Coal Trade: Minutes of evidence, Appendix C to 27 February 1830

(C.)

Court of Common Council, 31st March 1829.

Report from Committee relative to the Charges on Coals.

[72]

That, in pursuance of the Order of Reference of the 8th Day of July last, when the Court were pleased to agree with the Report presented by them in relation to the Charges on Coals imported into the Port of London, a Copy of the said Report had been laid before the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury by The Right Honourable The Lord Mayor, and the Committee had since had laid before them an Extract from a Letter of The Honourable John Stewart, Secretary to the Treasury, stating that their Lordships "will at no distant Period take into Consideration the present System of conducting the Coal Trade in the Port of London, with a view to such Reduction in the Charges as may be found compatible with the Security of the Revenue;" and it having been suggested that in the mean time the Court should state their Opinion whether any and what Legislative Protection, in the Event of the Legislature abolishing the present System of Land Coal Metage, should be afforded to the Public against Fraud in the Sale and Delivery of Coals, and what Provision should be made for Compensation to the Officers and others who may thereby be deprived of their Emoluments, they proceeded to take the Subject into their Consideration, and after due Deliberation they were of Opinion, that, in order to afford the Public the Means of protecting themselves against Fraud, the Coal Merchant should be required to send with the Cart or Waggon containing the Coals to be delivered a Note of the Quantity of Coals in the said Cart or Waggon; that the Sacks to be used should be of One Size, the Dimensions to be defined as at present, and no Sack to be allowed to contain less than Three Bushels; that the Purchaser of the Coals, if he should be dissatisfied with the Appearance of the Coals as to their Measure, should be allowed to refuse to receive the same, or to have them measured by the Carman or other Person having the Charge of the Cart or Waggon, in the Presence of Two credible Witnesses, One of whom should be a Constable or Police Officer; and for that Purpose every Cart or Waggon should have in some conspicuous Part thereof a perfect legal Bushel Measure, with a Triangle to define the proper Height of the Cone, and that such Penalties as may be imposed for sending Coals short of their proper Measure should be made recoverable before a Magistrate, on the Oaths of the before-mentioned Two credible Witnesses, and be applied to the Uses of the Poor of the Parish in which the Measurement should take place, after the Magistrate shall have adjudged, if he shall so see fit, what Portion of the said Penalties shall be applied towards the Payment of the Expences attending the Measurement, and in the Event of the Coals so measured proving to be of the proper Quantity, each Sack containing not less than Three Bushels, the Expences attending the Measurement, and for the Delay of the Cart or Waggon, should be defrayed by the Person requiring the said Measurement.

That with regard to the Compensation to be paid to those Persons who may be deprived of their Emoluments by the Abolition of the present System of Land Coal Metage, they had not had the Means of making any correct or exact Calculation, but upon the best Consideration they had been enabled to give the Subject they were of Opinion, that the Continuation of the One Penny per Chaldron, now payable under the Act of Parliament for establishing the Coal Market, the original Debt for the Purchase of the said Market being now discharged, would, after paying the Charges and Expences of that Establishment, provide a sufficient Fund for granting Superannuation Allowances to the present Principal and Deputy Land Coal Meters, on a graduated Scale, according to the Length of Service; and this Compensation, it is presumed, would be reduced to about One Half in Ten Years, and finally extinguished in about Twenty Years.

Report read.

Motion-To agree with the Committee in their said Report?

Amendment-That the Consideration of the said Report be adjourned, and in the mean time the same be printed, and a Copy thereof sent to every Member.

Negatived.

Original Motion-To agree with the Committee in their said Report-put, and carried in the Affirmative.

Resolved-That it be referred back to the said Committee to make the necessary Communication to The Right Honourable The Chancellor of the Exchequer, and to watch the Proceedings of the Committee of the House of Lords.