200 BANSTEAD COMMONS. 



Hartopp and his legal advisers in their ultimate success, 

 and induced them to offer terms of compromise. They 

 proposed to give up one-half of the Commons, and to 

 secure it for the enjoyment of the public, provided they 

 were allowed to inclose the other half. 



The Banstead Committee consulted the Commons 

 Society as to a compromise. As Chairman, I had 

 strongly opposed, in every Commons case, proposals of 

 this kind, as detrimental to the interests of the public in 

 the particular cases, and as likely to offer inducements to 

 Lords of Manors to attempt inclosures in other instances. 

 But in the case of Banstead the obstacles in the way 

 of ultimate success were most formidable. There was 

 great difficulty in obtaining funds for the proper conduct 

 of the case; and the rights of common, at that time 

 known to exist, were few in proportion to the extent 

 of the Commons. A compromise therefore appeared 

 to be expedient in this case. Fortunately, however, 

 before any arrangement was come to, most unexpected 

 events occurred, which completely changed the aspect 

 of affairs, and made success almost certain to the 

 Commoners. 



In 1884, Sir John Hartopp's solicitors, who had 

 been mainly responsible for the action which he had 

 taken, and who were in some way partners in the 

 speculation, became insolvent, and absconded, leaving 

 their affairs and those of their client in the greatest 

 confusion. Sir John Hartopp himself was involved 

 in their ruin, and became bankrupt. The negotiations 

 for a compromise came suddenly to an end for want 



