A HISTORY OF HAMPSHIRE 



inquire into the administration of the Department of Woods and Forests 

 and Land Revenues of the Crown. In their final report of July 30, 

 1890, they found that ' The allotments set out and allotted to the Crown 

 in severalty in Alice Holt Forest, Bere Forest, and Parkhurst Forest 

 were by the Acts devoted to the growth of timber for the Royal Navy. 

 As no timber is required by the Admiralty from these properties the 

 restriction as to their being devoted to the growth of timber should be 

 repealed.' 1 With regard to the New Forest, they found that 'The 

 income of 10,777. 5-f. id. derived from this large tract of land appears 

 to be relatively small, but it must be considered that the profitable rights 

 of the Crown in this estate are very limited. The surface of the soil in 

 the open forest is subject to the rights of common, the timber in the 

 recent enclosures has not reached maturity, and even in the older woods 

 the rights of the Crown are greatly restricted by the provisions of the 

 Act of 1877. The method of dealing with this estate was at that time 

 carefully considered by a committee. The policy then deliberately 

 adopted by Parliament was that the New Forest should be administered 

 principally with regard to the preservation of its ornamental character, 

 and not with an exclusive view to the profit to be derived from it. Your 

 Committee have not thought fit to re-open this question, as they concur 

 in the policy then adopted. They have found nothing in the evidence 

 adduced to show that there has been any departure in the administration 

 of the forest from the principles laid down in the Act of 1877.'* 

 But further on the report 3 says : 



It is expedient that the powers given by s. 97 of 10 Geo. IV. c. 50 should be 

 extended to the grant of leases for ordinary roads and tramways, for allotment gardens, 

 and for sewage, gas and waterworks, or other works of public utility. 



The necessity for this extension is much felt. Towns, villages and hamlets 

 within the ambit and close on the borders of a forest find themselves wholly or 

 partially surrounded by Crown land, and if they cannot secure accommodation on it 

 have great difficulty in providing the conveniences which are requisite for the comfort 

 of the inhabitants. 



The owners also of private property in and abutting on the forest sometimes 

 desire a right to make roads across the Crown land in order to get to a public road, 

 and it is frequently desirable that they should have this right in order to prevent the 

 cutting up of the forest by undefined tracks. The extended powers might be limited 

 and guarded so as to prevent any undue exercise of them, and in order to provide a 

 guarantee against an invasion of the rights of the commoners it should be declared 

 that all uninclosed land granted by the Crown in pursuance of the extended power 

 is to be taken to be part of the land which the Crown is authorised to enclose, so 

 that the total quantity which the Crown is empowered to enclose shall not be in- 

 creased, but only that in regard to the land inclosed under the extended power the 

 Commissioners of Woods shall be freed from any obligation to appropriate it for the 

 growth of timber and trees. 



In pursuance of this recommendation a Bill was drafted by the 

 Commissioners of Woods and introduced into Parliament in the session 

 of 1892 precisely embodying the conditions recommended by the com- 

 mittee. So far as the New Forest sections were concerned strong 

 opposition was met with from that portion of the public which concerns 



1 Report, p. 12. * Ibid. p. 7. Ibid. p. n. 



462 



