DE RANCE : UNDERGROUND TVATER-SUPPLY AND RIVER FLOODS. 205 
suddenly to depress it to its lowest limits, so that the fish may be 
caught in receptacles placed on the weir. Water-users pound up the 
water to obtain increased fall and volume, and draw it off by a mill- 
race, discharging it at the mill-tail ; the water is often allowed to 
pound up the mill-head until it backs up the mill-tail of the works 
above, no thought being taken of the requirements of the works 
above and below, " flashes" of water being passed on without any 
consideration whether the works below can use it or not. The burden 
of all Royal Commissions on this subject, and the concensus of 
opinion of all our eminent Water Engineers is, that without central 
control these varied interests cannot be reconciled. Weirs, properly 
constructed, would ofter no obstruction to land drainage, but to carry 
this out the body exercising power over the river requires to be 
armed with the authority of Drainage Commissioners, so that in all 
cases districts receiving waters from above should have the corres- 
ponding rights of discharge into the districts below. 
In Prussia, Saxony, and Bavaria the State authority claim 
absolute ownership of the water and navigable rivers, defraying the 
expense of their management out of tolls taken for use of the river 
for navigation, mill-power, and other purposes. On tributary streams 
riparian owners and townships are allowed to combine, on application, 
as a " conservancy authority," armed with powers to compel the con- 
struction and maintenance of the necessary works, and to tax those 
benefitted, but not those whose lands are beyond flood limits. Occa- 
sionally the State assists townships with pecuniary aid, and when 
the maintenance of navigation or the rateable value of land can be 
increased by the construction of an embankment, or the cutting of a 
new channel, the State defrays the cost of the undertaking out of 
the public funds. 
In France, the Government undertakes the conservancy of all 
navigable rivers, at the expense of the National Exchequer. In the 
smaller rivers-the embanking of lands against floods is carried out by 
"free syndicates," formed of adjoining owners desirous of protecting 
their property, and " authorized syndicates," with powers to compel 
the minority of land-owners to join schemes projected for the common 
good, the want of unanimity of opinion, causing many of the free 
syndicates to fail in their object. 
