§ MR. KEAY (Elgin and Nairn)I beg to ask the Lord Advocate whether his attention has been called to an alleged case of perjury said to have been committed on the 6th June, 1890, before George Gordon, land surveyor, Elgin, when acting as referee under the Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Act, under a minute of reference between Robert Mackessack of Ardgye and Roseisle, and John Knight, sometime farmer at Bruntland; whether he has seen a Memorandum, lodged by John Knight, in the hands of the Procurator Fiscal of Elgin-shire, in which he charges two tenants of Mr. Mackessack with having given false evidence against him, and in which he gave the names of four witnesses besides himself who could disprove the said evidence; was John Knight allowed any opportunity to produce these witnesses; and has the pro- 7 curator Fiscal refused to take proceedings; and, if so, upon what grounds?
§ THE LORD ADVOCATE (Mr. J. P. B. ROBERTSON, Bute)The case referred to in the question was reported in the usual way to Crown Counsel, who decided that there was no cause to Justify a charge of wilful perjury being brought against the two tenants of Mr. Mackessack. I have also seen the Memorandum referred to, along with the statements of the four witnesses named in it, and entirely concur in the decision arrived at.