Page:Rivers, Canals, Railways of Great Britain.djvu/412

390

TONNAGE RATES.
And so in Proportion for a greater or lesser Weight.

But no Rates shall be charged to the Land-owners within Five Miles of the said River, upon Manure for Land only.

The next act respecting the Douglas Navigation is that of the 23rd George III. and is entitled, 'An Act for altering and varying the Powers of an Act, passed in the Sixth Year of the Reign of King George the First, for making the River Douglas, alias Asland, navigable, from the River Ribble, to Wigan, in the county palatine of Lancaster; and for enabling the Company of Proprietors of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, incorporated by an Act passed in the Tenth Year of his present Majesty's Reign, to purchase the said River Navigation; for amending the said last-mentioned Act; for incorporating and consolidating the said two Navigations; and for other Purposes.' By this act, as its title imports, the Douglas Navigation became incorporated with the Leeds and Liverpool Canal; which company, in January, 1772, purchased twenty-eight shares out of the whole thirty-six shares of the Douglas Navigation, and they now have the power to purchase the remaining eight shares. They had already made the connecting branch with the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, a length of three miles and a half, with 12 feet lockage; but, upon becoming possessed of the remainder of this property, which took place in 1780, they extended the canal, and altogether abandoned the river from Wigan to the low end of Tarleton Cut, which, out of a distance of sixteen miles and three quarters, leaves only two miles and a half of river navigation, and that in the tideway. The Leeds and Liverpool Canal Company had a power to make a call of £14 per share upon their proprietors, for the purpose of purchasing the Douglas Navigation and improving the same. And by the time they had finished all the improvements, it had cost altogether about £74,000.

The length from Wigan to Newburgh (now made the line of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, as stated before) is seven miles, and has a fall of 30 feet; this part is usually called the Upper Douglas. From Burscough to the Ribble is nine miles and a half, and has a fall of 42 feet; this is called the Lower Douglas Navigation.