘as “ the Church 
considers to belong to her.’ It states, that the wish of 
the Government to heal these unhappy divisions, and to 
close this unseemly spectacle of a Church in connexion 
with the State openly violating the law, remains unabated 
and sincere. “ We are convinced,’’ says Sir J. Graham, 
«that the Church established by law in Scotland has pro- 
duced the best practital effects on the morals and religious 
character of the people. It has well fulfilled, and it con- 
tinues to fulfil, the important purposes for which it was 
founded ; and any shock which might endanger this great 
national establishment would be regarded by her Majesty’s 
servants as a fearfulcalamity. But in resisting the aboli- 
tion of patronage, her Majesty’s servants believe that 
they are maintaining a right which is conducive to the 
welfare and stability of the Church itself. It cannot be 
denied that the right of presentation in the Crown is a 
bond of amity, which intimately connects the Church of 
Scotland with the head of the State; and patronage in 
the hands of laymen has also its effect in securing to the 
Presbyterian establishment the co-operation and support 
of powerful interests, where hostility might otherwise be 
apprehended, and could not fail to be injurious to the 
Church. ‘The Assembly submitted the question at issue 
to the judgment of the Court of Session. They were 
dissatisfied with the decision—they had their legal 
remedy—they used it. They carried the judgment by 
appeal to the bar of the House of Lords; and in the 
last resort the judgment of the Scotch Court was 
confirmed, and the Veto Act was pronounced to be 
illegal. This solemn decision fixed the principle of law 
which rules all the minor cases which have since arisen. 
The judgment in the second Auchterarder case, which 
found the patron and presentee entitled to redress in 
the form of pecuniary compensation for a civil wrong, was 
a legal sequence of the former judgment ; and here again 
the Assembly was content to plead before the Civil tri- 
unal, and again the Assembly refuses to submit to the 
compulsion of an adverse decision. I am also compelled 
reluctantly to remark that the Chureb, not content with 
disobeying the decrees of the Civil Courts, has inflicted 
the severities of her discipline, as in the case of the 
Strathbogie Presbytery, on ministers whose only crime 
as been obedience to what has been declared to be the 
law of the land. All the other cases plained of in the 
of the rights of the Crown, and of other patrons, will 
satisfy the Church, are bound with firmness to declare 
that they cannot advise her Majesty to consent to the 
grant of any such demand.’’—A meeting of the special 
commission of the Assembly was held on Thursday, when 
they agreed to a minute, in reply to the above letter, on 
the subjects which at present agitate the Church. The 
minute argues at great length the right claimed by the 
Church for exclusive jurisdiction in ecclesiastival matters, 
and contends that the power assumed by the Civil Court 
is a power not conferred by the State. It then alludes to 
the other questions referred to in the Jetter from Govern- 
ment, and assuming that Ministers are not inclined to 
grant any redress of the grievances complained of, it 
states that “the Legislature will have an alternative sub- 
mitted to them, namely, whether to force on a disruption 
of the established Church of Scotland, with all its at- 
tendant evils, or to restore the Church to the state in 
which she was between 1834 and 1838, when the Veto Act 
had not been declared illegal, the power to admit guoad 
sacra ministers had not been challenged, and the juris- 
diction of the Civil Courts, which has since been so 
largely exercised, had not been claimed.” The special 
commission are of opinion that the claim of right should 
be laid before Parliament, and that the Commission of 
Assembly should petition both Houses, calling the atten- 
tion of the Legislature to the grievances and applications 
for redress set forth in the Church’s claim. A meeting 
on the subject is convened for the 31st inst. 
Glasgow.— On Welnesday of last week, the town coun- 
cil met for the purpose of presenting Mr. Cobden with the 
freedom of the city. The Lord Provost, Sir James Camp- 
bell, in presenting this honour stated, that it was conferred 
on him in testimony of the esteem which the town 
council entertain of the ability, zeal, and untiring efforts 
with which be has advocated the principles of free-trade, 
not only in his private capacity, but on various arenas of 
public life—and especially in the House of Commons, as 
the representative of one of the most rising manufacturing 
communities in England. Mr. Cobden in the course of 
his reply, said: He hoped that this compliment had been 
paid without any regard to his political views. He believed 
that the gentlemen who proposed it had done so solely on 
account of his personal services in the cause of free-trade. 
As such, he accepted it. If there was one thing which he 
desired more than another, it was that this question should 
be considered apart from political partisanship, or the 
time-serving purpose of mere politicians. The Free 
Trade banquet took place in the evening, Mr. J. Oswald, 
M.P., in the chair, supported. by Mr. Cobden, Col. 
Thompson, and Mr. Bright, who addressed the meeting at 
great length. It is calculated that nearly 2000 persons 
were present. 
Perth—tThe local papers state that last week, smoke 
was observed to issue from the armoury-room at Lynedoch 
Cottage, on which the servants broke open the door to 
discover the cause, and found the room in flames and 
several articles burning. In a short time the fire was got 
under; after which, on examining the damage sustained, 
it was found that the coat which Lord Lynedoch wore at 
the battle of Barossa was consumed. His lordship 
would permit no one to enter the room but himself and 
one servant, and always kept it locked. The fire was 
caused by the over-heating of a flue which runs beneath 
the floor of the roo 
Miscellaneous. 
The March from Cabul.—The following letter giving 
a succinct account of the march between Cabul and Jella- 
labad has been communicated to the “ Agra Ukhbar ” by 
one of the officers of the Staff. It contains a good deal of 
information respecting the Affgban Passes, which will no 
doubt interest our readers, ‘‘ Camp, Jellalabad, Oct. 26, 
1842. On the [2th inst. the whole British force then 
encamped in the neighbourhood of the city, marched to 
Boodkhak, accompanied by the Shabzada Futteh Jung, 
and most of the Hindoos late resident of Cabul. Here 
arrangements were made for dividing the troops into two 
columns, by taking the 2d and 16th Regiment Native 
Infantry, with Captain Blood’s battery of 9-pounders, 
from the force under Major-General Nott, and attaching 
them to that with Major-General Pollock, who moved 
forward with his divisions through the Khoord Cabui Pass 
the following morning. Major-General Sale had taken a 
route by the (Gost Pundurrah) Pass to the right of the 
Khoord Cabul with his light brigade the day previous, so 
as to turn the Kboord Cabul Pass, and crown the heights 
from the further side, where they were more accessible. 
This route (Gost Pundurrah) can only be adopted by 
troops in light marching order, with yaboos, being im- 
practicable for camels or heavily laden animals, and if the 
Affghans had made any disposition to oppose our passage 
through the Khoord Cabul, the detour taken by the Ist 
brigade would have been of material advantage; as it 
was, however, not a shot was fired, nor enemy seen, and 
we all encamped at Khoord Cabul on the 13th, some 
arriving there rather late, from the delay in getting our 
immense train of baggage through the narrow pass. O. 
the 14th we passed over the Huft Kotul (the scene of our 
former glorious fight), and through the Tezeen Pass, 
memorial and declaration of right which relate to the set- 
flement of ministers have arisen in the determination of 
the Chureh to enforce the Veto Act in defiance of law, 
The acts of the General Assembly (the claim, declaration, 
and protest, the address against patronage, the demand of 
the repeal of the statute of Anne), bave unhappily dimi- 
Nished, so far at least as the Church is concerned, the 
Opes of arrangement; and her Majesty’s Ministers, now 
I in the valley. The 4th brigade, under Briga- 
dier Monteath, C.B., formed the rear-guard, and did not 
effect their march as scatheless as yesterday- Owing to 
the badness of the bullocks yoked to the captured guns, 
very great delay was occasioned, and finally the bullocks 
were taken out, and the soldiers of Her Majesty s dist 
Regiment supplied their place ; the labour was excessive, 
and they did not arrive at the narrow pass leading to the 
Tezeen valley until dark. Theenemy, taking advantage 
Understanding that nothing less than the total 
of this, da sharp fire into the column, and 
masses of baggage collected there, causing great confusion 
amongst thelatter. Parties were immediately sent up to 
the heights on the right to dislodge these marauders, the 
brigadiers, staff-officers, leading the party; but owing to 
the darkness little could be done beyond checking theit 
descents into the pass; nothing but the flash of their 
juzais could be seen. Finding themselves checked on 
the right, they tried the left and rear of the column, and 
annoyed them much, killing some six, and wounding an 
officer, and about 11 men. However, the guns were safely 
deposited in camp at a quarter past 10 o’clock, and all the 
baggage, with the exception of that destroyed when the 
cattle fell on the march: The advance guard had burnt 
the fort of Kooderbux Khas, the Tezeen chief, during the 
day ; and the two 18-pounders received from Major-Gen. 
Nott were burst, thus affording more cattle for the trans- 
port of the other guns; indeed, but for this the captured 
guns could not have been taken on the following day. 
On the 15th, the 1st division, consisting of the Ist and 2d 
brigades, under Major-General Pollock, marched to Kut- 
turgung, two marches, whilst the 2d division, consisting 
of the 4th brigade with that portion of Major-General 
but without success. he first division marched through 
the Jugdulluk Pass on the 17th without firing ashot. On 
the 18th, however, when the 2d division attempted it, the 
most decided attack yet evinced was sustained by them; 
rarely have the Affghans shown more courage or daring: 
than was displayed by the Ghilzies on that day. Swordin 
hand they more than once rushed towards our retiring 
parties, when recalled from the heights by the rear-guard, 
but each time a shell or shot thrown from the guns, placed 
in a position most judiciously by Brigadier Monteath at 
the top of the pass, sent the Ghilzies to the right-about, 
and saved our men. Notwithstanding their obstinate 
attacks, and their following close upon the rear-guard for 
five or six-miles beyond the pass, I am happy to say that 
the Ghilzies had their labour in vain, not a particle of 
baggage falling into their hands, whilst their loss must 
have been considerable ; for, besides many that fell from 
our skirmishing parties, several round-shot dashed directly 
through the Gungahs, behind which they were ensconced, 
killing numbers,—and our shell scattered many a group 
who little calculated on such unwelcome visitors. Their 
| attack upon Major-General Nott the following day was 
| much tamer from their thrashing on the 18th; but they 
| managed to annoy his force greatly, showing them the 
wide difference between the Kandahar and Peshawur routes 
to Cabul. Every day from this to Gundamuk, where the 
three divisions arrived on the 19th, 20th, and 21st suc+ 
cessively, our rear was followed pretty closely by the 
Affghans—cbiefly in expectation of plunder, which, I am 
glad to say, they were disappointed in. The divisions 
halted each one day at Gundamuck, and atrived at Jel- 
lalabad without any occurrence (beyond Nott’s forces 
having made an example of some men in the Nemla 
valley) on the 22d, 23d, and 25th. We march hence on 
the 27th as far as Alli Baghan—that- is, the whole of 
General Pollock’s force, that under General Nott moving 
the following day. As yet nothing is known of the manner 
in which way we are to cross the Punjaub, but we trust it 
will be in brigades; for great inconvenience ensues from 
moving large bodies at a time. Very severe loss has been 
sustained by officers and men from the falling of baggage 
cattle since leaving Cabul. I have myself lost tOnE, Pe 
vate camels, besides property ; others even more; 80 
that our promised batta will not positively mecompcoee us 
for actual losses. The medal, however, will be highly 
prized, though indeed dearly earned. The Dee ae oa 
dured by officers and men of the force sie vane d 
from Jellalabad have been beyond ee ae ze Pee 
cularly by the soldiery, being tentless and i gene) rom 
camels falling and their loads destroyed on the road, and 
have been sent, on arriving at 
the Been there i remain 
‘ « all this they have borne wi cheer- 
a aes ees opeans and Sepoys have done their 
duty well.” ale Se ee 
Lab. 
Court or CHa 
iysOF-appee : 
declaring that the plaintiff, Thomas Weld, whe has taken the name 
. verdict in favour of the plaintiff, 
and a decree of the Vice-Chancellor, declaring him to be the de- 
visee named in the will he rehearing before the Lord Chan- 
i Mr. Justice Maule, 
ed_as heirs-at-law if the title o! 
e will cond be held void for uncertainty. The case, 
h derived an importance trem the estates being of the 
value of more than 8,060/. a-year, was argued before the vaca- 
ion. Mr. Justice Patteson, on the part of Mr. Justice Maule 
and himself, now delivered the opinion they had formed on the 
construction of the will, and that opinion was in favour of the 
i 
i 
| 
