ITS HISTORY. 23 



poration, on the other hand, it was contended that 

 there never were such boundaries, and that the 

 commoners had always enjoyed the right of " in- 

 tercommonage," as it was called — i.e. for their 

 cattle to wander all over 'the Forest. 



This tremendous legal battle, in which eighteen 

 barristers were engaged, lasted for three years, 

 and the final hearing for seventeen days. At 

 length, on the 24th November 1874, the Master 

 of the Rolls, Sir George Jessel, delivered a judg- 

 ment which has never been surpassed for lucidity 

 and conciseness, completely endorsing the con- 

 tention of the Corporation, and for ever over- 

 throwing enclosures, the illegality of which was 

 left beyond dispute. So masterly and conclusive 

 was the judgment that no attempt was ever made 

 to appeal against it. It is needless to say that 

 this happy conclusion of the long controversy, 

 which had cost so much anxiety and heart-burning, 

 was received with general congratulation. 



Soon after, the Commissioners, who for several 

 years had been prosecuting their inquiries on the 

 same lines as the Corporation suit, presented 

 their report, which included a scheme for the 

 future regulation of the Forest, but recommended 

 very easy terms to the "grantees" — i.e. those 

 who had bought land shown to be illegally en- 

 closed. This did not meet with general assent, 

 and Mr. Burney, a commoner of the Forest, took 

 upon himself to bring down a large party of work- 

 men, and demolished the fences of some of the 

 grantees ; and, although this action was condemned 

 at the time, it had the effect of reminding the 

 holders of this land of their precarious position 

 under the decision of the Master of the Rolls if 



