THE AUTUMN CAMPAIGN. ID/ 



While strong efforts were being made in private to induce 

 his Lordship to yield, the following letter, refusing the ex- 

 pected military force, was received from the Lord Advocate 

 by the Sheriff of the County : 



Whitehall, 3rd November, 1882. 



Sir, I received on the 28th ulto. the Report of the Procurator- Fiscal 

 at Portree, relative to the occurrences which took place at Braes on the 

 24th, and the precognitions referred to in the Report reached me on the 

 3Oth. These documents have been carefully considered, along with the 

 previous papers, and I have now to communicate to you the view enter- 

 tained by the Government on the subject to which they relate. 



It is clear that Lord Macdonald is entitled to have adequate protection 

 for the Messengers-at-Arm$ whom he may employ for the purpose of 

 serving writs upon the crofters at Braes, and the question to be deter- 

 mined is, by whom should that protecting force be provided, and should 

 it consist of police or soldiers ? 



The duty of preserving the peace and executing the law within the 

 County rests upon the County Authorities, who are by statute authorised 

 to provide and maintain a police force for these purposes. The number 

 of the force must necessarily depend upon the condition of the county, 

 and the nature of the services which require to be performed in it. 

 Recourse should not be had to military aid unless in cases of sudden riot 

 or extraordinary emergency, to deal adequately with which police can- 

 not be obtained, and soldiers should not be employed upon police duty 

 which is likely to be of a continuing character. From the various reports 

 which have been received, it appears that one or more places in the 

 Island of Skye are in a disturbed condition, though actual riot or violence 

 is not anticipated unless on the occasion of the service of writs, or the 

 apprehension of offenders, and it further appears, that any force em- 

 ployed in protecting the officers performing such duties would probably be 

 required not once only, but in connection with services falling to be made 

 throughout the successive stages of the process of Suspension and Inter- 

 dict, and of the Petition for Breach of Interdict, by which it would, in 

 all likelihood, be followed. It further seems to be the view of the 

 Authorities in Skye that the force would require to remain in the Island 

 for a considerable time. These considerations have led the Government 

 to the conclusion that they ought not to sanction the employment of a 

 military force under existing circumstances, but that the County 

 Authorities should provide or obtain the services of such a force of police 



