Petition of the Justices of
the peace of Middx To the
Honble . House of Comons
concerning the raiseing
of Bridge money Etc}

To the Honourable the Commons of Great
Britain in Parliament assembled.

The humble Petition of his Majesties
Justices of the Peace for the County of
Middlesex in their General Quarter
Session assembled.

Sheweth

That the Execution of the Laws for Repair of County
Bridges passing of Vagrants, and Repairing of Gaols being
comitted to the Care and direction of the Justices of the peace
in the Several Counties of England, your Petitioners have
used their best Endeavours to make them Effectual in
this County.

And in Order thereunto have caused Several Rates to
be made for the purposes aforesaid, which Rates have
been made in the usual Form practiced for many years
last past in this and other Counties.

That Several of these the Rates have been removed by
Writs of Cerciorari, and Some-of them Quashed, and
Actions have been brought against the Officers for
Collecting one of the Said Rates while Such Rate was in
force, And tho' one of these Rates (to wit the Rate for Repairing
Brentford Bridge ) removed by Cerciorari hath been
confirmed, yet it was about two years after it had been So
removed, by reason whereof the Execution of the Said Rate
was all that time Suspended, and during the Said time
many persons liable to the payment of the Said Rate
died, and many others removed from their Habitations so
that Several parts of the Money to be raised by the Said Rate
[..] are
likely to be lost, By which and the Moneys necessarily expended
in the defence of the Said Rate (which Amount to about one
third part of the Money to be raised thereby) The Same will be
greatly deficient to answer the purpose intended, And in the
mean time the Said Bridge is fallen So much into decay and
is in So ruinous a Condition that the Expences will be very