of his starvation system, that he occasionally frightens the Board with the possible loss of his services if his rigorous rule should be infringed upon by any looser dietarians. "I beg the Board," quoth the Captain, " to be assured, that neither obloquy nor opposition, were it greater than it is, (and which it cannot easily be) shall induce the yielding one fractionable (sic) part of the system that I hold to be alone safe, sufficient, and humane, to noisy clamour or greedy laziness." In a nice little billet from Caithness the Captain gets very sentimental, and alleges that "in furtherance of the benevolent intentions of the public, it has been my painful lot to feel myself opposed in opinion (no wonder) to the general sense of philanthropic residents in some districts, and that in following out my views of stern, uncompromising propriety, I may have brought upon the Board an unmerited, not I fear unmitigated expression of disapprobation and unpopularity." But it seems the Board could not help themselves in this matter-for the virtuous Eliott awfully adds-" I emphatically warn the Board, that any material departure from their now recognised principles, will involve them in an amount of moral responsibility, that I must respectfully but firmly decline to share as their executive agent." This threat was terrific! Time was when it might have been said or sung.

We trust we have within our realm

Five hundred good as he!

But even in this new era of enlightened economists, it was not easy to meet with a man so conscientiously resolved to starve his fellow-mortals-therefore, the Captain's stern sway and ample salary were compliantly continued, so as to ensure the permanent existence of public hunger! As all Captain Eliott's acts were ratified by his nominal superiors, (though in truth the Captain, backed by Treasury Trevelyan, was more potent than his masters), I shall take occasion in another letter to examine the Board's proceedings-premising, however, that the Glasgow Section disclaim Captain Eliott-who must be deemed the "child and champion" of the Edinburgh Committee.-I am, Sir, your obedient servant, THOMAS MULOCK.

Inverness, 4th January 1850.

THE HIGHLAND DESTITUTION RELIEF BOARD.

In a former communication on this subject, which was necessarily thrown into an epistolatory shape, we find we did more towards exhausting the theme than we were conscious of at the time; for we pointed out the false principles which had pervaded all the Board's operations. None of their acts could possibly be right, if their system was wrong; and we sturdily maintain this latter proposition, in despite of all the self-gratulation with which their voluminous reports constantly teem. Therefore we feel utterly disinclined to enter into an examination of the details furnished by the Board for the information of the public; and we are quite sure that the loudest outcry against their lavish and misapplied expenditure will not recover one farthing from the parties who have had the mismanagement of some two hundred thousand pounds. The money is irrevocably passed away; and where presides the power that can bring home responsibility to the members of a charitable confederation? As we have referred to reports published by the Edinburgh section, we cannot avoid remarking that these exceedingly verbose productions are written in the worst possible taste, and are barren of any valuable information; whereas the short reports of the Glasgow section are really important and instructive, particularly with reference to the state of Mull, Ulva, Iona, &c. It is true that the Rev. Dr Mackay of Dunoon impeaches the accuracy of some representations made by a deputation of the section, but we are strongly disposed to credit their stateThe question hotly mooted by Dr Mackay and others, as to the evil influence of certain grants of money in promoting compulsory emigration, is, we think, mixed up with considerable misapprehension. In our own peregrinations, we instituted the most anxious inquiries upon this point, and the result was a clear conviction that no emigration movement had been originated by collusive compact between proprietors and the Highland Destitution Board. We must, however, admit, that in most instances the conditions which accompanied the advances have been scandalously violated. Let Mr Baird proceed incog. to Glenelg or Lochalsh, and ascertain how far the stipulations respecting the enlargement of crofts by the distribution of land formerly held by emigrants have been observed; and we pledge ourselves that he will come

ment.

back quite persuaded that his agreements with Highland magnates were mere moonshine! All these forced expatriations are, in truth, the product of blind oppression on the part of the proprietors; and consequently the poor creatures who remain are never benefited by the departure of the wretched beings who remove. Shipload after shipload might be dispatched from Glenelg, but Mr Baillie's possessions would only exhibit more solitude and unfruitfulness; for he has no liberality of mind or largeness of heart to fit him for being the benefactor of the crushed cultivators of the soil. Whatsoever sums, therefore, have been squandered on Mr Baillie or other landlords, with the view of ameliorating the condition of crofters remaining on their estates, may be considered as wholly thrown away; whereas, if any funds have been so applied as to increase the comforts of emigrants during their voyage, the bounty of the Board was, we conceive, humanely and properly bestowed. The subject of emigration leads us to remark, that much of the supplemental misery in the towns of Scotland is occasioned by the influx of immigrants. Penetrate into the wynds of Edinburgh, Glasgow, or, in short, any town of magnitude, and you will find that the pauper population is continually receiving accessions from the rural districts, where the peasantry have been ruthlessly dispossessed of their little holdings. In this way, the poor's rate of towns is incessantly increased by the impolicy and injustice of landed proprietors, who drive their dependants elsewhere to acquire a settlement of sorrowful pauperization.

Now, one of the vaunted purposes of the Highland Destitution Board was to check the progress of pauperism in those distressed districts where their relief operations were chiefly carried on. Mr Skene, in a letter to Captains Eliott and Craigie, dated September 1849, states this-but in the periphrastic style which characterises all his compositions. "The committee have been desirous so to regulate the employment of the people, as to encourage habits of industry—to stimulate those resources upon which the people must depend, when all extraneous assistance is withdrawn-and to leave behind them works of permanent utility to the community." All this sounds very fine; but we think it would puzzle Mr Skene or his aides-des-camp to fix their finger on a single locality throughout the Highlands and Islands where these objects have been attained. We can aver for ourselves, that we have travelled in the tracks of the Board's relief operations, and that we could never

meet with the marks of any permanent improvement effected by the labours of their officials. We found a huge staff of stipendiaries on liberal pay; and multitudes of starving supplicants receiving a modicum of meal which barely sustained life, and for which an amount of labour was exacted such as only good wages would have warranted; and this we proclaim to be the cruel error which converted the beneficence of the public into an instrument of churlish oppression. The staple food of the peasantry had wholly failed, and subsistence for the destitute must be introduced into the famine-stricken districts. With such ample resources as were commanded by the Board, there was no difficulty in securing supplies of food, and in distributing it to famishing families. To establish a centrical store-to relieve applicants in the first pressing instance -and then to record the names and abodes of all relieved, so as to test their condition by means of active, close enquiry-these were the duties of the Board's officers. But this scrutiny was too troublesome for Captain Eliott and his subordinates; and to ease themselves, while ruling rigorously over the destitute, the so-called destitution test was mischievously concerted, and mercilessly enforced. Every one now knows that relief was refused to famishing Highlanders except on the condition of giving a day's work for a pound of meal! The Eliott test, or death by starvation, being the only alternative, thousands of miserable human beings were made to work for a quantum of food which, in the case of an able-bodied unemployed man, would do no more than maintain mere existence. As the common calamity, moreover, was the failure of subsistence, the least gleam of wisdom would have enlightened the Board into the propriety of extending corn cultivation in lieu of the perished potato, and thus turning misfortune to account, by enlarging and ameliorating the agriculture of the Highlands. But no! Following the preposterous plans which Treasury Trevelyan had perpetrated in Ireland, the peasantry were formed into gangs, to begin useless roads, never meant to be finished; nor could efficient labour be expected from such miserably fed road-makers. We have seen scores of these abortive undertakings, disgraceful proofs of the utter incompetency of the Board's officers; nor have we ever noticed a completed piece of road, except where some private interest had exercised a jobbing influence. But the pith of our censure is directed against the fatal loss of opportunity for calling forth the industry of the Highlanders. With such a com

mand of capital, the Board might have infused the elements of prosperous energy into the most distressed districts; and dissipated sloth by giving adequate encouragement to honest exertion. The people might have been employed in improving the approaches to their little towns, which, in winter, are all but inaccessible. They might have been aided in the cultivation of their own crofts; and seed (which the board obstinately persisted in refusing) should most certainly have been distributed to them. Succours of various kinds, all tending not only to relieve present wants, but to promote permanent benefit, would readily have suggested themselves to minds capable of comprehending the truth, that it was a charitable fund which the Board had the administration of, not a poor's rate, to be allocated according to positive law. And this, in fact, was the Board's monstrous and incurable blunder. They dealt with the poor, designed to be relieved by the product of philanthropic contribution, more rigorously than paupers were dealt with by the officials who doled out pittances provided by compulsory taxation. No parochial potentates ever practised the tithe of the severities conjunctly devised, and inflicted by Mr Skene and Captain Eliott. We write from the vivid recollection of the tyranny we witnessed; and in an early article we shall, we think, succeed in shewing how the benevolence of the bountiful has been frustrated by the abominable system which the Highland Destitution Board has sanctioned. They have not only counteracted the charitable purpose confided to them for execution, but they have gone far to dry up the fountains of public sympathy, inasmuch as a great trust, created in behalf of the poor, has fallen into faithless hands. Let us not be misunderstood. We do not charge the Highland Board with criminal malversation; but we allege, that their want of judgment has been as injurious as fraud or embezzle

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PRESENT DESTITUTION IN THE HEBRIDES-HIGHLAND RELIEF

BOARD.

We have received from different correspondents, on whose truth and accuracy we are justified in placing dependence, very distressing details of the lamentable destitution which at this moment prevails in Skye, Lewis, and other islands. Statements are made to us which, if addressed to other quarters, would be treated with