The National Register.
London, England, 1813-10-10 00:00:00

CIIT BLiINESA'.

A Court of Common Council %%as held on Monday. at Guildhall,
pursuant to requisition, to take into consideration the high price of
bread.

Mr. Griffiths opened the business by 'marking on the present
mode of fixing the Assize, which he considered inefficient; he vin-
dicated the bakers from the aspersions tlirown out against them, and
said they were in general poor, although hourly accused with de-
franding .the people. The tritth was, that the flour-factors and
socalman were the pen Nons who reaped all the proilt—they were the
persons who combined together for the porpose of robbing the
public. lie therefote thought that the Legislature ought to 'grant
a control over the mealman and corutactor, which did not at pre-
sent exist. He concluded with a motion, " an application be
male to Parliament, for a Bill to revise and reduce to one Act, the
several laws for regulating the assize and price of bread; and to
eon4fer the propriety of introducing a clause, to compel the corn-
factors and 'fiefdom' to return to the Lord Mayor the quantity of
wheat and tjonr bought and sold by them, in like manner as i 3 now
done by the bakers, fled under the like control. And that a Com-
mittee, consisting of the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and one Member
• !roan each Ward, do take the same into consideration."
• Mr. S. Dixon thought the mover of this resolution, before he
' called on the Court to agree to it, should have proved ,some speci-
fic eircuinstanceshould have made out a clear case—to justify

them in adopling the.measqrc. He deprecated restrictive la=ws
commerce, or the interti-ring with any branch of trade, and was con-
vinced that Not all the art *or power of man, wou:d be able to com-
pel individuals to give up a commodity for less than what they be-
. heved to be its valpe.
Alderman Wood said, no description of tradesmen acted with
gre.ater humanity to the poor than Imkers, of which he had frequel:t
in/latices in his Ward, and no persons were repaid with so much
- obloquy.. He censured the assertion of Mr. Griffiths, that " the
sncalmen anti corn-factors were combined together to rob the pub.,
tic r surely it was not right, that a Gentleman in a public a-sctn-
Lly make knell an assertion. What interest could the bakers
have in .a collusion with the mealmen? Aud with respect to the
cornfgetoys themselves, if one of them would not sell his flour an-
other wdald—and, in so numerous a body, it was utterly huposA.

41t. that guch a combination could exist. -
Several other Members spoke at length on the question, and the
prevailing sentinient being contrary to the motion of Mr. Griffiths,
the same was negatived, and instead thereof a Committee was ap-
pointed, consisting of all the Aldermen, and one Common Council-
man out of each Waril, who were directed "to consider whether
any a:nl what means can be adopted to offer a better supply of
bread tq the Metropolis, than at present, and to report the result
of their deliheralion to the Court."
The expression robbing the public," as applied to the comfit:-
tors and mealman, wag retracted by Mr. Griffiths, who acknow-
-1.4,41gd he lod expressed himself unguarded in tuing it.