§ MR. MACFARLANEasked the First Lord of the Treasury, If he can now state whether it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government to appoint a Royal Commission to inquire into and report upon the causes which have led to disturbances in Skye, and serious agitation in Caithness and other parts of Scotland; and, whether, in the event of Her Majesty's Government having decided against the appointment of a Commission, he will, before the House rises, give a day for the discussion of the question? The hon. Member further asked whether the attention of the Prime Minister had been called to the reports in the newspapers of a very serious state of affairs existing between the tenant farmers in Caithness and the proprietors? The right hon. Gentleman might not, he added, be aware from the newspapers that there was likely to be a very serious difficulty. In asking the Question he apologized for any appearance of importunity on the ground of the extreme urgency of the case.
MR. GLADSTONEWith regard to the state of affairs in Caithness, I, like the hon. Member, have seen a statement in the newspapers which indicates differences between a Caithness proprietor and his tenants; but I am in no condition to give any official information, nor is it likely we should have under the circumstances; nor am I in a condition to give an opinion on the subject, except this—that I think both in Caithness and Skye, from whence we hear reports of a different kind tending towards popular commotion, that matters are in such a state as to render it peculiarly incumbent on the Government to consider very carefully what course it may be proper to take, in order to avoid any steps which might possibly lead to inconvenient consequences. The hon. Member will recollect that the difficulty in Skye at the present moment occurs under these circumstances—that there are legal rights in contest between one and more proprietors and a number of tenants, that the natural course would be that these rights should be ascertained; but that at present there is an appearance of resistance to the first step towards ascertaining—namely, the service of writs, or whatever the proper 228 name may be for that step in Scotland. With regard to the appointment of a Commission, the hon. Member will recollect that there was an opportunity for full discussion of this matter in the summer, when my right hon. and learned Friend the Lord Advocate stated, on the part of the Government, the reasons which led them to believe that it would not be wise to issue a Royal Commission on the subject. On the facts placed before them, Her Majesty's Government cannot see in anything any reason for departing from that determination. Of course, if we are in that state of mind, it almost follows that I must answer the latter part of the hon. Gentleman's Question in the negative, and say that we are not prepared before the House rises to give a day for the discussion of this subject. With regard to any apparent importunity on the part of the hon. Gentleman, I beg him to believe that nothing could be further from my intention than to make any charge against him on that subject. I am sure he does it from an earnest and philanthropic interest in the matter.
§ MR. MACFARLANEasked the Prime Minister, if he could not give a day, whether he would use his influence with a distinguished Member who sat behind the Government to remove the block on the subject from the Paper, and he (Mr. Macfarlane) would do the rest himself?
MR. GLADSTONEsaid, he could not undertake to interfere with the course any hon. Member proposed to take. It would be setting an awkward precedent.
DR. CAMERONasked the Lord Advocate whether he had received any confirmation of the statement that the dispute in the Braes district had been settled?
THE LORD ADVOCATE (Mr. J. B. BALFOUR)I have not received any information of a definite settlement; but I received information last night that there was a probability of its being settled—that negotiations were in progress which, it was thought, would result in a settlement.