242 THE NEW FOIiEST. 



embodied in several very influential petitions presented 

 by Mr. Fawcett. The Committee was presided over 

 by the late Mr. W. H. Smith, and among the 

 members were Mr. Cowper Temple and Sir William 

 Harcourt. 



The result was eminently satisfactory. The report 

 of the Committee consisted of a series of resolutions 

 favourable to the Commoners, and to the maintenance 

 of the Forest in its then state. The more important 

 were as follows : 



1. That the New Forest should remain open and unin- 



elosed except to the extent to which it was expedient 

 to maintain the existing- right of the Crown to plant 

 trees. 



2. That the ornamental woods and trees should be care- 



fully preserved, and the character of the scenery 

 maintained. 



3. That the power of inclosure conferred by the statutes of 



1698 and 1851, should be exercised on that area 

 which had till then been taken in at various times, 

 and been either kept or thrown open. . . That 

 the rolling power of inclosure over the open portion 

 of the Forest, not then planted or inclosed under the 

 two Acts, should cease. 



In 1877, an Act was passed embodying these 

 proposals. It also reorganised the ancient Court of 

 Yerderers on a popular basis of representation of the 

 Commoners, so as to enable it to represent and protect 

 their interests. This measure, whicb was strongly 

 supported by the Commons Society, passed without 



