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to the local newspapers, and he took every step which
a man could take to challenge and object to the un-
lawful enclosures. Public meetings also were held in
the Forest; their proceedings were reported in the local
newspapers; committees were appointed, and ulti-
mately at a Court of Attachments, (which is the legal
name of the Verderers Court) held on the 28th
February, 1843, a whole string of presentments was
made by the Officers of the Forest on the subject
of the unlawful enclosures which were then going on.
The Court of Attachments being a public legal tri-
bunal, its proceedings were regularly reported in the
local newspapers, and every person residing in the Forest
or its neighbourhood was made aware of the challenge
that had been thrown down against the unlawful course
which Lord Mornington had initiated, and which the
other Lords of Manors had followed. For the reason
before-mentioned, namely, that Lord Mornington him-
self was Lord Warden of the Forest, no steps were
taken to throw open these unlawful enclosures. Lord
Mornington claimed to sit as a Member of the Court,
and appointed his own Solicitor, Mr. Cutts, to be
Steward of the Court. Two out of the four Verderers
were also Lords of Manors in alliance with Lord
Mornington, and the consequence was that whenever
any motion was made to give effect to the presentments
the Verderers were equally divided, moreover the
Steward or Clerk of the Court actually appeared in