The History of the Drainage of the Great Level of the Fens, Called Bedford Level; With the Constitution and Laws of the Bedford Level Corporation Volu (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1830 edition. Excerpt: ...several counties of Norfolk, Suf-App.p.40. "folk, Cambridge, Huntingdon, Northampton, "Lincoln, and the Isle of Ely, to hear and deter "mine complaints upon these several matters." These commissioners were invested with very extensive powers, and might be considered as a kind of board of control. There is no record of their ever meeting. They became defunct for want of succession; which circumstance was fortunate for the corporation, whose rights and privileges would have been greatly narrowed had this commission continued to exist; and this would have been the case, had it not been for the vigilance of the Earl of Bedford, whose foresight and wisdom seem never to have abandoned him. It was moved in the committee upon the bill, in the house of lords, that the vice-chancellor for the university of Cambridge, the mayor of the town of Cambridge, and the mayor of King's Lynn for the time being, should ex officio be three of the commissioners. The Earl foresaw that these appointments would give perpetuity to the commission, and that all its inquisitorial powers might in future times be called forth to the annoyance of the corporation. He moved and carried a proposition for their being struck out of the list of commissioners, in their official capacity, which was accordingly done; although, singularly enough, their names are, by a clerical error, omitted to be erased in another part of the act. Many ineffectual attempts have been made to renew this commission; but the corporation were fortunate in having a perpetual guard over their interests like the Earl of Bedford. The shadow without the substance of power would have been left to the corporation, had the powers and authorities of this commission been rendered capable of...