The Express.
London, England, 1867-04-23 00:00:00

PRESERVATION OF EPPING FOREST.

Yesterday afternoon an open-air meeting, con-
vened by the East London committee of the Commons
Preservation Society, was held opposite the King's Oak
Tavern, High Beach, Loughton, to protest against the en-
closure of a considerable portion of Epping Forest, and
adopt measures for preserving the time-honoured rights of
the inhabitants of the district, and retaining the forest for
public amusement and recreation. It being baster Monday,
when the annual stag hunt takes place, many thousands of
pleasure-seekers had assembled in the forest, and large
numbers crowded round the open van, which served as a
platform, and appeared to take great interest in the
proceedings. The chair was occupied by Mr. Duffield, of
Mile-end, who briefly explained the objects of the associa-
tion, and called upon the inhabitants of that district to
support it. If they suffered the encroachment which had
commenced to go on, it would not be long before the whole
of Epping Forest was enclosed, and the crowded popula-
tion of the Eastern district of the metropolis deprived of the
valuable means of recreation which they now enjoyed. Mr.
Burney, of Bow, in moving a resolution pledging the meet-
ing to co-operate in resisting the enclosure of the forest, said
it was a tact that upwards of 6,000 children had been
brought 110V/11 from London in one day to enjoy them-
selves in the forest, and it was anything but patriotic and
Chtistianlike on the part of the Rev. Mr. Maitland, the
lord of the manor, to attempt to enclose it. The rev.
gentleman had, it appeared, purchased 1,400 acres from
the crown commissioners at 1001. per acre, and 4/. 10s.
per acre for crown rights ; and this land he had enclosed.
Now, if any of this land was sold for building purposed it
would fetch about 11000/. per acre. He contended that the
whole affair was illegal, because the rights of the people
had not been considered, and they could not be bartered
away. They were not worthy the name of Englishmen if
they did not resist this oppression by every means in their
power. A considerable amount of money had been sub-
scribed, and the society was determined to try the issue
by legal means, if necessary. It was not only the rich
that had rights; the poor bad rights also: and if the rich
put up fences where they had no business to do so, the
Mwould be justified in pulling them down again.
ailed upon them to assert their rights in the same
manner as their forefathers had done. and if they
did not move in the matter, and that quickly,
every acre of the forest would soon be enclosed.
Dr. Bowkett. of Poplar, in seconding, observed, if it was
right to let the Rev. Mr. Maitland obtain possession of
this large amount of land at 100/. per acre, he should
like to know why • poor man could not have a small plot
on the same terms? The question was, who bad sold
this land, over which the people had rights! If the crown
had rights over the forest, it only held those rights in
trust for the people. It was a fact that the richer Eng-
land became in money the more distress existed amongst
the poorer classes, and the rich did not scruple to take
away the rights of the poor when they had an opportunity
of doing so. On that very day he had been taring to a
man who was sentenced to imprisonment for cutting wood
in the forest, and who was afterwards offered money to
give up his right to do so. It was clear that the man had
a right, or money would not have been offered to him.
Several sturdy fellows here inquired if they would be
legally justified in pulling down the fence, as they were
anxious to do so! In reply, it was stated that the com-
mittee did not advise such action at present, until some
legal steps had been taken. Addresses were delivered
by Mr. Davis, of Mile-end, and Mr. Crompton, the seen-
tary, after which the meeting separated.

The Caledonian Mercury, which claimed to be
the oldest newspaper in the kingdom, and which for some
months past was issued in the form of an evening half-
penny paper, armed on Saturday to be published, after an
existence (since 1662) of more than two centuries.

MIDDLE CLASS EDUCATION IN THE METROPOLIS.
—The trustees of charities in the parish of St. Andrew
Undershaft, city of London, acting under an order of the
Charity Commissioners' who cordlidly approve the scheme,
have paid over 2,000/. of the surplus funds at their
disposal to the Corporation for Promoting Middle Class
Education in the metropolis. It is confidently expected
that other trustees will follow this example, and that the
funds of the corporation will be largely incieased from the
unappropriated charities in the city of London, to which
Mr. Rogers alluded in his letter calling public attention
to this subject.
One of the finest screw steam vessels that ever
entered the port of Liverpool arrived there yesterday
morning. The Istrian is about 470 feet in length sod 2,700
tons register, and was built at Belfast, by Messrs. Harland
and Wolff, for the eminent firm of Messrs. John Bibby and
Co., of Liverpool. This vessel, which is constructed of
iron, was towed round to Liverpool from Belfast by the
steam tugs United States and United Kingdom, in the
extraordinary short time of 16 hours. The Istrian is in-
tended to run between Bombay and Suez.
CRYSTAL PALACE. ONE SHILLING DAT.—
MONDAY, APRIL 22.—Admissions on payment, 24,379;
ditto by season tickets, 2,071 ; total visitors, 26,450,