EMIGRATION AND ITS CAUSES. 479 



emigration might, it was thought, only tend to give a fresh 



fillip to the movement. Besides this consideration, there 



was the further drawback, that no judge or magistrate 



" known in the law " resided in Lewis, who could give 



the necessary authority for acting in a military capacity. 



The only suggestion that could be made for remedying an 



admittedly unsatisfactory state of affairs, was for the Sheriff 



of Ross-shire, in whose jurisdiction the island lay, to grant 



a commission to some "person of character," appointing 



him Sheriff-Substitute of Lewis ; from which it appears 



that Sheriff-Substitute Colin Mackenzie, " who never held 



a Court," was not permitted to bequeath that office to his 



successors in the factorship. In 1785 a recommendation 



I was made to Parliament by a committee appointed to 



| consider the economic conditions of the islands, that 



} Skye, Lewis, and Shetland be erected into three new 



I and separate sheriffdoms ; but the recommendation never 



! took effect. 



Although the difficulty of the Government interfering 

 I with the flow of emigration was felt, it was nevertheless 

 i considered by the Home Office that some steps should be 

 taken to regulate the trade. It was therefore proposed, 

 ostensibly as a check on the abuses of recruiting, and in 

 order to ensure the comfort of the emigrants on board 

 ; ship, that the masters of vessels be compelled to clear at 

 known ports of the kingdom under the inspection of 

 Customs officers, who should have power to refuse clear- 

 ances in cases where the accommodation and provisions 

 I for the passengers were insufficient. It was believed that 

 this supervision would act indirectly as a check on emi- 

 gration, inasmuch as it would reduce the profits of ship- 

 owners, who would be compelled to raise the fares. By 

 thus increasing the cost of emigrating through the en- 

 hanced fares, and the expense of reaching the ports of 

 embarkation it was hoped that some discouragement 

 would be given to the movement. But above all, the 

 proposed supervision would " prevent violence and unfair 

 seduction," and bring the trade more immediately under 



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