not permit them to let their wants be publicly known. The magistrates and council are appointed joint trustees with the session, but the latter are to have the disbursement of it. 8th, In 1831, Captain Robert Tennant, a residenter in Ayr, left L. 300, under the guardianship of the ministers and session, the interest of which to be applied for behoof of the Poor's House. 9th, Miss Ballantine, of Castlehill, bequeathed, at her death, a short time ago, the sum of L. 1000, or the interest of such a sum as shall yield L. 5 a-year to ten poor females of the parish, appointing the magistrates, ministers, the Sheriff-substitute of the county, and the rector of the academy, to be the trustees and patrons. 10th, and finally, John Fergusson, Esq. of Doonholm, already mentioned, not only bequeathed L. 1000 for the benefit of the ministers, and another for that of the teachers; he also left L. 1000 for behoof of the poor of Ayr, the interest of which is paid yearly to the treasurer of the Poor's House. Besides the above, the interests of several smaller bequests of from L. 300 to L. 100 each, are at present held during life by poor female householders of the place, under the directorships generally, of the magistrates and ministers, each vacancy being filled up as it occurs by the death of the former holder. We may add to all this, that about 300 of the poor or upwards are supplied every winter with a cart of coals each, provided by a collection at the two churches, the proceeds of which, by use and wont, and the steady benevolence of the community, may be counted on as regularly as those of any of the bequests above-mentioned. Further, the elder of every district of the town has a discretionary power to advance small sums of money, by orders on the treasurer, in cases of temporary exigency that may occur, such orders being submitted to the directors at each quarterly meeting, and these in the course of each year amount to betwixt L. 40 and L. 50, in addition to the stated weekly aliment of the paupers. And over and above, the directors themselves, at their stated meetings, award small temporary grants, in the way of money, shoes, clothes, rent, &c. to an amount, perhaps, nearly as large, to ward off craved additions to aliment already fixed, or prevent applicants from being put for the first time upon the poor's roll. Now, when all the above statements are considered, and viewed in connexion with the annual parochial provision for the poor by regular aliment, amounting to upwards of L. 1000, it surely cannot fail to be admitted that charity is dispensed in Ayr with no niggardly hand. Ayr Gaol.-The prison was built at the same time with the county buildings already described; and in its construction every attention has been paid to the security of the prisoners, while its situation is remarkably favourable to their health, as it stands on a large open space by the sea-beach. Within the last twelvemonths, an entire change has been effected with respect to the treatment and discipline of the criminals confined. We may class them all under the designation of criminals, there being none at present confined for debt. The debtor's wing is now appropriated to female culprits. Formerly, the prisoners were allowed to spend the day together-the males in one common apartment or dayroom, and the females in another, in total idleness; wherein, by intercommunion of evil speech and depraved passions, they were rendered more wicked and profligate than ever, and incarceration made them worse, instead of reforming them. The younger culprits, too, were thus initiated into all the mystery and artifice of crime, by those who had been accustomed to follow it as a trade. Now, however, all this is happily at an end. Each prisoner is confined to a separate cell, and all are kept at hard labour for twelve or fourteen hours a day, without having any opportunity of seeing one another, even at their meals, which they receive alone at the periods prescribed. The prison is visited by the keeper, and the prisoners are set to work at six o'clock in the morning; and it is regularly shut at eight every night for rest, and against the admission of visitors. The prisoners are compelled to wash once every day; and their apartments are kept regularly clean and well-aired. Such of them as have not learned any trade are generally taught weaving, which they soon learn if young, and if old, they are employed in teasing old ship ropes into shreds, called oakum, which is used by ship-builders as wadding for closing the interstices of vessels. None are allowed to remain idle. A regular account is kept of their earnings, and the expense of their diet; and on leaving gaol, if they have behaved well, the balance in their favour is given to them as a reward, but at the discretion of the prison committee, on the report of the keeper. A chaplain attends the male prisoners, in their separate cells, three times a-week, where he passes a portion of time in communicating religious instruction, and joining in a short prayer; and each is furnished with a Bible. Such of them as cannot read, he puts in the way of learning to do so, and aids them in their attempts. In short, the whole system is under most excel lent regulation, and we are enabled to say so confidently, and to give the above details from personal inspection. It is visited weekly by a small committee of the gaol directors, who undertake this duty in rotation, and generally record a written report in a book kept for the purpose, as to the state in which matters are found The two important objects of incarceration seem to be fully accomplished in this gaol, namely, reformation and punishment combined. As the duties of the chaplain are most important, it would be desirable that he were made strictly responsible, not to the magistrates merely but to the county, and had a more liberal remuneration allowed. We have been the more minute in describing this amelioration in prison-discipline, as it is most important to the public, who, we believe, have been much indebted for the change to Mr Charles Fergusson, Younger of Kilkerran, and Mr Archibald Hamilton at Rozelle-gentlemen as eminent for their personal worth, as for their spirited exertions for the public good. Commitments for the last three months, ending January 1837, Prisoners in all, Liberated during the three months, Remaining in gaol in January last, of these 13 were males, 3 females, Greatest number at one time during last three months, 1778 21 The average proportion of female to male prisoners is scarcely one-third. The prevailing crime of the former is theft,-that of the latter theft or assault. The number of commitments seems to be decreasing, and no capital convictions have taken place at our Circuit Courts for many years past. Fairs, Spirit-shops, Fuel.-There are four fairs held in Ayr in the course of the year, and two market-days weekly, viz. Tuesday and Friday. The number of licensed spirit-retailers is 106, or one to about every 70 or 80 of the population. Coal for fuel is to be got in abundance, of good quality, and at no great distance, but it is rather high priced, costing from 11s. to 14s. per ton, including carting. CONCLUDING REMARKS. Ayr has undergone great and important ameliorations since the last Statistical Account was published, and if it go on improving in the same ratio for the next thirty years, it is impossible to estimate the degree of comparative importance to which it may arrive among the other provincial towns of Scotland. There are two material amendments which it obviously admits of and requires. We would recommend, first, a rigid and uncompromising revision of the whole system of management of the poor. The amount of money annually expended for their support, besides being beyond all due bounds, as compared with other parishes, and entailing a heavy burden on the community, is tending every year to the increase of pauperism, and, what is worse, to injure materially the civil and moral condition of those who are verging on this state. ́We would suggest a scrupulous inquiry as to how far the numerous charities and mortifications with which the town abounds, might be made in some way available for the support of the poor, instead of being entirely supplementary, as at present, to their parochial aliment. Another beneficial change, that would add greatly to the prosperity of Ayr, is the introduction, to a greater extent, of manufactures and other public works. There is no want of capital, nor yet of enterprise, for this purpose, and only a few examples of successful speculation in this way are all that is required to stimulate their practical application. The projected rail-road betwixt Ayr and Glasgow will doubtless give an impetus to trade and industrial enterprise every way, and effect improvements of every kind beyond what it is possible at present to foresee or calculate. July 1837. Drawn up by the Rev. Alexander Cuthill, one of the Ministers of Ayr. PARISH OF NEWTON-UPON-AYR PRESBYTERY OF AYR, SYNOD OF GLASGOW AND AYR. THE REV. JAMES STEVENSON, A. M. MINISTER. I. TOPOGRAPHY AND NATURAL HISTORY. Name, Boundaries, &c.-THE name of this parish is evidently derived from its situation on the banks of the Ayr, and the town's being founded at a later period than the adjacent county town. In the charters granted to the burgh, it is called Novu villa super Air, and sometimes Nova villa de Air. The same name was given originally to the town of Ayr; but when another town arose on the north side of the river, the name became appropriated to it, as being the more modern. The parish is of very small extent: being only a mile and a half in length, and a mile in its greatest breadth. It is bounded on the north by the parish of Prestwick; on the east by the parishes of St Quivox and Wallacetown; on the south by the river Ayr, separating it from the town and parish of Ayr; and on the west by the Frith of Clyde. The figure of the parish is oblong; being broadest about the middle, and narrowing at the northern and southern extremities. It is level throughout its whole extent, without any eminence to diversify the landscape. The whole length of the parish is washed by the Frith of Clyde. The coast is flat and sandy, terminating, however, at the north-west corner of the parish in an inconsiderable rocky point, which projects a little way into the sea. Meteorology.-A daily register of the winds having been kept for a long period at Cowan and Sloan's Office, agent for Lloyd's, we are enabled to present the following table of them for the years 1820, 1825, 1830, 1835, and 1836. We content ourselves with giving the annual results for the four former years; but subjoin the prevailing winds for each month of 1836: |