209. In a letter, dated February 13, 1888, from Robert M. Brereton, Sutherland Estate manager, to Cochran Patrick, Scottish Office minister, concerning law and order at the Clashmore Farm in Sutherland, it was revealed that Sheriff McKenzie had withdrawn police assistance on the basis that in “his opinion the people of Clashmore had acted nobly since the service of the interdicts, and that they would continue to act so.” It was further revealed that Brereton had responded by writing: “It is the undoubted opinion of the estate management that this sudden removal of the Police, the only protecting force, was a grave mistake.” He continued: “I must say that I think His Grace the Duke of Sutherland, who is the largest Rate and Taxpayer in the County, has every right to complain of the extraordinary action of the authorities in leaving these people to continue such bold and wholesale lawlessness and to refuse to give the protection asked for.” N.A.S., Series 36–53, “Papers relating to Crofting Disturbances,” AF67/41, “13 Feb. 1888, Letter from Brereton to Cochran Patrick.” Brereton was seeking help from Lord Lothian, which he claims had been promised by Lord Salisbury, prime minister (1885 to 1892), and Arthur Balfour, secretary of state for Scotland (1886 to 1887). In response, Lord Lothian, wrote: “It makes absolutely no difference to the requirements of the maintenance of law and order whether they pay 100% or 1% of rates and this kind of argument only prejudices his case.” In further correspondence, it was revealed that Mr Sutherland had complained in a letter that Sheriff McKenzie and a few of the Duke's factors had acted as commissioners of supply without any legal right to do so. Ibid., AF67/42, “12 Mar. 1888, Letter from Brereton to Cochran Patrick, Clashmore.” According to Sheriff Cheyne: “On the whole matter I feel warranted in saying that if no graver objections can be brought forward than are symbolized in Mr Sutherland's letter, there is no serious fault to be found with them in which the County business in conducted, and I must express my sincere regret that Mr Sutherland, instead of taking a fair share of the County work, should have troubled the Secretary for Scotland with what I cannot but characterize as a string of trifling complaints against his brother Commissioners, from whose meetings he has for some years back been systematically absent himself owing, it is commonly believed, to a feeling of soreness at having been ousted from the Convenership of the County.” Ibid., AF67/43, “5 May 1888, Letter Sheriff Cheyne to Cochran Patrick.” For more on land reclamation and popular protest in the Highlands, see Tindley, Annie, “‘The Iron Duke’: Land Reclamation and Public Relations in Sutherland, 1868–95,” Historical Research 82 (2007): 303–19CrossRefGoogle Scholar.