DEDICATION OF HAINHAULT FOREST.
29
people. Londoners had altogether nearly 5,000 acres of land dedicated to public
use, and of that 2,300 acres had been added since the council had been in
existence. The place in which they were assembled that afternoon was of great
historic interest. In the old days all Essex was one mighty forest—the haunt of
the red deer, of the fax, of the wild boar, of the wolf, and also of that—perhaps,
happily—extinct species of English wild animals, the wild cat. The property fell
into the possession of the Abbots of Barking. They held the property for some
considerable time, and after that it became a hunting ground of the Kings and
Queens of England. The last monarch who hunted in the forest, he believed,
was King Charles II. Then came a terrible year, in the middle of the last
century, when the work of the "utilitarians" began. That great forest rang with
the sound of the axe, mighty trees were uprooted, and a great part of it came
under the plough. So it remained until a Verderer of the forest, Mr. North
Buxton, whose name would always be received with gratitude, came to the
rescue, and it was mainly owing to his exertions that this part of the country had
been saved and brought again to tire use of the public. It was impossible to
insist too strongly on the necessity for preserving such ancient landmarks of the;
life of the country. The fact that a man was a Radical, with advanced ideas,
was no reason why he should be supposed not to be able to recognise what was
beautiful and good, and what ought to be preserved. In this country it was
terrible to think of the fate which had befallen places like Waddon Chase, in
Buckinghamshire, where, he was told, when he was a boy, a squirrel could go-
four miles on the top of the oak trees without ever touching the ground. Only
small remnants of that great primaeval forest now remained, and they must
jealously preserve, while they had the opportunity, every reminiscence of the days
gone by. In the name of the people of this country, in (the name of their chil-
dren and of their children's children, he declared the Forest of Hainhault
dedicated to the public for ever and for ever. (Loud and continuous cheering,
during which the National Anthem was played.)
Mr. Stuart Sankey" (Chairman of the Parks and Open Spaces Committee)
moved a hearty vote of thanks to the authorities and the private donors who had
contributed towards the purchase of the land. The Essex County Council had
given £5,000, Ilford Urban District Council £2,500, Leyton and West Ham
District Councils £1,000 each, and Mr. E. N. Buxton a like sum; there were nine
names of Buxton amongst the contributors. He added that it was intended
soon to make a lake, on which boating could be enjoyed. The land had been
surveyed by an authority on golf, who pronounced the high ground eminently
suitable for links. Owing to clubs being extremely expensive, golf in
London was not a poor man's game, but if the London County Council sanc-
tioned the project, anybody would be able to go round the links for the
sum of 6d.
Sir Wm. Collins, M.D., M.P., in seconding the motion, said that, whereas
formerly Hainhault Forest existed for the delight of kings, henceforth it was to
be devoted to the enjoyment of the King's people.
Mr. Andrew Johnston, D.L., J.P., Chairman of the Essex County Council,
responding, said thanks were particularly due to the members of the County
Council living in the remote parts of the county for the unanimous vote of a
donation towards the fund.
Mr. E. North Buxton said that day was very pleasant, because it represented
the accomplishment of the efforts and hopes of the last four years. He outlined