Sat 24 Dec 1842
Special Meeting. Mr Buckland reported that Mr Hammond, second engineer of Railway Company declared it impossible to increase width of intended bridge by 2 feet. Railway Company would enter into required indemnity against repair, damage, stoppage or leakage on same terms and extent as stated by Act of Parliament. Railway Company to make bridge 30 feet between piers, towing path with good substantial wall, not less than 1 foot thick. Approach of at least 20 yards on each side, furnished with toothing at east end. Payment of £125 instead of £150 for permission to do works.
Resolved that towing path under bridge be reduced to 5 feet. Agreement to 30 feet width of bridge and £125 instead of £150.
No reduction in tonnage on coals by Thames & Severn Canal Co. Necessary to reconsider reduction by Navigation.
At a Special Meeting of the Committee of the Stroudwater Navigation held at Committee Room at Walbridge on Sturday the 24^th December 1842
Present: [In time 4/6 & 1/0]
M^r Sam^l Fisher, M^r J F Fisher, M^r Croome, M^r Stanton, M^r P H Fisher in the Chair, M^r Cosham, M^r Wyatt, M^r Wathen, M^r Beard.
M^r Buckland attended and reported that having informed M^r Hammond (the second Engineer of the Railway Company) of the purport of the Resolutions of the last Committee meeting of the Navigation Company -- M^r Hammond declared it impossible (under the existing circumstances of the case) to increase the width of the intended Bridge by the additional two feet required by the Navigation Company.
That the Railway C^o would enter into the required indemnity to the Navigation Company against repairs and damages, stoppage or breakage of the Navigation or otherwise to be occasioned by or in consequence of driving the intended Heading or Tunnel under the Navigation, or the manner of making the same or otherwise, in the same terms and to the same Extent as are stated and provided in relation tot he said intended Bridge and the works thereof, in and by the Act of Parliament authorizing the erection of the said Bridge.
That the said Railway C^o will make the Bridge of the width of thirty feet between the piers thereof and will also make the towing path under the same and the approaches thereto by a good substantial wall and also that the same and the approaches shall be coped with weather stone of not less that two feet wide in the parallel width and not less that one foot thick, to the satisfaction of the Engineer of the Navigation Company, and that the approaches on each side shall be of the length of twenty yards, at the least, on each side of the front of the piers of the said intended Bridge (altho' the Navigation should require the towing path immediately under the bridge to be only 5 feet wide) and that the approach on the East side shall be finished as the East end with a toothing (at the direction of the Surveyor of the Navigation C^o) to enable them to lengthen that approach.
And M^r Buckland further reported Than he could not give £150 but would pay down £15 for permission to do the works before mentioned.
Resolved that the Towing path under the intended Bridge shall be reduced to the width of five feet, and that the Railway Company shall be released from the Obligation to make an Eight feet Towing path during the future repairs of the Bridge. --
That this Committee agree tot he width of Thirty feet for the width of the Bridge between the piers, as proposed by M^r Buckland, and also to accept £125 instead of the £150 before required. On M^r Buckland's entering into an Engagement in writing forthwith, That the proposals now made by him on the part of the Railway Company shall be carried into effect, and the proper Indemnity furnished without delay.
The Complaint mentioned in the minutes of the Committee meeting of the 16^th inst^t that some of the reductions contemplated to be made in the Tonnage by the Thames & Severn Canalk C^o had not been carried into effect, referred to the Tonnage on Coals: -- and it appearing by the printed Circulars of the Thames & Severn C^o that _no_ reduction is intended by them in the Tonnage of Coals: --
The Subcommittee reported that in their Interview with M^r Denyer their object was (as they were instructed) to ascertain the nature of the Deductions made or proposed to be made by _that_ Company in order to _Recover_ the supposed loss of trafic on the Navigation or to secure the present trafic; -- with a view to their Company's reducing _their_ Tonnage on the _like_ article: -- And that they the SubCommittee understood that _Coals_ were one of the Articles (being of the largest amount) on which _that_ Company had reduced or would reduce their Tonage.
M^r Denyer having invited M^R Mason to inspect the Books of the Company at Brimscomb Port on that subject --
Resolved that M^r Mason do wait on M^r Denyer and explain to him that the SubCommittee and the General meeting which authorized the Reduction or Drawback on the Tonnage of this Company for Coals, fully understood that the Thames & Severn C^o would reduce _their_ Tonnage on Coals, as well as this C^o (as otherwise the reduction would not effect the object intended); And state to him that this Committee shall feel it necessary to _reconsider_ their drawback or reduction of Tonnage -- unless they (the Thames & Severn C^o) shall reduce their Tonnage on Coals, or this C^o shall be otherwise satisfied of the advantage to be gained by the present effect of their reductions.
Ordered that the following account be paid:
To M^rs Hick -- for poles -- £11.1.9
