The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

The Highland Monthly.
written about 1755, by Bailie Duncan Fraser on his own
behalf, and that of his co-owners of the four coble fishings
of Ness, which, though confused, is interesting in many
respects.
William Fraser of Bught, also Town Clerk of Inverness,
having attempted to close the roads or passages to the
Islands along the west bank of the River Ness, the
matter came into Court. Bailie Fraser's Memorandum,
couched in severe terms as regards the Town Clerk, is here
quoted :
—
" Hints of Replys to Clk fifrasers answers that the first
Petition was so far from being ill-founded, that the second
is the same, and if the sheriff will take cognizance of it, he
will soon be convinced of the justness of the Petitioners
side of the question, and the ridiculous pretensions of the
Respondents, particularly the proprietor of Kilvean, the
other persons names being borrowed only by him.
"The Petitioners cannot forbear wishing that the former
judges had acted more like Magistrates of the Good Town
of Inverness. The Respondents low insinuations of
Christianity, good neighbourhood, and members of one
community, as if the Petitioners should compound this
affair with him, after he had committed a very rash and
presumptuous step, by cutting and ticking possession of
ground he can have no right to, which he will find ; and the
further he follows it will bring him less advantage or
credite. His alleadging the Petitioners have no right, is
like the man, for he knows Mr Duff's right as well as
Duncan Fraser's, as he is keeper of the Register that contains
them. He knows that the Lords some five years agoe
removed Mr Duff's tenant in his fishing after such prors as
he obliged him to bring the cause before them. However,
our rights are produced.
" The sarcasm of the Petitioners ignorance in their own
rights, is so indiscreet as not worth answer. He goes on
with a detail of his letting grounds in Tack to Robert
Anderson, &c., pretending his ignorance with respect to the
intention of building a flour mill there, this is of a piece
with the rest, for besides the said flour miln he is m terms
with oyrs who are to build a snuff miln and a bleaching
miln. He must have he says for himself all on the banks
of the River Ness, which banks belong to the Town of