C. 19. Anno vicefimo feplimo Georgii II. A. D. 1754. Parcel of the Demefnes belonging to and lying within the Manor of Croivland in South Holland, in the County o( Lincoln, herein after particularly bounded and defcribcd, are fubjcct alfo to be frequently flooded, and cannot be effeftually drained and preferved, without a large Expence : And whereas the faid Lands called Portfand, otherwife Great Portfand, adjoin to the faid North Level, on the North Part thereof, and lie convenient to be drained therewith, and it will be for the mutual Benefit and Advantage of the Proprietors or Owners thereof, and of the Proprietors or Owners of the Lands within the laid North Level, to join in one common Drainage, and in order thereto, the Proprietors or Ov/ners of the faid Manor oi Crowland, and Lands z?ti Portfand, ot)crv/(e Great Portfand, and the Proprietors or Owners of the greatcfl: Part of the Lands within the faid North Level, are willing and defirous that a fufficient Sum of Money for the efFeSual Draining of all the faid Lands, {hull be raifed by a Tax upon all the faid Lands, to be ordered, governed, and difpoled of in fuch manner as herein after is m^^ntion-.d; provided that the faid North Level be difcharged from the Debts of the faid Corporation; and that all the Taxes, Rtnts, and Revenues which Ihall hereafter arife and become payable to the faid Corporation, out of the faid North Level, be applied, under the Diredfion of the faid Corporation, for the Benefit of the faid North Level only, in fuch manner as herein after is mentioned : And whereas the Taxes, Rents, and Reenues, amfing and payable to the faid Corporation, out of the faid North Level, are about one eighth Par^ of the Taxes, Rents, and Revenues, arifing and payable to the faid Corporation, out of the Whoi: of the faid Great Level of the Fens, and therefore the faid North Level is fubjeiS and liable to raife and pay one eighth Part of the faid Debt of fourteen thoufand three hundied Pounds, which was contracted by thd faid Corporation before the faid Year one thoufand feven hundred and twenty-eight, on account of the Whole of the faid Great Level of the Fens, and in order to raife Money to pay off and difchnrge the fame, it has been propofed that fo much of the Taxes charged on the Corporation Lands within the faid North Level, by virtue of or under the faid recited Act of the fifteenth of King Chwls the Second, fliall be (old in fuch manner as herein after is mentioned, as (hall raife a fufficient Sum of Money for that Pur- pofe : And whereas the faid John Duke of Bedford, and Itenry Earl of Lincoln, being defirous to promote fo good and beneficial an Undertaking, have cbnfented and are willing to exonerate and difcharge the faid' Corporation of and from the faid Debt of eighteen thoufand nine hundred and thirteen Pounds eleven Shillings and nine Pence, and to yield up and furrender all the Taxes, Rents, and Re'enues of the faid' North Level, which they are intitled to receive, by virtue of and under the faid recited Agreement, and" to releafc and difcharge all their Right, Title, and Interefl in and to the fame, on condition that the Taxes, Rents, and Revenues of the faid Middle and South Levels,_^ be for the future only chargeable with' the Relidue of the faid Debt of fourteen thoufand three hundred Pounds, contracted before the faid Year one thoufand feven hundred and twenty-eight, and with the faid Debt of fifteen thoufand nine hundred' and forty Pounds contraded on account of the faid Middle and South Levels, fmce the faid Year one thou-' fand feven hundred and tweniy-eight; and that the hid North Level, and the Taxes, Rents, and Reve-' nues thereof, be fully and abfolutcly difcharged of and from all the Debts of the faid Corporation, and' every Part thereof: And whereas at a Court of the faid Governor, Bailiffs, and Commonalty of die Com- pany of Confervators of the Great Level of the Fens, held at the Fen-office, on Saturday the twenty- fourth Day of Febru^iry one thoufand feven hundred and fifty-three, a Plan according to the faid Propofals,' and for effefting and carrying the faid Undertaking into Execution, in fuch manner as herein after is rnentioned, w^as laid before the faid Court, and the faid Court thereupon came to the following Refolu- tions, videlicet; that it appearing to the Board that the Debt due from this Corporation, in the Year one thoufand feveji hundred and twenty-eight, was fourteen thouGmd three hundred Pounds; and that thi Taxes upon ail the three Levels, at a Tax and a ()iiarter, amount to fix thouiand three hundred and four- teen Pounds three Shillings and eleven Pence Half-penny, of which the Tax arifing from the North Level is feven hundred and feventy-fcven Pounds three Shillings and four Pence Half-penny, being about one eighth Part, it is the Opinion of this Board, that if his Grace the Duke of Bedford and Lord Lincoln remit the Debt of about nineteen thoufand Pounds, which is due to them under the Agreements made with them by this Corporation, in one thoufand feven hundred and twenty-eight, for draining the No: th Levi I, and the Proprietors of the North Level will pay one thoufand eight hundred Pounds, as their Proportion of the laid Debt of fourteen thoufand three hundred Pcimds, it will be for th^ Litereft of the other two Levels for this Corporation to confent that the Limds on the North Level be exonerated from the Payment of the Remainder of the faid Debt, and the fubfequent Debts of the Corporation, by the Acf of Parlia- liament intended to be applied for, for the better draining of that Level : And the remaining Part of the faid Plan^ being read, the Board refolved. That the fame did not in any wife appear to he prejudicial to either of the Levels bilonging to the faid Corporation, and therefore they did approve thereof: And, whereas the faid Corporation, and the Creditors of the faid Corporation, and the Proprietors of the greatefi: Part of the taxable Lands within the faid Middle and South Levels, having icen and confidered the laid Propolals, approve thereof, and are willing and confenting that the fame fhould be carried into Exe- cution; And whereas the effectual Draining and Prel'erving the diilNorth Level, and the f;ud Lands within. the Manor of Crotuland, which contain together about forty-eight thoufand Acres, would be of great Benefit and Advantage to the feveral Proprietors thereof, and of Service to thePublick in general; and if the Propofals and Agreements before-mentioned are carried into Execution, it is apprehended and belie'ed that the fame may be eftedlually drained and preferved;' But in regard the fame cannot be effeeled, or the Money necellary for that Purpofe raifed, without the Aid and Authority of Parliament; Be it therefore enaiited, is'c. The Corporation of Confervators of 5tY^wY/ £.-wi', difcharged from the Debt of 18,913/. ii.f. 9^. due
- ■' to John Duke of Bedford 2.iid Henry Earl oi Lincoln-, and the Indenture of 2Q May ijzH, declared void.
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