INCLOSURES. The amount of common land (land in a state of nature or waste) in England is not known, but it is conjectured that it may be about 8,000,000 of acres ; the total area of England and Wales being sup posed to be about 37,000,000 acres. There is another class called commonable lands, which is commonable or open to all the parishioners during a part only of each year. As common and commonable lands produce relatively lit tle on account of insufficient culture, Inclosures of land have now been going on for many years. It is stated that since 1800 about 2000 inclosure acts have passed ; and prior to that time about 1600 or 1700. These inclosure acts (with certain exceptions) are private acts, and the expense of obtaining them and the trouble attendant on the carrying their provi sions into effect have often prevented the in closure of commons. In 1836 an act was passed for facilitating the inclosure of open and arable fields in England and Wales. In
pursuance of the recommendation of a Com mittee of the House of Commons, which sat in 1844, an act of parliament was passed in 1845, the object of which is thus stated in the preamble To facilitate the inclosure and improvement of commons and other lands now subject to the rights of property which obstruct cultivation and the productive employment of labour, and to facilitate such exchanges of lands, and such divisions of lands intermixed or divided into inconvenient parcels as may be beneficial to the respective owners.' Although the local rights of parishioners are somewhat interfered with by these inclo sures, there can be little doubt that the gene ral culture of the land, and the wealth of the community, are increased thereby.