Ballast Offices Act 1729
BALLAST OFFICES ACT 1729 | ||
CHAP. XXI. | ||
An Act for cleansing the ports, harbours, and rivers of the city of Cork, and of the towns of Gallway, Sligoe, Drogheda, and Belfast; and for erecting a ballast-office in the said city, and each of the said towns. | ||
6 Anne 20. 6 G. 1 15. 10 G. 1. 3. | ||
Mischiefs by irregular taking up and throwing out ballast, | ||
to preserve navigation of said ports, | ||
Ballast-offices shall be erected in said places, by and under government of the respective corporations. | ||
Conservators of the rivers and ports, | ||
who may make by-laws, confirmed by chief governors, &c. | ||
WHEREAS the preservation of the trade of the city of Cork, and of the towns of Gallway, Sligoe, Drogheda, and Belfast, is of great importance as well to his Majesty’s revenue as the good of the whole kingdom: and whereas the navigation of the ports belonging to the said city and towns hath been of late much more than heretofore obstructed, and the several harbours and channels belonging to the said city and towns are become extreamly shallow, by which means voyages have been prolonged, to the very great prejudice of trade, and his Majesty put to extraordinary expence and charges in keeping officers longer on board the vessels trading to and from the said city and towns, than would have been needful, had the said several harbours and channels been preserved in the same condition, they formerly were; which mischiefs have been principally occasioned by the licentious and irregular taking up and throwing out of ballast, and breaking the banks of the channels, for want of proper laws for regulating how and in what manner the shipping resorting to the said ports should demean themselves in relation to their throwing out and taking in of their ballast: to the end therefore that the navigation of the ports belonging to the said city and towns by clearing and deepning the said harbours and channels for the future may be preserved and secured; be it enacted by the King’s most excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the lords spiritual and temporal and commons in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, That it shall and may be lawful to and for the mayor; sheriffs, and commonality of the city of Cork, the mayor, sheriffs, free burgesses, and commonality of the town and county of the town of Gallway, the provost, burgesses, and freemen of the town of Sligoe, the mayor, sheriffs, burgesses, and commons of the town and county of the town of Drogheda, and the sovereign and free burgesses of the town of Belfast, severally and respectively at any time after the twenty fifth day of April, which shall be in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and thirty, to erect in the said city o Cork, and in each of the said towns of Gallway, Sligoe, Drogheda, and Belfast, one office; which said offices from thenceforth shall be severally and respectively called and known by the names of the ballast-offices of the said city and towns: (that is to fay) that erected in the said city of Cork by the name of the ballast-office of the port of Cork, and so of the said towns respectively; to the end that all ships, which shall thenceforth resort to the ports or harbours of the said city and towns, may be furnished with ballast by the said offices respectively, and not otherwise; and which said offices, from the time they shall be so erected as aforesaid, shall always be under the government, inspection, and direction of the mayor, sheriffs, and commonality of the said city of Cork, the mayor, sheriffs, free burgesses, and commonality of the said town and county of the town of Gallway, the provost, burgesses, and freemen of the said town of Sligoe, the mayor, sheriffs, burgesses, and commons of the said town and county of the town of Drogheda, and the sovereign and free burgesses of the town of Belfast, severally and respectively; who are hereby severally and respectively constituted and ordained keepers and conservators of the said several rivers and ports of Cork, Gallway, Sligoe, Drogheda, and Belfast, by the names of their several incorporations, and severally and respectively impowered to make such orders, rules, and by-laws, for the well government of the said several offices, and for the cleansing of the said harbours and channels, and for securing all ships that shall come into the said ports, as shall from time to time be approved, ratifyed, and confirmed by the lord lieutenant, or other chief governors of this kingdom for the time being, and fix or more of the privy-council of the same. |