200 BANSTEAD COMMONS. 
Hartopp and his legal advisers in their ultimate success, 
and induced them to offer terms of compromise. They 
proposed to give up one-half of the Commons, and to 
secure it for the enjoyment of the public, provided they 
were allowed to inclose the other half. 
The Banstead Committee consulted the Commons 
Society as to a compromise. As Chairman, I had 
strongly opposed, in every Commons case, proposals of 
this kind, as detrimental to the interests of the public in 
the particular cases, and as likely to offer inducements to 
Lords of Manors to attempt inclosures in other instances. 
But in the case of Banstead the obstacles in the way 
of ultimate success were most formidable. There was 
great difficulty in obtaining funds for the proper conduct 
of the case; and the rights of common, at that time 
known to exist, were few in proportion to the extent 
of the Commons. A compromise therefore appeared 
to be expedient in this case. Fortunately, however, 
before any arrangement was come to, most unexpected 
events occurred, which completely changed the aspect 
of affairs, and made success almost certain to the 
Commoners. 
In 1884, Sir John Hartopp’s solicitors, who had 
been mainly responsible for the action which he had 
taken, and who were in some way partners in the 
speculation, became insolvent, and absconded, leaving 
their affairs and those of their client in the greatest 
confusion. Sir John Hartopp himself was involved 
in their ruin, and became bankrupt. The negotiations 
for a compromise came suddenly to an end for want 
