Mon 2 Apr 1832
Special meeting. Mr Wilton, solicitor to Bill, informed Messrs. Fisher that Lord Shaftesbury objected to arrangements with mill owners for use of water. Now mere agreement between Gloucester & Berkeley Canal Company and other parties. It is undesirable that the taking of water through the Navigation be made obligatory by Act of Parliament as it would be difficult to provide adequate security against it. Desirable to grant right to take water through under an Agreement with adequate protection and security.
At a Special Meeting of the Committee of the Stroudwater Navigation held at the Committee Room at Walbridge on Monday the 2^nd day of April 1832
Present: M^r S Fisher, M^r Cosham, D^r Darke, M^r P H Fisher, M^r Jos^h Fisher, M^r Stanton, M^r Wyatt.
The consent of the General Meeting of Proprietors to the proposed Bill in Parliament for the Gloucester & Berkeley Canal Company to take Water from Whitminster Mill pond through the Stroudwater Navigation having been resolved on, on the understanding that the taking and renting the Water and the making of the necessary Works were also to be provided for by the same Act of Parliament. -
And M^r Wilton, the Sol. to the same Bill, having informed Mess^rs Fisher that Lord Shaftesbury had objected to their making the arrangement with the Mill owners for the use of the said Water the Subject of the said Act, and that all the Clauses relating thereto were to be struck out of the Bill. And that the arrangements for taking and renting the Water, would now be subject to a mere Agreement between the said Gloucester & B Canal C^o and the other parties interested, - leaving in the said Act (as far as appears to the Committee) all the Clauses that would make it compulsory for the Stroudwater Nav. C^o to allow the passage of the Water through their Nav^n. -
And it appearing to this Committee that (in the altered position which this matter has now assumed) it is very undesirable that the taking the water through this Navigation should be made obligatory by An Act of Parlieament, (against the abuse of which powers it would be difficult to provide an adequate Security thereby). And it appearing to this Committee that it would be more desirable to this C^o to grant the said Gloucester & Berkeley Canal C^o the right to take the Water through the Stroudwater Nav^n under an Agreement (in which adequate protection and Security might best be provided against any abuse of the permission, and which could be made with reference to and in correspondence with the Agreement for renting the Water).
Ordered That a Special General Meeting of the Co. of Propri^s of the Stroudwater Nav^n be called by public advertisement & by circular letters, to be held here on Tuesday the 10^th instant - to take the whol of this matter into consideration.
And that in the mean time our Clerk do inform M^r Wilton of the views of this Committee thereon.
