Dr AVhyte, of Free St. George's Church, Edinburgh, and among other things said that " the rer. gentleman in question was, it is understood, early in life picked out of the very gutter." Next day the Scotsman stated that it had received "a perfect shoal of letters" expressing indignation at such a contemptible attack on one of the most honoured men in Edinburgh; and it published several of them, besides giving Sir W. F. Douglas in a leading article a severe castigation. It will be a long time, if ever, before that person regains the public respect which a man in his official position ought to enjoy, or else to retire into ignoble obscurity. On the evening of the day on which the Assemblies opened their sittings, a very large temperance meeting was held in the Free Assembly Hall, and Dr Whyto was one of the speakers. On his rising to speak he was greeted with a perfect tempest of cheer ing and waving of hats and handkerchiefs, which lasted for a considerable time, only subsiding in deference to Dr Whyte's depre catory gestures. The moaning of the demon stration was unmistakable. Sir Wilfred Lawson, who had concluded a long speech a few minutes before, looked on at the scene with undisguised astonishment and pleasure. As yet Sir W. F. Douglas has not had the de cency to apologise for his shameful con duct, nor is it likely that he will ever be gentlemanly enough to do so. The British Weekly, a London paper, called uppn the members of the Hoyal Scottish Academy to take up the matter promptly and effi ciently, to prevent the letters "R.S.A." from " becoming a brand of shame "; but if they have taken any action the fact has not been made public. STRANGE SCENE AT HAWICK. A dispute between the Hawick Town Council and Messrs Laidlaw, millowners, led to curious proceedings recently. Workmen Bent by the council had begun to build up what was formerly an entrance for carts to a sandbank in the river, when a squad of men came from the factory and demolished their work. With true Border pertinacity both parties kept at it all day—the one building and the other demolishing. 