INTRODUCTION. XI 



Mr. Alexander Macdonald, has not, in his long and from 

 his stand-point able statement, read before the Commis- 

 sion, made any attempt to rebut a single statement which 

 has been hitherto made. 



Mr. Donald Macdonald, the famous " Tormore," fails to 

 contradict anything which I have written of his factorial 

 rule in Glendale, or elsewhere ; on the contrary, he admits 

 it all and much more. At page 15, he is referred to in his 

 capacity of judge, and before the Commission he fully 

 accepted the position. In a curiously-involved statement 

 at Portree he declared in this connection that, "In his 

 capacity of factor, justice of the peace, and general well- 

 wisher of the people, it had fallen to his lot to decide two 

 cases against Peter Mackinnon, postmaster, Glendale ". 

 Referring to the harsh notice which he had issued against 

 the people of Glendale for trespassing on the lands of 

 Waterstein, he not only admits having issued it, but adds 

 that perhaps it " was injudiciously worded and written in a 

 fit of temper ". " It was quite true," he also admits, " that 

 the small farm of Lowerkell was cleared and the larger 

 farm of Ramasaig partially and nearly completely so." He 

 confesses to having put the people on their guard against 

 reading certain newspapers and other literature, and then 

 makes the important admission, from him, that, "taking 

 the whole Island," for which he was mainly responsible, 

 "there was some foundation for the discontent that had 

 been manifested ; " and when asked, " Can you suggest 

 any remedies ? " he replied, " Give them more land, with all 

 my heart," and " I would put them on such a footing that 

 they could not be deprived of their lands according to the 

 whim of any proprietor, and certainly not of a factor. It 

 would be a very unhappy thing if matters remained as at 

 present." When examined a few days earlier at Isle Ornsay 



