REGULATION OF COMMONS. 327 



Happily the Common is now out of danger. By 

 the advice of Mr. Birkett, the Solicitor to the Commons 

 Society, an influential meeting of the inhabitants 

 was held, in 1891, who decided to avail themselves 

 of the provisions of the Metropolitan Commons Act. 

 The usual steps were taken and inquiries held, and 

 notwithstanding considerable opposition, the Common 

 was placed under an elective body of Conservators. 

 The small piece of waste, referred to as being in- 

 closed by the Lord of Wallington, was unfortunately 

 omitted from the scheme at the last moment, and 

 litigation in respect to it has broken out afresh, and it 

 has yet to be determined whether the lord can inclose 

 against those who have rights of common in respect of 

 that Manor. The waste of this Manor is, however, 

 but a small fraction of Mitcham Common, and sub- 

 stantially the Common has been put into a position 

 of safety under the guardianship of the ratepayers of 

 the district. 



There remain very numerous Commons with an 

 aggregate area of about 4,000 acres, within the Metro- 

 politan Police district, which might be brought under 

 regulation schemes under the Act of 1866. Among 

 them are the Epsom Commons, 870 acres ; Tottenham 

 Marshes, 180 acres; Hadley Common, 174 acres; Car- 

 shalton, 150 acres; Stanmore, 127 acres; Dartford, 360 

 acres; Ham Common, 126 acres; the Thames Ditton 

 Commons, 300 acres, and others. Of these it may be well 

 to refer to Epsom Common. In 1865 the Inclosure 

 Commissioners approved and certified to Parliament a 



