WIMBLEDON COMMON. 97 
were renewed; and finally, in April, 1870, terms of 
an arrangement were happily arrived at between 
Lord Spencer and the Committee of Commoners, and 
the Chancery proceedings were brought to anend. The 
principle of the proposed arrangement was the con- 
veyance by Lord Spencer, to Trustees for the public, of 
the whole of his rights over Wimbledon and Putney 
Commons, and that portion of Wandsworth Common 
which forms practically a part of Wimbledon Common, 
in consideration of the continuance to him, by means 
of a fixed annual payment, of the income which he had, 
on the average of the previous ten years, derived from 
the Common. It became necessary to embody the 
terms of this agreement in an Act of Parliament, and in 
the Session of 1871, a Bill, called the Wimbledon and 
Putney Bill, was introduced. 
Some difficulty arose in consequence of the natural 
desire of Lord Spencer that the National Rifle Associa- 
tion should be allowed to continue in the use of the 
Common, for the purpose of their annual Volunteer 
Camp, and also owing to the strenuous opposition of 
the Metropolitan Board of Works, who desired to 
have the management of the Common, even though 
they would only obtain this by throwing the expenses 
upon London at large, whereas the neighbourhood was 
willing to bear them. The measure, however, passed 
through all its difficulties with little amendment, and 
finally received the Royal Assent. 
Under this Act, Lord Spencer conveyed all his 
interest in the Common to eight Conservators, five to 
H 
