xiv CONTENTS. 
PAGE 
of Metropolitan Board—Regulation of Hayes Common—The 
Hackney Commons—Litigation—Scheme for regulation—Purchase 
of Lord’s rights—Barnes Common—Clapham Common—Mitcham 
Common—Litigation—Scheme for regulation of Epsom Common— 
Regulation of Rural Commons—Number of Schemes—Defects 
of Act of 1876 : 5 ; é . 312—330 
CHAPTER XIX. 
Attacks By Ratpway CompaAniegs. 
Danger to Commons from Railway Companies—Motives to Companies 
to engineer their lines through Commons—Opposition to Schemes 
in House of Commons—Amendment of Standing Orders—Attack 
on Mitcham Common—Suwocessful resistance—Attacks on Epping 
Forest and New Forest—Defeat of Schemes—The Corporation of 
Manchester and the Thirlmere Commons—The Corporation of 
Birmingham and the Mountain Commons in South Wales— Parlia- 
ment insists on a “ jus spatiandi”,—The Torrington Commons— 
Change in public opinion on question—Effect of discussions in 
Parliament . é . 2 : : ‘ ‘ . 881—342 
CHAPTER XX. 
Tue RepEAL or THE Statute or Merron. 
Effect of failure of Parliament to adopt recommendations of Committee 
of 1866 for repeal of Statute of Merton—Consequent litigation— 
Result of suits—Failure of Lords of Manors to maintain right to 
inclose—Attempts to obtain repeal of Statute—Inclosures under 
customs of Manors with consent of Copyholders—The Copyhold 
Act of 1887—Action of House of Lords in restricting such inclo- 
sures in future—Consent of Agricultural Department—Description 
of Clause—Results of Clause—Proposal in 1893 to extend principle 
to inclosures under Statute of Merton—Lord Thring’s Bill in the 
House of Lords—Lord Salisbury’s opposition—Passing of measure 
—Virtual repeal of Statute of Merton—Necessity for proof of 
public interest in inclosures—Review of movement during thirty 
years—Efforts to secure Commons for public—What remains to be 
effected— Withdrawal of trust from Lords of Manors—Transfer 
to Local Authorities of Control and Management of Commons— 
Breaches in ranks of those engaged in movement—Conclusion . 343—365 
