Lord Brownlow thinks he has -a right to seize Berkh.ampstead
Common, and being a Peer formidable in law courts seized it, and built three miles of iron railings round it. The commoners think lie has not a right, and as one of them happens to be Mr. Augustus Smith, formerly member for Truro and Crown lessee, s. e., virtual king, of the Scilly Islands, they resolved to defend their own claims effectually. They engaged a hundred " navvies," chartered a train, and on Monday night demolished the rail- ing, worth a thousand pounds, amidst the vain protests of the Earl's agents. The villagers danced with delight over their restored common, and it now remains with the Earl to bring his suit for damages. The remedy was a little high-handed, but Earls must be fought, if at all, in a high-handed way, and Mr. Augustus Smith and his co-proprietors have resisted what they believe to be an aggression in a way which enables their opponent to appeal at eence to the Courts. Public feeling goes entirely with Mr. Smith, who may propose himself for any borough in England with very 'considerable chances of success.
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