§ DR. CLARK (Caithness)On behalf of my hon. Friend the Member for Ross and Cromarty (Dr. M'Donald) I beg to ask the Lord Advocate whether he is aware that the crofters on Lord Lovelace's estate of Bendamph, in Ross-shire, have made (early in 1887) applications to the Crofters' Commission to fix fair rents for them; that Mr. J. Anderson, solicitor, of Inverness, Lord Lovelace's agent, thereafter sent to the Commission a letter purporting to be a withdrawal of said applications, signed as "for and as duly authorised by" the crofters; and that whether, in consequence, the Crofters' Commission dismissed said applications without entering into the merits of the cases; whether complaints have reached him that the Commission still refuses a hearing to these crofters, notwithstanding depositions by them forwarded to the Commission that they gave no authority to Mr. Anderson or any other person to withdraw the said applications; whether he can see his way to 47 insist on the Crofters' Commissioners to proceed and judge of and determine in the applications in ordinary form; and whether the Government propose to take any steps to prevent Mr. Anderson, who is a Procurator Fiscal, and other Government officials in the Highlands, from acting as landlords' agents?
§ SIR C. J. PEARSONAs the differences between Lord Lovelace and these crofters form the grounds of a depending action in the Court of Session, I am precluded from entering into the matters dealt with in the first three paragraphs of the question. In reply to the last paragraph, I have to repeat what has frequently been stated in this House, that whenever an opportunity is afforded the question of restricting Procurators Fiscal from carrying on private practice is always considered.