40 THE NEW FOREST 



Of course there could be only one ending to 

 this, and it came speedily. In one year's time 

 Lord Montagu resigned the position of Official 

 Verderer. He never ought to have accepted it. 

 So he said time and again, and the task he 

 essayed was too difficult a one for any man to 

 undertake. 



Perhaps the best compliment paid to Lord 

 Montagu came from my official chief at that 

 period, Mr. George Culley, C.B., who had been 

 altogether outside the New Forest controversies, 

 and knew Lord Montagu personally only very 

 slightly. He was duly informed by the Treasury 

 of the appointment as Official Verderer of Lord 

 Montagu in lieu of Lord Basing, and naturally 

 was a little taken aback. 



But in his reply (I quote from memory) he 

 said " that the appointment to that position of 

 the largest owner of common rights, who was 

 also a most active supporter of those rights as 

 against the Crown, would have created an im- 

 possible situation in the case of any person 

 other than Lord Montagu, in whose appoint- 

 ment he cordially acquiesced. " 



Lord Montagu was succeeded by the Eight 

 Hon. Evelyn Ashley, who became chairman of 

 the court just at the time when the attitude of 

 the verderers had become most uncompromising. 



