nearly a westerly course to Runcorn Gap, on the River Mersey, in the county of Chester; but this last part has become part of the Duke's Canal.
The first act of parliament, passed in 1766, is entitled,' An Act for making a navigable Cut or Canal from the River Trent, at or near Wilden Ferry, in the county of Derby, to the River Mersey, at or near Runcorn Gap;' it incorporates the subscribers by the name of "The Company of Proprietors of the Navigation from the Trent to the Mersey," and empowers them to raise amongst themselves, for the purposes of the act, the sum of £130,000, in six hundred and fifty shares of £200 each; and they are authorized, by subsequent acts of parliament, to increase their capital to £334,250. This act likewise allows the company to take the following
TONNAGE RATES.
| For all Coal, Stone, Timber and all Kinds of Goods whatever | 1½d per Ton, per Mile. |
Materials for Roads and Manure are exempted from Tolls, provided they pass through the Locks at such Time as the Waste Water flows over the Weir.
Wharfage Rates for Goods remaining more than Twenty-four Hours, as may be agreed.
By a clause in the act of parliament, the Duke of Bridgewater is to complete that portion of the Trent and Mersey Canal running, from its junction with his own at Preston Brook, to Runcorn, such portion to be his property; he is also to receive those tolls and rates thereon, which are mentioned under the article "Bridgewater Canal."
The acts passed in 1770 and 1775 were for granting further powers to this company, but without any clause which requires extracting.
The act obtained by the company in 1776, is entitled,' An Act to enable the Company of Proprietors of the Navigation from the Trent to the Mersey, to make a navigable Canal from the said Navigation, on the South Side of Harecastle, in the county of Stafford, to Frog Hall; and a Railway from thence to or near Caldon, in the said county; and to make other Railways,' and empowers the company to make that branch canal and railway commencing from Stoke, which we have described in the introduction to this article.
