View report page

138
as shall be named by the lord chancellor and lord treasurer of
England, and the two chief justices for the time being, or by
three of them whereof the lord chancellor to be one.
Then follows the form of the "Letters Patent," appointing
the Commissioners:—
"A B & C to be our Justices to survey the said walls,
ditches, gutters, sewers, gates, bridges, calvies, trenches, milldams,
flood-gates, ponds & other impediments lets &
annoyances aforesaid and the same cause to be made, corrected,
repaired as case shall require; to enquire
by the oaths of honest and lawful men, place or places where
such annoyances be, through whose default the said hurts and
damages have happened, & who holdeth any tenements &c. or
hath or may have any hurt loss or disadvantage by any manner
of means by the said impediments & annoyances;
and to tax, assess, distrain & punish after the quantity
of their lands & rents by the number of acres &
perches or in such manner and form most
convenient. To appoint bailiff, collectors, surveyors.
The Commissioners, who were not allowed to act until
sworn, were paid four shillings per day, and their Clerk
two shillings a day. A limit of three years was placed ou
the continuance of the Act; but by 25 Hen. VIII., cap. 10,
3 and 4 Ed. VI., cap. 8, and other Acts, it was renewed from
time to time, and was continued for twenty years by 13
Eliz., cap. 9, sec. 1 (1571-2). A revival of the enactment
was made in 1672-3 (12 Charles II., cap. 6), the powers of
the Commissioners being extended by another Act two
years later. Among the earliest references to repairs of
sewers may be classed the account given hereunder, copied
from the Lansdowne MS.:—
"Ffor the Clensing of the Comon Sewer and Making
of a New Sluice Westminster.'' 1580.
The Quenes Mats Sewers.
Ffirste the Sewer wche beginneth from the house of Mr
Baptist on the South side of the Tennis Court and soe
along Southwarde to the retorne of the Parke Wall unto
John Tilores ground towards Pettie Callis. Cont. xl.
roddes at iis iiid the rodde vj1i xiis iiid
Item the Sewer wchc lieth at thupper end of Longdiche
from the Garden of John Bradshawe through the horspond
alonge by the Parke Wall westward unto the ground of
John Priest. Cont. xxiii. roddes at xxd the rodde xl5