The Sun.
London, England, 1851-03-11 00:00:00

FORESTS.

Lord DUNCAN rose to move the following resole-
tion:—" Whereas it appears by returns laid before this
House, and before the Select Committee of Woods,
Forests, Works, &e., that during a period of seven years
(from 1842-3 to 1848-9), the gross income derived from
the possessions and land revenues of the Crown has
amounted to 2,446,7351, and that out of this sum only
774,000/ has been paid into the public account at the
Exchequer; and whereas during the same period it ap-
pears that a sum amounting to 1,672,7851. has been
withheld for charges of collection and management, and
for other expenses charged upon the said revenues, it is
expedient, with a view to place the expenditure of this
branch of the public service under the more immediate
control of Parliament, that the gross income derived
from the said revenues should hereafter be paid into the
Exchequer, and that the necessary expenses for col-
lecting and managing the same should be voted by
this House, upon estimates to be annually sub-
mitted to Parliament by her Majesty's Government."
The Noble Lord observed that the object of the resolu-
tion was to this effect, that the gross revenue derived
from the Woods and Forests should hereafter be paid
into the Exchequer, and that the necessary expenses
of collection and management should be voted by
the House on the estimates which were annually
submitted by her Majesty's Government.—(Hear, hear.)
He deeply regretted that it had fallen to his lot to bring
forward this motion, but as the Noble Lord at the head
of the Government had not shown any disposi-
tion to take the task in hand, and as he (Lord
Duncan) had acted as Chairman of a Committee ou
the subject, and become acquainted with the many irre-
gularities which had taken place in the department of
the Woods and Forests, he thought he should be want-
ing in his public duty if he failed to bring the subject
thus prominently before the House. It would be recollected
that the Noble Lord brought in a Bill last session, but it
was postponed from week to week, and at the very end
of the session was consigned to the tomb of all the
Capulets, where so many good things had previously
been deposited.—(Hear.) At the commencement of the
present session he put a question to the Noble Lord on
the subject of the Bill, but having receives an unsatis-
factory answer, he felt himself justified in erdeavouring
to apply a remo,ly to the existing evils in this depart-
ment of the Government. Ho wished to make no
attack on the Noble Lord at the head cf the department
(Lord Seymour), but to vindicate a great principle by
reieieg]the question, whether it was to the ad vantege
of her Majesty's service that this clepartnie:it should
expend money without the control of Parliament?
The management of these revenues were entrusted to
three Commissioners responsible only to the treasurers;
and the only records of their proceedings were contained
in a report brought into the House at the end cf
the session. This, ho thought, was not the way to
manage that immense property. The gross amount of
the property which belonged to the Crown was, he firmly
believed, totally sufficient to maintain the dignity of the
Crown. The gross rental of the Woods and Forests was
350,0001., and it took 192,0001. to manage this rental.
This revenue was derived from property in various parts
of the kingdom to a great amount—the parks in the
metropolis and the royal forests, about seven-
teen in number, containing about 110,000 acres.
Their forests had been valued by an eminent
surveyor at 2,000,0001., the rental of which was 36,3921.,
and the expense for managing 36,7841. The Sovereigns
of England first obtained this property at the time of
the Conquest, and it was the only revenue which they
possessed for the maintenance of their dignity, and was
gradually augmented until it would have almost absorbed
the whole landed property of the country had it not been
for the immense grants which were made by various
Sovereigns to the needy favourites who clung to their skirts
That was the case until the Crown lauds were placed in
the management of the Ministers and the House of
Commons. Up to the time of Henry VIII. the manage-
ment of these lands bad been such as no one could com-
plain of. Large grants it was true bad been .made, but
throughout the whole of the latter part of his reign large
accessions were made to the Crown property by the disso-
lution of the monasteries. A great portion of that property
was also granted to courtiers and the needy recipients of
court favour, and it therefore became greatly diminished.
In the time of Charles 1., a large portion of the
revenues derived from this property was applied
towards the support of his army, and afterwards
towards the payment of the Parliamentarian army.
On the occasion of the restoration of Charles the Second
renewed grants were also made to those who had aided
in replacing him upon the throne. By an inquiry, how-
ever, which he had made ho had ascertained that Charles
IL still retained a revenue of 360,000/. a year. On the ac-
cession of William IV. largo grants were again made to
those who had been instrumental in promoting his sc-
ces:aon to the throne. During the time of Queen Anne
no return was made for thirty-one years; and yet it
was but justice to say that while this property was
under the direction of the officers of the Crown there
was no waste of the property and no waste made by the
asfiistants, But when it came under the direction of
Parliament it was unrnediately.used for patty purposes.
and lie found that several grants were made, and en one
instance no less than 10,000/. had been made fur one
purpose. It was not until 1798 that Parliament entered
into any inquiry at 311. After that Mr. Fordyce was
instituted as an inquirer; and Mr. I. ordyco, ho was
hound to say, had fulfilled duty in a moat admirable
manner. In 1810 a commission had been appointed
for the purpose o:'
inquiring into the state of this
property; and in a most lamentable condition they
found it. The first witness called before the Com-
mittee over which he (Lord Duncan) had the honour to
preside, was the Earl of Carlisle, at that time Prods
tent of the Woods and Forests. The Committee soon
found, freak hie Acordsbip's evidence, that the somuts