The Sun.
London, England, 1813-07-15 00:00:00

MOCK AUCTIONS.

The Earl of LAUDERDALE presented a Petition
from the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, &c. of the City
Of London,, against the Bill now pending before
their Lordships, respecting Itinerant and Mock
Auctions. The Noble Earl took occasion to oh-
serve, there were many Petitions front different
parts, of the Country to their Lordships House,
complaining of the injuries received by various.
tradesmen, in their respective businesses, from the
prevalence and growing evil of IVlock and itinerant
Auctions. There were various modes of fraud and
deception, by which, in that way, the fair trader
was injured, and the public imposed upon. One
Of these Was the custom of selling off goods Of
,a,
very inferior kind and tahric as Bankrupt's goods,
:and which were purchased by individuals, bona fide
as such. In. other instances; goods of such a de-'
seription were exposed to sale twenty or thirty
times over. There were two individuals who, he
understood, trafficked largely in this way, of the
names of Murray, who passed as Captains, and
sold off, part;cidarly at certain towns in the vier-
.pity of the metropolis, quantities of linen, as Ger-.
man, and the property of allamburgh Merchant,
which could be proved to have been manufactured
in Scotland. The Bill before their Lordships was
so framed, that instead of providing
.any relief for
flieaggriei/ed fair traders, in rep wct to what they
complained of, would go rather to promote such
infamous practices.
The Petition being read, was ordered to lie on'
the table.

The Noble Earl then gave notice, that he should
to-morrow move, that the Mock Auction Bill,
now before the House, be read a second tithe
that day three months ; and moved that the Lords
be summoned for to.rnorrow, which was ordered
accordingly.
The Irish Spil it Distillation Bill passed through
a Committee of the whole Howe, and was report-
ed with Out any amendment.
In a Committee on the Admiralty Registrar's
Bill, a conversation Of some length, and rather of
'a desultory nature, took place,- in which the Earl
of Lauderdale, Lords [Tolland, the Chancellor,
Reticulate, and .41',hhenborough, were the speakers,
The principal point in discussion:seemed to be,
whether in consequence of the passing of the Bill;
the practice of employing the money of suitors by
the perions or officers who had the care of the
same, in the Court in question, the Admiralty, or
in other Court, may not be legalized, directly, or
by a side wind--sind the opinions of the Law
Lords were requested by the Opposition Peers,
whether that practice,.as now prevalent in certain
Courts, was legal or illegal.
The Loan CHANcELLou, in which sentiment
the Noble and Learned Lord above mentioned
scone,' fully to coincide with him, declared his
opinloo, that the passing of the present Bill would
not throw the least legality or shadow of legality
upon any practice of the kind;. hut that such
svould, whether regal or not, remaiii-precisely on
the same ground or principle, after the passing of
the Bill, that they did before. It teas also re-
peatedly observed, that the. provisions of the Bill
were not to take effect until after the expiration of
time hresOt vesteilinterests : there was nothing in
the hill that went to render the legality of the
pt.aeti.c.e questionable or other Wile, or that called
tor the opioloo of any Member of that House, as
to its legality.
A proposition for suspending the progress of
the bill, until the opinion of the Learned .Judges
were taken upon the point in yae.stiou, was nega-
tived without .4 <livisicm : after whieh the Com-
mittee agreed to the Bill without any Amend.
inent.L—lhe House. then Adjourned till to-mor-