hear an expression of opinion on the alternatives submitted, in view of the Order receiving the assent of Parliament.

Ex-Provost Wilson, Pollokshaws, moved that it be left to the Executive of the Federation, in conjunction with representatives of the Greenock Burns Club, with full powers to determine which of the three alternatives they should accept.

Mr Pollock thought they were going a little bit too fast if they imagined that the last word had been said on this subject. Although the preamble of the Order had been proved, he had been informed that if they could create a sufficient amount of national interest in the matter they would make the House of Commons and the House of Lords pause before they gave their final sanction, and certainly they still had two or three months to do a part which some of them had already tried to do. Mr Pollock moved :

66

That this meeting of the Burns Federation, as Burnsians and as Scotsmen, tender their heartiest thanks to Mr R. L. Scott, Mr J. B. Morison, Mr T. B. Rowan, Mr Grierson Macara, and other members of the Greenock Burns Club for their noble and patriotic opposition to the proposal to sell and remove the ancient Greenock West Church and churchyard, and that all present hereby pledge themselves to do all in their power to oppose the passing into law of the Greenock Improvement Provisional Order, 1919, so far as that Order threatens the preservation of this church and churchyard, and so prevent an indelible disgrace being inflicted upon the name and fame of Scotland and Scotsmen. And this meeting further appeals to all Scottish Societies to aid in this opposition, and so maintain the sacredness of all burial grounds in Scotland, and the permanent validity of the title deeds of all lairholders, whether poor or rich."

Proceeding, Mr Pollock urged upon the members of the Federation to write their various Members of Parliament and protest against this proposed desecration. If they did that he was sure they would find their legislators

sympathetic and anxious to know all the facts.

They did not protest against the Provisional Order in its entirety, but only as it affected the kirkyard, and as a lairholder himself he wanted to know if it was true that the promoters actually assumed that a lairholder had no property in his lair further than the burial rights. He held that the six feet by two of a lairholder was as much his property as if it were a thousand acres.

Mr Grierson Macara, as a lairholder who had opposed the Provisional Order and as a member of the Greenock Burns Club, explained that there were certain circumstances which had prevented the Burns Club from taking any definite action in this matter. These circumstances had been such as to cause suspicion on the part of outsiders as to the intentions of the Greenock Burns Club. The Club, as such, had never been called together to deal with this matter, and therefore those of them who were members of the Club and who felt very strongly about it, had never had a chance of trying to influence the other members to take the action that they would have liked them to take. As they all knew, the preamble of the Order had been proved, but that did not mean that the Order itself had been passed. The Order became a Bill, and the Bill had to go through certain other stages in both Houses of Parliament before it became the law of the realm; and it was very important that the Burns Federation and all others who had opposed the Order should take no steps to stultify their position before the Bill came up for consideration, because it might be possible to get a blocking motion introduced in Parliament. They were still in the position of opposers of the Order and were still able to take such action as was open to them to oppose it, and there was no reason whatever why they should prejudice that position. It was not at all necessary to take immediate action as regards the letters which the President had read. Neither the Highland Mary statue nor the graveyard itself was going to be interfered with next week, or next month, or even next year. The scheme was a big scheme. It

involved the removal of a slum area in the immediate neighbourhood of the graveyard, and nothing could be done to remove that slum area until the people resident there were put into other houses. That could not be done until new houses were built, and they all knew that houses could not be erected before a considerable lapse of time, so that there was really no immediate hurry to accept or take advantage of the options which had been mentioned. He was sure they would all like to do the right thing, and he would suggest to them that as they did not know the surroundings of the place they might take an excursion to Greenock before coming to a decision. He thought they should still adopt a waiting attitude, leaving the matter in the hands of the Executive, and he would suggest that the Executive should co-opt some members of the Greenock Burns Club or some of the petitioners against the Order, and they could call the Federation together if there should be any need to take action quickly. But he was perfectly sure that that emergency would not arise before they had an opportunity of visiting the place and seeing the surroundings and deciding for themselves which of the three options would be the best to adopt. He strongly urged them not to act precipitately or to do anything that would prejudice the rights which the lairholders now possessed.

After some discussion, the amendment was withdrawn, and the whole matter was remitted to the Executive along with representatives of the Greenock Burns Club, with full powers to deal with it in the interests of the Federation.

EVIDENCE

AT THE

ENQUIRY.

MR DUNCAN M'NAUGHT, sworn.

Were you parish schoolmaster at Kilmaurs for fifty-two

years? Yes.

Are you a justice of the peace for the county of Ayr ?--Yes.
And also registrar for Kilmaurs ?-Yes, at one time, not now.

I think you have been interested in the Burns Federation since its commencement ?-Since 1885.

Were you one of the founders ?-The only one now living. Have you been a vice-president since the foundation ?-I have held office since the foundation, and been president for nine years. And editor of the Burns Chronicle for twenty-seven years? -Yes.

The honorary president is Lord Rosebery, and the honorary vice-president Andrew Carnegie ?—Yes. Lord Rosebery takes

a very great interest in our Federation.

Tell us what is the Burns Federation ?-It was formed first of all to unify the Burns Clubs throughout the world, so that we could take united action when any question cropped up.

It is the central association with which is linked up every Burns Every one is not federated, but they are coming in day by day. Last week we admitted a Burns Club from Sydney and one from Nova Scotia.

Club throughout the world?—Yes.

How many of those interested in Burns and his works does the Federation represent ?-It is difficult to answer exactly, but the number of Clubs in our Federation is about 262, and, taking the average, I think I represent 15,000 to 20,000 Burnsians.

That is exclusive of the Burns Clubs that are not federated. In that sense I represent 40,000 or 50,000.

I think the Burns Federation started the movement for a Chair of Scottish History ?-We were the first to advocate it, eighteen years before it took practical shape.

You contributed £5000 towards the endowment of the chair? -Yes, out of £20,000. The Corporation of Glasgow took it over, and the £20,000 was raised.

In recent years the Burns Federation has been active, and in some cases successful in national monuments and objects of national interest being preserved ?—Yes.

We

As an instance of that, you managed to save the Auld Brig of Ayr ?-Yes, it was entirely due to the Federation. approached Lord Rosebery, and he came to Ayr and addressed a mass meeting, and £10,000 was raised for the saving of the Auld Brig.

I think you also saved the Glenriddel manuscripts ?—Yes. We threatened the directors of the Liverpool Athenæum with a law action, and, through the generosity of Mr Gribbel, we saved these manuscripts. That was due to the Burns Federation.

The alarm as regards this Parish Church and churchyard, and, in particular, Highland Mary's grave, was sounded about May, 1917 ?-Yes, in the Glasgow Herald.

When that article appeared, was action taken by the Burns Federation ?--I was receiving letters from all quarters as to what action the Federation was likely to take, and my answer was that the policy would be directed at the September meeting of 1917.

Delegates were present at that meeting from the Greenock Burns Club, and they asked to be heard. We were then told that there was no proposal before Greenock or before the nation to desecrate the tomb of Highland Mary or to remove it. I thought that exceedingly strange, and I suggested a committee to act along with the Greenock representatives. I called a meeting of the committee, to ascertain if there was any danger of the grave being violated. The year 1918 passed, and there was no committee called, no word having reached us from Greenock. It came up again last September, when the secretary reported that the committee had no meeting, and therefore there was no report.

Before anything could be done to the churchyard, legislative sanction had to be obtained ?-I advised the Federation of that in 1917.

Who were the representatives of the Greenock Burns Club ?I think there was a Bailie M'Callum. It was he who assured us there was no proposal before Greenock or before the country. In 1918, when we reached the business, it was suggested that the question be now remitted to the Executive of our standing council, with powers to take whatever steps they thought fit. At that meeting, in September, 1918, there were representatives present from three clubs in Greenock-the Greenock Burns Club, the Cronies' Club, and St. John's Club. I put this motion to the meeting, and there was no counter motion and no dissent. They agreed to the instructions by the Federation that a delegate was to come here and oppose this Order.

So far as the associations affiliated with the Burns Federation are concerned, the proposal to oppose the Order was unanimous ; there was no dissent ?—No; the feeling was very strong.

I think you and Mr Ewing were appointed to attend the inquiry and oppose the Order ?-That is so.

Is it your desire that the grave and monument of Highland Mary should remain in its present surroundings in the churchyard of the old West Parish Church ?-It is our wish.

I think at one of your meetings it was suggested that the monument was not to be touched; it was to be left where it was ?Nothing official reached us, but we heard that there were two proposals by the promoters of this Provisional Order. One was to surround it with a wall. That, so far as I am personally concerned, I would not consider for a moment. The other proposal was to remove it to some other place, to whatever site the Burns Federation should indicate. I paid great attention to the remarks of the learned gentleman who spoke for the promoters, and heard what he said about a wall being built round the statue and the monument turned round the other way. I would like to know what public access to the monument is proposed to be given. I speak only