§ *MR. ALPHEUS C. MORTONI beg to ask the right hon. Gentleman the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that the Lord of the Manor of Penkelly Wallensis, in the county of Brecon (a Brecon Manor formerly belonging to the Crown), has recently entered into an agreement with the Merthyr Tydfil Local Board to sell to them, as his private property, 78 acres of land, being part of 650 1344 acres known as Torglase Common, within the said Manor and in the parish of Llanfrynach, in the said County; whether he is aware that the said Lord of the Manor claims as his private property the whole of the said common (650 acres), notwithstanding that no Inclosure Act relating to the same has been passed nor any other process of law carried through; and whether he will have this case inquired into with a view of better protecting the rights of Commoners?
§ *MR. HERBERT GARDNERPerhaps my hon. Friend will allow me to reply to this Question. The Board of Agriculture have no cognisance of the agreement to which my hon. Friend refers, nor have we any authority to determine whether or not the lands in question are commonable lands. In any case, however, a Lord of the Manor cannot by any action on his part prejudice any rights which the Commoners may possess. I have no power myself to institute any inquiry on the subject, but, under the Local Government Act of last session, the District Council may, with the consent of the County Council, aid in the maintenance of common rights, where the extinction of such rights would be prejudicial to the interests of the District.