EPPING FOREST. 145 



Courts of law. I was personally much opposed to the 

 course of bringing pressure upon the Grovernment, until 

 the issues in the great Corporation suit should be heard 

 and determined by a judicial tribunal. I rather feared 

 the effect of a compromise at an earlier stage. The sequel 

 has shown that I was justified in my view of the posi- 

 tion. It cannot now be doubted that the main, if not 

 the sole, cause of success in saving the Forest was the 

 decision of the Master of the Rolls defining the legal posi- 

 tion of the Commoners, and giving an injunction against 

 inclosure by the Lords of Manors. On the other hand, 

 the Report of the Royal Commission was not without 

 value in determining the scheme, which was ultimately 

 applied to the Forest. Pending the report, the Forest 

 Court of Attachments was revived, and verderers were 

 appointed. 



For nearly three years the two inquiries went on 

 pari passu ; witnesses were examined and cross-examined 

 before the Royal Commission, and made affidavits in 

 the Chancery suit. The composition of the Royal 

 Commission was not such as to inspire much confidence 

 in their conclusions, so far as the public interests were 

 concerned. Strange to say, the Lords of Manors were 

 equally animated with distrust of the Commission, and 

 desired to have a legal decision as to their rights. The 

 Corporation not very wisely, as it seemed, offered to 

 suspend the proceedings in their suit, and to take the 

 decision of the Commission. The Lords of Manors 

 refused this offer with something approaching contempt, 

 and insisted upon the suit being tried out in the Law 



K 



