Oor ain folk times

LEGAL TROUBLES 63
summonses, if the terms of them had been complied
with or enforced by compulsitors of law, would
have occasioned the removal of 257 individuals, or
about a fourth part of the whole population of the
parish. Perhaps there was no intention of enforcing
them ; but they were the first steps in a legal process
to compel or obtain the removal of those who would
not abandon the Free Church. This, I think now, was
the end which it was intended by them to accomplish ;
but which, however, it signally failed to do, as not one
of them left the Free Church. Still they occasioned a
great deal of annoyance, and even bad feeling on the
part of members of the Establishment against the Free
Church ; they put a stop for a time to all improve-
ments ; they were not withdrawn, and much unneces-
sary expense was occasioned by them in the payment of
sheriffs'-officers, messengers, law-agents, etc. The only
one that it was attempted to enforce was the one against
myself. After the church was erected I had repeatedly
said that, if I were paid what are called ameliorations,
or the expenses I had laid out in draining, liming, and
improving the land, to the amount of nearly £100, I
would give it up at once. This the landlord's agents
would not consent to do, and my friends strongly
advised me to let the case go before the Sheriff, urging
that, if I were now to give in, I would not only lose all
the money I had laid out in improvements, but it would
encourage the continuation of the prosecutions against
others, who had not such good defences as my missive
lease gave to me. My case, therefore, went into Court,
and with the glorious delay and uncertainty of law,
dragged along its weary length till the 7 th December,