Mon 23 Oct 1775
Letter from WIlliam Dallaway about the rules for petitioning Parliament.
Brimscomb Oct 23d 1775
Gentlemen
It being mentioned last night by the Gentleman that waited on Mr White that it was not necessary to us act upon the Land Holders for their assent or Dissent before the Carrying in of the Petition - I though then, they were Mistaken, but having since had recours to the Rules & Regulations of the House of Commons to be observed by Persons applying for Navigation Bills - I find tit there Resolved "That when any Petition is presented to the House for making Navigable or for Improving or Altering and River With the Petition shall be presented a Plan describing the Lind of such Intended Navigation & the Land thro which the same is toe be Carried; and that previous application be made to the Owners and Occupiers of such Lands for their assent to the proposed Canal or Navigation" &c,,
I desire therefore that the Rules of the House of Commons may be referred to & read for not only must this be done but also the Estimate of the Expence of the Undertaking signed by Mr Yeoman must be Annexed to our Petition.
Ans also an Acct of the Money Subscribed for carrying out the Work and the Names of the Subscribers, with the same respectively Subscribed by them. These Rules must be exactly comply'd with; therefore Mr Jepson or some other Personm Indeed I think there should be Two, must Immediately sett abt waiting on the Land Holders & Land Occupiers & take down their answers in Writing & he be ready to give Evidence before the House, or we shall never get our Bill into it. And the Subscribers to the Navigation that have not paid their Third Call must Immediately declare of or on, If they will not forthwith declare & pay their Call they must be Excluded from all future Benefitt in the Navigation. Their names cannot be put into the List of Subscribers till they have paid their Third Call. and If they are not in that List they will of Course be Excluded.
Those Being Necessary Measures that must neither be omitted, or delayed, I have taken the Liberty to remind you of them as my health is not sufficiently restored to attend the meetings tho I am much better than I have been. I am with great Respect
Your most Humble Sevrt
Wm Dallaway
Gentlemen
NB It is apparently the Intention of the House in these Resolves, that the Land Holders, & Occupiers should have the Earliest Notice of what Respects them. And it will be to late when the Bill goes in to the House. and would be a sufficient Ground for Rejecting .....
