The injury to the cottagers does not end with the prevention of the creation of fresh holdings, and the transfer of the ownership of most of those already existing to the lord of the manor. For the landlord, managing his estate in the ordinary way, through the intermediaries of steward and agent, is almost invariably led into merging such small holdings into larger farms, in spite of the high rents which would often be gladly paid. It will be seen that these two cases are in the nature of things typical. Similar hardships may be regarded as the almost inevitable effect of any enclosure which included any considerable quantity of waste land; and if the enclosure is necessary or highly desirable, some compensating advantages ought to be provided for the inhabitants as such. The smallness of such provision between 1845 and 1875 is very significant. And it makes one seriously doubt whether in their zeal for furthering improved culture, the Commissioners were as considerate as was desirable to the cottager who had a legal common right. But on that point we can apply no statistical test. If we turn from enclosures since 1845 to enclosures before, we have a verdict from the old Board of Agriculture in its General Report on Enclosures published in 1808, which, so far as it is biassed, is biassed entirely in favour of enclosure. It says: “The benefit (of enclosure) in this case (to the poor) is by no means unmixed.” The loss of fuel is declared to be the chief injury; and besides, “In some cases many cows had been kept without a legal right, and nothing had been given for the practice.” “In other cases, where allotments were assigned, the cottagers could not pay the expense of the measure, and were forced to sell their allotments.” “In others they kept cows by right of hiring their cottages, or common rights, and the land going, of course, to their proprietor, was added to the farms, and the poor sold their cows. This is a very common case.”[63] [63] “General Report on Enclosures,” pp. 12, 13. The results are given of an investigation into the results of sixty-eight Enclosure Acts, chiefly in the Eastern Counties; testimony having been obtained from the clergy and others considered to be impartial witnesses. In fifteen cases it is asserted that the poor were not injured by the enclosure; in fifty-three cases that they were. The general tenour of the statement in these cases is to the effect that the condition of the poor has become very much worse, that they have lost all their cows,[64] and they no longer are able to buy milk for their children. Here are a few of the more striking descriptions:-- [64] This is specifically asserted in 17 cases. Ackworth, Yorkshire. The parish belonged to near 200 owners; nearly the whole of whom have come to the parish since the enclosure, or changed the quantity of their lands. Todenham, Gloucester. Nothing increased but the poor. Eight farmhouses filled with them.