46 HISTORY OF THE OUTER HEBRIDES. 



in respect both of fishing and seal catching, which were 

 intended for the general good. A close time was doubtless 

 observed ; we know, at any rate, that the law of seal- 

 catching contained this provision. 



In modern times, the question of " commons " has again 

 and again formed in the Outer Hebrides a bone of con- 

 tention between the people and their proprietors. Believing 

 that, from time immemorial, their forefathers possessed 

 inalienable rights in those lands, the crofters have resented 

 any attempts to encroach upon their privileges. It would 

 not be difficult to produce strong presumptive evidence 

 in support of these traditional claims. That the rights 

 existed during the Norse occupation is more than likely, 

 and that they were subsequently respected by their feudal 

 Superiors is suggested by the persistence of the tradition. 



The judicial and legislative functions exercised by 

 the Things of Norway were of a thoroughly democratic 

 character. Representative government was dear to the 

 hearts of the Norsemen. In its essence, the system of 

 representation bears a striking analogy to the Presbyterian 

 method of Church government, and its similarity to the 

 legislative system of the United States of America is still 

 more remarkable. The principle of local government was 

 much in favour with the Norse colonists : the District and 

 Parish Councils and Parochial Boards of the present day 

 had their prototypes in the Norse colonies a thousand years 

 ago. Meetings for settling local affairs were known by 

 different names, according to the nature of the business to 

 be transacted. Thus, the Hof-Thing dealt with religious 

 matters ; the Hus-Thing with domestic affairs ; the Log- 

 Thing was a Court of Law ; the Leidar-Thing a War 

 Council ; the Hreppa-mot an assemblage of the skatt breth- 

 ren of ^hrepp or skathald', and a Her ads-Things, meeting of 

 the inhabitants of a Jierad* The functions of the Al- Thing, 

 or Allsherjar-Thing (Thing of all the hosts) were the most 



* The union of several townships formed a hrepp, the community sharing 

 the pasture (moar or moor) and the skatt exacted from strangers. A combina- 

 tion of hrepps formed a htrad. 



