'to be made and maintained by so much of several Acts made in the Eighth, Eleventh, Thirteenth and Twenty-fourth Years of the Reign of his present Majesty, as authorizes the making and maintaining a navigable Cut or Canal from the Firth or River of Forth, at or near the mouth of the River of Carron, in the county of Stirling, to the Firth or River of Clyde, at or near a place called Dalmuir Burnfoot, in the county of Dumbarton; and also a collateral Cut from the same to the city of Glasgow; for deepening the said Cut or Canal; and for explaining and amending so much of the said Acts, as relates to the making and maintaining the said Cut or Canal.' The 30th George III. is entitled, 'An Act for forming a Junction between the Forth and Clyde Navigation, and the Monkland Navigation; and for altering, enlarging and explaining several former Acts passed for making and maintaining the said Navigation.'
On the 12th of July, 1799, an act was passed to enable the company to repay the sum of £50,000, borrowed of the Court of Exchequer in Scotland, and to declare the capital stock of the company to amount to £421,525, notwithstanding that the company were restrained, by the act of 8th George III. from dividing more than ten per cent, on the original stock of £150,000. This, however, was permitted, in consequence of the proprietors having never received any dividend. This act is entitled, 'An Act for empowering the Company of Proprietors of the Forth and Clyde Navigation to repay into the Court of Exchequer in Scotland, the Sum advanced to them for the Purpose of completing the said Navigation; for repealing so much of an Act of the Twenty-fourth of his present Majesty as relates to the said Company; and for enabling the Barons of the said Court of Exchequer to advance Part of the Sum so to be received, to the Company of Proprietors of the Crinan Canal, on certain Conditions.'
By the act of 46th George III. a very material change is effected in the constitution of the company, and of the rates which they have hitherto received. It is entitled, 'An Act to alter and amend the several Acts passed for making and maintaining the Forth and Clyde Navigation;' by which it is enacted that the management of this concern shall be in future vested in a governor and seven other persons, who shall be called "The Governor and
