Scotch Notes.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVI, Issue 24, 5 October 1888, Page 3

Scotch Notes.

Huoh Kerb, who last year escaped arrest for an attack upon ft sheriff's bailiff, at Clashmore, and who had ever since been in hiding, has given himself up to the authorities, just as bis wife, with another woman named McLeod,and a man named Mathieson, has bean released having served six out of the nine months of the sentence passed on her. To the astonishment of the officials it turns out that Kerr was for a considerable part of the time in Glasgow and Edinburgh , where he says he met many friends, instead of having made good his escape to America, as supposed. He was away from home when the constables came there to arrest him, and, having a natural dislike to the notion of being put in gaol, as well as fearing the consequences to his family, consisting of an aged mother, a wife, and four young children, he betook him»e f to the sea-caves in the neighbourhood of his dwelling, wheie he remained for some months, suffering great hard ships fiom cold ami hunger during the winter. He was much distressed at the arrest of hisw if e, w hich could not have occurred.he says,had he been at homp, as he would not have allowed her to take any personal part in the riots. But an offer made by him of surrendering himself in return for her release received no attention. Kerr, who is a leader among the crofters, ib an intelligent man of about forty years of age, and of a rtspcctuble and prepossessing appearance. Of the disposition of the crofters generally towards the agitation in which he and bis wife took so prominent a part, the following extract from an organ published in their interests, will sufficiently testify. It moreover shows how the fame of Mr Balfour extends oeyond the Irish|bordera : " Bat Mary Kerr," it says, " and her fellow-prisoners will yet be as free to walk the streets of Eiinburgh as their persecutors, and their memory w'll be green in the hearts of the Highland people, when the tools of " Balfourism," like them of the Bloody Assize, will have a place in the Walhalla of Claverhouse, and of the Bloody Mackenzie." This passage is taken from an article which speaks of Hugh Ken as a modern Uob Roy. But although he may not have quite deserved such distinction the article shows in what direction the sympathies of the people tend.

Scotland is nojlonger a land for the people. It ia a land of preserve! and fences,and notices to trespassers. There are countries and districts in continental Europe where the cultivation, it is trua, is minute and careful aa that of a garden, and where to cross a fence might be esteemed a grave offence. But the confinement there is relieved by the knowledge that the peasantry are the owners of the Boil.and that all the barriers txist in their interests. In Scotland it is from the people the hills and shores are shut out, and all the privileges are in the banda of a wealthy few. The resistance made, tnerefore, by the men of Clanranald aud Glengarry, to the closing of Loch Morar is a welcome eign that some little spirit still remains in the country, and that a disposition to assert their lights survives in some of the High* land clans. It is to be wished a similar manliness would show itself in the neighbourhood of those lochs, whose shores have been forbiddden to trie people, under all the penalties of the law, by the Duke of Argyle. Baibed wire may very appropriately represent landlordism, but it is all the more on that account an eyesore in the landscape.

Loyal subjects of her Most Gracious Mejetty Quean Victoria, in a remote part of Selkirkshire, were the other day a good deal ihocked

at the conduct of a party of Irish harvestmen. The Paddies, by some means or other, got hold of a paper containing an account of tha late naval manoeuvres in Lough Swilly. Their conclusion was incontinently that ao American n>et had attacked England, and their first thought was to set off and join in the fight — but not on the English side. In vain did the farmer, whose work they were engaged il, and who, with dismay, saw himself about to be left short-handed, try to explain their mistake and to persuade them to subside to a less warlike frame of mind. But, at last, with some difficulty, he prevailed on them to write home for information before thay acted. Loyal subjects are hoi rifled, but those who understand the natural effects of " Balfourism " are less astonished.

Who could have supprsed it possible that her Majesty herself Bhould become the victim of a slight touch of landlordism ? But such is, nevertheless, the case. Her Majesty has rented for the last fortyyears the Aberg>ldie estate from Mr. H. M. G mion, seventeen years of her lease being yet to run But the farm buildings have fallen into disrepair, and are too old to be made anything of, so that it is necessary to remove them and build new ones in their place. The landlord, however, refuses to do this and further to pledge himself to take over, at a just valuation on the termination of the lease, such buildings as her Majesty might herself erect. The Royal lady, therefore, if she would avoid the fate of a tenant who sees the landlord seize on his improvements, as so often happens, for example, in Ireland, must allow her farming to suffer from want of proper conveniences. The farm alluded to is, moreover, that on which the famous Aberdeen Angus cattle are bred, and any deficiency in the means of attending to them may prove a serious inconvenience and impediment. Is there no loyal statesman to whom the Queen can turn in her necessity 1 Her Majesty lately expressed her special approbation of Mr. Bilfour in that character, but his efforts have been put forward in a contrary direction. It might outrage his principles and those of his party to afford relief to a tenant, even though she were the Queen, for tho right? of property are paramount to everything, and no dangerous precedent must be permitted.

The sudden death of Lady Ailsa ha 9 occasioned much sorrow in Ayrshire. Her ladyship was noted for her benevolenoe, and her life was constantly spent in efforts to better the condition of her poorer neighbours and dependants. The people of Maybole and Maidens especially were her debtois to a very large extent.

The Lewis crofters are not as yet wholly restored to a condition of law and order. The latest report comes again from the pariah of Lochs, where the lessee of the Laxay salmon fishing has just had a narrow escape from being drowned, during an indignant protest made by him to a boat's crew engaged in poaching. The men were trawling and had made a goodly haul, their boat being filled with fish. The indignant lessee, whose name, by the way, is Gladstone, seised the side of the boat with his hand?, but was dragged out into the river, and found himself fortunate in being able to regain the bank. The poachers escaped.

The game reports for the season are mora favourable that it wag hoped they would be. Grouse are said to be as plentiful and healthy as in seasons reputed good, and deer are recovering rapidly from the effects of the bad weather. Game of all other kinds also promises well.

In the military tournament at the Waverley market, E linburgh, the Swan trophy was won by the Fife Light Horse, the regiment of Quartermaster Swan, the donor. The trophy, which took the form of a handsome silver vase on an ebony pedestal, was presented by Quartermaster Swan to be competed for by the auxiliary cavalry of the United Kingdom. The contest was carried out with spirit and the winning corps distinguished themselves highly.

The state of Presbytemnism in Edinburgh is the cause of much concern to stricter brethren from distant places. A Mr. John Alexander who has recently visaed the city from Canada gives, in a colonial paper, a gad account of his experiences. Je my Geddes, he Bays, in effect, would fling her stool with redoubled indignation could she be present, as he was, ou a recent Sabbath at St. Giles's churcb, when, says he, " one of the incumbents read his prayers from hißnewfaLgled and sore-mangled prayer-book." Mr. Alexander's groaning, in a word, is deep and resonaut becaute of what he calls " the weak and sickening attempt at ritualism by the Presbyterianism of this day. ' So far we may agree with him that Presbytejianism and ritualism are wholly out of keeping with each other, and that any attempt to reconcile them can only, of necessity, result in sickliness.

The energetic action of Archbishop Smith regarding the Pope's decree on boycotting and the Plan of Camp ii^n his been tne cause of tho resignation of the President of the Edinburgh Catholic Young Men's Society, an institution that has worked a great deal of good among the Catholic community. The Archbishcp, in Bpeaking at the Catholic Institute, had spoken warmly against some Catholics who. he said, in that very place, and since the condemnation cf the Plan of Campaign by the Holy See, had defended that measure, causing great scandal to the faithful. He had to toll all Catholics under hie jurisdiction, added his Grace, that to do so was a grievous ein and that if those who had done so were by any possibility to be excused, it could only be because they were utterly ignorant of their duty. A few days"after the Archbishop's denunciation a meeting of the Irish National League was held, at which Mr. Flannigan, the President of the Cat holic Young Men's Bociety presided, and where a resolution was passed expressing allegiance to the Holy See, but also refusing to receive political advice from any authority except the acknowledged leaders of the Irish people, and, finally, condemning as unwarrantable and uncalled for the remarks that had been mac eby the Archbishop. This led to a correspondence, which has so ftr terminated in the resignation, at the Archbishop's request, of the President of the Youog Men's Society. As was inevitable, a

good deal of feeling has been excite! by the matter, though its full results have hardly as yet appeared.