England.
Having taken a cursory view of the progress and pre sent state of Inland Navigation among the various na tions of the Continent, we shall now proceed succinctly to show what has been done in the British isles. To do this part of the subject justice would require volumes ; and although we shall endeavour to treat it with the ut most brevity, ita extent will unavoidably prove very con siderable.
Althoug.,11 we have a vast extent of sca coast and na vigable inlets, and also several very considerable rivers, yet the works of artificial navigation among tts are only of a comparatively late date. Notwithstanding this, their number and extent are now so great, and their ramifica tions so general, that, south of the river Tees, no part of England is 15 miles distant from navigation ; and so far from these improvements being, as in other countries, the work of princes, or their ministers, our legislators have not unfrequently interfered to obstruct the energies of individual exertion.
Until the invention of locks little could be done in the way of inland navigation in England, except in the Fens, when connected with drainage. Two works however yet exist in that neighbourhood, of unknown antiquity, and probably Roman, certainly intended for navigation : 1st, The Car Dyke or Fossa Caravansii, (as it is termed by Stukely,) a canal 40 miles in length, skirting the up lands and tens from the river Nen at Peterboro', to the river Witham near Lincoln ; and, 2dly, The Foss Dyke which connects,the Witham at Lincoln with the Trent, above Gainsborot, by a level cut or 11 miles. The first of theae works is now in disorder; but the second was. as we are informed by Cambden, cleaned out by Henry 1. and is now an existing navigation, the oldest perhaps in England. 13y means of these two works, and the rivers Nen, Tient, und Ouse, an actual navigation of great ex tent was effected. It is probable that the Foss river at York was, besides drainage, intended fur an extension of this navigation ; though possibly, with the incunibrance of occasional transhipment ; and this, when the country was without roads, and otherwise inaccessible, was a most valuable accommodation.
In subsequent times, the free navigation of our great rivers seems frequently to have attracted thc attention of the legislature. Magna Charta, cap. xvi. provides, " That all Wears shall be put down on the Thantes and Medway, and through all England, except on the coast ;" 25th Edward III. 1350. There is an act that new wears shall be pulled down, and not repaired ; of which the preamble shows the natural na'vigation of rivers to be the object of attention : " Item, Whereas the common passage of boats and ships in the great rivers in Eng,land be often times annoyed by the inhancing of gorecs, mills, wears, stanks, stakes, and kiddies, in great darnage of the people, it is accorded and established, that all such, tec. shall be utterly pulled down, without being renew
ed." This act was confirmed by 45th Edward III. with a penalty ; also 21st Richard II. c. 19. ; I st Henry IV. c. 12 ; 1st Henry V. c. 2; 4th Henry V. c. 2; 9th Henry VI, c. 9. Enforced by 12th Edward IV. c. 7. which in flicts a penalty. See farther 3d John 1. c. 12 ; 7th John I. c. 19. 6th and 7th William 111. c. 16; 1st George I. st. 2. c. 18. Commissioners of Sewers were also ap pointed : They were instructed to attend not only to Drainage but Navigation, viz. " the removing and pre venting impediments and annoyances on livers, streams, and floods, whereby the passages of ships and boats might be letted or interrupted." In 23d Henry VIII. c. 5. a general act was passed, specifying the form of commis sion, as in 6th Henry VI. c. 6, and otherwise regulating their powers, which are very extensive.
By sundry acts, viz. 9th Henry VI. c 5; 19th Henry VIII. c. 12. were passed, which declared the river Se vern a free navigation ; this was in consequence of some local claims basing been set up, and tolls demanded. By the 2d Henry VI. c. 9. an act authorizes the justices to inquire into and remove nuisances on the Thames. By the 3d Henry VI. c. 5. commissions arc directed to be issued by the chancellor to fit and skilful persons, at all times necessary, in order to amend all faults in the river Lea. 9th IIenry NiI. confirms the same, autho rizes the removal of shoals, and grants a toll of 4d. per boat for three years, in order to defray the expense. This is the first instance we have found of a toll being grant ed for the purpose of improving river navigation ; and this contemplated only scouring and deepening the river, and removing artificial obstructions. The word Lokkes is first mentioned in 12th Edward IV. c. 7. as an obstruction in navigable rivers, but cannot be supposed to mean any contrivance for facilitating the passage of vessels, Ecc. It is doubtful if the canal lock had been then invented ; and the same word lokkes is still used for the locks of London bridge.