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power to commissioners, chosen by themselves, to ascertain their 

 validity, and divide accordingly, under covenants and agreements, 

 properly drawn and executed for the purpose. Or secondly, by 

 act of parliament obtained by the petition of a certain proportion 

 of the commoners, both in number and value, whereby a minority 

 sanctioned only by ignorance, prejudice or selfishness is precluded 

 from defeating the ends of private advantage and public utility. 



In point of ceconomy, (he first of these methods is the most 

 eligible, as it saves the expenee of an act of parliament, with equal 

 security to the proprietors. But it is seldom practiced, unless in 

 commons, on a small scale, from the difficulty of procuring the 

 consent of every individual claimant without which it cannot be 

 accomplished. 



In either of these methods it is manifest that the right of the 

 cottager cannot be invaded, since, with respect to legal, or equita- 

 ble construction, he stands precisely on the same ground, with his 

 more opulent neighbours ; and as to his interest, I can truly declare 

 that in all cases which have fallen within my observation, inclosures 

 have meliorated his condition, by exciting a spirit of activity and 

 industry, whereby habits of sloth, have been by degrees overcome, 

 and supineness and inactivity have been exchanged for vigor and 

 exertion. No stronger proof can be given of this than the general 

 reduction of the poor's rate, in all those parishes, wherein such in- 

 closing has taken place. 



Upland commons are principally depastured in the summer with 

 sheep, and if a cottager were able to stock ever so largely, the 

 winter keeping, and his total inability to furnish them with food 

 between the fifth of April, and the twelfth of May (before which 

 time these commons ought not to be stocked) would be such a 

 drawback, as effectually to exclude every idea of profit. 



On the moors, cottagers within a moderate distance from the 

 common generally turned out, a cow or two, perhaps a few geese, 

 and I believe the latter are the only profitable stock. Not one in 

 ten rented land to" raise winter subsistence. In summer, the moor 

 commons were frequently inundated. The cattle must be removed, 

 and temporary pasturage hired on extravagant terms. On the other 

 hand, should the season be favourable, the redundancy of stock 

 from an unlimited right of feeding, by reducing the produce of 



the 



