A. D. 1747. Anno vicefirno Georgii IL C. 18. .23 ^ faid River and Port : And whereas byaii Acft palTed in the third Year of tie. Reign of bis late Mar ' jefty King GEoaG£ the Firll:,^ intituled, An ASi for the Prefervation and Improvement of the River Wear, ' and Port and Plavjn ofSunderland, in the'County of Durham, certain Perfons in the faid Aft named, were
- named, conftituted and appointed Commiffioners of the faid River, Port and Haven, wilhin the Limits,
' with the Powers, and for the Purpofes therein mentioned, for and during the Term of twenty-one Years ; ' and for the effectual cleanfing and preferving the faid River, Port and Haven, certain Duties were by the ? faid A61 granted and' made playable from and after the twenty-fourth. Day o'tjune^ which was in the ' the River Wenr, and Port and' Haven of bunderland, in the Lounty oj JUutxiam, w^hereby divers additional ' Powers were granted to the faid Commiflioners : And whereas the fdd Commiffioners, in purfuance and in ' Execution of the Powers by the faid Ads given to them, did, before the Expiration of the faid Term ' thereby limited (which was on the twenty-fourth Day of June in the Year of our Lord one thoufand
- fcven hundred and thirty-eight) at a very great Charge, ereft a Pier and a Key at or near the Mouth of
^ the faid River, on the South-fide thereof, and did divers other Ads, for the opening, cleanfing, fcouring,
- and improving of the faid River, Port and Haven, from v/hence fome Benefits and Advantages have arofe ;
' and in order to have more efFeflually clcanfed, fcoured and preferved the fame, the faid Commiffioners ' propofed and intended to have lengthened the faid Pier, and alfo to have built a Pier or Piers, Key or ' Keys, Wall or Walls, Jettee or Jettees, on the North-fide of, and to have made and done other Works ' near the Mouth of the faid River, Port or Haven ; butihe Money arifing from the Duties laid and made ' payable by the faid firft mentioned Aft, not being fufficient to make and perform fuch additional Works •' within the Term by the faid former Afts limited, the Mouth of the faid River, Port or Harbour, for ' want thereof, is ftill very much choaked by Sand thrown up, and brought into, and lodged in the faid
- Harbour by the Sea ; and alfo by means of great Banks of Sand, Gravel, Rubbifh, and other grofs Matter
' waflied and brought dov/n to, and lodged in the fame, by Land Floods, and other Accidents ; and alfo by ^ throwing Ballail, Coal Afnes, Rubbifla, and other grofs Matter within the faid River, Port or Harbour ;
- and by the irregular and low Building, and want of repairing of Wharfs, Staiths and Keys, on or near
' the faid River.; but more efpecially for want of fuch Pier or Piers, Key or Keys, Wall or Walls, Jettee or
- Jettees, at or near the Mouth of the faid River, Port or Haven to fcour and cleanfe the fame, fo that
f the Depth of Water at the Mouth of the faid River is not yet fufHcient for loaden Ships and Veffels to ^ come into, or go out of the fame, v/ hereby the Navigation and Trade of and in the faid River, Port or ' Elaven, is very much prejudiced, hindered and oblfrufted : And whereas the lengthening the prefent
- Pier, and erefting and building a Pier or Piers, Key or Keys, Jettee or Jettees, arid making and perform-
- ing other Works at or near the Mouth of, and on other convenient Parts of the faid River, will be a
' Means of deepening, cleanfing, and rendering the fame more navigable ; and the preventing Ballaft, Coal ' Afties, Stones, Sand, Rubbifh, and other grofs Matter, being v/afned into the faid River, Port or Haven, ' and the removing and preventing other the Abufes and Inconveniencies aforefaid, will be a Means of pre- ' fervingthe faid River, Port or Haven, fo that, at all Times thereafter, loaden Ships or VefTels of a con- ' fiderable Burden may ride in, and fail into, and out of, the fame, at all Tides ; which will be a Means of ' reducing and keeping low the Prices of Coals at London, and other the Deliverir.g-ports within this King- ' dom, and will very much tend to the Encouragement and Increafe of Navigation and Trade; which faid ' Undertaking and Works, to finifh and complete the fame, v/il! coft a very confiderable Sum of Money:' To the end therefore that the faid River, Port and Haven of Sunderland aforefaid may be further improved, and the faid Pier already built, lengthened, and fuch other Pier or Piers, Key or Keys, Jettee or Jettees, and other Works may beerefted, built, made and performed, as at any Time hereafter fhall, by the Com- , miffioners hereby or hereafter to be appointed, be adjudged for the Advantage or Improvement of the faid River, Port or Haven ; and that the fame may be preferved and kept in Repair ; may it pleafe your Majefty, that it may be enafted, &c. " Commiffioners appointed for 21 Years. Not lefs than 7 Commiffioners to be at a Meeting. Comraiffion- " ers impowercd to remove and appoint Officers. No Commiflioner to hold any of the Offices. In cafe " of Death or Incapacity nev/ Commiffioners to bechofen. Commiffioners may purchafe or take Leafes of " Lands, i^c. and lengthen and eieft Piers, f^c. on fuch Lands, &c. and employ Workmen and Keels, csV.
- ' to remove Obftruftions ; provided no Grounds, is'c. are damaged, nor the Highway from Monk Wear-
" mouth to IVhhburne Hopped. Commiffioners to determine all Differences. Ri'er to be made navigable " between S/VW/f,^ Ford and Nevjbridge. Commiffioners, in Cafes of Abufes, &c. to fummon the Perfons " complained of. Jury to enquire into the Offences. Commiffioners, on the Jury's Verdift, to order Per- " fons offending to remove Obftruftions, isc. on Penalty of 5 /. per Month. Landlords, when ordered to '■' remove Obftruftions, not to be guilty of Trefpafs, i^c. Indiftments in Cafes of Nufances, iffc. may be " preferred as before this Aft pafled. Penalty on Perfon offending by emptying Rubbi.fli, not to exceed 5 I. ■' Perfons emptying Rubbifh, iD'c. from one Veffel to another, (Jjc. to have proper Stages, or Port Sails. " The Coal Ov^ners fliall pay any Sum not exceeding i d. 2 q. for every Chaldron, during 21 Years, brought " down for them to the P.iver ; and in Proportion for any greater or Ids Quantities. The Fi'ters not ex- " ceeding 2 q. Commiffioners impowered to borrow Money on the Duties. Works ercfted by this Aft, " becoming ruinous, not to be deemed Nufances. Commiffioners may make By Laws, isc, tobeapproved " of
