§ DR. CAMERON (Glasgow, College)asked the Lord Advocate, If he can state the amount of poor and education rates due by owners and occupiers respectively in the Island of Lewis for the present year which is still unpaid; whether it has been customary in that Island for the owner to collect rates with the rents in the case of holdings under £4 annual rental; whether it is true that, in consequence of the refusal of the principal owner in the Island to pay tenants' rates in the customary manner, thousands of crofters are in danger of being struck off the roll of Parliamentary voters; and, how many collectors there are in the Island to whom small tenants can pay their rates direct, so as to enable them to retain their status as voters?
§ THE LORD ADVOCATE (Mr. J. H. A. MACDONALD) (Edinburgh and St. Andrew's Universities)It has been impossible, since this Question was put upon the Paper, to obtain all the particulars required by the hon. Member; but I may state that recently £3,574 of rates have been paid up by proprietors and tenants. The principal proprietor's factor has declined to pay the rates for those tenants under £4 who have not paid any rents, but has paid the rates of all who have paid rent. There are four 429 collectors of rate—namely, in Stornoway, Barvas, Lochs, and Uig.