§ MR. WAUGHasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether, having regard to the recommendations of a Select Committee of this House in the year 1851, and with a view to the simplification of the transfer of land and of the Game Laws, he will be prepared in this or the next Session of Parliament to bring in a Bill to abolish copyhold, customary, and other similar tenures in land, providing for compensation for the lords' rights therein. He further asked, Whether the right hon. Gentleman will be prepared to bring in a Bill to extinguish, with compensation, all rights of free chase and free warren, and other sporting rights over lands not the property of the owners of such rights, and to attach all rights of game and sporting to the ownership of the soil, and connect them therewith inseparably for the benefit of the landowner and his tenant; and, also, whether directions will be given to the Inelosure Commissioners for England and Wales, on all future inclosures, to disallow any reservation of game and rights of sporting over lands to be enclosed under the authority of the Commons Inclosure Acts?
§ SIR WILLIAM HARCOURT, in reply, said, that when the whole question of the transfer of land came under review the propriety of abolishing copyhold, customary, and other similar tenure land, and for providing compensation for the lords' rights would be considered: but he could not at present 417 fix the date when such a measure would be introduced. He had already ex- pressed his opinion as to the mischief of severing the game rights both from the proprietorship and the occupation of the land, and in this case also he was unable to say when it would be possible to deal with the question. He had no power to direct the Inclosure Commissioners in future inclosures to disallow any reservation of game and rights of sporting over lands to be inclosed; but the Inclosure Commissioners informed him that they did not now sanction such reservation in regard to any land capable of being made arable. In certain cases they had allowed a concurrent right between the lords of the manor and the common right owners.