ISLE OF MAN DISAFFORESTATION (COMPENSATION).—COMMITTEE. (Hansard, 9 March 1865)

MR. PEEL,
in moving that the House resolve into a Committee to consider the Isle of Man Disafforestation (Compensation), stated that in 1860 the Legislature of the Isle of Man thought it expedient to pass an Act for disafforesting a certain forest in that island, and Commissioners were appointed to ascertain the value of the different rights, and divide the revenue between the commoners and the Crown. There were certain parties who held under licences according to the custom of the manor lands for which they paid rent, but which were not enclosed and which remained subject to the rights of the commoners. The Commissioners, having no power to deal with their claims, included these lands in the boundaries of the forest, which, after the sale of a certain portion to defray expenses, was divided between the Crown and the commoners. These claimants had since made representations to the Commissioners of Woods and Forests, in consequence of which an arrangement had been come to with the commoners and the local Legislature that the Commissioners should be empowered to examine the claims of those parties, and award them compensation to an amount not exceeding £5,000, one-half to be paid by the Crown and the other by the commoners. The commoners agreed that a sufficient portion of that part of the land should be sold to raise £2,500. The object of the Bill, which he sought to found upon the Resolution which he was about to propose, was to authorize the payment of £2,500 out of the capital of the Crown revenues for this purpose.

§ MR. AUGUSTUS SMITH
thanked the right hon. Gentleman for the explanation which he had given, but urged that the House was bound to examine the provisions of the Bill with great caution, because the 1458 people of the Isle of Man were not represented there. He expressed his belief that it would be found that great injustice had been done to certain parties, and characterized this as one of a number of aggressions which the Commissioners of Woods and Forests had been making in various parts of the kingdom to sustain certain rights which they contended belonged to them. This was not part of the original patrimony of the Crown, as it was now called; but was public property bought and paid for out of the Consolidated Fund.

§ THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER
said, that although this, like every other measure, ought to be carefully examined by the House, there was no reason for suspicion, at all events in the interests of the people of the Isle of Man, for whose benefit alone it was that the Bill was introduced. Whether this was part of the original patrimony of the Crown, or had been purchased out of the Consolidated Fund, was an entirely irrelevant question. It had been treated as part of the Crown lands when the settlement of the Civil List was made with the present Sovereign in 1837, and it must be so dealt with now.