1883.] EDITORIAL NOTES. 81 



it had grown to £276,654. Five years later It had become £300,000 ; 

 iu 1868 it was £345,000 ; iu 1873, £375,000 ; whilst in 1878 it was 

 £410,000. The same revenue accrued in the following year. Indeed, 

 the three years 1877-9 produced, each, exactly the same amount, viz., 

 £410,000. Then commenced a decline in revenue, which fell, in 1880-1, 

 to £390,000 for each year, and in 1882 and 1883 each to £380,000. 

 In explanation of this decrease the Commissioners remark that it 

 was ' principally to be attributed to the severe agricultural depression, 

 which rendered it necessary to make considerable allowances to many 

 of the Crown tenants out of the rents payable by them, and also to 

 permit some of the rents to remain unpaid for various periods.' 



The payments to the Exchequer shown in the preceding statement, 

 were, the Commissioners explain, made out of the receipts arising 

 from the whole of the Crown property in their charge. The property, 

 for purposes of management, is divided into two parts, one of which 

 consisting of the Eoyal forests, and of the greater part of the planta- 

 tions in England, and also of the land revenues in Scotland, Ireland, 

 Wales, and in the Isles of Man and Alderney, is in the charge of Sir 

 Henry Loch. The remainder is in the charge of the Honourable 

 Charles Gore. Mr. Gore's portion consists of (1) Windsor Great Park, 

 plantations and property at Ascot, Bagshot, Virginia Water, &c. ; 

 and (2) manors, messuages, land, &c., in various parts of England. 

 The property described under the first head consists of more than 

 14,000 acres of land, maintained as part of the domain attached to 

 Windsor Castle. 



* 



' The income,' says Mr. Gore, * arising from, and the expenditure 

 upon, that property which, like the Eoyal parks in London, is largely 

 used by the public for purposes of recreation, cannot be considered as 

 a matter solely for profit and loss.' The public sentiment will 

 certainly support this contention, for even the best results arrived at 

 in the way of revenue would be insignificant compared with the 

 inestimable value accruing to the public from the use of these lands 

 as recreation grounds. The cost of the maintenance of Windsor Park 

 for the year ended last March was £25,138, and the income only 

 £5,232 ; but there are few better purposes to wliich public money 

 can be devoted than to the maintenance and beautifying of open 

 recreation grounds. 



* 



The property described under the second head mentioned by 

 Mr. Gore ' contains abowt 70,000 acres of land let for agricultural 



