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

Journal of the House of Lords: Volume 62, 1830. Originally published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, [n.d.].

Citation:

'Coal Trade: Minutes of evidence, Appendix A to 27 February 1830', in Journal of the House of Lords: Volume 62, 1830( London, [n.d.]), British History Online https://www.british-history.ac.uk/lords-jrnl/vol62/pp1453-1454 [accessed 2 December 2024].

APPENDIX.

[61]

(A.)

Court of Common Council, 8th July 1828.

REPORT from the COMMITTEE appointed to inquire into all the CHARGES upon COALS.

To The Right Honourable The Lord Mayor, Aldermen and Commons of the City of London, in Common Council assembled.

We, whose Names are hereunto subscribed of your Especial Committee, appointed on the 23d Day of May last to inquire into all the Charges upon Coals imported into the Port of London, and to consider and report whether any and what Reductions may be made therein, and what Measures it may be advisable to adopt for effecting the same, do certify, that we immediately proceeded in the Consideration of the said Reference, and were attended by Mr. William Drummer, the Clerk to the Board of Coal Meters in Trust for this City, and also by several eminent and respectable Coal Factors and Merchants, who were heard in relation to the several Charges upon Coals in the Port of London, and who laid before us sundry Statements of such Charges, which we duly considered, and thereupon directed Mr. Town Clerk, Mr. Remembrancer, Mr. Solicitor and Mr. Scott, Principal Clerk to Mr. Chamberlain, to ascertain and lay before us a detailed Statement of the various Charges and the Authorities under which they are severally payable; and such Statement, calculated upon the average Quantities of Coals, and Number of Vessels laden with Coals, which have arrived in the last Three Years, having been laid before us, it appears that the whole of such Charges, including the Government Duty of Six Shillings, amounts to Nine Shillings and Eight-pence Halfpenny per Chaldron, exclusive of the Freight, the Charges connected with the Regulation of the Trade by the Factors, and the Charges and Profit of the Coal Merchant on the Sale and Delivery to the Consumer: and for the further Information of this Honourable Court we have caused the said Statement to be hereunto annexed.

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In proceeding in the Consideration of that Part of the Reference to us; viz. to consider and report whether any and what Reduction may be made in the said Charges, and what Measures it may be advisable to adopt for effecting the same; we first directed our Attention to the Wages and Allowances payable under the Authority of the Act of the 47th George 3, Chap. 68, to the Coalheavers or Whippers and Undertakers, on the Delivery of Coals in the River Thames; and having heard Mr. Drummer, and the several Factors and Merchants attending us thereon, we are decidedly of Opinion, that a considerable Saving would be effected to the Public by the Abolition of the present System, by which the Labour or Employment of the Coalheavers or Whippers is obtained by the Agency or Intervention of Coal Undertakers, and at a fixed Rate or Charge for their Labour, and that the Allowance or Wages of the Coalheavers or Whippers should be thrown open, and the Owners or Captains should be allowed to procure the Labour on the Delivery of their Cargoes to be done on the most advantageous Terms they are enabled to obtain; and after consulting with several Persons (long experienced in the Trade) thereon, we consider that a Saving of at least Sixpence per Chaldron may be thereby effected; and although the Charge for the Labour to be performed would, under the Plan now suggested, be reduced, it is presumed that the Coalheavers or Whippers, by avoiding the Extortions and Impositions which they allege to be practised upon them by Coal Undertakers and others, would be enabled to perform the Labour required at a lower Rate than the Minimum fixed by the Act of Parliament, without sustaining any real Loss.

By the Act of the 43d George 3, Chap. 134, One Penny per Chaldron was granted for the Purpose of establishing the Coal Market, in effecting which a Debt of Thirty-nine thousand Pounds was created; but as the Surplus of the said Duty of One Penny per Chaldron, after defraying the Salaries, Repairs and other Expences incident to the Market, has been applied from Time to Time in the Liquidation of the said Debt, Seven thousand seven hundred Pounds only now remains undischarged; and it is calculated that from the present Balance in Hand, and the accruing Surplus of the Fund, the Discharge of the Remainder of the said Debt may be contemplated at a very early Period, when the said Duty may be reduced to One Half, conformably to the Provision of the Act of Parliament.

We next proceeded to consider the Charges for Land Coal Metage, payable under the Authority of the before-mentioned Act of the 47th George 3, Chap. 68, being at the Rate of Sixpence per Chaldron, Wharf measured, and One Shilling for Five Chaldrons on Pool measured Coals, and have fully considered the Operation of the Provisions of the said Act in reference to the supposed Advantages derived to the Public, both as it regards the Measure as well as the Quality of the Coals sent to the Consumer, under the Inspection and Certificate of the Land Coal Meters; and having consulted several eminent and respectable Coal Factors and Merchants on this Subject, we are of Opinion, that from various Causes, particularly from the extreme Difficulty in applying Legislative Regulations for preventing Fraud in relation to the Qualities of Coals, which are continually varying, the Public do not obtain that Security or Benefit, either as it regards Quality or Quantity, which they conceive they do under the Provisions and Regulations of the said Act; and that therefore the Advantage to the Public is not in any degree equivalent to the Expence incurred in carrying into Effect such Regulations.

Notwithstanding the mixing of Coals is, with the Exception of some of the best Sorts, prohibited by the aforesaid Act, it appears that other Sorts of Coals are frequently mixed, to the manifest Improvement of the Coals so mixed, as well as to the Advantage of the Consumer, but, being in direct Violation of the Provisions of the said Act, the same is now done clandestinely; we therefore conceive that the whole of the Provisions of the said Act which relate to the certifying of Quantity and Quality of Coals sent to the Consumer should be abolished, leaving the Public to depend on the Respectability of the Parties with whom they deal, instead of relying on the uncertain and inefficient Security of the present System.

By the Abolition of the Office of Land Coal Meter it has been estimated that a direct Saving of about Four-pence per Chaldron on the whole Quantity imported would be effected; but having the fullest Reason to believe that other Payments and Allowances than those authorized by the Act of Parliament are made to the labouring Land Coal Meter, which greatly enhance the Amount paid in respect of the said Metage, we are convinced that, indirectly, a Saving of at least Sixpence per Chaldron would be thereby occasioned.

All which we submit to the Judgment of this Honourable Court. Dated this 8th Day of July 1828.

J. Cowan,

William Routh,

John Drinkald,

Rich. L. Jones,

Joseph Daw,

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A STATEMENT of the various CHARGES upon COALS in the Port of LONDON, and the Produce of the same, calculated upon the average Importation of the last Three Years, (1825, 1826 and 1827,) viz. of 1,512,606 Chaldrons, and 6,646 Ships.

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-				Amount of Charges.			Amountper Chaldron.
				£	s.	d.	£	s.	d.
Government Duty, reduced to 6s. per Chaldron, pursuant to the Act 5 G. 4, C. 43.				453,781	16	0	0	6	0
Orphans Duty, 6d. per Chaldron, prusuant to the Act of 5 & 6 W. & M. C. 10, and continued, by the Acts of 21 G. 2, and 7 & 44 G. 3, to 5th of July 1837, for effecting various public Improvements, but which will expire in abour Four Years				37,815	3	0	0	0	6
City Metage, 4d. per Chaldron, by Prescription, confirmed by Charter				25,210	2	0	0	0	4
Additional Metage, 4d. per Chaldron, pursuant to the Act 5 & 6 W. & M. now appropriated to the Discharge of the Debts raised on the Credit of the Orphans Fund				25,210	2	0	0	0	4
Allowances to Deputy Coal Meters:
	£	s.	d.
For their Wages, or Hire for their Labour, pursuant to Act 47 G. 3, C. 68, 3s. 6d. per Score of 21 Chaldrons	12,604	4	0
In lieu of Sample and other Charges, pursuant to the Schedule of the said Act, (1l. 1s. per Ship,)	6,978	6	0
For Provisions pursuant to Do. calculated at 13s. 6d. per Ships, (being for 4½ Days at 3s. per Day,)	4,486	1	0
				24,068	11	0	0	0	3¾
The above Allowances are exclusive of 1d. per Chaldron paid to them by the City out of the Metage, One Moiety of the Allowance for furnishing Certificates of Quantities for the Collection of the Government Duties, and 3d. for each Certificate of the Quantity of Coals delivered into every Lighter, pursuant to said Act 47 G. 3, C. 68, Sec. 55.
	£	s.	d.
Allowances to Coalheavers or Whippers, (being Nine for every Ship), for their Wages or Hire, 3s. per Score of 20 Chaldrons, prusuant to the said Act 47 G.3, C. 68, Sec. 48.	102,100	18	3
Meters Men, for their Labour, 3s. per Score of Do. pursuant to said Act	11,344	10	9
Coal Undertakers, (if employed,) 1d. per Chaldron, pursuant to said Act	6,302	10	6
				119,747	19	6	0	1	7
Coal Market Duty, 1d per Chaldron, payable for providing and establishing the said Market, pursuant to the Act 43 G. 3, C. 134.				6,302	10	6	0	0	1
The original Debt of this Fund being now nearly liquidated, the above Charge can be reduced to 0½d.
Water Bailliage, prescriptive, confirmed by Charter, 0¼d. per Newcastle or Double Chaldron, and 6d. per Ship Groundage, payable by Non-Freemen only:
	£	s.	d.
Amount received in 1827	903	11	3½	3,229	3	3½	0	0	0½
The Lord Mayor for Permit, per Ship, 1s. 6d.	498	9	0
Night Office, Do, 1s.	332	6	0
Collector of Water Bailliage, Do. 6d.	166	3	0
Clerks of Coal Meters Office, Do. 2s. 6d.	830	5	0
Clerks of the Coal Market, Do. 1s. 6d.	498	9	0
The Four last-mentioned Items are voluntary Fees paid by the Factors for Accommodations afforded them.
Land Coal Metage and Inspection pursuant to the said Act 47 G. 3, C. 68.				-			-
On Coals sold by Whart Measure, 6d. per Chaldron				-			-
On Do. sold by Pool Measure, for Inspection, 1s. for Five Chaldrons-				-			-
The Corporation of London have not Means of ascertaining the Amount of the Produce of these Charges in the Districts of Surrey, Middlesex and Westminster, but it is estimated that the average Amount paid in all the Four Districts on the whole Quantity imported is about							0	0	4
Tonnage Duty, (paid out of Freight,) estimated at per Chaldron							0	0	1¾
Trinity and Nore Light Dues, estimated at per Chaldron							0	0	0½
							0	9	8½
The above are the whole of the Charges on Coals imported or brought into the Port of the City of London, excepting the Freight and Charges connected with the Regulation of the Trade by the Factors, and the Charges and Profits of the Coal Merchant on the Sale and Delivery to the Consumer, which are stated to be from 10s. to 12s. per Chaldron, according to the Length of Credit given, and Distance of the Point of Delivery.

Report agreed to, and referred back to the said Committee, to make the necessary Communication to the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury, in respect thereof, in such Manner as they shall see fit.