§ A Petition of several directors of the West India Dock Company was presented and read; taking notice of the Petition of the mayor and alderman of the city of London, praying that leave may be given to bring in a Bill for enabling his Majesty to grant to the mayor, commonalty, and citizens of London the office of gauger at the West India docks, and at all legal 885 quays and sufferance wharfs whereon gaugeable commodities might then or thereafter be lawfully landed, within the port of London; and setting forth, that upon the opening of the West India docks corporation of London claimed a right to exercise the office of gauger in respect to all said docks; and the petitioners, finding by experience that great delay and inconvenience to public business arose from the interference of the officer appointed by the corporation to execute the said office, and that the right thereto could not be supported under the charter by virtue of which it was claimed, refused to admit the said right claimed by the corporation; in consequence whereof an action was, in Trinity Term 1806, brought by the corporation against the West India Dock Company, but which action has since been abandoned; and that the petitioners submit to the House, that the grant of the office of gauger to the corporation of London is not only wholly unnecessary at the West India Docks, but would be attended with great inconvenience and interruption in the dispatch of business; and that, so far from the said office being beneficial to the public, as alleged in the Petition of the corporation, the West India planters and merchants, who import the gaugeable commodities at the said docks, have called upon the petitioners to oppose the appointment of such an officer; and that the corporation of London admit by their Petition that the West India Docks are not within the limits of their ancient charter, so as to entitle them to claim the exercise of the said office of gauger there; and praying, that the House will not comply with the said Petition, and that, if the corporation have (as they alledge) sustained any loss by the formation either, of the West India Docks or of the London Docks, the petitioners submit that it is a case of compensation provided for by parliament, and that the corporation ought to pursue the course and remedy pointed out by the legislature to recover what (if any thing) they may in that respect be entitled to, instead of applying to parliament to enable his Majesty to create an office that would be injurious to the public, merely for the purpose of producing emolument to the corporation; and praying that the Petition of the said mayor and commonality may be rejected; and that the petitioners may be heard, by themselves 886 their counsel or agents, against the same.
§ Ordered to be referred to the Select Committee appointed to enquire into the operation and effect of the several Acts for erecting docks and otherwise improving the port of London, so far as relates to the gauging of wine and other gaugeable commodities imported into the said port; and that the petitioners be heard, by themselves their counsel or agents, upon their Petition, if they think fit.