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Perhaps it is matter of less importance that the
proposal of the Commissioners is not only illegal, un-
justifiable as against the public, and likely to cause the
transfer of a very large sum of money from the pocket
of the public to the pockets of persons who have
no right whatever to it, hut it will be so costly in its
operation as never to be put into effect. Supposing the
Corporation, who are to he the future Conservators of
the Forest, were willing to find the immense sum
required to obtain possession of the 740 acres now
under discussion. It is calculated that there are at
least 500 different plots. The process will he as
follows:—first there will be an arbitration or a jury
to ascertain what sum the encloser is to pay to
have his title quieted, viz :—9/10ths of the agri-
cultural value; then there will be an application to
the First Commissioner of Works for leave to the
Conservators to purchase the land; and lastly there
must be arbitrators or a jury to decide as to its full
marketable value which the Conservators are to pay.
Dealing only with the third and last of these steps
for the moment and allowing £500 as a very mo-
derate sum for the cost of each compensation case,
(and all those who have been engaged in such cases
well know that this sum is very often exceeded even
to the extent of £1000), it might cost a sum varying
from £70,000 to £140,000, to ascertain what should
be paid for these 740 acres, supposing there was a
c