A SCOTCH LANDLORD.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume X, Issue 496, 13 October 1882, Page 9

A SCOTCH LANDLORD.

The speech of Mr. John Ramsny, member for the Falkirk Burghs, has excited much indignation amongst Highlandmen, but no surprise whatever amongst those who knew any thing of his antecedents. Mr. Ramsay is a landlord. He owns 54,250 acres in Islay — about three-fifths of the whole island. He is, besides, the proprietor of a large distillery at Port Ellen. In his sp >ech in the House of Commons on Friday he denied that the rural population in the Highlands had decreased of late years, and he tried to sustain his denial by pointing to the increase in the total population of the country. There would be no such increase to speak of if the policy carried out on his own island of Islay were universally adopted. That island had a population in 1841 of 13,002. In 1851 it was 12,332 ; in 1861' 10,352 ; and in 1871 it was 8,156 ; and the greatest decrease, I am informed, took place on Mr. Ramsay's estate of Kildalton. Mr. Ramsay has been heard of before now. In 1864 he delivered an address before the Science Association, in Edinburgh, which was considered by some so unfair and insulting to Islay men and Highlanders generally that the Glasgow Islay Association got Thomas Pattison, author of the '• Gaelic Bards," to refute his statements, in a lecture which was published at the time. Afterwards, I may add, the Glasgow Herald published a series of articles iv his defence. At the general election of 1874, Mr. Ramsay was returned to Parliament for the Falkirk disttict of burghs, and this return was mainly due to the support of the Irish vote, secured by a pledge in favour of Home Rule, which he afterwards violated. At the last election he would have been dealt with according to his deserts were it not that the word had gone forth from the Irish lea lers that the followers of Beaconsfield must be opposed and defeated at all risks. The Irish of the Falkirk Burghs are iv the fortunate position of having in their hands the power to turn the scales between the two great parties, When Mr. John Ramsay next appears as a candidate for their suffrages they will be apt to rememb?r for him not only his broken faith with themselves, but his opposition to the just claims of the poor, persecuted crofters in the Highlands.— Cor. of Nation.