The Express.
London, England, 1867-02-13 00:00:00

THE COMMONS PRESERVATION SOCIETY.

The council of this society have just hold a meet-
ing, at their offices in Parliament-street, for the
purpose of electing a president, and deliberating
upon their course of action with respect to the me- '
tropolitan 00111111011/1 said to be improperly assailed. I
Among those present were Mr. Shaw Lefevre,
M.P. in the chair), the Right Hon. W. CowperH
M.P., Mr. J. S. Mill, M.P., Sir Fowell Buxton,
M.P. Mr. Charles Buxton, M.P., Mr. Gilbert
Marshal], Mr. Gurney Hoare Mr. Charles Pol-
lock, and Mr. R. Du Cane. Mr. W. Cowper, M.P.,
was unanimously elected president of the society, '
and accepted the position. Epping Forest, Black-
heath, and Hampstead Heath were again subjects '
of discussion, and correspondence relating to what '
is acquiring some notoriety as "the Willingale '
' case ' was read by the secretary. The Willingales
are labouring men living at Loughton, near
Epping Forest, one of whom exercised the '
right of cutting wood on what has been '
held from time immemorial to be com-
mon laud. The lord of the manor, a clergy-
man, prosecuted him for this, and he was
committed to prison by the local bench. The
matter was subsequently taken up by those inte-
rested in the preservation of common-rights, and
the case of the copyholders and the public, as re-
presented by Willingale, is being argued before the
Master of the Rolls. Meanwhile the man himself
has been turned out of his cottage by his landlord,
who is also the lord of the manor, and deprived of
his means of support ; and Mr. Shaw Lefevre,
M.P., and Mr. Thomas Hughes, M.P., agreed to
act as co-trustees to a fund to recompense him for
the losses he had incurred. Upon this a Mr.
Samuel L. Howard, J. P., of the Goldings,
Loughton, took Mr. Hughes to task, and a brisk
correspondence followed. Mr. Howard warned
Mr. Hughes that Willingale was " an undeserving
character," that his family was "one of the worst
brought up in the parish," that " parenta and children
seldom or never attend any place of worship, and
that the latter never go to day, night, or Sunday
school." Mr. Howard concludes by apologising to
Mr. Hughes, to whom he was an entire stranger,
for his letter, " which is only prompted by an
Englishman's love of justice and fair play." Two
other letters from Mr. Howard followed, in each
of which the Willingales' utter worthlessness was
proclaimed. Mr. Hughes having asked in vain
for the specific grounds upon which the bad
character of the Willingales" was spoken of, added
that he " must have precise facts and statements
before withdrawing his name from a case which he
considered thoroughly deserving of support and
assistance." Nothing definite was heard inreply, and
Mr. Hughes' share in the correspondence climbed with
this suggestive implication : "I have reason to be-
lieve that you yourself are in the occupation of
some 13 acres lately enclosed from the forest ; and
is so, that your evidence in this matter, volunteered
against a poor family who were endeavouring to
maintain old rights over the forest land, is not
that of a disinterested witness." Mr. Howard
considered this " insinuation moat discourteous to
say the least," but did not deny its truth, and the
Commons Preservation Society having gone into
the vague charges brought against the Willingales,
consider them unfounded and vexatious, and that
the case deserves public support.
It was further agreed to form a deputation to
Lord John Manners on the subject of Epping
Forest generally. Under the Crown Lands Act of
last session the forestal rights of the Crown, and the
non-profitable portionsof Crown property,are vested
in the Chief Communion of Works, instead of the
Chief Commission of Woods, and it is with the
view of urging upon Lord J. Manners the necessity
of preserving the forest for the enjoyment of the
public that the Preservation Society's action will
be taken. At Blackheath, the Board of Works
has been consulted by the residents • and
Mr. Gurney Hoare announced thlt Sir
Thomas Wilson had been restrained for
the present in his course of building on and
injury to Hampstead-heath by an ad lateral+ in-
junction from the Court of Chancery. The house
the foundations of which arelaid close totheriagstaff
near Jack Straw's Castle, and which if completed
would have shut out one of the choicest and must
favourite views on the heath, is already sumo feet
' from the basement, and but for the legal proceed-
' Mgt would have been probably roofed in before
this. Some weeks ago the Commons Preservation
Society advised the inhabitants of Hampstead to
form a local association, and sent a deputation to
its initiatory meeting. The immediate resuit has
been that building on the heath has been stopped,
and those interested deprecate the interference of
the Board of Works, and suggestions for the
purchase of Sir Thomas Wilson's vague " rights,"
until their appeal to the law has shown them what
those rights really are.

FOREIGN-OFFICE, FEB. 11.—The Queen has been
pleased to approve of Don Tomas Ortuno as consul at
Hong Kong for her Majesty the Queen of Spain. The
Queen has ago been pleased to approve of Mr. George T.
Holland as consul at Victoria, Hong Kong, for his Majesty
the King of Sweden and Norway.—Wa:i tre.
Funatt;N-OFFICE, FEB. 9.—The Queen has been
graciously pleased to appoint Frederic Hamilton, Esq.,
now secretary to her Majesty's legation at Stockholm, to
be her Majesty's charge aratfaires and consul-general to
the republic of the Equator.—Geis ter.
DUCHY OF LANCASTER, FEB. B.—The Queen has
been this day pleased to appoint Thomas Dicooneon, Esq.,
of Wrightington-hall, to be sherff of the county palatine
of Lancaster for the year ensuing.—Oarette.
Sr. JAMES'S PALACE, FEa. 7.—The Queen has
been pleased to appoint William Carter Hoffmeister, Esq.,
M.D., and William Hoffaueister, Esq., M.D., jointly, to
be apothemeries to her Majesty's household at Osborne.—
Gaytte.
THE REPRESENTATION OF EAST SUrroLE.—
Irswicit.Teitan.sv.—The candidature of Loral RemUesham
has not ken looked upon very favourably by the tenant
farmers of East Suffolk, who complain that they were not
consulted in the matter, but,nevertheleas, a rumour which
was circulated on the opening of the market this afternoon,
that his lordship bad retired in favour of Mr. F. S. Cor-
rea«, of Bruadwaters, Frinlinghain, was received with a
good deal of incredulity. It named out to be well founded,
however, and at a meeting of some of the leaders of the
conservative party Lord Renallesham announced it as his
intention to retire, and Mr. Corrance was requested to
allow his name to be put in requisition. Later in the after-
noon an whims was tamed by Lord Rendlesham, explain.
ing his reasons for retiring. He says he has "endea-
voured to ascertain the feelings of the electors as far
as the very limited time which has elapsed would
permit, and I think it right to state at once that
I do not find that I have three promises of support which
I had anticipated, and which would be likely to ensure
success." He further says that, finding it more in accord-
ance with the wishes of the conservative electors that he
should retire in favour of Mr. Corm:ace, he does so. Mr.
Corranee has also issued an address, in which he say*, " I
solicit your support on the following grounds :—I am a
conservative, and a member of the established church. I
can give a conscientious support to her 3laiesty'a present
adnamistnition upon every measure about to be submitted
to the houses of parliament as foreshadowed in the
Queen's speech. In any future capacity I shall not relax
my efforts to obtain the remission of the nix on malt."
After market, a large meeting of the conservative party
was held at the White Horse Hotel, at which Mr. ('or.
ranee was present, and spoke at considerable length of
the circumstances which induced him to allow himself to
be put in nomination.
ELECTIONS.—We learn by telegraph that
Mr. Morris, attorney-general, MY elected yesterday for the
borough of Galway, without opposition. The return of
Mr. Chatterton, solicitongeneraL for the Dublin Univer-
sity was also unw,•pos.
Austiaatirg, Fan. 12.—AProt Nrmsa-rm.—Lieute-
oasts H. St. V. Jenkins' to the Niobe ; C. Jolliffe to the
Racoon. Midshipman W. Harvey to the Charybdis, as
supernumerary. Chief Engineer E. Parsons to the Niobe ;
engineers G. Lynch to the Niobe ; H. Parry to the Zebra ;
first-class assistant engineers W. H. Keats to the Niobe ;
J. W. Nelson to the Zebra.
THE PAOSTOW LIFEBOAT.—In addition to the
200 guineas the National Lifeboat Institution sent to
Padstow for the relief of the families of the five brave men
who recently perished off that place the society has also
granted a eix-fold rewiaral to each of the eight men who
were saved, and the like sum to the representatives of those
who were drowned.