PROCEEDINGS. 81 



The officers whose duty it is to protect the forest and decide on the grants of permit 

 to outsiders (including all other Government officers from the Chief Commissioner 

 downwards) could hardly be called upon to issue permits to themselves. The 

 Deputy Commissioner is in these Provinces, owing to the paucity of the trained stiff, 

 in charge of large areas of the district forests, and can fairly claim exerrpt '< n a 

 himself a Forest Officer. No other exemption in favour of officials is permitted 

 Any Forest Offioer found protecting or preserving the shooting in a forest for his own 

 purposes would, the Society may be sure, be very severely dealt with. 



I am, &o. , 

 L. K. LAURIE, 



Offg. Secretary to th? Chief Commissioner, C. P. 



Mr. Gilbert considered that as the Chief Commissioner had expressed willingness 

 to listen to any suggestions the Society was preparjd to make, it would be advisable 

 to appoint a Committee of the members to reply to it. He should personally like to 

 make a few suggestions, and he had also a number of letters from friends which 

 oontained suggestions, that he considered might be submitted to the Commissioner. 



Mr. Inverarity, on the other hand, considered that as the letter they had received 

 contained a very satisfactory reply to their communication, it was not advisable to 

 make any suggestions, as the scale of charges was, as modified, moderate enough to 

 satisfy any true sportsman, and should nob raise any complaint, for, as far as ho 

 could see, the rules would prevent what he called the "native pothunters" from 

 shooting anything they met. He, furthermore, understood from the letter that it 

 was simply intended to enclose certain areas in order to protect them from fire. He 

 believed that was always done, and as the areas so enclosed were not very large, he 

 did not think it would much matter. For, as far as the Society was concerned, he 

 did not think they had much ground for complaint, as the rules would tend to the pro- 

 tection of game and the expulsim from the shooting ground of that class of native 

 shikar who shot indiscriminately at small game and over water, regardless of a 

 proper close season. He considered such shooting should be prohibited during the hot 

 months. He did not see how the Society could make any suggestions to the Commis- 

 sioner regarding the working of the rulei for they had done all that was necessary 

 in the matter. He therefore suggested that the Secretary of the Society be in- 

 structed to reply to the Commissioner's letter, thanking him for the courteous answer 

 he had given to the Society's oommuuication, and expressing their gratification that 

 the Chief Commissioner's rules are not intended to restrict sport in the Central 

 Provinces. 



This proposition, on being seconded by Mr. Taylor, was carried n°»i con., the pro- 

 ceedings concluding with the customary compliment to the Chairman. 



No. 1505. — The Chief Commissioner is pleased, under Section 25 (i) of Act VII. of 

 1878 (the Indian Forest Act), to add the following Rules to those published in Noti- 

 fication No. 6925, dated the 29th November 18S8. 



