REGULATION OF COMMONS. 327 
Happily the Common is now out of danger. By 
the advice of Mr. Birkett, the Solicitor to the Commons 
Society, an influential meeting of the inhabitants 
was held, in 1891, who decided to avail themselves 
of the provisions of the Metropolitan Commons Act. 
The usual steps were taken and inquiries held, and 
notwithstanding considerable opposition, the Common 
was placed under an elective body of Conservators. 
The small piece of waste, referred to as being in- 
closed by the Lord of Wallington, was unfortunately 
omitted from the scheme at the last moment, and 
litigation in respect to it has broken out afresh, and it 
has yet to be determined whether the lord can inclose 
against those who have rights of common in respect of 
that Manor. The waste of this Manor is, however, 
but a small fraction of Mitcham Common, and sub- 
stantially the Common has been put into a position 
of safety under the guardianship of the ratepayers of 
the district. 
There remain very numerous Commons with an 
aggregate area of about 4,600 acres, within the Metro- 
politan Police district, which might be brought under 
regulation schemes under the Act of 1566. Among 
them are the Epsom Commons, 870 acres; Tottenham 
Marshes, 180 acres; Hadley Common, 174 acres; Car- 
shalton, 150 acres; Stanmore, 127 acres; Dartford, 360 
acres; Ham Common, 126 acres; the Thames Ditton 
Commons, 300 acres, and others. Of these it may be well 
to refer to Epsom Common. In 1865 the Inclosure 
Commissioners approved and certified to Parliament a 
