which former place the present work opens in Turnwater Meadow. This act bears date in 1791, and is entitled, 'An Act for making navigable the Rivers Wreak and Eye, from the Junction of the said River Wreak with the Leicester Navigation at Turnwater Meadow, to Mill Close Homestead, in the parish of Melton Mowbray, in the county of Leicester.' By it the proprietors are incorporated, with the usual powers for making and maintaining the navigation, and for cutting new channels, &c. where required. For defraying expenses, they are empowered to raise £25,000 in shares of £100 each; and should this prove insufficient, they may raise a further sum of £5,000 by the creation of new shares or on mortgage of the rates, which are directed to be as under:
TONNAGE RATES.
| For all Coal navigated from the Leicester Navigation to Eye Kettleby, Sysonby or Melton | 2s 6d per Ton. |
| For ditto any shorter Distance | 0s 2½d ditto, per Mile. |
| For all Iron, Timber, &c. navigated to ditto | 4s 0d ditto. |
| For ditto any shorter Distance | 0s 4d ditto. ditto. |
Dung, Materials for Roads, Lime and other Kinds of Manure are exempted from Rates and Tolls, under the same restrictions as the Leicester Navigation Act requires.
The company having proceeded in the execution of their plan, had occasion again to apply to parliament for authority to collect additional funds, and in consequence obtained a second act in 1800, under the title of 'An Act for enabling the Company of Proprietors of the Navigation, from Leicester to Melton Mowbray, in the county of Leicester, to complete their Navigation, and to discharge the Debts contracted by them in the making thereof, and for amending the Act passed in the Thirty-first Year of the Reign of his present Majesty, for making and maintaining the said Navigation.' By this act it is recited, that in the progress of their undertaking, the commissioners have not only expended the two several sums of £25,000 and £5,000 which they were empowered to borrow, but also the whole of their receipts for tolls and duties since the opening of the said navigation, amounting to £7,000, and have contracted debts to the sum of £4,000, some part of their works still being incomplete; they are, therefore, empowered to raise the sum of £10,000 in shares or by mortgage of the rates, and to take the following tonnage rates.
