Falkiner — IlluHtrations of Commercial History of Dublin. 137 



Majesty's favour in preference to those of any private persons. They 

 at the same time expressed an opinion that, if the authority were 

 given to the city of Dublin, Captain Davison shoukl be employed on 

 the work. 



No action appears to have been taken upon this report, and in 

 1702 Davison renewed his application,^ which was again opposed by 

 the Dublin civic authorities as highly prejudicial to the city, and the 

 project seems to have remained in abeyance for some years. In 1707, 

 however, a petition under the city seal was ordered to be addressed 

 to His lloyal Highness Prince George of Denmark, Queen Anne's 

 Consort, then Lord High Admiral of Great Britain and Ireland, 

 for erecting a Ballast Office. This petition set forth that " the port 

 and river of Dublin are almost choked up, and are very unsafe 

 by the irregular taking in and throwing out of ballast," and 

 besought favourable consideration for a fresh bill which had been 

 sent over for erecting a Ballast Office, the petitioners being advised 

 that without legislation no duty for the support of such office 

 when erected could be imposed on shipping. The petition further 

 averred that " nothing can contribute more to the safety of the lives 

 of seafaring men who resort liither than the mending of one of the 

 most dangerous ports in Her Majesty's dominions " ; and in order to 

 obviate the possibility of a grant to any private individual rather than 

 to the city, it expressed the willingness of the assembly that all 

 profits arising from the Ballast Office " should be applied towards the 

 maintenance of the poor boys in the Blue Coat Hospital in this city, 

 whereby they are instructed in navigation to qualify them for Her 

 Majesty's sea service."^ In a letter from the Lord Mayor to Prince 

 George, in furtherance of the city claim, it was also stated that the 

 port was so unsafe that there was scarce depth of water left for a 

 small vessel to ride, where some years before a man of war could 

 safely anchor.^ 



These applications were not favourably entertained by the 

 Admiralty, Prince George of Denmark being of opinion that the erecting 

 of a Ballast Office by Act of Parliament was a direct infringe- 

 ment of the rights of his office of Lord High Admiral. He therefore 

 expressed his intention of opposing the bill.^ But His Eoyal Highness 

 "having a particular regard to the cleansing of the port of Dublin," 



1 Dublin Corporation Records, vol. vi. p. 272. ^ lb. p. 374-5. ' lb. p. 616. 

 ^ Letter of Josiah Burchett, Secretary to the Admiralty. Dublin Corporation 

 Eecords, vol. vi. p. 618. 



