292 ROADSIDE WASTES. 



Berkhamsted case, took the advice of the Commons 

 Society and of its solicitor, Mr. P. H. Lawrence. He 

 was recommended to follow the example of Mr. Smith, 

 and to make an emphatic demonstration of the 

 illegality of the encroachments, by forcibly removing 

 the fences, and by employing for the purpose a body of 

 men so large, as to render any opposition on the part of 

 Lord Salisbury's employes impossible. 



Lord Cowper, acting on this counsel, collected a large 

 body of tenants and labourers, who, under his personal 

 superintendence, removed the whole of the fences in 

 the night and early morning. Having effected this, 

 he sent a servant on horseback to Hatfield with a letter, 

 informing Lord Salisbury of what had been done, and 

 of his reasons for doing it. It was stated at the time 

 that the late Lord Cairns then Lord Chancellor 

 was a guest at Hatfield, when this missive arrived, 

 and it was surmised that his advice on the legal 

 aspects of the case restrained his host within prudent 

 bounds. However that may have been, Lord Salisbury 

 contented himself with issuing a writ for trespass 

 against Lord Cowper, but took no further action upon 

 it ; he submitted to a defeat, and never attempted to 

 question the legality of Lord Cowper's action in remov- 

 ing the fences, or to assert his own right to erect 

 them. 



A mutual friend of the two peers, it was said, en- 

 deavoured to induce Lord Cowper to tender an apolog3 r 

 to Lord Salisbury for so violent a course, upon the 

 understanding that no further attempt would be made 



