Series 6 > Highland destitution of 1837

PETITIONS, MEMORIALS, RESOLUTIONS AND REPORTS
221
also cottars paying no rents, such persons not having the means of supplying
themselves. Aware, however, of the duty of the proprietors to aid in this matter,
the committee required a guarantee of a partial payment by them at Candlemas
1838 of the seed distributed in their lands; and the district committees appointed
to distribute the supphes were empowered, in their discretion, to afford gratuitous
relief only to those paying under £5 of rent. The committee have to report that,
from returns received from the district committees, the supphes of seed appear
to have been confined, with few exceptions, to tenants paying under £5 of rent,
and a great proportion distributed to persons paying no rent. These supphes of
seed were partly furnished by Government, who evinced the greatest readiness to
cooperate in the important matter in which the committee was engaged, having
first ascertained through the commissioner Mr Graham, that the destitution was
even greater than had first been reported.
At a very early stage of the proceedings, it was resolved that a deputation
should proceed to London, not only with a view of procuring subscriptions,
but for the further object of bringing under the notice of Government the
extent of the destitution and the various causes which had led to the same, in
the expectation that Government would come forward liberally in aid of the
subscriptions, and also arrange with reference to an extensive emigration from
the distressed districts. The deputation consisted of the Rev. Dr Macleod, Mr
Bowie WS and Mr Charles R. Baird of Glasgow, to whom the Government
evinced every disposition to meet the objects they had in view, and here the
committee deem it their duty to record their sense of the indefatigable exertions
of the deputation.
From the very full and able reports published by the Glasgow committee
and which have shown the urgency and the extent of the destitution, as well
as the principles and nature of the joint operations of the two committees, this
committee feel it to be unnecessary to go into any detail on these subjects;
they therefore confine this report to the more immediate objects of their own
labours.
From the annexed abstract state, it will be seen that very large supphes of seed
were forwarded to the Highlands and Islands, including Orkney and Shetland;
and here it is right to state that, with reference to the supplies sent to Orkney
and Shetland, this committee were greatly assisted by a committee established
at Aberdeen for the purpose of more immediately attending to these distant
districts. From the returns received, the committee feel themselves warranted
in assuring the public that the supphes of food, clothing and seed which were
furnished by the several committees have proved of the most incalculable benefit
to the poor people who were so relieved; although the committee regret to state
that in some districts of the country, and particularly in Shetland, a north-east
gale and a severe frost materially injured some of the crops.
The committee subjoin a statement of the funds, from which it will be
observed that a balance of £3,084 -6-2 'A remains in their hands. That statement