The Express.
London, England, 1862-08-26 00:00:00

THE HOP TRADE.

A public meeting of the hop growers of Kent and
Sussex was held yesterday afternoon at the Bridge-huuse
Hotel, for the purpose of conferring with the trade in the
borough of Southwark respecting the present method of
weighing hops, with a view to coming to some arrangement
as to the principle to be adopted in future, and also for the
purpose of considering the question of the validity of the
present system of contract notes which pass between the
factors and the merchants. Mr. J. H. LIODIILLL occupied
the chair.

Mr. G. TURNER moved a resolution declaring that it was
the opinion of the meeting that the present method of
weighing hope, as practised in the Borough, is most unsatis-
factory, and that it was advisable that a customary allow-
ance should be agreed upon and established as • fair
allowance to be niade by the seller to the buyer upon the
sale of hops for the cloth in which they are packed ; that
hops in future should be weighed close, and • deduction of
31bs. made upon each pocket.
. .

Mr. BURT, in seconding the motion, laid he considered
the proposition a most fair one, and hoped it would be
cordially adopted.
The CHAIRMAN, in reply to a question, observed that the
resolution was not intended to apply to hops weighed after
Christmas.

- • A some a Iscurnon, it was agreed, on the suggestion of
Mr. Wooutemr, that on all future occasion. the new clear
hops ought to be weighed close, and words to that effect
were added to the resolution. . .

Mr. Hewtrr was of opinion that the proposition would not
meet the assent of the trade, though he did not state that
on any specific authority. If the system of tare was to be
meddled with at all it should be placed on the full principle
of free trade, just as in the case of foreign hops.
Mr. PuNNErr denied that the Case of foreign hop afforded
any analogy in the case. There could be no doubt that the
present system inflicted a very great grievance upon the
trade. _ . .

The resolution was then put and agreed to, there being
only five dissentients.
Oa the motion of Mr. ELVT, seconded by Mr. T. HATES,
it was resolved that the planters assembled at the meeting,
believing that the resolution just passed contains a fair and
equitable promise, will, as frr as in them lies, carry the
same Into effect, and endeavour to induce all the other
planters to do the same.
Mr. Putraerr then addressed the meeting on the subject
of the validity of the contracts between the merchants and
growers, and moved a resolution to the effect that it was
desirable that in all future cases the contract note should be
received by both parties, the seller being enabled to demand
of the boyar the names on the contract note, and the terms
on which the hops were sold, so that in cue of any dispute
arising it might be settled by en appeal to the courts of law.
Mr. WooUsTON thought that such a resolution was wholly
unnecemary—that the trade, like the great produce market
trade in Mincing-lane, was conducted on honourable prin-
ciples ; and they had in Southwark a body of men whose
word was their bond. If the resolution was good at all it
could be good only against some miserable tricksters, who
could be better dealt with in other ways.
Mr. Putrererr replied that in Mineing-lane transactions
the broker's book could be produced in evidence, which was
not the cane in respect to the contract notes of hop factors.
After some discussion the resolntion was adopted, and a
committee of plasters was appointed to confer with the
hop merchants in order to carry out the proposed alters-
, tams.