278 RURAL COMMONS. 
Finally, on the third reading of the Bill, the 
Duke of Northumberland moved its rejection, on the 
ground that it was an invasion of the rights of property. 
The motion was carried against the Government by a 
majority of sixty-five to fifty-three. 
It was not till the year 1876, that the subject again 
came before Parliament. In the meantime no further 
inclosure orders were confirmed. Schemes for thus deal- 
ing with thirty-eight Commons, with a large acreage, 
had been approved by the Commission, and awaited 
confirmation by Parliament; but no new proceedings 
were initiated. In these thirty-eight schemes, in 
consequence of the views of the Select Committee of 
1869, a considerable addition was proposed by the 
Commissioners to the public allotments for recreation 
and field gardens. Thus, in the case of Wisley, it was 
proposed to devote sixteen acres to this purpose, in lieu 
of the original two acres. In the case of Withypool, 
the one acre of 1869 was now increased to ten and 
a half acres. But in the view of the Commons Society 
even these allotments were insufficient in many cases, 
and several of the Commons, included in the list, were 
such as ought not to be inclosed, on the ground that no 
public advantage was to be expected from such a course. 
In 1876, the Home Secretary, Mr. Cross, now Lord 
Cross, introduced a measure for amending the Inclosure 
Act of 1845. In many important respects it fell be- 
hind the Bill of 1871, especially in the requirement of 
allotments for public purposes. It left the question of 
the quantum of allotments to the discretion of the Com- 
