.24 SECOND REPORT OF THE 



may be thought proper to induce them to devote their whole time to the duties of 



their office. Knowing from experience that the allowance of perquifites leads to 



.invention of moans to multiply the fources, the Commifiioncrs cannot too ftrongly 



recommend their tolal abolition. The Underkeepers of all the Walks have an 



.intere.il in the ftarved condition of the Deer in the Foreft, becaufe they are per- 



.mitted to moot, as their perquifites, the fawns of all Does deemed by them too 



weak to rear their fawns;; and they have an intereft in conniving at any mifchief 



done to the Trees in tke Foreft, as all windfalls are their perquifites. 



That the perfoits who are entrufted with the care of the Woods, and all the 

 - perfons under him, mould be fubjeel to the controul of the Surveyor General of 

 'the Woods mid'Forefls, and to the inquiry of thofe who Iliould be appointed by 

 His Majefty to enforce the laws that may be made relating to the Foreft ; and 

 .that fuch perfon fhonld at ftated times in the year, or at any other times when 

 .called upon by the Lords of the Treafury, or Surveyor General of His Majefty** 

 Woods, or the perfons authorized to enforce the laws relating to the Foreil, make 

 .Returns of the ftate of fuch part of the Foreft as mall be given him in charge, 

 and of the Hate of the Timber therein, and the works done relating thereto, be- 

 tween the times of making each fuch Return. 



That all Keepers of Woods, Walks or Lodges, either hereditary or by letters of 

 .patent, iliould be exempt from the duty of attending in any degiee to the execu- 

 tion of fuch plan as may be adopted for the improvement of the Foreft, leaving 

 .to the difcretion of His Majcfty the power of continuing or abolishing any emolu- 

 ments they at prefent derive from their offices; except, that none of them mould, 

 .under any pretence or claim of right whatever, by way of perquifite, profit, or 

 .emolument, dircftly or indirectly, have any tree, trees, windfalls, firewood, or 

 what are called, in the old language of the Foreft " neceffary Botes ;" or have or 

 take timber for repairs of their Lodges, or under any other pretence, or on 

 any account whatever ; the Commiffioners being decidedly of opinion that all 

 fuch claims tend only to abufes of great magnitude, r far exceeding any pecuniary 

 compenfation that it would-be reasonable to make to thofe Officers in lieu of any 

 .fuch emoluments, and which the Commiffioners conceive to be very trifling to 

 -theOfficers themfelves, but which afford the ground and opportunity of great 

 abufes by inferior perfons. 



That authority iliould be given to treat and agree withtperfons who have made 

 Encroachments in the Foreft, for the fale to them of their Encroachments, or 

 for the continuance of them, on fome fmall acknowledgement where the foil 

 belongs to his Majefty; alfo in other places, without being liable to be 

 difturbed therein in future by -the Foreft laws, and to remove fuch Encroach- 

 ments, where it may be neceffany, and to make fuch compenfations as mall be 

 thought proper according to circumftances ; and alfo to treat and agree for the 

 fale of fuch fmall and detached parts of the Waftes of the Foreft as belong' to the 

 Crown, and as are not neceffary for the future improvement of-the Foreft. 



The Commiffioners, however, feel themfelves called upon to prefs upon your 

 "Lordlhips one important faft, which has ftruck them in the eourfe of this inquiry; 

 .and the fame will ftrike every reafoning mind the more forcibly as inquiry is made 

 the more extenfively for the truth; that nothing more favours irregular and lawlefs 

 habits of life among the inferior clafs of fociety than fcattered and fcqucftered 

 'habitations. And it is on this account that in Pari flies bordering on. any extenfi ve 

 Foreft it is hardly pofiible to find a collected village ; and we believe the fao> exilts 

 jio where elfe. The exceptions of the town of Wmdfor.and Oakingham in 

 Windfor Foreft, of Lyndlmrft and Bewley in New 'Foreft, two of them with their 

 Charters, and all with their Fairs and Markets, are obvioufly accounted for. 

 .But the inhabitants of all the other Pariihcs around thefe Forefts live in widely 

 Scattered dwellings, affording means of committing their various depredations 

 with the leaft chance of detection. The Commiffioners ftrongly recommend the 

 removal of thefe fcattered cottages to the utmoft extent pollible, and cd!!t -cling 

 them intoclofe Hamlets, perhaps of not lefs than ten families, with a'Conftab'e in 

 each Hamlet. The habits of each individual become thus known to the whole 

 community, and the confequences muft be wholefome to everyone, as. retraining 

 .a propenfity to 'thieving ; and wholefome to the country at : large, as affording 

 ready means of watching the fufpicious characters, checking the ill difpofed, and 

 detecting the guilty. It was upon thefe principles that the Great Alfred arranged 

 .his wife democratic branch of our civil policy. 



As far back as a record can be found of the exiftence -of a Foreft in this 



country, 



