Thu 1 Feb 1776
Millholders petition
Jovis,, 1 Dio Febuarii 1776
A Petition of several Persons whose names are thereunto subscribed being Owners and Occupiers of Mills upon the River Stroudwater between Framiload and Wallbridge in the County of Gloucester, was presented to the House & read: taking Notice of the Bill for amending an Act, passed in the Third year of his late Majesty's Reign, for making Navigable the River Stroudwater in the County of Gloucester from the River Severn at or near Framiload to Wallbridge in the Town of Stroud in the same County; and also to give other Powers for the Purpose of making a navigation from Framiload to Wallbridge aforesaid; and setting forth that there are upon the said River, between Wallbridge and Framiload, several Mill wrought by wheels turned by the Water of the said River, for which Purpose a great Force and Weight of Water is necessary; and that the said Mills upon a moderate calculation afford Employment for 5000, and thereby give Bread to above 90000 Persons and during the Summer Months in General have not a sufficient Supply of Water to keep them going more than Two Thirds and sometimes not more than half their Time; and should the proposed Navigation take Place it would deprive the Petitioners of a great Quantity of Water, & render the said Mills of little Use, and that at the Time of passing the said Act of the Third year of his late Majesty Provision was made that the intended Navigation should not be worked during Two Months in the Summer; and by an Act made in the Thirty Second year of his said late Majesty for amending the said Act the Undertakers thereby appointed were expressly prohibited from making or using any Lock and a Method is therein proscribed for answering the Purposes of Navigation without any Waste of Water whatsoever; and that the Petitioners apprehend that the Advantages to arise from the proposed Navigation will not be adequate to the Injury thereby done to private Property; and that making the same in the manner proposed by the said Bill will be highly Injurious to the Woollen & Iron Manufactures now Carried on within the said County to a very considerable extent; and therefore praying that the Petitioners may be heard by their Counsel, against the said Bill and that the same may not pass into a Law or that they may have such other Relief in the Promises as to the House shall seem meet.
Ordered
That the said Petition do lie upon the Table until the said Bill be read a second Time; and that the Petitioners be then heard by their Counsel against the said Bill, upon their Petition, if the think fit.
Ordered
That Counsel be admitted to be heard at the same Time in Favour of the said Bill against the said Petition.
