THE CROFTERS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1475, 5 February 1887, Page 3

THE CROFTERS

We have often heard wonder expressed when the question of crofter immigration has been under discussion, that the inhabitants of the Highlands and Islands should be co impracticable, bu difficult tj deal with In any way, bo sow to discern their own interests, —m a word, so different from the shrewd, baainese-like, energeiio, intelligent Scottish people generally. It has been suggested by (Lose who have taken an active interest m this question, tbat the best way to move the crofters towards emigration to fiew Zealand would be through their ministers, who have been represented as men of high qualities and great personal influence. Iv reality, however, a:l these ideas appear to be the result of cheer ignorance of tho condition of the crofters or rather, of a mistaken notion that they resemble other inhabitants of Scotland, except m bo far as they are poorer and more remote from business channels cf the world's affairs. Tbe facts which were comnauuioated to the Commission of the General Assembly of the Ohurch of fccotlaud, which recently met at ildinburgb, should go Borne way to dispel these misconceptions. They show that the inhabitants of the Hebrides, at all events, are m Bach a state of neglect that all we have hfaid about their degradation and impracticability is easily explained. The reports laid before the Commission deal only witb the state of Churoh matters ; but from them may be gathered a pretty good idea of the condition of the people. It was found m fche island of Barra, out of a population of 2,200 there were 1,980 Roman Catholic*, and of the remainder only 100 belonged to the Ohurch of Sootland. For thiß little flock two Ministers were supposed to be provided, but the senior Minister had lived at Glasgow for ten years, and drew not only his own stipend, but that of the junior, who rented the manse and the glebe from him and got his living by farming. The parish Ohurch wbb tumbling down, communion was only held once a year, and there was no school. In South Diet, tbe moßt populous parish m the Freabytery, things were still worse. The parish Church had been disused for ten years, and there were no services except at rare intervals. Tbe Minister drew an allowance of £60 a year, m lieu of mai.se and glebe, but was m reality a large sheep-farmer, paying a rent of £230 a year to the landlord. The majority tf the population were Roman Catholics, but moot of the others attended no church at all. At Tarbert, iv the Island of Harris, the Church of Sootland was found t> be practically extinct. The Ohuroh had been converted into a pos - office, and the manse and glebe were m (he possession of the village doctor. The ohurch of Robel, m the south of the island, having been long disused, bad been fitted up as an episcopal chspel for the Oounteßß of Duumore. At Bernera, between Harris and North Uift, there has been to communion since 1843, do Kiik Bes«ion, no roll, no record of any description. The Church had fallen to ruios. The state of things at Trumisgarry was said to be worse thun that at Beroera. The Commissioners reported generally the religious condition of the Hebrides was eotndaloua, the people m many places falling m large numbers into total Indifference, and reoommnnded that the whole Presbyteiy be oited to appear at the bar of the General .Assembly. Their Report affords a Btaoge and startling commentaiy on thu vigour and success with which Presbyterian missions are carried on m the Pacific and other fields of labour among savage races ; und at the same time it gives a picture of the social condition of the Hebrides, which leaves little cause for wonder at the people falling to *he rear m the march of civilisat ion. — Wellington Press.