ITS HISTORY
15
the fact that, as the markets of the whole world
had been thrown open to us by Sir Robert Peel,
the importance of laying every available acre under
the plough was diminished.
We now reach the great legal contest which
lasted fifteen years, and resulted in the pre-
servation of the 5500 acres which the public now
enjoys.
A society, called " The Commons Preservation
Society," was formed for the purpose of resisting
encroachments on this and other open spaces.
MONK WOOD.
Mr. Shaw - Lefevre, to whose sustained zeal
throughout the prolonged contest which I am
about to summarize the final success was largely
due, was the first chairman, and it has included
such names as Mr. Cowper-Temple, afterwards
Lord Mount-Temple, Mr. W. H. Smith, Mr.
John Stuart Mill, Sir Charles Dilke, Mr. Fawcett,
Mr. Charles Buxton, and Miss Octavia Hill—all
of whom took an active part in its deliberations.
Such a body had, as was to be expected, great
parliamentary influence. Among other steps
that were taken at its instigation, a Committee
of the House of Commons was appointed, who
reported in 1863 that the Forest was being
destroyed, and recommended that the forestal
rights of the Crown should be enforced where
they had not been sold.