y returned. But all the political power
which, directly or indirectly, his Grace possesses, is not equally
secure. Sutherland is a close county; but the Northern Burghs are not
rotten burghs; on the contrary, they possess an independent and
intelligent constituency; and in scarce any part of Scotland is the
Free Church equally strong. And his Grace derives no inconsiderable
portion of his political influence from them. The member for
Sutherland is virtually his Grace's nominee, but the member for the
Northern Burghs is not his Grace's nominee at all; and yet certain it
is that the gentleman by whom these burghs are at present represented
in Parliament is his Grace's agent and adviser in all that pertains to
the management of Sutherland, and has been so for many years. His
Grace's member for Sutherland sits in Parliament in virtue of being
his Grace's nominee; but the sort of prime minister through which his
Grace governs his princely domains, sits in Parliament, not in virtue
of being his Grace's nominee, but in virtue of his being himself a man
of liberal opinions, and an enemy to all intolerance. He represents
them in the Whig interest, and in his character as a Whig. His Grace
would very soon have one member less in Parliament, did that member
make common cause with his Grace in suppressing the Free Church in
Sutherland. Now, the bruit shrewdly goeth, that that member does make
common cause with his Grace. The bruit shrewdly goeth, that in this,
as in most other matters, his Grace acts upon that member's advice.
True, the report may be altogether idle--it may be utterly without
foundation; instead of being true, it may be exactly the reverse of
being true; but most unquestionable it is, that, whether true or
otherwise, it exists, and that that member's constituency have a very
direct interest in it. He represents them miserably ill, and must be a
very different sort of Whig from them, if he hold that proprietors do
right in virtually setting aside the Toleration Act. The report does
one of two things,--it either does him great injustice, or it shows
that he has sat too long in Parliament for the Northern Burghs. It is
in the power, then, of the highly respectable and intelligent Whig
constituency of this district to make such a diversion in favour of
the oppressed people of Sutherland, as can scarce fail to tell upon
the country, and this in thorough consistency with the best and
highest principles of their party. Let