8o LAND REFORM 



would ultimately be bought up, or by some means 

 come into the possession of the landlords. " It 

 would," he said, "take away rights of common 

 from all future generations. ... Its provisions would 

 offer a bribe to those who had the present use of 

 those rights to sell that which they had no power 

 to dispose of, the rights of future generations. . . . 

 He did not object to enclosures of commons on just 

 and equitable terms. . . . The experience of past 

 enclosure Bills proved to him that those interests, 

 peasants and labourers, were not cared for. . . . From 

 the reign of Queen Anne (time of first Inclosure Bill) 

 down to the reign of George IV, 1820, six million 

 acres had been enclosed . . . waste lands which, if 

 applied for the purpose of small occupation, would be 

 of great benefit to the poor by increasing employment 

 and the supply of food." 



Mr. Hume, as a landed proprietor, strongly opposed 

 the Bill. He said, " In his opinion the commonages 

 comprised lands never granted to any individuals, but 

 belonging to the Crown for the benefit of the public." 

 Referring to the Report of the Committee of 1844, he 

 asked — "What evidence did the Committee receive 

 from the poor who used these commons ? ... He 

 should be glad to hear what trouble had been taken 

 by the Select Committee to get the evidence of the 

 poor man and the labourer on the matter. ... It was 

 a one-sided report in favour of the landed proprietor. 

 . . . He opposed the measure, as taking away the 

 rights of the community at large. ... He would put 

 it whether getting rid altogether of the connection of 

 the poor with the soil was not an evil which would 

 affect society at large." 



The Bill, however, passed, but the predictions of 



