§ MR. TORRENSsaid, he rose to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, What steps have been taken by Her Majesty's Government to preserve the rights of pasture, 987 cutting wood, recreation, and any other rights long enjoyed by the poorer foresters and the public in the various parcels of land wherein the rights of the Crown are reported to have been sold by the Commissioners of Woods and Forests within the Forests of Epping, Woodford, Waltham, and Wanstead, in the several Reports of 1856, 1857, 1858, 1859, I860, and 1861, more especially in the following five Lots,—namely, one Lot of 434 acres, sold on the 1st of August, 1856, to one individual, for £1,891; one Lot of 325 acres, sold on the 17th of April, 1857, to two individuals, for £1,353; one Lot of 695 acres, sold on November 25th, 1858, for £3,349 to one individual; one Lot of 168 acres, sold on the 14th of January, 1859, to one individual, for £900; and one Lot of 1,377 acres, sold June 22nd, 1860, to one individual, for £5,468? And if no steps have been taken for the preservation of the rights referred to, will the Government undertake to do so?
MR. PEELsaid, the rights which had been sold were altogether forestal rights connected with deer, and were transferred to the owners with the lands out of which they arose. Supposing the rights to have any existence, the Government had taken no steps to extinguish them; neither had they taken any measures to ascertain their existence. The Government had acted throughout under the advice of the Law Officers of the Crown.
§ MR. TORRENSsaid, he wished to know whether they were now prepared to take any steps which might be necessary for the preservation of those rights.