a Act OF parliament for the preservation OF the river OF thames make in the  year of king Henry the where before this time the river of Thames among all  river within this realm have be accept and take and as it be indeed most  commodious and profitable unto all the king liege people and chief of all  other frequent and use and as well by the kin g highness his estate and noble  merchant and other repair to the city of London and other place shire and  county adjoin to the same which river of Thames be and have be most meet and  convenient of all other for the safeguard and order of the king navy  conveighance of merchandise and other necessary to and for the king most  honourable household and otherwise to the great relief and comfort of all  person within this realm till now of late diverse evildisposed person partly  by misordering of the say river by cast in of dung and other filth lie nigh to  the bank of the say river dig and undermine of the bank and wall next adjoin  to the same river carry and convey away of waysbides shorepiles board  timberwork ballast for ship and other thing from the say bank and wall in  sundry place by reason whereof great shelf and rise have of late be make and  grow in the farway of the say river and such ground as lie within the level of  the say watermark by occasion thereof have be surround and overflow by rage of  the say water and many great breach have ensue and follow thereupon and daily  be like to do and the say river of Thames to be utter destroy for ever if  convenient and speedy remedy be not soon provide in that behalf calthrop er p  for reformation whereof be it enact establish and ordain by the king our  sovereign Lord and by the assent of the lord spiritual and temporal and the  Commons in this present parliament assemble and by the authority of the same  that if any person or person hereafter do or procure any thing to be do in the  annoy of the stream of the say river of Thames make of shelf by any manner of  mean by i dig cast of dung or rubbish or other thing in the same river or take  pluck or convey away any board stake pile timberwork or other thing from the  say bank or wall except it be to amend and the same to repair again or dig or  undermine any bank or wall on the waterside of Thames aforesaid to the hurt  impair or damage of any the say wall bank then the same person or person and  every of they shall forfeit and pay for every time so offend one hundred  shilling the one moiety thereof to be to the king our sovereign Lord and the  other moiety thereof to the mayor and commonalty of London for the time be the  same to be recover and obtain by the mayor and commonalty of London by bill of  plaint writ of debt or information several against every offender in any of  the king court in which action and suit or any of they the party defendant  shall not be essoined or wage his law or any protection to be allow in the  same and it be further enact by the authority aforesaid that if complaint  shall happen to be make to the Lord Chancellorr of England Lord treasurer Lord  precedent of the king Council Lord privy seal or to any of they by any person  or person or body politic that sir Thomas spert knight now have the office and  order of and for ballast of ship or any other that hereafter shall have the  office and order of ballast of ship do take any ballast for ship near the say  river of Thames and do not take for parcel of the say ballast the gravel and  sand of the shelf between Greenbith and Richmond within the say river of  Thames or in any place or place that be or shall be unto the damage or  annoyance of the say river of Thames or in any part thereof that then upon  every such complaint the say Lord Chancelfour Lord treasurer Lord precedent of  the king most honourable Council Lord privy seal and every of they call both  the chief justice of either bench or one of they shall have power and  authority from time to time to hear and final determine every such complaint  by their discretion and to put such order therein for the take of ballast for  ship upon every such complaint as by their discretion shall seem most  convenient for the preservation of the say river of Thames and the party  offend such order shall suffer imprisonment and make no less fine then five  pound to the king use for every time offend or break the same provide always  and be it enact that it shall be lawful to every person and person to dig  carry and take away sand gravel or other rubbish earth or thing lie or be in  or upon any shelf or shelf within the say river of Thames without let or  interruption of any person or person or pay any thing for the same any thing  contain in this present Act to the contrary notwithstanding