The Sun.
London, England, 1841-06-19 00:00:00

HIGHLANDS OF SCOTLAND.

The Seket Committee appointed to inure into the Con-
dition of the Population of the Islands and Highlands
of Scotland, and into the Practicability of affording
the People Relief by means of Emigration ; and who
were empowered to report their observations from time
to time to the House, have agreed to the following

Report :
I. Your Committee having concluded their inquiry
into the subject referred to them, beg to state that .the
following important facts have been established by the
evidence which they have collected for the information
of the House. They have divided their inquiry into two
branches ; first, as to the origin and extent of the dis-
tress which was said to exist in certain districts of the
country ; and, secondly, as to the practicability of afford-
ing relief by means of emigration. It Was established
by the evidence before your Committee that an excess of
population existed beyond that for which the country
could afford the means of subsistence, or furnish ade-
quate employment, along that part of the western coast
which includes portions of the counties of Argyll, Inver-
ness, and Ross, as well as amongst the islands ; and this
excess of population, who are for the most part for a pe-
riod of every year in a state of great destitution, was.
variously calculated at from 45,000 to 80,000 souls.
2. Your Committee were informed that the famine and
destitution in the years 1836 and 1837 was so extensive,
that many thousands would have died of starvation had
it not been for the assistance which they received -from
Government and the public ; that the sum of 70,000/. was
collected and distributed at that period in the shape of food
and clothing, and all the witnesses were of opinion that
this district of the country was liable to. similar visita-
tions in succeeding years.
3. Your Committee are of opinion, that the origin of
this excess of population must be traced back as far as
prior to the year 1745 ; that it originated in the feudal
system which existed at that time, when the proprietors
were accustomed to value their estates according to the
amount of their population, and the number of men
whom they could bring into the field ; this. led to the
minute subdivision of lands, and to the croft system,
which was maintained up to a late period in those dis-
tricts, by the full employment which the people received
from the manufacture of kelp, as well as by an occa-
sionally abundant herring fishery, which the coast at one
time afforded, and for the encouragement of which con-
siderable bounties were awarded by Parliament. Most
of these resources have now failed them. -
4. This excess of population was further maintained,
-and its tendency to increase confirmed, by the practice of
the Government, of raising large bodies of volunteers and
fencibles, and by the consolidation of farms in the inte-
rior of the. country, which had the effect of removing
the people from the glens to the coast, where they found
it more easy to obtain a subsistence, either by fishing, or
in the manufacture of kelp.
5. Your Committee also find it stated that the defi-
ciency of education has tended to perpetuate this evil of
excessive population, as want of knowledge of the Eng-
lish language, and the ignorance of the people in other
respects, made them unable to estimate the advantage it
would be to them to seek for employment where they
might find a better market for their labour. The want
of roads, also, in some districts of the country, by which
the people are prevented from reaching a market for their
produce, has been stated as a further cause of the general
distress.
6. Your Committee have
'already reported to the
House their opinion, that a well-arranged system of
emigration, in order to relieve the present state of desti-
tution, and as preparatory to any measures calculated to
prevent a return of similar distress, would be of primary
importance ; and they now beg leave to add, that it seems
to them impossible to carry Such, a. 'system, upon so ex-
tensive a scale as would' be necessary,' into effect, Without
aid and assistance from the Government, accompanied by
such regulations as Parliament may impose, to prevent a
recurrence of similar evil.
7. It has been stated to the Committee that the pro-
vince of Upper Canada alone, and without reference to
other portions of our North American Colonies, might
annually absorb 10,000 labourers, implying an emigra-
tion of 50,000 souls ; that 30,000 actually arrived in
Canada last year, at least one-half of which number
were absolutely destitute ; and although no extraordinary
meana were taken, they have all found employment. It
was further stated to be to the advantage of emigrants,
even with small capital, to be employed for the first two
years as labourers, rather than at once to be located
upon land.
8. To give effect, however, to an enlarged system of
emigration to these colonies, it would be desirable that
her Majesty's Government should ascertain from the Co!
lonial Governments what assistance, if any, they might
be disposed to afford to emigrants' arriving in• the colo-
nies, either by employing them in public works, or by
undertaking to convey) them to those districts of the
country where their Aour would be most readily ab-
sorbed.

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9. It has appeared in evidence that the people, being