Journal of Proceedings. cxxxvii
of common rights over these four acres, and the feeling of the
meeting seemed to be that the money received by the Conservators for the
land, and that paid as compensation to the Commoners, should be devoted
to the purchase of additional land near the Forest to make up for the
four acres severed from it. He thought the Club would agree with that
suggestion, which seemed the only reasonable one that could be made,
because if portions of the Forest were to be taken first by a railway and
then by a sewage farm, its area would soon be considerably curtailed.
Mr. W. F. Robarts said, that the money paid by the Local Board
for the land would be in the hands of the Conservators, who could either
devote it to the purchase of additional land or to improvements in the
Forest, but that paid as compensation for the extinction of common
rights would be in the hands of the Commoners. He thought that the
Club should put what pressure it could on the Conservators, by forward-
ing a resolution, pointing out that in the opinion of the Club the money
derived from the sale of the land should not be spent in improving the
Forest, but in adding to it.
Mr. Cole then moved, and Prof. Boulger seconded, the following
resolution :—
" That in the opinion of the Essex Field Club, all moneys received
by the sale of Forest land, or for the extinction (under the Epping
Forest Act) of Forest rights, should be applied to the purchase of other
land, so that the area of Epping Forest be as little diminished as
possible."
Mr. B. Martin (who is Clerk to the Woodford Local Board) said the
money to be paid by the Local Board for this land (£354) had not yet
passed into the hands of the Conservators, but it would shortly do so,
and he thought a resolution like that proposed by Mr. Cole, which was
in accord with the feeling at the meeting of Commoners, might have a
very good effect. The money to be paid for this land was quite as much
as a similar quantity of land could be bought for, and therefore the
Forest ought not to suffer.
The motion was carried unanimously, and copies of it were ordered to
be forwarded to the Conservators, to the Verderers, and to the Committee
of Commoners appointed to treat with the Local Board as to the com-
pensation to be paid for the extinction of the common rights over the
land to be taken.
Mr. Meldola then read extracts from the " Report on the East
Anglian Earthquake of April 22nd, 1884," which had been drawn up by
himself and Mr. W.White, his remarks being illustrated by large scale
and other maps, and by the Club's collection of photographs of the
effects of the earthquake, purchased from Mr. Damant and Mr. Oldham,
of Colchester.
Some observations were made by Mr. Cl. J. Symons, F.E.S., by Mr.
White and others, and Mr. Meldola having replied, a very cordial vote
of thanks was accorded to the authors for the great trouble and care