28 OCTOBER 1837, Page 15

THE PARK GEESE versus THE PARK CONIMIS-

SION ERS.

BETWEEN the geese in St. James's Park and the Commissioners of her Majesty's Woods and Forests, bath lately arisen a radical difference of opinion on a point materially affecting the character of the Park-frequenting portion of the public.

To come to a grave and proper decision between the parties, let us hear the pleadings.

It seems that the Commissioners have, of their own mere no- tion, and without at all consulting their fellow bipeds, (who, from being always on the spot, might have been assumed to know something of the matter,) caused to be stuck up in sundry conspi- cuous positions around the piece of water in the Park the follow- ing notice- " The Commissioners of her Majesty's Woods and Forests earnestly request that all persons frequenting this garden will endeavour to protect from injury the valuable collection of aquatic bads preserved therein."

No evidence being offered, this is the Commissioners' case.

Let us now weigh the evidence of the alleged injured party.

No one can have casually visited the Park without having re- marked the singular tameness of the "valuable aquatic birds" preserved there. From the stately swan to the smallest teal, all seem alike confident that injury at the bands of the Park visiters is a contingency to which they are not liable. We ourselves have had biscuit taken out of our hand. Nay, notwithstanding the crowds which frequent the Park, so universal is the gentle demeanour observed towards the birds, that the sparrows have become tamed, and we have positively seen them disputing for crumbs with a tribe of exotic ducks, surrounded by a crowd of delighted gazers. Dues this betoken a liability to injury ? Cer- tainly not; and yet we are told by Woods and Forests officiousness that the birds need protection !

But, assuming the truth of the allegation, let the reader mark the weakness, the almost super-official fully of the injunction. The allegation is, that the birds are liable to injury from the Park fre- quenters. And the remedy ? To the protection of the sane Park-frequenters are the birds recommended. After this, com- mend us to a wolf for a faithful shepherd—to any thing or any- body, in short, but a Commissioner of Woods and Forests. The notice is in truth a gratuitous insult to the public. This much, however, is quite certain, that if any latent disposition to injure the birth did anywhere exist, the stupid notice was precisely the thing to call it into action. In our boyish days, we are not quite sure that we should not have bad a shy at the geese out of pure spite of their fellow geese, the Commissioners. But boys, we verily believe, are better nowadays; and the proof of this last position is that OF have handsomely pelted the Com- missioners' libel—as may Ue seen in the S. \V. corner of the sheet of water.