Wehaveseenhowtheforcibleusurpationofthis，generallyaccompaniedbytheturningofarableintopastureland，beginsattheendofthe15thandextendsintothe16thcentury。But，atthattime，theprocesswascarriedonbymeansofindividualactsofviolenceagainstwhichlegislation，forahundredandfiftyyears，foughtinvain。Theadvancemadebythe18thcenturyshowsitselfinthis，thatthelawitsep;becomesnowtheinstrumentofthetheftofthepeople’sland，althoughthelargefarmersmakeuseoftheirlittleindependentmethodsaswell。[15]TheparliamentaryformoftherobberyisthatofActsforenclosuresofCommons，inotherwords，decreesbywhichthelandlordsgrantthemselvesthepeople’slandasprivateproperty，decreesofexpropriationofthepeople。SirF。M。Edenrefuteshisowncraftyspecialpleading，inwhichhetriestorepresentcommunalpropertyastheprivatepropertyofthegreatlandlordswhohavetakentheplaceofthefeudallords，whenhe，himself，demandsa\"generalActofParliamentfortheenclosureofCommons\"
（admittingtherebythataparliamentarycoupd’étatisnecessaryforitstransformationintoprivateproperty），andmoreovercallsonthelegislaturefortheindemnificationfortheexpropriatedpoor。[16]
Whilsttheplaceoftheindependentyeomanwastakenbytenantsatwill，smallfarmersonyearlyleases，aservilerabbledependentonthepleasureofthelandlords，thesystematicrobberyoftheCommunallandshelpedespecially，nexttothetheftoftheStatedomains，toswellthoselargefarms，thatwerecalledinthe18thcenturycapitalfarms[17]ormerchantfarms，[18]andto\"setfree\"theagriculturalpopulationasproletariansformanufacturingindustry。
The18thcentury，however，didnotyetrecogniseasfullyasthe19th，theidentitybetweennationalwealthandthepovertyofthepeople。Hencethemostvigorouspolemic，intheeconomicliteratureofthattime，onthe\"enclosureofcommons。\"Fromthemassofmaterialsthatliebeforeme，Igiveafewextractsthatwillthrowastronglightonthecircumstancesofthetime。\"InseveralparishesofHertfordshire，\"writesoneindignantperson，\"24farms，numberingontheaverage50—150acres，havebeenmeltedupintothreefarms。\"[19]\"InNorthamptonshireandLeicestershiretheenclosureofcommonlandshastakenplaceonaverylargescale，andmostofthenewlordships，resultingfromtheenclosure，havebeenturnedintopasturage，inconsequenceofwhichmanylordshipshavenotnow50acresploughedyearly，inwhich1，500wereploughedformerly。Theruinsofformerdwelling—houses，barns，stables，&c。，\"arethesoletracesoftheformerinhabitants。\"Anhundredhousesandfamilieshaveinsomeopen—fieldvillagesdwindledtoeightorten……
Thelandholdersinmostparishesthathavebeenenclosedonly15or20