294 HISTORY OF THE OUTER HEBRIDES. 



initiated by Sir George Mackenzie of Rosehaugh in the 

 teeth of the free burghs. In 1690, another Act was passed, 

 expressing the law as it stood in respect of these privileges, 

 the enforcement of which became increasingly difficult, 

 until, in 1846, they were abolished for ever. 



These, then, were trie circumstances under which Lord 

 Seaforth set out for London to obtain a charter of erection 

 for Stornoway. Without the charter, the burgh was useless 

 as a centre of foreign trade ; for the produce of the island 

 and of the sea which surrounded it, had to pass through 

 Inverness, or other Royal burghs, which fattened on Storno- 

 way 's loss. And the import trade of Lewis with foreign 

 countries, was similarly hampered by the existing system 

 of monopolies. The Lewis traders could only retail foreign 

 merchandise, which they had bought from the freemen of 

 Royal burghs. Seaforth's representations to the King 

 proved successful ; he secured a charter, and thereupon 

 petitioned the Convention of Royal burghs to give effect 

 to it. On 1 3th June, 1628, the Convention of burghs 

 considered the petition, and after " mature deliberatioun," 

 decided against it. The grounds upon which this decision 

 was based were twofold, material and technical. It was 

 argued that the proposed erection would prove prejudicial 

 to a number of adjacent burghs, especially of Tain and 

 Inverness. It was objected that Stornoway would become 

 the depot of the Highlands and Isles for articles of export, 

 such as beef and tallow, forbidden to burghs of barony ; 

 and lying so remote, would carry on an uncontrolled trade 

 in those commodities ; that the trade in cattle and fish, 

 which formed a source of profit to the adjacent Royal 

 burghs, would be diverted to Stornoway ; and particularly, 

 that the benefits of the fishing of those parts, " which is the 

 only fischeing of this countrey," would fall into the hands 

 of the Hollanders whom Seaforth proposed to import for 

 the development of the industry. 



A technical objection to the charter was founded on the 

 law and practice of the country, which provided that the 

 privileges of a Royal burgh could only be conferred upon 



