CARLTON TERRACE.
To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."
Sin,—In commenting last week upon a letter recently addressed to the l'intesby "A West Londoner," describing the objectionable manner in which Crown Leases are now distributed preferentially amongst the private friends at the Offines of Woods and Forests by the Commissioners, you remarked, "Such land cannot be sold by auction, perhaps ; as a music hall, for example, might injure all around it ; but Government might admit of some kind of compe- tition."
Allow me to explain that whether the land is let by public auction or by private arrangement, the protection which the neighbourhood derives against music-halls and the like consists in the covenants of the leases, and not in the manner in which they are originally dis- posed of. The leases of the land recently let in Carlton Terrace contain no clauses forbidding the Duke of Newcastle, Sir Morton Pete, and Messrs. Trollope, from selling their houses by public auction whenever they please. Therefore they might just as well, as far as the neighbours are concerned, have been originally let by public tender to the highest bidder.
The annual revenue of all this Crown property is credited every year to the public account in return for the civil list of the Sovereign, which the public pay out of the taxes ; therefore, the liberality with which the Commissioners have in this instance treated the Duke and his co lessees is entirely at the cost of the Britith tax payer.-1 am, Sir, your obedient servant, H.
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