The Scotsman - Saturday, 25th December 1819, page 7

SUTHERLAND _TENANTS . ]• sumrnf , _recollected , that in tlie _course of tlie last _summi" , certain

It will be _statements _appeared in various journals of London and _JiJinburgli , _containins some extraordinary _proceedings in the _removal _f _the _tenants uf _Sullu'rhiitl ; and that _counter _statements were _punished by the agents o(' . _the _.Marquis of Stafford, denying _in iota _tliiimll_) of _those former _statements. ' In _consequence _of this discrepancy, the _authors of the _stiuincnts, wliose _veracity was impcacliiidi _beg _leave _now, very _rrspecllilly , to submit the following local _document in _vindication of _the _lull_) of their stauiini_._'nis . . i Ci)py _<ff '_thil _Transactions of the _Sutherland and Trans-Aithlic _^_Issoclnlion , lit a Slwtirts licid _Ori. 27. 1819. \ This _Association consists of upwards of eleven hundred pbr tcnants _, who _te've _been ejeeted, or are under summons of rcmovti'roin the es'.ates ot _the Miirquis nild iMarchiollcss ol _Stiidbi'd _, in the aunty of Sutherland. Being in very _destitute circuinsiiinces, tiley _, _y _ilie advice of some _benevolent friends _in tlie _adjacent_, _county, 1' _tmrd theinsulves into .1 _society for the gcnerni bei]r(il, _and _iinploro the charity 01_" the _country. _Many _persons_, wilh _n liiudable _tillageneruus _sympathy , have advocated _their c._insc. _Latterly , liow'_ivur, two _articles have ._appeared in Tlie Tilnos, The Morning Clironcle, _The SrotsiTi_.in, and _oilier _newspapers_, (roni _(lie Agents of _tlie ial- tbrd family, denying all tlie _circumstances _staled, _and _the justnca of tlie claims _of these helpless people on public _benevolence. \ This _very false and _cruel _allegation lias been attended with _rrtst _injurious cll'ects to the cause of the _Association. Uriven frum _llnr _native _homes, and _scattered over _llie neighbouring counties_, wluli are thinly intcrsrctcd by roads _and _bridges, and, above all _oilier _diftculties , _extremely poor, it was not _an _easy _task to _assemble at _this ii. ulcinciil scuson a sullieicnt number to give _evidence uf _those _circusll stances _alleged, and on which _they found their humble claims to _till charity of tlie _humane part of llie community. This, however, liai _been _accomplished, and in so far as the _circumstances alluded _-to _at ' _- feet tlie _general body of tlie people, _they are humbly _submitted to tliri public. Many cases of Individual _oppression _nnd _want _liiivc _been' sworn to, and many more, we are well;assurccl, will _be brought lor. ward ; but the limits of a _newspaper, and _the _poverty of _the _Association , prevent _their _friends _from collecting and _publishing, nl present, the wliule _extent _of their suutfrinps_, which are , _perhaps, _unexampled in the _history of _the _peasantry of _Britain. _The General _Meeting alluded _to, was held nt.the Mcikle Ferry, Sutlicrlandsliire, _on tlie 27th tilt_., and llie _following _fact_.- _, _were _attested upon _oatli by 2'Jrcspcctuble _inen _from the _dilfi- _'rent districts of _the _county, and _designated by tlicir _places of residence, _before and in _presence of John _._Sutherland, _Coininissiiry niid _Justice of _Peace _fur tlie county of _Sutherland. _These _affidavits are _lodged willi tlie _Secretary to _the Association, who will be ready _at all _limes _to exhibit them to any person who m;iy _desire it. In _the _mouth of May _1819, being the period of tlie _ejectment of theicii._llits, llie folluwingdwelling-liouscs wercdcinnlislicdon (he estate Gf _iiiitlierltind hytlie Stniiurd _Agents; by ( _lie, _271; by _hatchets and _mattocks, 43. These _are _exclusive of _those burnt in the _district of _llie _pirisli _of Kildonaii. of which _none could he _found who could give _precise _evidence. Also, no correct _evidence could be _obtained _of the niin'.l)crol' _stables , _barns_, and _byres burnt. _Calculating only _two _outhouses _lor _every _dwelling- house, these would li._'ive _amounted to 628_, _milkiiig the _total _numbrr of _houses (_lemi)lislird _O-lii . _Besides_, tlicsL_", a schuol-boiise , a kiln, and tliree _corn-mills were burnt. \ I-Iiul _the _outhouses _been _permitted to stand, they would linve _afforded some _shelter to _the _people. _Hut llie _following fact will filicw that these _unfortunate _tenants _were _c'.eprived wen _of _the _beneficence _of' _tlitfir _relations _and friends. Duniilil Lo_!; an, of _Pictou _, Nova Scoti'a i _Jolm Murray, lale Scrjcant ot'lhi_; _TOth _Regiment of _Foot, _George Gunn_, and _Donald _Sutherland , lieing _solemnly sworn and interros_^ed, _ileposei ), that they !_,aw a _written order_, _signed by Mr Suiher, Factor on _the _estate or _Sutherland , _prohibiting _every t ' en.ml on Iho _Sutherland esian_; from _griititin_^ any re fuge to the ejected persons, on _pain of heing _liiemselves _ejerled _; and _the order alluded to _also _contained _adcclaraiion to llie _effect_, thatnny person giving such refuge should _lie _liable (or nil _arrears _tiuo by the _person to _whom _they gave _shelter; (_signed ) _Donald Loyn, John _Murray. _George _Ciuuii, _Donald _Sulheilaati_, John _Sutherland, Corn . and J._i_._'.

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