98 WIMBLEDON COMMON. 
be elected by the ratepayers under the Act, and the 
other three by the Home Secretary, the Secretary of State 
for War, and the First Commissioner of Works. The 
consideration of the conveyance was a perpetual annuity 
to Lord Spencer and his heirs and assigns of £1,200, 
representing his average receipts from the Manor. 
This, together with other expenses, was to be levied by 
a rate on houses assessed at £35 a year and upwards, 
situated within three-quarters of a mile of Wimbledon 
Common and Putney Heath. The maximum rate for 
houses within one quarter of a mile was fixed at 6d. 
in the pound, within half a mile, 4d., and beyond half 
a mile at 2d. in the pound, the distances to be measured 
by the nearest available road or footpath. The rate- 
payers were to have votes in the election of Conservators 
in proportion to the value of their assessments, and the 
election was to be triennial. The expenses of obtaining 
the Act were to be borne on this rate. It will be seen 
that the principle on which the expense of providing 
the annuity and of maintaining the Common is based is 
that of ‘‘Betterment.” The preservation of the Common 
was considered to be in the interest chiefly of those 
who lived near to it, and they were to be taxed in 
proportion to their distance from the Common in a 
series of zones. 
The dispute between the Lord of the Manor and 
his Commoners was thus finally set at rest, and the 
Common was placed under the management of those 
who are primarily interested in its maintenance. 
Under the Act, the Conservators were bound to allow 
