62 CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



coasts of this realm of England and Wales, being as beacons and 

 marks of ancient time accustomed for sea-faring men, to save and 

 keep them and the ships in their charge from sundry dangers thereto 

 incident: divers ships with their goods and merchandises, in sailing 

 from foreign parts towards this realm of England and Wales, and 

 especially to the port and river of Thames, have, by the lack of such 

 marks, of late years been miscarried, perished and lost in the sea, to 

 the great detriment and hurt of the common weal, and the perishing 

 of no small number of people. 



The power to leyy light dues was not given to Trinity House 

 under this Act. It was granted chiefly by Crown patents, and 

 partly by Acts of Parliament, including, 4 Anne, cap. 20 (1705) 

 (App.. p. 528) ; 8 Anne, cap. 17 (1709) ; and 18 Geo. Ill, cap. 42 

 (1778) (App.. p. 552). At that time, many lighthouses were in 

 the hands of private individuals under patents or leases from the 

 Crown or from Trinity House, these individuals paying a rent and 

 being entitled to collect tolls. Some of these were ratified by certain 

 Acts, including 3 Geo. II, c. 36 (1730) ; 6 Geo. Ill, c. 31 (1766) ; 12 

 Geo. Ill, cap. 29 (1772) ; and 42 Geo. Ill, cap. xliii (local and per- 

 sonal). In 1822, Trinity House by statute, 3 Geo. IV, cap. cxi 

 (local and personal), received power to purchase private interests in 

 lighthouses. In 1836 (6 and 7 Wm. IV, cap. 79), the Crown con- 

 veyed its rights in certain lighthouses to Trinity House, and granted 

 further powers to that corporation to purchase the interests of 

 private individuals, and from that time the rights of private parties 

 were practically ended. 



In England, prior to the Merchant Shipping (Mercantile Marine 



Fund) Act, 1808, the light dues were levied in respect of each 



72 light which the vessel passed on her journey, that is, each light 



from which the vessel might derive benefit. But that system 



proved to be cumbersome and unsatisfactory, and the dues are now 



levied in respect of the voyage, irrespective of the number of lights 



passed. 



LIGHT DUES IN COLONIES PRIOR TO 1783. 



Prior to the treaty of 1783, lighthouses were erected on the coasts 

 of Massachusetts Bay and Nova Scotia, and by various statutes, 

 certain tolls were authorised to be collected for the maintenance 

 thereof. Under some of these, fishing vessels were exempt, and 

 under others, fees were charged, but at a lower rate than in the case 

 of ordinary merchant vessels. 



1715-16, Massachusetts Bay (cap. 4). A statute of the colony re- 

 cited that the want of a lighthouse at Boston Harbour had, by the loss 

 of life and property, discouraged navigation, and for remedy thereof 



