SOME VERDERERS, OLD AND NEW 37 



the last link between the ancient Court of Ver- 

 derers with all its historical associations and the 

 new and totally different court created in 1877. 



As these older members passed away, their 

 places were filled by co-option from the ranks of 

 the party which had conducted the bitter cam- 

 paign against the Crown from which the new 

 court resulted. The character of the court, on 

 which Sir Henry Paulet had exercised a wise 

 and restraining influence, became much altered, 

 and it was rapidly degenerating into little more 

 than a committee of commoners, with no object 

 in view but to enhance their rights and attack 

 and impair those of the Crown. 



While this policy might commend itself to 

 those who only desired to see the common rights 

 so exaggerated that they absorbed the whole 

 Forest, it completely destroyed the status of this 

 ancient and venerable court, and wiped out its 

 judicial position. It was inconceivable that cases 

 should be brought before a court nominally a 

 court of justice, when the members of that 

 court ceased not to proclaim on every house-top 

 that they were pledged to support one interest, 

 and one only. 



So after several honest attempts to give the 

 verderers a chance to keep up the jurisdiction 

 of the court, and to deal impartially with all 



