The Sun.
London, England, 1867-02-01 00:00:00

Threatened Enclosure of Epping Forest.

Yesterday evening a public meeting was held at the
Beaumont Institution, Mile-end-road, for the purpose of
taking into consideration the threatened encroachments on
Epping Forest, a place which is very highly appreciated
by the inhabitants of the East of London. The Marquis
Townshend presided, and was supported by Sir T. Fowell
Buxton, Bart., M.P., Mr. G. Shaw Lefevre, M.P., Dr.
Dwyer, Major Johnston, the Rey. G. F. Driffield, and other
gentlemen. A letter was read from Mr. Ayrton, M.P.,
apologising for non-attendance.

The noble CHAIRMAN, in opening the proceedings, said it
was dreadful to contemplate such alcalamity as the destruc-
tion of Epping Forest, which was a help not only to the
physical, but to the mental improvement of the people of
that part of the metropolis. A great movement had recently
been made on behalf of early closing; but it was of no use
to give working mien the facilities of going out unless proper
places were provided for them to go to. As far as his ser-
vices in Parliament were concerned, be should be most
happy to devote them to the cause tho meeting had been
called to promote.

Sir T. FOWELL BUXTON moved the first resolution, which
affirmed that it was of vital importance to the inhabitants
of the East of London to preserve from enclosure the forest
of Epping, which for centuries had been a place of popular
resort, and viewed with special displeasure the recent en-
closure of Loughton, Woodford, and Wanstead. Ho urged
that as the builders wore running up houses in every direc-
tion, it became more than ever necessary to maintain any
rights the people might have to open spaces, and he had
reason to believe that the people of London had very clear
rights over Epping Forest, if they chose to maintain them.
He admitted ihat there had been some rows in various parts
of the forest, and that one or two children had been killed by
the Cockneys and roughs who had come down for pleasure,
but he maintained that these rows were entirely attributable
to the enclosure, and if there had been no encroachments on
the people's privileges, there would have been no disturb-
ances. (Hear, hear.)

Major JOHNSTON (Ist Tower Hamlets) seconded the re-
solution, and mentioned the case of Mitcham-common,
which was some time since marked out for enclosure.
The inhabitants showed no hesitation as to the course of
proceedings they should adopt, and in a very few hours
after the stakes had been put in they wore pulled up and
thrown away. Since that time no attempt had been made
to enclose Mitcham-common. (Hear.)
Mr. G. Slily LEPEVRE, M.P., who represented the Com-
mons Preservation Society, explained the nature of the
rights of the people in forests. Some of those rights, he
admitted, ware not very clearly defined by law, and it
might be necessary to protect them by legal process. Half
the forest had been enclosed, and the other half would soon
be enclosed if the people did not take active steps to pre-
vent it. As an encouragement to the people to persevere
he instanced the cases of attempted enclosure at Hampstead
and Berkhampstead.

Dr. MOORE supported the motion on medical grounds,
and remarked that portions of Victoria Park were being
enclosed and built upon, so that it was the more necessary
that Eppiug Forest should remain intact.
The noble CHAIRMAN then put the resolution to the
meeting, and it was unanimously adopted.

Several other gentlemen addressed the meeting in favor
of resolutions providing that legal advice should be taken
to ascertain the rights of the Lords of the Manor to en-
close the waste lauds within the forest, and appointing a
committee with a view to raise a fund of £lO,OOO to defray
the necessary measures.

It was also resolved that the Commons Preservation
Society be requested to communicate with Lord J. Man-
ners, M.P., the Chief Commissioner of Works, with refer-
ence to the future action of the Government within the
forest under the recent Crown Lands Act, which trans-
ferred to his department the remaining forestal rights of
the Crown.

A cordial vote of thanks to the Marquis of Townsend
for presiding closed the business of a perfectly harmonious
meeting.

A WORD ABOUT oUR IRONCLADS.—Another cause
that tends to produce the destruction of the iron is
the ill-judged union of iron and oak. Iron and oak, when
used in contact, and exposed to the action of salt water,
mutually act upon and mutually destroy each other. This
fact has for many years been known to the boat builders
and shipwrights of our maritime towns and villages, and
they invariably avoid making use of iron nails for sea-
going boats. The deleterious effects arising from the union
of iron and wood may further be seen by an inspection of
the planks which form the piers and jetties of our seacoasts.
In almost every instance the iron nail or bolt will be found
to act as a centre of destruction ; the fibre of the wood is
destroyed by the rust of the iron, and in a few years the
plank becomes loose and decayed. So widely is this cir-
cumstance known, that in a paper published last year by
the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society, it was
.shown that " when iron is in contact with oak they mu-
tually act upon each other, producing a rapid destruc-
tion of the two materials."—Once a Week.