Morning journal and courier., 1890-11-15

CTS. That was before British sportsmen let the Highland landlords know that deer and grouse could be made more profitable than either. But in the period named practically the entire shire, one of the largest in Scotland, and comprising an area of nearly two million acres, was de- populated. The helpless mountAineers were driven from their own homes and these leyeled to the ground by fire. Hun dreds perished from fright, exposure and brutal trcstment. Those who had the means of flight, or whose friends in Cana da or the States could furnish them the same, emigrated to America. The remain der were huddled in vile cabins along the sea-shore, and forced to escape actual star vation by gathering kelp and muscles, this poor shift being finally denied them, or in braying the dangers of the sea in fishing, mode of life to which they were as much stanger as your own tenderly cared-for child There is not to be found in all his tory more scandslous page of ingenious and supreme human cruelty. And yet it was set down by economic writers of the time ss a great benefit bo society st large, as it cost the noble houses of Sutherland Stafford over one million dollars, and in the unbiased history of Scottish and Eng hsh gszeteers and encyclopedias as ga mo- table Improvement of the Highlands.
 The same kind of Improvements" i'm termiHAntiy remained in vogue, though on lesser scale, under sanction of these old Scottish land laws up to a very recent date in Banff, Elgin, Nairn, Inverness. CAith- ness, Ross and Argyll shires and in the Hebrides. If landlord wished to trans form his great holdings into sheep-walks or game preserves, it waa soon bruited about that the district was s'congested-" {" Then crofters were cleared out entirely, or summarily removed to wretched patches of uncultivated land, to begin anew s life of starvation under increased penalties of rental-burdens and environment Aside from these heartless cruelties it seems as though the most devilish ingenuities in ex- tortions and humiliatioas were also i'm posed. After the new croft was improved, at the termination of the usual nineteen year lease, additional rental was demand ed. If not paid the croft was rack-rented, l or leased to @ new tenant. The terrified crofter, rather than become homeless, at- f tempted the new burden, struggled along | under increasing arrears, and was finally eyicted, securing no compensation what ever for his improvements. If he entered | the presende of the factor or agent with his hat on, his hands in his pockets, or \ left the door open, he was fined. The rent | of every tenant on an estate has had his II | with his money was few moments late. | Sons on attaining their majority could | only remain upon the estate on the written consent of the proprietor. Crofters were liable to prosecution for using any road or ! foot-path not prescribed by the proprietor. An entire page of this paper might be | filled with truthful recount of similar | tyranies and grievances. But organized | agitation in behalf of the crofter, similar ! to that adopted by the Land League for | Ireland, at last secured the concession of a | royal commission of inquiry into the con- | dition of the Highlands. Although, from the fear of reprisals by landlords and fac \ tors, not one-half the wrongs of these | people were made known, a condition of I things was brought to light which shocked \ the country. It must also be borne in mind that the constitution of that com | mission was essentially conservative. But these disclosures had a salutary effect. In 1886 parliament passed what is popu- larly known as ''The Crofters' Act" This fixes, by 6 royal commission whose mem
 bers travel from point to point receiving evidence and making adjudications, what
 are called ..fair rents" to which both pro- prietor and crofter-tenant are bound, in | an cases of crofters paying an annual
 rental of thirty pounds or less The com
 mission also has power to deal with ar rears.
 | The terrible odds against which thess
 helpless people for more than a century fought for mere existence is clearly shown
 by the outcome of the annual proceeding, of this crofters' commission In July oi
 the present year on the estate of Keiss, | near Wick, the crofters secured an average
 redubtion of thirty-four per cent; while
 .eventy-six per cent. of their arrears were
 cancelled. In the Island of Strnma, lying
 in the Pentlsnd Firth, opposite John o'Groat's house, the same reduction and
 cancellation were made. On one estate in
 Caithness rent reductions have been as
 great at fifty per cent, while ninety per | cent of arrears have been cancelled. Per.
 haps one-half of the entire territory of
 the northern and western Highlands hns
 been already adjudicated upon by tn,
 commission. On an average flair rents
 have been established at 8 reduction oi
 forty per cent. The infamous iniquit,
 and injustice of former years have beer
 illustrated and partially atoned for by thu | commission, in an absolute cancellation ol
 more than one-fourth of existing arrears | and reduction or Cancellation of fulll
 seventy-five per cent. of the remainder
 A far greater good has also been accom-
 plished. Under the Crofter's set "Poo'
 Donald" is to-day pretty nearly free man Under the old conditions he could neve pay his rent. 'It was not expected h
 would, :" factor confided to me. "He wa more manageable when you eould hint O a notice and removal" In other words