232 FOREST OF BEAN. 



sites for houses, gardens, and allotments, free from 

 common rights, were of opinion that the conversion 

 of the whole Forest into the absolute ownership of the 

 Crown was unnecessary and unadvisable, and they 

 lent their aid to defeat the scheme. The Bill was 

 dropped for that year; but in the following autumn, 

 notices were issued of the intention of the Government 

 to introduce the Bill again in the ensuing Session. 

 Thereupon, on behalf of the Commons Society, I entered 

 into a correspondence with Mr. W. H. Smith, in which 

 I pointed out the objections on principle to the inclosure 

 of the Forest. I contended that there were precisely 

 the same reasons against adopting this course, as had 

 been asserted by the Committee of the House of 

 Commons in 1875, of which Mr. W. H. Smith 

 himself had been Chairman, against the inclosure of 

 the New Forest ; that the object and intention of 

 that Committee was to preserve the New Forest open 

 and uninclosed, for the benefit of the Commoners and 

 the public enjoyment ; that the Forest of Dean was not 

 unworthy of the same treatment ; and that, although 

 there was less of ancient timber left in it, it had some 

 natural advantages superior even to the New Forest. 



I further informed him that we had reason to know 

 that very strong opposition would be made by the 

 Commoners and Free Miners of the Forest to the pro- 

 posed Bill ; but that I was authorised to say that 

 these people would not object to the inclosure by 

 the Crown, free from common rights, of portions 

 of the open land of the Forest near to the towns 



