HORSES AND HOUNDS. 157 



except under peculiar circumstances, as the following : — Coverts 

 and countries may become lapsed by non-usage or abandon- 

 ment, the death of the master, or his ceasing to keep hounds, 

 without the appointment of a successor. In these cases, the 

 coverts, by fox-hunting law, are placed at the disposal of their 

 proprietors, and they can dispose of them as they think proper. 

 Coverts may become lapsed by any master discontinuing to 

 draw them for seven years, or by his allowing another pack to 

 hunt them, without remonstrance or interference, for that period. 

 In these cases the master of an adjoining pack, with the consent 

 of the proprietors, may take possession of these coverts, and 

 they will become an integral part of his country. It has been 

 held that twenty years' possession of a country, without inter- 

 ruption, or interference, or stipulations of any kind, constitutes 

 a legal title to that country. There can be no question of this ; 

 but I maintain that seven years' possession, under the same 

 circumstances, is a sufficient bar to their being reclaimed. 

 How, otherwise, would nearly all the hunting establishments of 

 the present day stand? What alterations and divisions of 

 countries have taken place since the days of those Nimrods of 

 old — Noel, Corbet, and jMeynell 1 Where one hunting establish- 

 ment was formerly kept there are now four or five, I might say 

 more than these. It was but fair and reasonable, that, when 

 one master of fox-hounds possessed more country than he could 

 by possibility effectually hunt, a part of it should be given over 

 to a neighbouring hunt, and this course has been pursued gene- 

 rally with mutual goodwill and mutual benefit ; but it is presumed 

 that masters of fox-hounds, being always considered gentlemen 

 and men of honour, are incapable of acting either unfairly or 

 aggressively towards their neighbours, and upon these principles 

 only can the laws of fox-hunting ever stand. However extended 

 a country may be, so long as the master continues to draw the 

 coverts contained in it, if only once in the season, he cannot 

 be lawfully dispossessed of any portion of that country without 

 his consent ; nor can another master of hounds, even at the 

 solicitation of the owners of coverts, take possession of any 

 part of it. 



I have heard Mr. Assheton Smith quoted as an example of 

 one who has set the laws of fox-hunting at defiance, and has 

 acted contrary to their rules, in annexing part of the Craven 

 country to his own. From my recollection of the circumstances 

 of the case, which took place some years ago, I do not think 

 such an accusation is founded on facts. My impression is, that 

 the successor of Mr. Ward in the Craven country gave certain 

 large coverts, far distant from the Craven kennels, but near to 



