18 REPORT — 1856. 



That for years past the general state of the river has been most critical 

 and alarming. 



That the principal causes of this state of the river are, as your Memorialists 

 believe, the impediments oflered to the flux and reflux of the tidal waters 

 and the diminution of water space above the town, by the enclosure from the 

 river of large tracts of land. 



That your Memorialists have for many years vainly endeavoured to obtain 

 some eflScient protection for their own and the public interests in the vesting 

 of the conservancy of the river in commissioners with adequate powers, your 

 Memorialists fearing that unless vigorous measures were adopted, the Mersey 

 would become, like the Dee, the Lune, the Exe, and many other rivers, no 

 longer navigable for vessels of burden. 



That your Memorialists, from the year 1818 to the present time, have, at a 

 very heavy expense, caused frequent surveys and reports upon the state of 

 the river to be made, namely, in 1818 by the late Mr. Whidbey, the con- 

 structor of the breakwater at Plymouth (v/hose Report contains a concise 

 and clear view of the then state of the river, and of the deterioration to be 

 anticipated from the causes before mentioned); in 1822 by the same gen- 

 tleman in conjunction with the late Messrs. Chapman and John Rennie; in 

 1823 by Messrs. Telford, Nimmo, Whidbey, Chapman, Rennie, and Fowler; 

 in 1826 by Mr. Whidbey and Messrs. George Rennie and Giles; in 1827 by 

 Messrs. George Rennie and Giles, and afterwards by Messrs. James Walker 

 and W. C. Mylne; in 1828 by Messrs. Telford, Stevenson, and Nimmo ; in 

 1835 by Mr. George Rennie; in 1836 by Commander Denham, R.N. ; and 

 in 1837 by Messrs. Mylne and George Rennie and Walker. 



That these Reports prove in the most unquestionable manner the 

 absolute necessity for active and incessant superintendence, and they also 

 incontestably prove the changeable ciiaracter of the river and its ap- 

 proaches. 



That in the beginning of the Session of last year a Bill was brought into 

 the House of Commons to empower the proprietors of the Grand Junction 

 Railway to amend their present line, by forming a new line of railway by 

 crossing the River Mersey three to four miles below the town of Warrington, 

 by a bridge at a place called Fidler's Ferry. 



That your Memorialists, fully sensible of the importance of the proposed 

 measure, were with great reluctance compelled to offer to it all the oppo- 

 sition in their power, inasmuch as the proposed bridge would have been 

 injurious to the trade and navigation on the river, and would have interfered 

 ■with the flux and reflux of the tide. 



That this Bill was rejected in committee so far as related to the intended 

 bridge. 



That your Memorialists on this occasion off'ered evidence as to the past 

 and present state of the river. 



That from the evidence thus given, your Memorialists have extracted 

 portions comprising part of the Reports already referred to, which they lay 

 before your Lordships, and to which they earnestly and respectfully solicit 

 your attention. 



That one statement in particular proved before the committee was as 

 follows : — 



" The present area of the River Mersey, from the Black Rock at the mouth 

 to Woolston Weir above Warrington Bridge, is 23,062 acres, over which, at 

 a 22-feet tide, 736,94'5,215 tons of water flow, and that no less than 13,440 

 acres of marshes have been abstracted from the tideway, equal to about 

 25,000,000 tons of water, calculated at the same tide. That the remaining 



