262 FOREST OF DEAN. 
‘sites for houses, gardens, and allotments, free from 
common rights, were of opinion that the conversion 
_ of the whole Forest into the absolute ownership of the 
Crown was unnecessary and unadvisable, and they 
lent their aid to defeat the scheme. The Bill was 
dropped for that year; but in the following autumn, 
notices were issued of the intention of the Government 
to introduce the Bill again in the ensuing Session. 
Thereupon, on behalf of the Commons Society, I entered 
into a correspondence with Mr. W. H. Smith, in which 
I pointed out the objections on principle to the inclosure 
of the Forest. I contended that there were precisely 
the same reasons against adopting this course, as had 
been asserted by the Committee of the House of 
Commons in 1875, of which Mr. W H. Smith 
himself had been Chairman, against the inclosure of 
the New Forest; that the object and intention of 
that Committee was to preserve the New Forest open 
and uninclosed, for the benefit of the Commoners and 
the public enjoyment; that the Forest of Dean was not 
unworthy of the same treatment; and that, although 
there was less of ancient timber left in it, it had some 
natural advantages superior even to the New Forest. 
I further informed him that we had reason to know 
that very strong opposition would be made by the 
Commoners and Free Miners of the Forest to the pro- 
posed Bill; but that I was authorised to say that 
these people would not object to the inclosure by 
the Crown, free from common rights, of portions 
of the open land of the Forest near to the towns 
