1 88 Mr. Lionel B. Wells on the 



of industry, and a princely fortune for " the Duke," were 

 the immediate results of the opening of the canal. 



A list of Acts of Parliament affecting inland navigation 

 in England, prepared by the late Mr. Conder, M.Inst.C.E., 

 commences with an Act referring to the Thames, dated 

 1423, followed by Acts dealing with the Lee, in 1425, 

 and the Yorkshire Ouse, in 1462. These are the earliest 

 legislative records on the subject of waterways — Three in 

 the XV. century. In the XVI. century we find seven ; 

 one referring to the River Exe, dated 1536, while the term 

 canal is first mentioned in 1572 in relation to the naviga- 

 tion made at Exeter, by the citizens of that place, when 

 the woollen trade was flourishing in Devonshire. This 

 waterway is also notable as having been widened and 

 deepened, to accommodate sea-going vessels, upwards of 

 60 years ago. 



There are Acts relating to 23 river navigations during 

 the next 150 years, but no canal is again mentioned until 

 1720, when the name of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal 

 appears side by side with that of the Mersey and Irwell 

 and River Weaver Navigations. 



From 1700 to 1760, 29 Bills were promoted in Parlia- 

 ment, only 3 of which referred to new canals ; the remainder 

 referred to the improvement of river navigations. 



The Bridgewater Canal was opened to Manchester in 

 1762, and through to the Mersey in 1776. Following this, 

 during the last 40 years of the 18th century, Acts of 

 Parliament were applied for concerning 85 new waterways. 

 Only 16 of these referred to rivers, while 69 were for canals, 

 which had become popular at this period. In the year 1794 

 no less than 12 canal Bills were recorded. Subsequently 

 there was a falling off; and from 1800 to 1830 we find only 

 40 applications for new waterways, while from 1830 until 

 1883, when the Manchester Ship Canal Bill was promoted 

 for the first time, the Severn Navigation Act is the only one 

 of importance to be noticed. 



