WOODS AND FORESTS, AND LAND REVENUES, COMMISSIONERS OF. In ancient times, the principal part of the royal revenues of England consisted of the rents and profits of the crown lauds, which were composed of numerous lordships and honors, with forests and chasers. The demesne lands reserved to the crown at the conquest were at one time very extensive; but while they were often added to by forfeitures, they were also so largely encroached on by grants to subjects, that from the 12th to the 14th centuries, parliament had often to interpose to compel the resumption of grants thus made. The confiscation of the property of the monasteries under Henry VIII., greatly increased the real estate of the crown; aud, notwithstanding alienations by that monarch and by queen Elizabeth, who disposed of part of the royal domains, to avoid application to par liament for supplies, the crown, at the accession of James VI., owned very extensive estates all over England. The profusion, however, of James and his successors reduced the royal estates to insignificance, and no effectual restraint was imposed on their dilapi dation until statute 1 Anne, c. 1, prohibiting all alienations of the crown-lands, except by leases not exceeding 31 years, or three lives. From tl4e reign of Henry VIII. to that of George III., the crown revenues were subjected to repeated changes of management; and under George III., the system was first introduced of surrendering the greater part of them to be consolidated with the rest of the public revenue,out of which the royal civil list is paid. The modern administration of the land revenues of the crown is founded on n statute of 1810, establishing a board of not less than two, or more than three com missioners, called " the commissioners of his majesty's woods, forests, and land reve nues." The law relating, to the management of the crown-lands was consolidated by
act 10 Geo. IV. c. 50, which, repealing a number of previous enactments on the subject, placed the whole hereditaments of the crown in England, Wales, and Ireland, except advowsons and vicarages, under the management of the commissioners of woods and forests, with large power of selling and leasing them; and provided that, the annual land revenues should, subject to certain deductions, be carried to the consolidated fund during the king's life. This transfer to the consolidated fund, the result of a special agreement terminating with the life of the sovereign, has been renewed with his suc cessors. Act 2 and IV. c. 112, empowered the treasury to transfer to the com missioners of woods and forests the management of the crown-lands of Scotland.
A. large addition was made to the duties of the commissioners of woods and forest by 2 Will. IV. c. 1, which, abolishing the office of surveyor-general of his majesty's public works and buildings, intrusted to them the management of the public works. This union, however, was afterward considered inexpedient, and act 14 and 15 Vict. c. 49, removed the department of public works from the woods and forests, and placed it under separate control. The act 29 and 30 Vict. C. 62, introduced various alterations in the details of management. The commissioners of woods and forests act under the control of the treasury, and are required to transmit annual accounts of the receipt and expenditure of their department, to be audited by the commissioners for auditing public accounts. The yearly receipts from this source amount to about £375,000. See 1‘ 'ORES, BOARD OF.