New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-09-11
REVOLT OF THE CROFTEko'
HOME RrILE THE REMEDY FOR SCOTLAND
ANGUS SUTHERLAND TXpiAiNiN" IN"
AN OUTRAGE
IBY CABLE TO TIE IK'Hu Nj

TRY CABLE TO THE TRIBUNE.l
ronyrfoht; lssG, North american cdo.s Ne"'-
IoSDoN, Sept. 1O.-Angus ou'heii""u Ito.
the Instruction Of having won his seat IN ".'
Io'' wv en-. Wa,ou,s Of Stafford Eighty years ago
49,. MARQUIS OF stafford's greatgrandia'ner ns ou
.vn tho house OF Angus Sutherland s''.' -,
,.,her and the homes OF many huhoreue " .
soo,chn,en in sutherlandshTs. Now su'ueria a..
sents q constituency In sutherianoshe 80 has
.victei the Marquis OF Stafford MI su.u'', .,S,,rc
,n % the TRIBUNE representative the ioHo"is
,,oment concerning the Crofter question ana no" " "
70 10 settled; o-.o ,ra.tion in
tho Highlands Of Scotland is only pheSe y, 49,.
and more general land question. The causes '"a ~ =,
brought this particular phase OF the genera g,
,n front are partly historical, partly economc" anu
-, great measure political The two latter classes ,,s
eauses have OF late years oonspreo 10 s"o" -. " In
.olors the goss injustice done to the High'snu -
sorcng upon them the feuds land system OF Eng 49,
rIana itself the imposition of the fsudal ano y Ss'o
- ,be result OF military conquest, for trip"i 's
,o rho land was a Saxon as well as Ceitic i"' 49,
Rnt IA regards tho Highlands, 1t was not ''i a'''
re, lion OF 1745 that the lawyers, Win 'he "u VI
forms and sheepskn charters, ala TOT , q,
chiefs what the sword did for tho Norman 0sfo ' .
rr.,d in 1O6G namely deprived the people OF riSn''
q, ,hc lands and vested in private indiViduais'
From that time the Highland Chiefs from o"is "aAe
administrative functions, which were lntrusleu " "oH
nv tina clan for the public good, werc without conson'
t,a
At one stroke propretors OF the clan iands Sn
,.omortal rights of the olausmen 10 the iand were
abolished. From being proprietors oil lanu' "n'on "
centuries their strong right arms hold against al
Invaders the Highland olansmen found themselves u"
A. once mere accessories 10 the chiefs Cvihzauonhau
penetrated into the Highlands anu "eH A' ~ ~
replaced by sheep.
:. uore the historical aspect ends and the economic
,s,,us under circumstances that we're disgrace 10
country claiming to be civilized ana even 10 DO Cnris
t,an Fire and sword under the plea OF law anu
order were let loose upon the land lhou
sands were forced emigrate to America
,onsands more were turned out Of fertile glens ana
snt TO live or the best way they could upon the par
ren rocks OF the seacoas This was tne origin OF tne
erofters After the repeal OF the Corn Laws 'he com
mercia prosperity of Britain Increased rapidly ana inc
foreign trade expanded enormously. People employed
.orired n he fed The price OF mutton consequently
rose They required 10 be clad and the price oil WOOL
rose accordingly. And, OF course the landlords rent
kent pace with temporary prosperity But the hoh
who were sent OF the country began 10 develop INC
resources of America, Australia and New-Zealano WIN
the result they competed in the home MARKET with
the crazes who rented land formerly occupied ana
owned by the Highland clansmen The lster cahno'
EXPECT to win the competition, with the landioro Oh
his back while the former Is free
sThis IA the economic aspect OF the Highland que'
ton The present financial result TO the Highland land
ords that the great majority Of their sheep-runs are
tenaness being rapidly converted into oeer
ess This the result OF eighty years OF Improvement
In the Highlands the meantime the people were every
wear getting poorer and poorer Ihere was no o.loS
provided for Industry The land when they aonc
cond axe productive required for sheep ana ueer
The cry OF the landlords was always: SEND them 10
Mauitoba." At length they began TO thlhK they ns9
some claim country in which they were porn anu
they began TO tell the landlords that MANITOBA was
such good country landlords should try IL themselves
mat peOple had emtgrating for hundreu years
and that those who remained were no oetter t.sn v
fore and that they could not the force OF yield
ing up their country 10 Landlords ana deer IN
lss5 OF the Highland people, for the first tme ninety
one were admitted the rights OF subjects by the e1
tension OF the household franchise to counties Inc re-
sut that they made clean sweep OF tne iahuIoio
representatives In Parliament
There was a bill passed last year purportng 10 De lor
the Of tho crofters, and according 10 US pro
vsons ther holdings TO be enlarged put all ianue
contiguous 10 their holdings are held under long eases
not available FOR crofters. Scotch members ali favored
some measure that would have aHorueu ehn9 eehun9
relief to the crofers but they we're outnupi i9eleu @
by the English members | expect no luNtce ifon
Parliament as IL is at present constituted DeneVe
that the solution OF the land question IN Scotland VIII
he ouud i'm Home Rule for Scott and. When Scotchmen
are are allow I'd to manage their affairs deer PARKS
will 20 and the rkers Will get the lano We Inten
work and agitate both for Home Rne ana
Of tne land question The Irish have shown us what en-
ergy and determination can accomplish. we are ps
ming an but. OF course perlecty
conference VIII be held IN ocotlsh
before the close of this month which VIII pe attenueu
by de- egates from all parts or the united hlheuon
Hitherto no assistance OF any kind has been had from
exnatrated Highlandes The work has been carried on
mainly nv few people at considerable loss OF time
and means, 10 Thought tnat the nOVeneu. hhs
assumed proportions as to justify an appear 70
scotchmen all the world TO assist IN undoing ne
wrongs OF tue past