Undated
Some hints for the opening
Hints for the Opening
{see a Scheme to make the River Stroudwater Navigable &c Printed at Gloucester in 1755}
After The Explanation of he Cause & the Nature of this ? ITs submitted whether an ? may not be made, & ? shows discant upon the ?, advantages of Inland Navigations Which besides the preservation of the Publick Roads & the saving to the Lands the expence of mending them may be placed in this Light.
"That as Humane Industry arises from the mutual Wants of Mankind, & their mutual Abilities to supply them, Commerce is nothing but the Interchange of one mans Labour for that of anothers and this Interchange implies Bondage; and consequently, that every Method and Regulation for the Promoting and facilitating the Carriage, must be considered as ? & extending Industry in all its Branches; for, was there no Communication by Carriage every place must be contented with its natural Produce & Ability, whereby we shoud be deprived of many of the Conforts & Conveniences of Life, nay, it may be sed of many of the necessaries of it. Every Man desiring to get as much as he can for his own Labour, the cheaper his own Goods are carried out, the more he can get in Exchange for them, and, the cheaper any Goods are brought in to him, the more he can use & consume. Thus large Quantities may be mutually made & consumed, and Industry increase in ? as the Communication si open'd, and the Carriage rendered cheap, & easy. Hereby the heavy ? Corn Salt Coals &C. And upon all the Materials of Manufactures, such as Ores, Metal, Cotton, Hemp, Flax, Wooll, Oil, Dying Wars, &c together with materials for Building, such as Stones, Bricks, Tiles, Lime and Timber, and also upon all Manufacture Goods, either for our own use, or for Exportation, all Groceries, Ironmongaries, Wrought Utinsels, Hops, Winds, & many other Articles too tedious to mention, that are oppresed to the expence of Land Carriage. Such things will find a greater Demand, and a larger Consumption, when this Inconvenience is removed.
Moreover, when the Carriage of Goods is rendered much cheaper in any particular District than it was before, there is not only an Increase of all the Articles formerly brought to that Place to be consumed together wth an Increase of all the Articles there raised or manufactured; but also there is an addition of many Articles on both sides, wch were never thought of before, and could never have been Interchanged, had it not been for the Cheapness, or Reduction of the price of Carriage; So that in fact, every new method of Communication, if cheaper and easier than the former, is the opening of a new Trade, and giving further Progress to Human Industry.
This Navigation is entirely build on these Principles. It is intended particularly to Benefit a large Woollen Manufactury in the neighborwood of Stroud, which will be greatly effected by it; It is intended for the relief of the Poor, with respect to the necessaries of Life, Whish I shall instance only in the Article of Coals - and I am Instructed to say - That when the navigation is compleated to Walbridge the same Coals wch now at the lowest Rate are sold for 13d per Hundred, will on the same spott be then Sod for 8d per Hundred weight to the Poor. I am persuaded there need not be a stronger instance given of the Utility of this Undertaking. But this navigation has still a larger view - and wch considered in a national light is of the greatest Importance; IT is intended to effect an Union between the Severn and the Thames. For it is proposed that when the Stroud Water Navigation is compleated, to Join it by a new Cannall to The Thames at Cricklade; which has upon a Survey of an able Ingineer not only been found practivable, but Easy to be Effected. Will these National, Charitable & Extensive Motives a sett of Gentlemen have Enter'd into a Subscription to raise the sum of 20,000£ amongst themselves, in order to render the River Stroud Water Navigable and to put into Execution and Act of Parliament made in the year 1730 for that Purpose.
Here the Particulars respecting the Execution of the act may be reached - Kemmetts Act may be spoken of - wch wll lead to the appointment of the Present Undertakers &c &c
It may be concluded something like this -- If Business of such Importance, consequence is to wait for the Consent & Approbation of every Individual tho thro Petulance, or from a Spirit of Opposition or for want of Publick Spirit to sacrifice trifling Interests, for the Pubick Good, Is dissatisfied; all Works of General Utility must Cease. And the National Improvements wch are the Glory of every Country can be no more, unless private Convenience give place to Publick Welfare.
