'A creat deni of interesting evidence as to the condition of the Highlands has been given before the Croftera' Commission, Some of it is amusing, and the peppery temper of the Highland witnesses occasionally showed itself, As was to be expected, the charges of rack-renting, evicting, avd general oppression and heartlessness, whioh were in many cases brought against the landlords lave been met by state ments of constant liberality and kind-lines towards the tenants. According the proprietors, the farms and crofts are let at fair rents, but the people are generally lazy and have been made discontented by the atte of agitators, The Free Church clergy are said to have been very active in fomenting the disquiet of the last year or two. They really appear to have supported of the crofters in many districts, and no doubt gave groat umbrage to Inirds and factors, Lairds are often easygoing mortals, who, as long as they can live well, have nob much objection to tonaute, while they live badly, grumbling, But such things as a crofter's discontent enter a factor's soul like iron, and very rusty iron too, As they are more exaoling and ed to deal liberally with the complaints of the tonante than are the proprietors whom they serve. Possibly the Free Church clergy may in some oases have been over zealous in championing the real o rights of the oroflers a Inirds and the factors, There seems also to have been another olaso arrayed against the crofters; the grent farmers in Caithnesshire and of counties. The strong ex parte atatements made on both sides will no doubt be reduced to their real value, in the Report which the Royal Commission will present to Parliament, Meanwhile, many interesting matters have been stated to the Commission, some of which are beyond the region of controversy. The animus of Free Church clergymon, however virulently displayed, cannot affect the great quea~ tions of the price of mutton, or sheep farming on a largo scale, Que witness, the factor on a largo estate, says that sheep farming was prosperous until 1866, since when there has been a gradual decline in the profits, owing, mainly, to wool having greatly fallen in price. Sheep, however, have advanced from twenty to thirty per cent. in value according to the breed. Sheep farms, the same witness states, were offered this year at reductions of twenty-five to thirty-five por cent, on the rentals, This unfortunate state of affairs axiated in spite of a very serious reduction having taken place in the number of sheep in England during late years, by which the value of Scottish sheep ought. have been increased. Since 1879 the number of sheep in England has fallen from twenty-eight millions to twenty-four millions, while the number in Sootiand—over 6,800,000—
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.