▁of ▁which ▁the ▁Commission ers ▁of ▁S ew ers ▁obtained ▁the ▁Br ue ▁D rain age ▁Act ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 1 , ▁which ▁allowed ▁them ▁to ▁improve ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁the ▁River ▁Br ue ▁by ▁the ▁straight ening ▁of ▁major ▁loops ▁at ▁High bridge ▁and ▁East ▁H unt sp ill , ▁and ▁to ▁construct ▁the ▁North ▁and ▁South ▁Dra ins , ▁which ▁collected ▁water ▁from ▁the ▁pe at ▁mo or lands ▁and ▁channel led ▁it ▁into ▁the ▁lower ▁River ▁Br ue . ▁Under ▁the ▁terms ▁of ▁the ▁Act , ▁two ▁small ▁can als , ▁called ▁Gal ton ' s ▁Canal ▁and ▁Brown ' s ▁Canal , ▁were ▁built ▁near ▁the ▁North ▁D rain ▁to ▁serve ▁pe at ▁extra ction ▁work ings . ▁The ▁d rain age ▁works ▁were ▁not ▁wh olly ▁successful ▁in ▁prevent ing ▁flo oding , ▁and ▁the ▁Commission ers ▁often ▁failed ▁to ▁obtain ▁the ▁lev ies ▁they ▁required ▁to ▁fin ance ▁their ▁operations . ▁ ▁Prom otion ▁and ▁planning ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁key ▁prom ot ers ▁for ▁a ▁canal ▁was ▁Richard ▁Pr at , ▁who ▁was ▁a ▁lawyer ▁in ▁G last on bury , ▁had ▁been ▁the ▁town ▁cl erk ▁since ▁ 1 8 1 3 , ▁and ▁held ▁several ▁important ▁offices ▁in ▁the ▁town . ▁He ▁saw ▁the ▁canal ▁as ▁a ▁way ▁to ▁halt ▁the ▁economic ▁dow nt urn ▁in ▁the ▁town ▁and ▁its ▁d rain age ▁problems , ▁and ▁called ▁a ▁meeting ▁in ▁August ▁ 1 8 2 5 , ▁at ▁which ▁a ▁firm ▁plan ▁was