Page:Rivers, Canals, Railways of Great Britain.djvu/475



An inspection of the map will shew that the plan is well designed to answer the purposes of the subscribers thereto.

MONMOUTHSHIRE CANAL.
32 George III. Cap. 102, Royal Assent 3rd June, 1792.

37 George III. Cap. 100, Royal Assent 4th July, 1797.

42 George III. Cap. 115, Royal Assent 26th June, 1802.

THIS extensive undertaking of canal and railroads, for the company have powers to construct both, was first authorized by the legislature in 1792, by 'An Act for making and maintaining a navigable Cut or Canal from or from some Place near, Pontnewynydd into the River Usk, at or near the town of Newport, and a collateral Cut or Canal from the same, at or near a Place called Cryndaw Farm, to or near to Crumlin Bridge, all in the county of Monmouth; and for making and maintaining Railways or Stone Roads from such Cuts or Canals to several Iron Works and Mines, in the county of Monmouth and Brecknock.' By this act the proprietors are empowered to raise £120,000, in shares of £100 each, and a further sum of £60,000, if required. The company is designated "The Company of Proprietors of the Monmouthshire Canal Navigation," and has power to make new railways to iron-works, limestone quarries, or coal mines within eight miles of the line of their canal. The proprietors commenced their undertaking under the superintendence of Mr. J. Dadford, Jun. the engineer who made the estimate; and the work proceeded, but it afterwards being found advantageous to extend the original design, a second act was obtained in 1797, under the title of 'An Act for extending the Monmouthshire Canal Navigation, and for explaining and amending an Act passed in the Thirty-second of his present Majesty, for making the said Canal.' The powers of this last act, however, were soon found insufficient for the purposes designed, a third was therefore obtained in 1802, entitled, 'An Act for making and maintaining certain Railways to communicate with the Monmouthshire Canal Navigation, and for enabling the Company of Proprietors of that Navigation to raise a further Sum of Money to complete their Undertaking, and for explaining and amending the Acts passed in the Thirty-second and