The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-01-24 00:00:00

free enjoyment of the public upon the hills. They
wished the public to come there and enjoy them-
selves as formerly, without hindrance; they wished
also that theie should be byelews for the regulation
of the visitors. In he wake of crowds win) came
there were people who made their hying by providing
amusements, and also people who came to filch from
the crowds. They wished to keep the hill select,
that people should not have their pockets picked,
and that order should be kept amongst the peeple
with shows and donkeys. Legally the crowds of
visibars were new merely tolerated by the commoners
and the lord of the manor, who might agree to close
the hills against the world. But they did not wish
to do that, and had no such intention. Their doing
so would decrease their rates ; but the people of
Clerit were willing to give up that advantage, and
merely wished that there should be some regulation
conducive to the enjoyment of the public ant them-
elves. The Act of 1876 expreeely contemplated the
regulation ef these suburbae common,. They had
lone all that it required in sending notices to the
newspapers and the local authorieies ; there had been
no hole and corner \I, ork. If Cleat had a Local
-Board that ho ly could itself do all that was now
wanted to be done by a Beard of Conservators. It
was merely because the parish of (dent was too
small to have such an authority that they wished to
put this machinery in action.
Mr. Hingley thought that if the applicants had
brought what Mr. Amphlett now stated previouely
before the public there would not have been hilf so
much objection as had been raised—(hear hear).
Lord Lyttelton said there appeared to be a good,
deal of misapprehension in the meeting as to want
was intended by the scheme; and as e, as lord of
file manor, wasyery greatly interested, he thought
the public had a right to know what was his
position in regard to it—(hearLhear).,"7:A few
months ago he saw one of the applicaets, and
listened very carefully to what he lied o say. He
dia no' care about taking a part in the application,
or taking the initiative ; hut after careful consider-
ation he came to the conclusion that it was no part
of his duty or interest as lord of the manor ts
oppose the scheme, subject to restrictions which he
would detail. It was proposed, in view of the con-
siderable amount of disorder on the hills on bank
holidays and ether occasions, and also—aed this
was very material—in view of the considerable
amount of the depredations field encroachments
that took place from time to time on the commote
it was considered necessary that regulation should
be put in force, not wily in the interest of the com-
moners, and those pecuiiariy interested in the coin •
mote, but oa behalf of the public at large—(hear,
hear)' He would at once say that he should not
have acquiesced for a single moment in any scheme
which did not regard the rights of the public—and
and by those rights he did not m -an strict legal
rights, hut rights rnhich had accrued from long
yeare of user and custom—(hear. hear). He believed
all the "regulation" that was proposed was to put
a man upon the hill to do what he possibly could to
prevent any flagrant infringement of public order,
to stop cruelty to animals; in fact, wherever he
could prevent illegal no s, which of course were as
reprehensible an the top of Cleat Hill as anywhere
else. Not only these—the man was to take care
that the common should he preserved intact and nn-
smiled, and tea turf shoul i not be talo'h from the
surface, as it was now taken everyday. He knew the
common better than any man in England, he supposed
and he could say that it was not nearly as enjoyable
and intact now as it was even 20 years age in conse-
quence f these depredation-. He did not know that
t in the last 20 or 30 years many encroachments lied
been made on the common, but he had not the smallest
d eibt that if then hid been a holy of persons to
look after it 10) years ago the common would not
now have been only five, ten, or fifteen acres
larger than it is bur. very much more—(hear, hear).
Tett est dilishin eit of a Board of C 'neervators 100
ye ,re ago Wt ii lisive saved to the c imrnon much
more than tae sixteen acres it was proposed now to
enclose. To Day the wares of th 4 man whose
services would hive to he engaged, and to defray
incidental expensee, it was intended to raise a sum
of money equ dto about £6O a year. If any other
w 4 of raising thie money could have been adopted
he should personally be extremely glad to hear of it
and he had no doubt the applicants would ale', o
that they might avoid the enclosing of a single acre
of the common—(hear, hear). But if some such
practicable scheme was not laid before them this
very limited and restricted regulation would have
to be aid for in the manner to which he had
alluded. In regard. to misconduct on the hills, it
was absurd to deny that a good many things
oceured teere which were undesirable. Permanent
structures, suet as swing-boats and shooting
galheies, were also erected; and it was, of couise,
desirable in the interest of the pulelic more than
anyisody else that this shonld not be allow-241. One
gentleman seemed to think that a shooting gallery
on the hill was far preferable to the presence of one
harmless official. All he could say was that he
(Lord Lyttelton) disagreed with him on that point.
It was not to he expected that one man coule. inter-
fere wi•h the comfort and enjoyment of the
they-sands who frequented the hill ; but he would
do his best to take care that the common was kept
in proper order, as it now was—(hear, hear). As
te trees, they could do without any more being
planted, and he sheuld certainly oppose most
strenuously-the making of roads. They had a very
beautiful common ; let them keep it as they found
it. He hop-ddt would not be necessary to enclose
any part, but if it was the enclosure of the little
bit of land it was proposel to take—n little valley
ab eve Adams's Hill—would do as little harm to the
common as possible. lie should oppose the giving
of any dower whatever bi which tee public could
be charged enterance fee to the common—(hear.
hear.) That was a case le which the very limited
aenount of regulation he h I sketched out might
very well be adopted, without eny injury whatever
to the rights of the public, which ,he hoped he
should always be amongst the first to defend—(ap-
plause).—Mr. Bassano said he aiould be glad to
see the regulation which Lerd Lyttelton had
sp.:ken of carried out, if it could. be done eithout
restricting the area of the common, or without
opening the door for future calls from local bodies
upon the rates or otherwise. That, he thougitt,
wouli be a real benefit to all concerned.
The Commissioners pointed out that the Provie-
ional Order would secura a legal right to recreation
upon the hills iu perpetuity to the public.
The Mayor of Kidderminster said one of the
advantages would be the prevention of further cn-
creachment upon the lend. He suggested tl-.at tie
local urban authorities should defray the expense
of maintaining a caretaker, aud that those who
thus contributed should be represented on the
Board of Conservators.
Lord Lyttelton said that if enclosure of any part
of the land inigh, be thus avoided hp would con-
tribute with the local authorities as suggested,
and would charge his estate permanently with
tilt.

Mr. Amphlett said the applicants Would be will-
ing to give up the common to management by a
Board of Conservators appointed a 4 suggested.
Mr. Walker suggested that each local urban
sanitary authority should conrribute .210 —The
proposal appeared to be aequiescd in generally by
the representatives and it was agreed that the
Board of Conservators might be constituted of the
following members, in addition to the lord of • the
Manor :—Two appointed by the commoners of
Clent, one by the parishoners of Clent at a vestry,
one by Hagley Vestry, one by Halesowen Vestry.
and one each by the urban authoritiPs who
contribute to the expense of managemeut.—After
some discussion relative to Clent. Hagley, and
Halesowen, and their inability to bind thetriselvs
to contribute as not being urban sanitary authorities
Lard Lyttelron ramarlit-d that he should give
nothing- unless the rest of the money was raised.
Mr. Walker: That is understood.
Mr. Amphlett : I will take upon /myself to say
the parish of Clent will contribute .21-0 per year.
As long as I live £lO per year will be forthcoming.
We can't bind ourselves like the urban sanit .ry
authorities.
Mr. Treyfolla said that the inhabitants of Hales-
owen were in the same position; but he had no
doubt that £lO per year weuld be raised there.
Mr. Holberton : I am instructed to say that
Quarry Bank will do the same.
Mr. Leach said as far as could be ascertained
the persons having common rights wore 37. Of
these 20 had e ,nsented. There were two who
dissont,d—these were a Mr. Rchards Price and
Mr. Philli7s. B ,th were presem at the meeting,
and said they were now in favor of the proposed
regulation.
It was stated that the Stourbri.ige Union could
not contribute.
In answer to a question the Commissioner said
the s3heine did not include the Walton Hills
The meeting then concluded, the Commissioner
intimating that he should report to :the Enclosure
Commissioners upon the proceedings.
Subsequ-intly Mr. Leach went over the hills in
company with some of the deputation present.
Mr G. P. Leach, attended at the Lyttelton
Arms,inagley, again on Tuesday night to con-
elude the inquiry in reference to the above regu-
lation scheme. There was a large attendance.
z The Stourbridge Commissioners and Brierley Hill
Local Board, Stourbridge Guardians, and other
bodies, were represented, and there was a deputation
from lilackhea; h.
The Coininssioner gave a resume of the proceed-
ings on Monday, and specifically stated that the
; eajoyin-nt of the common would not be restricted.
bit that under an agreement with the loid of the
i manor and Mr. Amphlett, if the provisional order
I was issued by the Enclosure Commissioners a'al
sanctioned by Parham-lent, the inhabitants of the
neighbourhood would have the free and nure :tricted
enjoyment of the hid for ever. It would he a right
secured in perpetuity, whereas hitherto it had only
been precarious, and could not have been support 44