fund of £30,000, to be invested for maintaining the works; and to paying off, proportionably, the sums levied on the different places and hundreds before named.
Before the fund is raised, all costs and charges incident to the works and repairs shall be defrayed by an acre-rate upon the lands entitled to drain through the work to the sea, to be determined by a meeting of not less than forty of the commissioners; and in case of non-payment, the said commissioners have the power of levying a penalty on defaulters.
A second act was passed in 1829, entitled, 'An Act for altering, amending and enlarging the Powers granted by an Act passed in the Seventh and Eighth Years of tlse Reign of his present Majesty, for improving the Outfall of the River Nene, and the Drainage of the Lands discharging their Waters into the Wisbech River and the Navigation of the said Wisbech River, from the Upper End of Kinderley's Cut to the Sea, and for embanking the Salt Marshes and Bare Sands lying between the said Cut and the Sea.' This act recites the progress of the work under the powers of the former act, and states the great improvement which would accrue to the lands and country generally from the adoption of a new line, which it is unnecessary here to describe, being laid down on the map; it- also authorizes the commissioners to take the improved line, and to erect light-houses or beacons without the sanction of the Trinity House. It gives them power to remove Gunthorpe Sluice and erect a new one, to be vested in the North Level Commissioners, who are to repay them all expenses attendant thereon, except £2,000 which the Nene Outfall Commissioners themselves agree to disburse. For carrying on the work, his Majesty is to have power to convey or sell to the said commissioners the sixth part of the sands, vested in the crown. They have power to make warping works, and to allow contiguous lands to be warped. They may borrow not more than £10,000 at any one time, as a temporary loan, on bond payable in two years; and they may also borrow on mortgage of certain lands vested in them. The rights of the Cross Keys Bridge Company, and of a great number of other public bodies and individuals, are saved by clauses in both acts, which on this account are of very great length.
