The Sun. — 1849-09-04 (London, England)

STATE OF THE WEST HIGHLANDS.—We understand that notices of removal have been served on a great number of croftiers, or small tenants, on the estate ce Lord Macdonald in Skye. Not less than 600 ejectmente are contemplated, which, at the usual estimate of five persons to each family, will, next spring, cause the re• moval of about 3,000 souls from the island. Means of emigration to Canada, we believe, will be provided, but the case is an extremely painful one. The condition e! these remote Highland properties is a subject surrounded with unusual difficulties and responsibility. The loss ce the kelp trade and the potato failure rendered it impossible for the poor croftiers to pay rent. Not oily is rent lost, and the land unimproved, but the people are suffering the utmost destitution, hundred: of them being merely kept alive by the Destitution Board and the proprietor. When the relief fund fails, the result must be deplorable. Every attempt to sell these large Highland estates, burdened with thousands of cotters, has proved fruitless. Lord Macdonald, we believe, has not had a single offer for North Uist, though advertised for sale six months since. When the lands are heavily mortgaged, the obvious though hard resource is dispossessing the smaller tenants to make room for a better class, able to pay rent, and this task generally devolves on south country managers or trustees, who look only tc money returns, and cannot sympathise with the peculiar situation and feelings of the Highland population. Had a poor-law been established fifty years since, greater attention would have been paid to the condition of the people in those districts; but they have gone on sAtling and multiplying athey choose, and for a while little hardship was experienced, except in peculiarly bad seasons. Now, the want of employment, the failure or uncertainty of the potato crop, the operation of the poor-law, and the pecuniary burdens upon many of the proprietors, have produced a crisis which calls for some new system of management. Where the soil or climate is unfavourable for arable cultiv..tion, or where capital cannot be obtained for improvement, emigration is undoubtedly the most desirable course. The people are helpless in the Lowlands. They prefer Canada, because large bodies of their countrymen are settled in the colony, and the Gaelic language is found to be no impediment. They have there a better county, where labour is in demand, and a spirit of emulation and steady industry is excited. Where means are provided, voluntary emigration proceeds on an extensive scale. Within the last ten years at least 20,000 Highlanders have left this country for Canada. This season great numbers have gone. We formerly noticed the emigration from Glenelg—about 350 persons ; and from South Ulst 1,803 have sailed within the last few weeks. From Lord Macdonald's part of the island about 900 have emigrated, and from the property of Colonel Gordon of Cluny, 891.—Inverness Courier.  THE CONVICT WiLsoN.--Maurice Wilson, or Gleeson Wilson, the prisoner in ICirkdale Gaol, convicted for the murder of Mrs. llenrichson and family, continues to manifest the same indifference to his fate. Ile still, strange to say, protests his innocence; and, like Rush, appears offended if the turnkeys, or others with whom he comes in contact, express a doubt of the correctness of his assertion. The prisoner, as we have before stated, is a Roman attholic, and is spiritually attended by th© Rev. Mr. Duggan, of St. Joseph's, who will accompany him to the scalfo'.d. Sunday what is termed the "condemned sermon" was preachd by the Rev. Mr. Appleton, the chaplain of the !gaol, but Wilson was not present: owing to his faith he is Excused from attendance at church. It has been stated by our contemporaries, and such was at one time the understanding, that the prisoner would be executed on Saturday next. We have official authority, however, for stating that the sad ceremony will not take placa till Saturday week. The executioner (Calcraft again) has received notice from the sheriff that his services will be required on the 15th inst.—Liverpool Albion. A