| Reference Number | 75 |
| Title | “Saor Mharsantachd” no Marsantachd Dhaor, agus mar a Bhuineas i ri Staid na ’n Croitearan |
| Author | Morrison, Peter |
| Editor | N/A |
| Date Of Edition | c.1905 |
| Date Of Language | early 20c |
| Date Of Language Ed | 1900-1949 |
| DateMacro | Early 20th c. |
| Date Of Language Notes | |
| Publisher | David MacDonald |
| Place Published | Edinburgh |
| Volume | N/A |
| Location | National Library of Scotland |
| Geographical Origins | Lewis |
| Geographical Origins Ed | Lewis |
| GeoMacro | Lewis |
| GeoX | -6.9155 |
| GeoY | 58.2178 |
| Geographical Origins Notes | |
| Register | Discourse, Prose (Political) |
| Register Ed | Education, Prose |
| Genre | Information |
| Medium | Prose |
| Rating | B A short essay on the implications for crofters of a proposed tax on imported goods. Deals with taxation, elections, crofting and political debate. Contains some passive and imperative verbal forms. |
| Alternative Author Name | Mac Ille Mhuire |
| Manuscript Or Edition | Ed. |
| Size And Condition | 23.7cm x 20.9cm |
| Short Title | Saor Mharsantachd |
| Reference Details | NLS: H.M.15 |
| Number Of Pages | 3 pages |
| Gaelic Text By | N/A |
| Illustrator | N/A |
| Social Context | This text comprises three pages printed on two leaves bound in a slim volume with 21 further blank leaves. The name at the end of the document is ‘Mac Ille Mhuire’, however, a pencil note on the inside cover states that the author is Peter Morrison. The NLS catalogue has Peter Morrison of Lewis. The Scottish Gaelic Union Catalogue also has Peter Morrison as the author. The text is an essay on the Government’s proposed tax on imported goods. The proposal was made by Joseph Chamberlain in 1902-03 and it appeared that Arthur Balfour, then leader of the Conservative party, was in agreement. Morrison is writing to crofters, as a crofter himself, to let them know the negative effects that such a tax would have on them, and encouraging them to vote against the proposal and its promoters. The first paragraph reads as follows: ‘Tha ceist shonraichte a togail aire Rioghachd Bhreatuinn bho chionn corr agus da bhliadhna a nis, agus tha e robh fheumail gu rannsaicheadh Croiteirean a mach air a son fhein, brigh agus suim na aiste so. Air an aobhar sin bheir mi oidhirp mar Chroitier [sic] aig a bheil co-fhaireachadh ri bhur suidheachadh air beagan phoingean a chuir f’ar comhair anns a chainnt mhathaireal, gu bhi soilleireachadh dhuibh nadur na ceist cudthromaich so, agus mar a bhuineas i ri staid nan Croiteirean’. It is likely that this article was written in the period 1904-06, i.e. before the 1906 General Election. The two leaves containing the article appear to have been folded in two places, suggesting that the binding was a later addition. There is no indication of whether the article was published in any format other than as two loose-leaf pages. |
| Contents | The author explains that there was once a tax on imported goods, but that it was abolished sixty years ago as many people, particularly poorer people, were suffering because of it. Morrison explains that to impose the tax again would be disastrous for crofters as they would have to pay more for their goods, and that any increase in prices would be passed down to them by the merchants. He looks in particular at the cases of oil and tea. He then examines Chamberlain’s reasons for proposing the tax, and challenges Chamberlain’s assessment of the benefits that would follow from its implementation. |
| Sources | |
| Language | This text is full of political and economic phraseology relating to the question of tax on goods, the forthcoming election, the poverty of crofters, and the arguments that have been raised against the tax. Examples include deasbaireachd agus comhstri mhor (p. 1), àm taghaidh fear-ionaid parlamaid (p. 1), an dleasdanas (p. 1), Gu bhi lan thuigsinn suim na ceiste (p. 1), Thog na cruaidh chàsan so buireas [sic] mor am measg an t-sluaigh (p. 1), air na laithean gortach duilich (p. 1), uile fheumalachd an duine bhochd (p. 1), Bha Breatunn ann an cunnart anabarrach gu’n eireadh stri agus mi-riaghailt innte troimh na laghanan cruaidh a bha air a sparradh air daoine bochda (p. 1), a bha na ceap-tuislidh do shoirbheachadh na riogachd [sic] gu h-iomlan (p. 2), staid an duine-bhochd (p. 2), trocaireach do’n duine-bhochd (p. 2), a bhiodh e gu bhur mor dhochair (p. 2), tuarisgeul cho mi-reusanta (p. 2), bho chaidh “Dorus Saor” fhosgladh (p. 2), a bhuaidh chomharaichte a bha aig an “t-saor mharsantachd” (p. 2), leis na “Tories” (p. 2), badhar tioram - mar a their sin (p. 2), air son bidhidh air tirean cein (p. 2), air neo-ni an coimeas ris a phris (p. 2), marsantan Bhreatuinn (p. 3), bha an oladh so dubailte ann am pris ’sa tha i (p. 3), troimh mhoran de thobraichean oladh a bhi air a faotainn (p. 3), mas innsinn dhuibh a liuthad doigh anns am biodh e sgriosail do bhur teachd-an-tir (p. 3), beagan thastan a bharrachd air beathach mairt no caorach (p. 3), am profaid (p. 3), na mo shealladhsa se ceum cuthaich a bhiodh ann (p. 3), and a cur sgilinn agus sgilinn suas do’n chis air a phunnd (p. 3). The text also contains a number of passive verb forms, e.g. Dh’fhuadaicheadh air falbh na h-amannan searbha cruaidh agus acrach ud (p. 2), dh’ardaicheadh tuarasdail (p. 2), and cha luaithe a leagar cis air min na dh’eireas a pris (p. 2); and also some first person plural imperative forms, e.g. Ach faiceamaid gu de a thachradh (p. 2) and beachdaicheamaid an toiseach (p. 2). Also of interest are the terms a cearnan iomallach an t-saoghail (p. 1), an coimhcheangal ris a chuis so (p. 1), Anns an dol seachad (p. 2), Tuigibh so na thrath (p. 3), and Cumaibh air chuimhne “nach dean aithreachas mall bonn feuma.” (p. 3). |
| Orthography | The following words and phrases may be representative of the author’s dialect: chum gu faiceadh (p. 1), air bith (p. 3), ma dheireadh (p. 2), tha mi smaointeachadh (p. 2), freagradh na ceiste (p. 3), mas rather than mus (p. 3), ni’s fhearr (p. 2), luchd-leanmhuinn (p. 2), and Facal na dha (p. 3). The orthography is in general that of the early twentieth century, although the author often omits the apostrophe in a’ for an (definite article) and a’ for ag (with verbal nouns), e.g. anns a Pharlamaid (p. 2) and a cur (p. 3). Air a son (for air an son ‘for them’, i.e. with third plural possessive) appears twice on p. 1, but we also find air an son on p. 2. Both A bharr air sin and A bharrachd air so appear on p. 2. Also of interest is the spelling robh fheumail (for ro fheumail ‘too useful’) (p. 1). The text contains some typing errors, e.g. agaidh rather than agaibh and ain rather than sin (p. 1), none of which seriously obscure the meaning of the text. |
| Edition | First edition. |
| Other Sources | |
| Further Reading | |
| Credits | |
| Link Label | Digital version created by National Library of Scotland |
| Link | http://digital.nls.uk/early-gaelic-book-collections/pageturner.cfm?id=76736768 |
| Download File | 75.pdf |
| NumWords | 1977 |
