§ MR. LABOUCHEREasked the First Commissioner of Works, Whether his attention has been drawn to two men having been convicted and sentenced to a month's hard labour for having committed a trespass upon Richmond Park in search of rabbits, and to the fact that the witnesses against them were a carter to the Board of Works, who watched them for an hour, and a "watcher," who was sent to watch certain dead rabbits which had been hidden; whether it is the business of carters in the employ of the Board of Works to act as guardians of the rabbits in Richmond Park; whether the "watcher" is paid out of public funds, and what are his functions; and, who has the right to shoot or trap the rabbits in Richmond Park?
§ MR. SHAW LEFEVREThe matter referred to has not been specially brought under the notice of my Department, as it concerns the Ranger. The watchers are paid out of money voted by Parliament. It is their duty to watch the deer and to preserve order after the park constables go off their duty. If, in the course of their duty, they see offences being committed, it is their duty to interfere. The right to shoot or trap rabbits in Richmond Park is in the gift of the Queen. The Duke of Cambridge, 1850 who is the Ranger, exercises this right at the present time, and bears all the expense of feeding and preserving the game. The carter referred to in the Question was not, on the occasion mentioned, spending the time for which he was paid by the Office of Works. He has not, therefore, been paid for watching out of the public funds. I believe the public like to see the rabbits running about the park.
§ MR. LABOUCHEREobserved that the public would also like to shoot those rabbits; but he would like to know from what source the Chief Commissioner derived his information that the carter was not paid out of public money?
§ MR. SHAW LEFEVREsaid, he was informed that the carter was doing this work out of his ordinary working hours, and, therefore, was not paid out of public money.