Il6 THE HIGHLAND CLEARANCES. 



dents to appear at the bar. In the special circumstances of 

 this case I shall ask your lordships to allow us to send the 

 order by registered letter. 



The Lord-President What is the order you ask for ? 



Mr. Murray The order I ask for is to ordain the respon- 

 dents to appear at the bar. 



Lord Mure How many respondents are there ? 



Mr. Murray There are five of them. 



The Lord-President Have you any precedent for that 

 mode of sending an order, Mr. Murray ? 



Mr. Murray No, my lord : there is no authority. I think 

 the matter is entirely in your lordships' hands. The matter 

 is not regulated by any express enactment. The Act of 

 Sederunt that deals with it is 28, which simply says that the 

 procedure shall be, so far as possible, the same as the 

 procedure in a petition and complaint against the freeholders. 

 Your lordships see that this is really simply intimating an 

 order of Court, and one great reason for this, without 

 directing your attention to any other special circumstances, 

 is the very large expense that is incurred by service in such 

 a remote part. The service in this case practically costs 

 ^40. Now, there have already been three services. There 

 was first the original service of interdict; and then there 

 was the service of interim interdict ; and then, lastly, there 

 was the service of the petition and complaint. 



The Lord-President Is there any messenger-at-arms ? 



Mr. Murray There is nobody nearer than Glasgow or 

 Inverness. 



Lord Mure What do you say the expense was? 



Mr. Murray ^40 on each occasion. ^30 of fee, and 

 ;io of expenses. 



The Lord-President Is there a Sheriff Court officer in 

 Skye? 



