240 THE NEW FOREST. , 
whilst in themselves of little importance to the ship- 
builder and of no value to the Commoners. 
The only defence of the Commissioners of Woods 
and Forests, who were responsible for the policy thus 
described, was that they were bound by their duty, as 
public servants, to look at the questions affecting the 
Forest from the point of view of the public revenue only, 
and to enforce their strict legal rights to the utmost. 
They did not pretend that their object was any longer ° 
to supply timber for the navy; it was notorious that, 
owing to the almost universal use of iron in shipbuilding, 
the demand for oak had almost disappeared. The 
timber of the New Forest had for many years been of 
no practical value to the navy. 
The change of public opinion which occurred after 
1865, on the subject of Commons, resulted in directing 
attention to the condition of the New Forest; and a 
movement grew up having the double motive of 
preserving to the Commoners the full enjoyment of 
their rights, and of securing to the public that the 
Forest, as far as possible, should be maintained in its state 
of Nature, as a kind of national park or recreation ground, 
and shouid not be regarded only from the utilitarian 
point of view of the greatest possible revenue it could 
produce, without respect to these other considerations. 
In 1871 this movement had its result in a motion in 
the House of Commons, proposed by Mr. Fawcett, to 
the effect that, pending further legislation on the subject, 
no fresh inclosure or felling of timber should take 
place in. the New Forest. The Government, under the 
