ON INCLOSING LAND IN SCOTLAND.

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CHAP. VI.

ON INCLOSING LAND, AND THE NATUUE ANDADVANTAGES OF FENCING.

INTRODUCTION.

In discussing the important subject allotted for this chapter°f the General Report of Scotland, two distinct objects ne-cessarily present themselves for consideration, because the termInclosure has very different meanings in the rural and legallanguages of Scotland and England. In England, the conver-sl on of lands held in common, either for pasturage or culti-v ation, into severalty, or exclusive individual property, mustin general be accomplished by a separate act of Parliament ,which has obtained the name of an Inclosurc Bill , because*he commissioners, appointed for dividing and allocating thelands subjected to their authority, among those having inte-rest, have power to inclose, as well as to divide or apportionthem; and hence they are termed Commissioners of In-closure.

This matter is far otherwise managed in Scotland , wheres o expensive an expedient has not been found necessary. TheLegislature of this country, above an hundred years ago, pro-vided a general law for that purpose, which has been so univer-

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