Agricultural Capabilities of the New Forest. 
233 
mentwas in 1739, cannot do liet tcr tlinn peruse this masterly report, which not 
only pointed out tlie almses, but laid down principles of reformation. I may 
sum up the recommendations of the Commission into three points : — 
1. To remove the deer. 
2. To ascertain the common rights. 
3. To do away with the forest laws. 
A faint attempt was made in 1792 to follow out two of these sugfiestions, but 
the Bill introduced for the purjiose failed to pass. It did not embody the whole 
plan recommended by the Commission. It proposed, indeed, to park the deer ; 
but, with that proposal, it fixed so exorbitant a compensation for their removal, 
that the commoners petitioned against the Bill, and it was lost. It was im- 
possible that it could have had abetter fate; for not only did the Government 
fix their own compensation, without any scheme for arbitration between the 
Crown and the commoners, which the Commissioners had very carefully 
insisted upon, but the Bill was totally without machinery for settling the 
rights of common, which had lapsed into great abuse, to the prejudice of those 
whose rights were legally indispuitable, and to the encouragement of a lawless 
population. From 180y to 1851 ample amends were made for the previous 
laxity in taking in land for plantations. An Act was passed to get rid of the 
principle of gradual planting ; and, in the latter year, not only had 8000 acres 
been planted and been again flung open, but more than 6000 other acres had 
been enclosed, or were ofBcially marked out for enclosure. Thus, not only 
were the provisions of the Act carried out to the full, but the limits laid down 
were very materially exceeded. At this last date, then, more than 14,000 acres 
of the best land in the Forest had passed into plantations, whilst the ancient 
woods were estimated still to cover 9000 acres. The old principle of providing 
timber for the Royal Navy, which alone was the object of the enclosing Act 
of William III., had come to an end, for the era of iron ships had dawned ; but 
in its place the scheme of growing timber for a purelj' commercial end was 
adopted. So far from the land being taken " where it could be best spared 
from the Commoners," the best pasturage was carefully selected and brought 
within the new fences, and within a year or two the Forest officials were able 
openly to declare a policy that the power of planting should henceforth be 
used, not only with reference to a money return from the profits of the timber 
produced, but for the more remote but certain result of converting all available 
land into woodland, and thus destroying common rights, which had so incon- 
veniently asserted their legal existence. 
" In 1848 and 1849, a Select Committee was appointed by the House of 
Commons once more to investigate the affairs of the Royal Forests. Again the 
result of a searching inquiry was the exposure of gross mismanagement and 
fruitless expenditure. In consequence of their Report, a Bill was introduced 
into Parliament in 1851, now known as ' The Deer Removal Act.' As in the 
Bill of 1792 full attention was not given to the recommendations of the Com- 
missioners, so now the result of the evidence given at great length before the 
Committee, and the suggestions made in their first Report, were all but set 
aside by the Government promoters of this Bill. The Draft Report presented 
to the House, after recommending the removal of the deer, proceeds thus : — 
' Cotemporaneously with the removal of the deer, your Committee contemplate 
the determination of the Forest Laws, of the Forest Courts, and of all exclus- 
ively forestal offices, authorities, and jurisdictions. They are of opinion that 
henceforward the Royal Forests should assume the character of ordinary pro- 
perty.'^ This Bill, nevertheless, consisted simply of nine or ten clauses, 
providing only for the removal of the deer, and fixing an arbitrary compensa- 
tion for the loss to the Crown of that expensive privilege to the extent of 
14,000 acres, in addition to the power to enclose 6000 already existing. Again 
the Commoners resisted, not the removal of the deer, which was nothing to 
