Thu 24 Oct 1844
Half Yearly General Meeting. Present Committee of ten members to remain.
Tonnage £3895 5s 1d. Balance after wages, etc, £3008 3s 6d. Dividend of £15 6s 11d declared.
Persons who open any swivel bridge without any lawful reason, or do damage, to pay £5 for every offence.
Where, for want of water or other reason, any vessel shall stop or be detained in Navigation, imperative to moor opposite towing path and not in middle or centre of Navigation, or £5 penalty.
Where more than one vessel stopped they must moor in successive line astern, or £5 penalty.
Master, manager, captain or owner to produce to any officer or servant their Letpass, ticket or document with number of tons carried. Failure or refusal, £5 penalty.
Claiming drawback when there is a lack of entitlement, £5 penalty.
At a General Half Yearly Meeting of the Proprietors of the Stroudwater Navigation held at the Committee Room at Wallbridge on Thursday the 24th day of October 1844
M^r Jn^o Holbrow in the Chair.
The Minutes of the last General Half Yearly Meeting were read and confirmed.
Moved by M^r Gurney and seconded by M^r Wood
That in the opinion of this Meeting the Vacancies that have taken place in the Committee during the last half year shall not be filled up but that the present Committee now consisting of ten Members shall remain without any addition until the next half yearly Meeting.
Resolution carried.
M^r P H Fisher protested against the above and proposed that M^r T C Croome, M^r H^y Wyatt, M^r Jn^o H Warman be elected to the Committee in place of the three Gentlemen who have resigned. No other names were proposed.
M^r Gurney protested against the above proposition.
Proposal negatived.
The several Books and Accounts of the Company were produced as directed by the Act of Parliament and were examined and confirmed.
It appear that the Sum of £3895..5..1 has been received for tonnage, etc, from the 31st day of Mach to the 30th September 1844, a part of which has been applied towards the payment of Wages Disbursements, etc, and there remains in the Treasurers hand after paying the last Dividend the sum of £3008..3..6.
Ordered that a Dividend of £15..6..11 on each Share be declared and that the Treasurer deduct from each Share the sum of 6/11 such sum being the proportion of Income Tax paid each half year in respect to each share.
That the Committee be requested to appoint an Auditor for the purpose of investigating the account previously to every Half Yearly Meeting.
The following Bye Laws were agreed upon:
That all and every person or persons who shall without any lawful cause or reason open any Swivel Bridge upon or over the said Navigation or who shall unnecessarily swing any such Bridge or do any damage whatever to the same shall forfeit and pay the sum of Five pounds as and for a penalty for every such offence. In witness whereof this said Bye Law has been put in writing under the common Seal of the Company in the presence of such General Assembly and in accordance with the Provisions of said heretofore recited Act passed in the Sixteenth year of the reign of his late Majesty King George the third.
That in all case where for want of Water or any other cause or reason whatsoever any Boat, Barge, Keel or other Vessel shall stop or be detained at any spot or place in the said Navigation it shall be imperative on the Master Manager Captain Owner or other person having the rule or command of any such Boat Barge Keel or other Vessel to moor such Boat Barge Keel or other Vessel on that side of the Navigation which is or may be opposite the Towing Path of the said Navigation and not in the Middle or Centre thereof and in case any Master Captain Manager Owner or other person having such rule or command as aforesaid shall refuse or neglect so to do and shall more any such Boat Barge Keel or any other Vessel in the Middle or Centre of such Navigation or on the side which shall be next to or adjoin the Towing path thereof such Master Manager Captain Owner or other person having such rule or command as aforesaid shall forfeit and pay the sum of Five pound as a penalty for every such Offence.
That in all cases where from want of Water or from any other cause whatsoever Tow or more Boats Barges Keels or other Vessels shall stop or be detained at or near the same spot or place in the said Navigation it shall be imperative on the Master Manager Captain Owner or other person having the rule or command of any such Boats Barges Keels or other Vessels to moor every such Boat Barge Keel or other Vessel (other than and except the first or forward one in advance of such Boats Barges Keels or other Vessels) in a succession line astern, in case there be room, one after the other and not abreast of each other. And is hereby further Ordered That in case any such Master Manager Captain Owner or other person having such rule or command as aforesaid shall neglect or refuse to do so r shall more any such Boat Barge Keel or other Vessel abreast of such other Boat Barge Keel or other Vessel such Master Manager Captain Owner or other person having such rule or command as aforesaid shall forfeit and pay the Sum of Five pounds as and for a Penalty for every such Offence.
That the Master Manager Captain Owner or any other person having the rule or command of any Boat Barge Keel or other Vessel passing upon the said Navigation or any part thereof shall produce and shew forth to the Surveyor and to every Wharfinger or other Officer or Servant for the time being of the said Company when requested so to do by the Surveyor or any such Wharfinger or other Officer of Servant the Let Pass, Ticket or Document containing an account of the number of Tons carried in or conveyed by any such Boat Barge Keel or other Vessel. And in case such Master Manager Captain Owner or other person having such rule or command as aforesaid shall neglect or refuse to produce such Set pass, Ticket or Document such Master Manage Captain Owner or other person having such rule or command as aforesaid shall forfeit and pay the Sum of Five pounds as and for a Penalty for every such Offence.
That if the Master Manager Captain Owner or any other person having a rule or command of any Boat Barge Keel or any other Vessel passing upon the said Navigation or any part thereof shall at any time demand, ask for or receive of or from the Clerk or any other Officer of the said Navigation without being entitled to the same any Drawback which shall be allowed by the Rules or Regulations of the said Navigation such Master Manager Captian Owner or other person having such rule or command as aforesaid shall forfeit and ay the Sum of Five pounds as and for a Penalty for every such Offence.
