COMMISSIONERS ON WINDSOR FOREST. 5 



For the greater convenience of the Claimants, the Commiffiouers appointed 

 particular days through the remainder of the month of October to proceed on the 

 claims made in each parifh, and caufed perfcnaJ notice by fpecial meflengers feat 

 to the Claimants or their agents, to inform them thereof, that they might fuller as 

 little inconvenience as pofiible by their attendance in fupport of their claims. 

 Many of thefc claims were made out by fatisfactory evidence, and further time 

 given to every other Claimant who 'alleged either want of preparation or of 

 proper evidence in fupport of his claim, or who even requeued further time for 

 his perfonal accommodation: and the Commiffioners, having proceeded on all the 

 claims where the Claimants were prepared, adjourned to the 5th January 1807. 



The Commiffioners in the meantime turned their attention to the ftate of the 

 Timber in the Foreft, which by the Act they are directed to do. Some general 

 idea was given of it in their Firft Report, and it will be more particularly noticed 

 in a fubfequent part of this Report. 



On the 5th of January 1807 the Commiffioners met purfuant to their adjourn- 

 ment, and proceeded in the further inveftigation of the claims made before them, 

 until the i2th of the fame month, and fo long as any of the Claimants were pre- 

 pared to proceed in fubftantiating their rights, many of whom ftill prayed further 

 time for that purpofe, which was granted them. The Commiffioners alfo at this 

 period proceeded to inquire into the purpreflures, encroachments and trefpafles 

 on the foil of His Majefty within the Foreft, amounting in number to 340. And 

 for the greater convenience of thofe who were called upon by the Commiffioners 

 to refift the claim made by the Crown to fuch encroachments, the Commiffioners 

 appointed particular days to proceed on the encroachments within each Walk of 

 the Foreft, and gave a fpecial and particular notice to each perfon fo called upon, 

 of the day in which his particular cafe would be heard, and the Commiffioners 

 fat the whole of each day they had fo appointed. Many perfons however not 

 attending, who had notice, it was thought expedient to give a further opportunity 

 to them to attend ; and an adjournment was made to the month of April, to 

 proceed further on the claims of rights and on the encroachments. 



The Commiffioners have been more minute in detailing the courfe of their pro- 

 ceedings, than may at firft appear to your Lordfliips to be neceflary; they have 

 however confidered it eflential fo to do, in juftification not only of the meafure 

 which the Aft directed to be purfued, but of their own conduft in the execution 

 of it, both of which, immediately after their Firft Report dated zoth January 1807, 

 were much called in quellion by an application in the fhape of a Memorial, to 

 the perfons then at the head of His Majefty's government, requefting a repeal of 

 the Aft. 



The principal ground ftated for fuch repeal was, the hardfliip of the zd and 3d 

 fections ; by the firft of which it is declared that all perfons who fhould not in 

 manner and form prescribed by that Aft deliver in the claims, rights, and privi- 

 leges to the Commiffioners, at fome one of the Commiffioners Meetings, mould 

 be barred and excluded from all fuch claims, rights, and privileges ; and by the 

 third feetion, the Commiffioners were empowered to call before them any perfon, 

 cither to give evidence, or to produce any records, court rolls, and other docu- 

 ments in his poffeflion, which the Commiffioners might judge neceflary to ba 

 examined, for the purpofe of the inquiry direfted by the faid Aft. . i 



In refpeft to the hard/hip of the 2d feftion, the Commiffioners will only ob- 

 fi-rve, that a fimilar claufe is inferted in every common Inclofure Aft ; the reafon 

 of which is extremely obvious, that it would be wholly impracticable to put any 

 iarge traft of land into an improved ftate of cultivation, and to give to every in- 

 dividual his due proportion of it, in a different fhape from that in which he 

 had before exercifed his right upon it, or to preferve to any individual any 

 exclufive right not meant to be infringed by fuch Inclofure Aft, without fouie 

 'fuch limitation. 



The better to explain how unfounded the complaint againft the 3<1 fe6tion was, 

 as well as the objection to the courfe taken by the Commiffioners in the exercife 

 of the authority it gave them, it will be proper to ftate the mode of proceeding 

 purfued by the Commiffioners in requiring written evidence in fupport of Manerial 

 or other rights or privileges not direfted by prefcription. 



As all fuch rights muft have originally emanated from the Crown, the grants 

 -of which are preferved in the public records of the Kingdom, the Commiffioners 

 required a production pf the original grant, or an office copy of it from the rc- 



133. B cord, 



