Undated
Petition from Mayor of Gloucester.
To the Honorable the Commons of Great Britain in Parliament assembled
The Humble Petition of the Mayor Aldermen and Common Council of the City of Glocester in common Council assembled
Sheweth
That a Bill is depending in this Honble House to amend an Act passed in the third year of his late Majesty's Reign for making navigable the River Stroud water in the County of Glocester from the River Severn at or near Framiload to Walbridge near the Town of Stroud in the same Country and to give other powers for the purposes of making a Navigation from Framiload to Walbridge aforesaid.
That your Petitioners are part Owners and proprietors of one Stack of the oldest and most Considerable Corn and Cloth Mills upon the said River Stroud water at Ebley two miles below Walbridge and of a Farm and Lands thereto belonging situate upon and near to the Banks of said River, great part of the best or which Lands as well of the Lands of many other proprietors will be cut asunder and thereby and by the Leakage from the Banks of the said Canal rendered of much Less value and if the said Bill should pass into a Law your Petitioners humbly apprehend it will be very far from being beneficial to the public in general as not only the Mills of your petitioners but also other valuable Mills will in a great measure be prevented from working by diverting a great part of the Stroud water Stream by which only they are Supplied and now frequently find a deficiency of water.
That the only Custom House upon the River Severn is at Glocester several Miles above the mouth of the intended Cana which is within on Tydes reach of the Sea uncontrolable by any Custom House below it and the opening a communication the the River severn from the mouth of the said intended Canal will be an inlett to many illicit Practices and open a Source of many frauds and abuses in his Majesty's Revenue, necessaryly increase the number of Revenue Officers and in its consequences be Prejudicial to the fair Tradrr by its particular and convenient Situation for Smuggling.
Your Petitioners therefore humbly hope and pray that they may be hearde by Counsel against the said Bill and that the same may not Pass into a Law.
