THE NEW FOREST. 241 
pressure of opinion in the House, somewhat reluctantly 
assented to it. In 1875, when a change of Government 
had taken place, it was intimated to the residents in the 
Forest that this resolution of the House of Commons 
could not be considered as binding for an indefinite 
time, and that some steps must be taken to bring the 
subject to an issue. Thereupon Lord Henry Scott (now 
Lord Montagu, and then member for the division of 
Hampshire in which the Forest was situate) moved for 
a Select Committee “to inquire into and report upon 
the condition of the New Forest, into the operation of 
the Deer Removal Act of 1851, and particularly into 
the exercise and effect of the powers of inclosure given 
by that Act.” 
The case of the Commoners and of the public was 
presented before this Committee by Mr. Robert Hunter, 
on behalf of the New Forest Association, a body repre- 
sentative of the Commoners, and of the Commons 
Society ; and among others Mr. Fawcett gave evidence 
as to the disastrous effect of the Act of 1551, if further 
enforced, in destroying the beauties of the Forest. 
Many also of the smaller Commoners appeared, and 
much impressed the Committee with the strength of 
their case, and with their conviction that the Act 
would result in their ultimate ruin and extirpation. 
Meanwhile, the attention of the public was aroused 
to the subject of the Forest by an exhibition of 
pictures and sketches of scenery in the district, pro- 
jected by Mr. Briscoe Eyre and Mr. George Mor- 
rison, and the expression of opinion these evoked was 
Q 
