Wed 16 Oct 1822
Half Yearly General Meeting. Tonnage £2528 2s 8d. Balance after wages, etc, £1737 10s 8d. Dividend of £8 10s declared.
The byelaw giving agents of the Company of Proprietors the power to direct where cargo may be landed at Company wharfs on pain of fine to be repealed.
In lieu of this a new byelaw is to be enacted whereby agents and wharfingers at the respective wharfs were granted the power to direct where and what could be landed. If masters and boat owners ignored their instructions they could be fined £5 for each transgression.
At a General half Yearly meting of the proprietors of the Stroudwater Navigation held at the George Inn Stroud the 16^th day of October 1822
P H Fisher Esq^r in the Chair.
The minutes of the last General Meeting were read & confirmed, save & except the Bye Law which is hereinafter to be repealed.
The several Books & accounts were produced respecting the affairs of the Company (as directed by Act of Parliament) and were examined and confirmed.
It appears by the accounts that the Sum of £2528..2..8 has been received for Tonnage, etc, from the 13^th day of April last to the 13^th Instant, a part of which has been applied towards the payment of wages disbursments, etc, & that there remains in the Treasurer's hands (after paying the last dividend) the sum of £1737..10..8.
Ordered that a dividend of £8..10..0 be paid on each Share by the Treasurer on the first day of November next, and that our Clerk do transmit circular Letters to al the proprietors to inform them that they may draw on the Treasurer or apply to him for payment of the same.
Ordered That the Byelaw made at the last General Meeting, Enacting that the Agents of the Company of Proprietors may give notice to and direct "the Masters Owners and Managers" of Vessels and all other persons who shall bring and Goods stone timber or other merchandize in or upon the Wharfs of the said Company of Proprietors, where the same shall be landed and placed; and enacting a penalty for refusing or neglecting to obey such notice or direction be repealed.
And that in lieu and instead thereof It be Ordered and Enacted as a Byelaw for the good and orderly using of the Stroudwater Navigation That the Agents and Wharfingers or either of them at the respective wharfs belonging to the said Company of Proprietors of the said Navigation shall and may, previously to the Landings of any Goods, Coals, Timber, Bricks, Corn, Sand, Slate, Pantile, Stone wares and merchandize of every description, direct and point out to the Master, Owner, or Manager of every boat, keel, or other vessel, and to all and every other person or persons whomsoever, who shall or may bring any goods, coals, timber, Bricks, Corn, Sand, Slate, Pantile, Stone Wares of merchandize of any other description, or any of them in any other place on the said Wharfs or either of them, than as so to be directed or pointed out by such Agents and Wharfingers any or either of them as aforesaid. Then and in such Case Every or any such Master, Owner or Manager, so such other person or person as aforesaid, so refusing or neglecting, or otherwise offending as aforesaid, Shall for every such offence forfeit and pay to the said Company of Proprietors the Sum of Five Pounds, to be levied by distress and Sale of the offenders Goods and Chattels; returning the Overplus, if any, after deducting the Charges of such distress and Sale to the Owner or Owners of such Goods and Chattels.
Ordered that the aforesaid enactment be put into writing under the Common Seal of the Company of Proprietors, and henceforth be and become a Byelaw thereof.
Our Clerk Reported that he had waited on M^r Rob^t Davies respecting the Gateway made in his Fence leading to the Towing path of the Canal, in pursuance of the direction to the Effect at the last General Meeting.
