US£LEUL’ P 
Proceedine, torether with their Ofinion 
5 108 f 
thereon, from Time to Time, to the 
FHloufe. 
AVING proceeded to that 
important inquiry, and hav- 
ing examined {everal intelligent 
perfons upon the fubjeét, and had 
feveral papers and other documents 
laid before them, have thought it 
expedient to lofe no time in fub- 
mitting to the confideration of the 
Houfe the information they have 
already collected; and for that pur- 
pofe will ftate with as much brevity 
as pofiible, 
I. The progrefs that has hitherto 
been made in the inclofure of land 
by private acts, info far as the 
fame can be afcertained. 
If. The extent of land remain- 
ing uninclofed, and the means 
which, in the judgment of your 
cominittee, are likely to be moft ef- 
feftual for the {peedy inclofure 
thereof. 
iF 
Progrefs of Inclofure by private Ads. 
The firft a for the inclofure of 
lands according to the modern fyf- 
tem, is that of Ropley, in the county 
of Southampton, anno 1709-10. 
This, as might be expected in a 
new attempt, was oppofed, though, 
fortunately, without fuccefs*. Only 
one other act paffed in the reign of 
Queen Anne; namely, that of 
Thromarton, alias Farmington, in 
the county of Gloucefter. In the 
reign of George I. there were but 
fixteen acts; in that of George II. 
only 226. The remainder, amount- 
ing to 1,532, have all taken place 
during the reign of his prefent Ma- 
RO PFC T'S. Att 
jefty, and prior to the firft feffion 
of the prefent parliament, 
The following Table will give 
fome idea of the number of -thefe 
bills that peffed every ten years, 
and the average thereof, commenc- 
ing anno 1726; fince which period, 
aéts of inclofure have paffed in a 
greater or fmaller mmnber every 
year. 
Number of Bulls for Ten Years. 
Endinganno 1735 38 4 
1745.— ..39 4 
1755 - 61 6 
1765-312. 31 
W775 -4715 47 
1785 .469 47 
1796-371: ST 
Your Committee next proceeded 
to draw up an abftraét of the aéts 
of inclofure which have paffed for 
each county; and an eftimate of 
the extent of land thereby inclofed 
in each, The number of atts could 
be in general fufficiently afcertained 
by perufing the titles to the ftatutes 
pafled each year; but the extent of 
land thereby inclofed could not fo 
eafily be known. In the’ greater 
part of the aéts, it is true, that 
fome general eftimate is given of 
the land to be inclofed, but in 
1776 acts, there are no lefs a num- 
ber than 466 which do not f{pecify 
the contents in acres. 
In this fituation, your Committee 
were of opinion, that the beft rule 
to proceed upon was. to take the 
average number of acres, where 
the contents were {pecified, as 
the rule of calculation where the 
extent was unknown; and the fol- 
lowing Table is drawn up on that 
principle. 
* Sce Petition againft Ropley Inclofure, Comm. Four, vol. xvi. p, 381. 
General 
