Wed 11 Jan 1797
Special Meeting of Committee. Letter from Messrs Jas and Geo Worthington, Clerks to Company of Proprietors of Manchester, Ashton under Lyne and Oldham Canal re proposed tax on inland navigation. Clerk to transmit answer, as copied into minutes. Committee concur in any measures intended meeting of Proprietors of Canals think proper to adopt for general interest. Tax would prove a restriction on commerce and be partial and oppressive. No capital stock in country produces more moderate interest. If tax be persisted in, clause should be introduced to enable Canal Companies to add tax to tonnages.
Gloucester & Berkeley Canal Company to defray any expenses incurred by Company from proposed variation in line of Canal.
At a Special Meeting of the Committee of the Stroudwater Navigation held at the George Inn in Stroud on Wednesday the 11^th of Jan^y 1797
Present: Sam^l Wathen, Jos^r Grazebrooke, Nath^l Wathen, Rowles Scudamore, Benj^n Grazebrooke.
The Clerk produced to the Committee a Letter which he had received from Mess^rs Ja^s & Geo^r Worthington, Clerks to the Company of Proprietors of the Manchester, Ashton under lyne and Oldham Canal on the subject of the proposed tax on Inland Navigation, the same being to??? into consideration.
Resolved that the Clerk do immediatly transmit an Answer of which the following is a Copy to the Clerks of the abovementioned Canal.
Copy
Stroud 11^th Jan^y 1797
Gent^n
I am directed by the Committee of the Stroudwater Navigation to acknowledge the receipt of your favour, and to express to you the disposition of the Committee to concur in any measure which the intended Meeting of Proprietors of Canals many think proper to adopt for their General interest.
The Committee are of Opinion that a Tax on inland Navigation would prove a restriction on commerce, and affecting the Interests of a small part of the Community only would be partial and oppressive.
That the Statement made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer of the flourishing State of the revenues of the Canals of this kingdom, is an erroneous one, as they believe that taken in aggregate, no capital stock in the Country produced a more moderate interest,
Should however the proposed tax be persisted in the Committee are of opinion that a Clause should be introduced to enable the different Canal Companies to ad such tax to the Tonnages allowed to be taken by their different Acts of Parliament.
I am, Sirs
Your most Obe^d Servant
Ew^d Hains Clerk
to the Proprietors of the Stroudwater Navigation.
A Letter was also received from M^r Commerline Sollicitor to the Glocester and Berkley Canal Company engaging on their part to defray any necessary Expence which may be incurred by our Company in consequence of the proposed variation in the line of their Canal.
