THE COMMONS SOCIETY. 45 
Common within the Metropolitan Police district, 
ou the application of the Commoners, or of any 
twelve Ratepayers, or of certain Local Authorities, to 
authorise a scheme for the regulation of a Common 
and its management by a Board of Conservators, 
elected by the ratepayers of the district. The consent 
of the Lord of the Manor is not necessary for such 
a scheme; but when he does not give his consent, his 
rights, whatever they may be, of inclosing or other- 
wise, are reserved, and are not affected by the scheme. 
These regulation schemes are subject to the approval 
of Parliament, in the same manner as schemes of 
inclosure. This measure, passed by Mr. Cowper Temple, 
then First Commissioner of Works, was prepared and 
recommended to him by the Commons Society. A very 
considerable number of the London Commons have 
since been brought under its protection, and schemes 
have been passed for their regulation. 
The interest of the public in the subject of Commons 
was also greatly promoted in 1866-7 by the action of 
Mr. Peek, now Sir Henry Peek, who as a Commoner 
and resident was deeply interested in the preservation 
of Wimbledon Common, and in the application to it of 
a scheme of regulation under the Metropolitan Commons 
Act. Mr. Peek offered several valuable prizes, amount- 
ing in the aggregate to £400, for the best essays on the 
Preservation of Commons. These led to the legal and 
historical aspects of the question being studied by a 
number of able young lawyers. The first prize was 
won by the late Mr. Maidlow. The six best essays, 
