LORD ORANMORE AND BROWNEasked Her Majesty's Government, Whe- 931 ther any arrangements have been made by which the public may gain free entrance by the Roehampton Gate to Richmond Park? That gate, at the present time, was practically at the disposal of Mrs. Prescott, who owned the lane leading from it, and who had erected a barrier just inside it; but he understood that the gatekeeper had a key of the Park gate and could admit the friends of Mrs. Prescott into the Park. The gate was two miles nearer to London than either of the other entrances to the Park, and, being adjacent to Barnes Common, it was more easily approachable. If it were opened it would be a great blessing to all classes of people, and would tend greatly to facilitate excursions to Richmond Park. It was highly desirable, therefore, that this gate should be opened to the public.
§ VISCOUNT MIDLETONsaid, he hoped his noble Friend's Question would draw the attention of the Government pointedly to this subject. At one time he had the honour of representing in the House of Commons the constituency in which this gate was situated; and 14 years ago he brought a deputation of his constituents to Mr. Ayrton, the First Commissioner of Works, when they received an assurance that the matter was under the consideration of the Administration, and that there was a hope that it would be speedily set at rest. The inconvenience was serious. It had gone on from that time to the present, and successive Governments seemed to have made no effort whatever to remove it. It was ridiculous that the rights of a private individual over some 10 yards of space should cut off the public from what would be a most important accommodation, to which the illustrious Duke the Ranger of Richmond Park had no objection. It was simply a dog-in-the-manger prevention placed in the way of the public by one selfish individual.
§ LORD SUDELEYsaid, it was understood that Mrs. Prescott was willing to sell Clarence Lane for £2,000. The First Commissioner, however, did not think it would be rig-lit that the general taxpayer should be called upon to effect a purchase of purely local interest, or to incur the permanent expense of maintaining the road hereafter. The proper course would be that those persons in the neighbourhood who were interested in the matter should themselves purchase 932 the lane, and hand it over to be maintained by the parish. If this were done, the First Commissioner would advise the illustrious Duke, the Ranger, to open the Roehampton Gate in the same way as the other gates were opened. Unless the purchase were effected, it would be useless for him to open the gate when a closed barrier immediately met those who passed through it. As regarded the question of the gatekeeper having a key which enable Mrs. Prescott and her friends to use the gate, he could only say that although certain keys were issued in former days to some privileged persons, the system had been long discontinued, and no keys whatever were now issued. He was not aware that Mrs. Prescott had special power to use the gate, and it was understood that she never received a key.
LORD ORANMORE AND BROWNEsaid, that the gatekeeper also kept the key of the barrier. Consequently, Mrs. Prescott and her friends were the only people who could use the gate at all.
§ LORD SUDELEYsaid, there were very few keys in existence, and the Chief Commissioner of Works was not aware that Mrs. Prescott possessed one, or that the gatekeeper opened the gate to those who passed the barrier.