•2792' ''« ik^ commotions in R'jfsjUn. 297 



THOUGHTS ON THEPRESENT COMMOTIONS IN ROSS-SHIRE. 



Some popular commotions have of late taken place in 

 Rofsihire, which demand the most serious attention of 

 government, as they proceed neither from wantonnefs and 

 turbulence of disposition among the people, as some will 

 represent, nor from a cruel and opprefsive disposition in 

 landlords, as most people here seem willing to believe. 

 They proceed entirely fiom a defective system of legisla- 

 tion that I have often been obliged to reprehend on for- 

 mer occasions, which has been adopted by our govern- 

 ment, and persisted in, merely from the men in admini- 

 stration being unacquainted with the real state of these 

 countries, and unconscious of the exceeding pernicious 

 tendency of those measures, to a part of the country, 

 which, if under proper management, would soon be pro- 

 ductive of a high revenue to the state, instead of being a 

 heavy deduction from ii, as it is at present j — a part of 

 a country which in some future day will be the seat of 

 industrj-, of arts, of wealth, and national resources, when 

 the other parts of it (hall be sunk in vicious debility aivi 

 difsipation. 



It is long since I pointed out the impoliibility of avoid- 

 ing that very distrefs which now exists ; — what I then 

 •said was disregarded ; — what I (hall now add may perhaps 

 -be disregarded also ; but the urgency of the case seems to 

 give room to hope it may perhaps in some measure be ad- 

 verted to. If it (hould not, I fliall at least have the con- 

 scious recollection of having done what was incumbent on 

 me, to alleviate the distrefses of the country. At a future 

 period perhaps it may be reverted to. 



VOJ.. X. p p -J- 



