TheseletterscompensateforthesilenceofHansard，sorealandinstructive
apicturedotheypresentofthemethodsandmotivesofenclosure。’Bully
hasaschemeofenclosurewhich，ifitsucceeds，Iamtoldwillfreehim
fromallhisdifficulties。’Thejournalsmaytalkoftheundrainedfertility
ofSedgmoor，butwehaveinthissentencetheaspectoftheenclosurethat
interestsSelwyn，theChairmanoftheCommittee，andfrombeginningtoend
oftheproceedingsnootheraspecteverentershishead。Anditinterests
agreatmanyotherpeoplebesidesSelwyn，forBullyowesmoney；sotoodoes
Stavordale，anotherprospectivebeneficiary：heowesmoneytoFox，andFox
owesmoneytoCarlisle。NowBullyandStavordalearenottheonlyeighteenth-century
aristocratswhoareindifficulties；thewaitersatBrooks’sandatWhite’s
knowthatwellenough，asSelwynfeltwhen，onhearingthatoneofthemhad
beenattestedforfelony，heexclaimed，’Whatanideaofushewillgive
inNewgate。’NorisBullytheonlyaristocratindifficultieswhosethoughts
turntoenclosure；Selwyn’slettersalone，withtheirreferencetoprevious
successes，wouldmakethatclear。Itisherethatwebegintoappreciate
theeffectofoursystemoffamilysettlementsinkeepingthearistocracy
together。Theseyoungmen，whosefortunescomeandgointhehurricanesof
thefarotable，wouldsoonhavedissipatedtheirestatesiftheyhadbeen
freetodoit；astheywererestrainedbysettlements，theycouldonlymortgage
them。Butthereisalimittothisprocess，andafteratimetheirdebts
begintooverwhelmthem；perhapsalsotoomanyoftheirfellowgamblersare
theircreditorstomakeBrooks’sorWhite’squiteascomfortableaplace
asitusedtobe，forwemaydoubtwhetherallofthesecreditorsweretroubled
withLordCarlisle’smorbiddelicacyoffeeling。Happilythereisanescape
fromthispainfulsituation：aschemeofenclosurewhichwillputhim’once
moreonhislegs。’Theotherpartiesconcernedaregenerallypoormen，and
thereisnotmuchdangeroffailure。Thusifwetracetheadventuresofthe
gamingtabletotheirbitterend，webegintounderstandthatthesewild
revellersaregamblingnotwiththeirownestatesbutwiththeestatesof
theirneighbours。Thisistheonlypropertytheycanrealise。Quidquiddelirant
regesplectunturAchivi。
Theparticularobstacleonwhichtheschemesplitwasafraudulentirregularity
theBillsubmittedforsignaturetotheinhabitantsdifferingseriouslyin
twentyparticularsfromtheBillpresentedtoParliament。Selwynclearly
attachednoimportanceatalltothePetitionsthatwerereceivedagainst
theBill，ortotheevidenceofitslocalunpopularity。Itiscleartoo，
thatitwasveryrareforaschemelikethistomiscarry，for，speakingof
hisbecomingChairmanoftheCommittee，headds，’Ithoughtitwasamatter
offormonly。’Furtherwithalittlecarethisprojectwouldhaveweathered
thediscoveryofthefraudofwhichtheauthorwereguilty。’Ibeggedlast
nightasforalmsthattheywouldmeetustosettletheVotes。Ihave，since
IhavebeeninParliament，beenoftwentyatleastofthesemeetings，and
alwaysbroughtnumberdownbythesemeans。Butmyadvicewasslighted，and
twentypeoplewerewalkingaboutthestreetswhocouldhavecarriedthis
point。’Inotherwords，theBillwouldhavebeencarried，allitsiniquities
notwithstanding，ifonlyBully’sfriendshadtakenSelwyn’sadviceandput
themselvesouttogodowntoWestminster。Solittleimpressiondidthispiece
oftrickerymakeonthemindoftheChairmanoftheCommittee，thatheintended
tothelast，bycollectinghisfriends，tocarrytheBill，forthefairness
andgoodorderofwhichhewasresponsible，throughtheHouseofCommons。
ThisglimpseintotheoperationsoftheCommitteeenablesustopicturethe
groupsofcomradeswhosauntereddownfromAlmack’sofanafternoontocarve
upamanorinCommitteeoftheHouseofCommons。WecanseeBully’sfriends
meetingroundthetableintheirsolemncharacterofjudgesandlegislator，
togiveascoreofvillagestoBully，andadozentoStavordale，muchas
ArtaxerxesgaveMagnesiatoThemistoclesforhisbread，Myusforhismeat
andLampsacusforhiswine。AndifthosefriendshappenedtobeBully’screditor
aswell，itwouldperhapsnotbeunjusttosupposethattheiractionwas
notaltogetherfreefromthekindofgratitudethatinspiredthebountyof
1。E。g。，LaxtonenclosedonpetitiononLordCarberyin1772。Totalarea
1200acres。EnclosureproceedingscompletedintheCommonsinnineteendays。
AlsoAshbury，Berks，enclosedonpetitionofLordCravenin1770。Therewere
contrarypetitions。AlsoNylands，enclosedin1790onpetitionofthelady
ofthemanor。AlsoTilsworth，Beds，enclosedonpetitionofCharlesChester，
Esq。，1767，andWestcote，Bucks，onpetitionofthemostnobleGeorge，Duke
ofMarlborough，January24，1765。Sometimesthelordofthemanorassociated
thevicarwithhispetition；thusWaltham，CroxtonandBraunston，covering
5600acres，inLeicestershire，wereallenclosedin1766bytheDukeofRutland
andthelocalrectororvicar。TherelationsofChurchandStatearevery
happilyillustratedbythelanguageofthepetitions，’Apetitionofthe
mostnobleJohn，DukeofRutland，andthehumblepetition’oftheRev——
BrownorRastallorMartin。
ThisStandingOrderdoesnotseemtohavebeenapplieduniversally，
forMrBraggsonDecember1，1800，madeamotionthatitshouldbeextended
tothecountrieswhereithadnothithertoobtained。SeeSenator，
vol。xxvii，December1，1800。
SeeparticularsinAppendix。
ASixMonths’TourthroughtheNorthofEngland，1771，vol。
SeeHouseofCommonsJournal。
Eden，TheStateofthePoor，vol。ii，p。157。
Eden，writingafewyearslater，remarksthatsincetheenclosure
’thepropertyinHolyIslandhasgottenintofewerhands，’vol。ii，p。149。
ReportofSelectCommitteeonMostEffectualMeansofFacilitating
Enclosure，1800。
13。Cf。alsoWraisburyinBucks，HouseofCommonsJournal，June
17，1799，wherethepetitionersagainsttheBillclaimedthattheyspoke
onbehalfof’bymuchthegreatestPartoftheProprietorsofthesaidLands
ofGrounds。’yetintheenumerationofconsentsthecommitteestatethat
theownersofpropertyassessedat£；6，18s。arehostileoutofatotal
valueof£；295，14s。
APoliticalEnquiryintotheConsequencesofenclosingWasteLands，
Sinclair’slanguageshowsthatthiswasthegeneralarrangement。Of
coursethereareexceptions。Seee。g。，HauteHuntreandothercasesinAppendix。
Cf。Billingsley’sReportonSomerset，p。59，wherethearrangements
aredescribedas’alittlesystemofpatronage。Thelordofthesoil，the
rector，andafewoftheprincipalcommoners，monopolizeanddistributethe
appointments。’
ParliamentaryRegister，June14，1781。
GeneralReportonEnclosures，1808。
SixMonths’TourthroughtheNorthofEngland，vol。i，p。122。
SeeAppendixA6。
ReportonSomerset，p。192。
ParliamentaryRegister，January21，1772。
CarlisleMSS。；HistoricalMSS。Commission，pp。301ff。
CharlesJamesFox。
TheearliernameofBrooks’sClub。
ForthesubsequenthistoryofKing’sSedgmoor，seeAppendixA14。
Intheyear1774，LordNorth’sGovernment，whichhadalreadyreceived
abadbruiseortwointhecourseofitsquarrelswithprinterandauthor，
gotverymuchtheworstofitinanencounterthatalittleprudencewould
havesufficedtoavertaltogether。Theaffairhasbecomefamousonaccount
oftheactor，andbecauseitwastheturingpointinaveryimportantcareer。
Thecauseofthequarrelhaspassedintothebackground，butstudentsof
theenclosuremovementwillfindmoretointeresttheminitsbeginningthan
initscircumstancesanddevelopment。
Mr。DeGrey，MemberforNorfolk，andLordoftheManorofTollingtonin
thatcounty，hadadisputeoflongstandingwithMr。WilliamTookeofPurley，
alandownerinTollington，whohadresistedMr。DeGrey’sencroachmentson
thecommon。Anactiononthissubjectwasimpending，butMr。DeGrey，who
held，asSirGeorgeTrevelyanputsit，’thatthelaw’sdelaywasnotintended
forMemberofParliament’gotanotherMemberofParliamenttointroducea
petitionforaBillfortheenclosureofTollington。Asithappened，Mr。
TookewasafriendofoneoftheclerksintheHouseofCommons，andthis
friendtoldhimon6thJanuarythatapetitionfromDeGreywasaboutto
bepresented。AfortnightlaterMr。Tookereceivedfromthisclerkacopy
ofMr。DeGrey’spetition，inwhichtheLordChiefJustice，brotherofMr。
DeGreywasincluded。Mr。TookehurriedtoLondonandpreparedacounter
petition，andSirEdwardAstley，thememberfortheconstituency，undertook
topresentthatpetitiontogetherwiththepetitionfromMr。DeGrey。There
weresomefurthernegotiations，withtheresultthatbothsidesrevisedtheir
respectivepetitions，anditwasarrangedthattheyshouldbepresentedon
4thFebruary。OnthatdaytheSpeakersaidtheHousewasnotfullenough，
andthepetitionsmustbepresentedonthe7th。AccordinglySirEdwardAstley
broughtupbothpetitionsonthe7th，buttheSpeakersaiditwasveryextraordinary
topresenttwocontrarypetitionsatthesametime。’Bringthefirstpetition
first。’Whenmembersbegantosay’Hear，hear，’theSpeakerremarked，’It
isonlyacommonpetitionforacommonenclosure，’andtheMembersfellinto
generalconversation，payingnoheedtotheproceedingsattheTable。In
themidstofthisthepetitionwasread，andtheSpeakeraskedfor’Ayes
andNoes，’anddeclaredthattheAyeshadit。Thepetitionaskingforthe
BillhadthusbeensurreptitiouslycarriedwithouttheHousebeingmadeaware
thattherewasacontrarypetitiontobepresented，thecontrarypetition
askingfordelay。Thesecondpetitionwasthenreadandorderedtolieon
theTable。
Inordinarycircumstancesnothingmorewouldhavebeenheardoftheopposition
toMr。DeGrey’sBill。Hundredsofpetitionsmayhavebeensostifledwithout
theworldbeinganythewiser。ButMr。Tooke，whowouldneverhaveknown
ofMr。DeGrey’sintentionifhehadnothadafriendamongtheclerkof
theHouseofCommons，happenedtohaveanotherfriendwhowasabletohelp
himinaverydifferentwayinhispredicament。ThiswasHorne，whowasnow
livinginacottageatPurley，readinglaw，onthedesperatechancethat
aman，whowasaclergymanagainsthiswill，wouldbeadmittedtothebar。
RushedratherthanspentbyhispublicquarrelwithWilkes，whichwasjust
dyingdown，HornesawinMr。Tooke’swrongsanadmirableopportunityfor
achampionoffreedom，whoseearlierexploitshadbeenalittletarnished
byhissubsequentfeudswithhiscomrades。Accordinglyherespondedvery
promptly，andpublishedinthePublicAdvertiserof11thFebruary，ananonymous
indictmentoftheSpeaker，SirRetcherNorton，basedonhisunjusttreatment
ofthesepetitions。ThisletterscandalisedtheHouseofCommonsanddrew
theunwaryGovernmentintoaquarrelfromwhichHorneemergedtriumphant；
fortheGovernment，havingbeenledontoproceedagainstHorne，wasunable
toprovehisauthorshipoftheletter。Theincidenthadconsequencesofgreat
importanceformanypersons。ItwasthemakingofHorne，forhebecameHorne
Tooke，with£；8000fromhisfriendandareputationasanintrepidand
vigilantchampionofpopularlibertythatheretainedtothedayofhisdeath。
ItwasalsothemakingofFox，foritwasthisyouthoftwenty-fivewhohad
ledtheGovernmentintoitsscrape，andthekingcouldnotforgivehim。His
temerityonthisoccasionprovokedthefamousletterfromNorth。’Sir，His
MajestyhasthoughtpropertoorderanewCommissionoftheTreasurytobe
madeout，inwhichIdonotseeyourname。’Foxleftthecourtpartytolend
hisimpetuouscouragehenceforthtoverydifferentcauses。Butforsocial
studentstheincidentischieflyinterestingbecauseitwasthecauseof
theintroductionofStandingOrdersonEnclosureBills。Ithadshownwhat
mighthappentorichmenundertheexistingsystem。AccordinglytheHouse
ofCommonssettoworktoconstructaseriesofStandingOrderstoregulate
theproceedingsonEnclosureBills。
MostoftheseStandingOrdershavereadybeenmentionedintheprevious
chapter，butweproposetorecapitulatetheirmainprovisionsinorderto
showthatthegrossfairnessoftheprocedure，describedinthelastchapter，
asbetweentherichandthepoor，madenoimpressionatalluponParliament。
ThefirstStandingOrdersdealingwithEnclosureBillswerepassedin1774，
andtheywererevisedin1775，1781，1799，1800and1801。TheseStanding
OrderspreventedasecretapplicationtoParliamentbyobligingpromoters
topublishanoticeonthechurchdoor；theyintroducedsomecontrolover
theextortionsofcommissioners，andlaiddownthattheBillpresentedto
Parliamentshouldcontainthenamesofthecommissionersandadescription
ofthecompensationtobegiventothelordofthemanorandtheimpropriator
oftithes。Buttheycontainednosafeguardatallagainstrobberyofthe
smallproprietorsorthecommoners。Until1801therewasnorestrictionon
thechoiceofacommissioner，anditwasonlyinthatyearthatParliament
adoptedtheStandingOrderprovidingthatnolordofthemanor，orsteward，
orbailiffofanylordorladyorproprietorshouldbeallowedtoactas
commissionerinanenclosureinwhichhewasaninterestedparty。1*In
onerespectParliamentdeliberatelywithdrewaruleintroducedtogivegreater
regUlarityandpublicitytotheproceedingsofcommittees。UndertheStanding
Ordersof1774，theChairmanofaCommitteehadtoreportnotonlywhether
theStandingOrdershadbeencompliedwith，butalsowhatevidencehadbeen
submittedtoshowthatall，thenecessaryformalitieshadbeenobserved；
butinthefollowingyeartheHouseofCommonsstruckoutthissecondprovision。
ACommitteeoftheHouseofCommonssuggestedin1799thatnopetitionshould
beadmittedforaParliamentaryBillunlessafourthpartoftheproprietors
innumberandvaluesignedtheapplication，butthissuggestionwasrejected。
ThepoorthenfoundnokindofshelterintheStandingOrders。Thelegislation
ofthisperiod，fromfirsttolast，showsjustasgreatanindifferenceto
theinjusticetowhichtheywereexposed。ThefirstpublicActofthetime
dealsnotwithenclosuresforgrowingcorn，butwithenclosuresforgrowing
wood。TheActof1756statesinitspreamblethattheActsofHenryVIII，
CharlesIIandWilliamIIIforencouragingthegrowthoftimberhadbeen