22 THE NEW FOREST 



moners, and they alone were to have a hold, by 

 an election held in rotation every two years, over 

 the Court that had hitherto dealt solely with 

 the Forest management. 



These elections are, I believe, the only ones 

 left where open voting prevails. 



This ingeniously devised constituency was en- 

 tirely upset by the revision and lowering of the 

 franchise, which took place in 1885. By that 

 alteration there became entitled to vote at a 

 parliamentary election, and consequently at that 

 of a verderer, an enormous number of persons 

 who were not qualified by the Act of 1877. In 

 fact, if a verderers' election were to arouse keen 

 interest and the whole constituency recorded its 

 vote, the commoners' vote, taken by itself, would 

 be completely swamped by that of the other 

 residents in and around the Forest who have no 

 common rights at all ! But, as a matter of feet, 

 there have only been two contested elections, 

 and hardly anyone but those interested in com- 

 moners' questions cared to record their votes, 

 the polls being very small ones, and the interest 

 taken in them very limited. 



The powers of the verderers were increased in 

 several respects by the New Forest Act, 1877, 

 under which it is now governed, but at the 

 same time they are not very clearly defined. 



