EPPING FOREST. 145 
Courts of law. I was personally much opposed to the 
course of bringing pressure upon the Government, until 
the issues in the great Corporation suit should be heard 
and determined by a judicial tribunal. I rather feared 
the effect of a compromise at an earlier stage. The sequel 
has shown that I was justified in my view of the posi- 
tion. It cannot now be doubted that the main, if not 
the sole, cause of success in saving the Forest was the 
decision of the Master of the Rolls defining the legal posi- 
tion of the Commoners, and giving an injunction against 
inclosure by the Lords of Manors. On the other hand, 
the Report of the Royal Commission was not without 
value in determining the scheme, which was ultimately 
applied to the Forest. Pending the report, the Forest 
Court of Attachments was revived, and verderers were 
appointed. 
For nearly three years the two inquiries went on 
pari passu ; witnesses were examined and cross-examined 
before the Royal Commission, and made affidavits in 
the Chancery suit. The composition of the Royal 
Commission was not such as to inspire much confidence 
in their conclusions, so far as the public interests were 
concerned. Strange to say, the Lords of Manors were 
equally animated with distrust of the Commission, and 
desired to have a legal decision as to their rights. The 
Corporation not very wisely, as it seemed, offered to 
suspend the proceedings in their suit, and to take the 
decision of the Commission. The Lords of Manors 
refused this offer with something approaching contempt, 
and insisted upon the suit being tried out in the Law 
K 
