402 
On  River  Conservancy, 
main  channel  in  a satisfactory  condition  must  be  left  to  be 
determined  by  a consideration  of  the  circumstances  of  each 
separate  case  ; that  they  concurred  with  the  almost  universal 
opinion  of  the  witnesses,  that  in  order  to  secure  uniformity  and 
completeness  of  action  in  dealing  with  each  river,  each  catch- 
ment area  should  be  placed  under  a single  body  of  conservators, 
who  should  be  responsible  for  maintaining  the  river  from  its  source 
to  its  outfall  in  an  efficient  state.  That  with  regard  to  tributary 
streams  these  might  be  entrusted  to  district  committees  acting 
under  the  general  direction  of  the  conservators.  The  Committee 
further  recommended  that  action  for  the  formation  of  Conser- 
vancy Boards  should  emanate  from  the  landowners,  and  that  the 
scheme  for  each  district  should  be  settled  after  local  inquiry  bv 
a Government  Inspector.  That  great  caution  should  be  exercised 
in  dealing  with  prescriptive  rights  of  mill-owners  and  others, 
in  respect  to  dams  and  weirs,  as  the  evidence  pointed  to  the 
conclusion  that  weirs  and  dams,  when  properly  constructed,  are 
not  necessarily  prejudicial.  That  with  regard  to  the  principle 
of  assessment  for  laying  the  rates,  they  were  of  opinion  that  the 
principle  adopted  under  the  statute  of  Henry  VIII.,  of  taxing 
in  proportion  to  the  benefit  conferred  in  each  particular  case  by 
the  works  of  conservancy,  appeared  to  work  unfairly  and  to  be 
incapable  of  general  application  : and  that  of  taxing  equally  all 
riparian  lands,  included  within  a certain  level,  seemed  likewise 
open  to  objection  ; and  therefore  they  had  come  to  the^conclusion 
that  the  rates  should  be  distributed  over  the  whole  area  of  a 
water-shed,  the  lands  and  houses  below  the  flood-level  being 
rated  at  a higher  amount  than  those  above,  and  other  graduations 
and  exceptions  made  to  meet  particular  cases.  That  the  basis 
of  taxation  should  be  the  rateable  value,  and  that  towns  and 
houses  should  contribute  to  the  rates  ; and  that  they  saw  no 
injustice  in  rating  uplands  to  the  maintenance  of  a channel  to 
which  they  contribute  their  quota  of  water. 
Several  attempts  have  since  been  made  by  the  Government 
and  also  by  private  members  to  pass  an  Act  of  Parliament  founded 
on  these  recommendations  ; but  the  pressure  of  other  business 
has  hitherto  prevented  any  measure  being  carried.  None  of 
the  Bills  which  have  been  brought  forward  have  contained 
measures  for  placing  the  rivers  of  the  country  on  as  satis- 
factory a footing  as  the  highways,  or  making  Conservancy  a 
compulsory  measure  ; but  they  have  left  the  initiation  of  pro- 
ceedings to  the  voluntary  action  of  the  landowners  in  the 
district  draining  by  each  river. 
The  main  features  of  the  Bills  promoted  by  the  Government, 
and  amended  in  conformity  with  the  expression  of  opinion  of 
the  Committee  to  which  the  one  brought  in  1881  was  referred, 
