a Act OF common council concern the conservation and cleanse OF the river OF  thames make the of September in the year of king Henry the where by the  statute make in the year of the reign of our sovereign Lord king Henry the  eight among other for reformation of the misordering of the river of Thames by  cast in dung and other filth many great shelf and other rise have be of late  grow and make within the same river by reason whereof many great breach have  ensue by occasion thereof which of like shall be the occasion of the utter  destruction of the say river unless that the same law be put in due execution  accord to the true intent and meaning thereof wherefore for a f arther  reformation of the same and to the intent that the say good and wholesome  statute may be put in more execution and better knowledge of the people it be  enact by the authority of this common council that proclamation may be make  within this say city and the same to be put in write and table calthrop er p  thereof make and set up in diverse place of this city that it shall be lawful  to every person or person to dig carry away and take away sand gravel or any  rubbish earth or anything lie or be in any shelve or shelf within the say  river of Thames without let or interruption of any person or person and  without any thing pay for the same and after that to sell the same away or  otherwise occupy or dispose the say gravel sand or other thing at their free  liberty and pleasure and that all paviers bricklayer tiler mason and all other  that she all occupy sand or gravel shall endeavour themselves with all their  diligence to occupy the say sand or gravel and none other pay for the same  reasonable as they shall and ought to pay for other sand or gravel dig out of  other man ground about the say city which after be fill again with much filthy  thing to the great infection of the inhabitant of the say city and all other  repair unto the same and that further humble suit may be make to the king  highness that all person have land or tenement along the say river side upon  certain pain by his highness and the lord of his most honourable Council to be  limit shall well and sufficient repair and maintain all the wall and bank  adjoin unto their say land that so the water may not nor shall break in upon  the same and the same to be continue till the time that the say double river  be bring again to his old course and former estate and that strong grate of  iron along the say waterside and also by the streetside where any watercourse  be have into the say Thames be make by the inhabitant of every ware so along  the say water as of old time have be accustom and that every grate be in  height four and twenty inch at the least or more as the place shall deed and  in breadth one from another one inch and the same to be do with all expedition  and speed and if the occupier of the say land and tenement make default  contrary to the ordinance aforesaid or else if any person or person in great  raius and other time sweep their soilage or filth of their house into the  channel and the same after be convey into the Thames every person so offend  shall forfeit for every such default twenty penny and that upon complaint to  be make to any constable next adjoin to the say place where any such default  shall be find it shall be lawful for the say constable or his sufficient  deputy for the time be from time to time distrain for the same offence and to  retain the same irreplegiable and like law to be observe and keep and like  penalty to be pay for every person that burn rush and straw in their house or  wash in the common street or lane and to be recover as aforesaid and the one  moiety thereof to be to the mayor and commonalty and the other moiety to be  divide between the say constable that take pain and the party finder of the  say default and if the constable or his deputy refuse to do his duty accord to  the true meaning of this Act that then the constable or his deputy which shall  so refuse to his duty as aforesaid shall forfeit and pay for every time so  offendina three shilling four penny and the same penalty of the say constable  to be recover and obtain by distress irreplegiable to be take by any of the  officer of the chamber of London to the use of the mayor and commonalty of  London and further that no person or person have any wharf or house by the say  waterside make not their laystalles nigh to the river aforesaid except only  the common laystalles where the common raker of this city use to repose and  lie all their soilage to be carry away by they with their dungboats and that  the say raker shall lie their say dung carry in their dungboats to such  convenient place or place as shall be appoint by the Lord mayor of London for  the time be with the advice of his brother the alderman of the same and to no  other place or place upon pain to forfeit for every such default five pound to  be recover in any of the king court within the city of London by bill plaint  moiety of debt or information by any person thatwill or shall pursue for the  same the one moiety thereof to be unto the mayor and commonalty of London and  the ocher moiety to he or they that will or shall pursue for the same in which  action or suit no wager of law nor essoygy shall be allow calthrop er p