Star.
London, England, 1801-07-28 00:00:00

PRICE :OF PROVISIONS.

, The following is a Copy of the Report made to
On Court of Common Connell, on the Both ult.
by the Committee appointed by the Court, on the
25th of April, tgoo, "
,to take into Conlideration
and report, if any, atxl what Remedy can he ap-
plied to rebore the .estravagent 'high price of
every necelary Article lot human futtenance."
TO THE RIGHT HON. TAR LORD MAYOR, ALDERMEN,
AND COMMONS Of THE CITY Of LONDON, IN COM-
MON COUNCIL ASSEMBLED. „

We whofe names are hereunto fuhfcribed of
your Committee, appointed to take into confide-
'ration the Refolution,of this Honourable. ton of
the asth day of April 180 e, which,ftates, " That
the prefent price of every neceffary article of hu-
man fultenance is fo extravagantly high as to be-
come truly alarming ;" and 44 to report, if any,
and what remedy can be applied to remove f 6 ge-
neral and fo great an evil:" Alfo to take into con.
fideraton the Refolution of an Extraordinary
General Meeting
.at the Marine Society's Office,
relating to obtaining an increafe in the fupply of
fifh," and to report our opinion thereon • do cer-
tify, that, being duly impreffed with the impor-1
tance of this fubject to the Public, and that ex:'
tenfive enquiries were neceffary to enable your
Committeb to form an accurate judgment upon,
the Paid refetence' We caufed' advertifements to
be inferted in the Morning and Evening Papers,
inviting communications from the Public ;, and in
addition thereto we , agreed to meet on Tuefday
and Saturday in every,week, to examine fuch pes.
fons as Were willing and competent to afford us
information, .
That your Committee having, upon the tequeft
of feveral of the parties who obligingly communi-
cated fuch information, agreed that their names
thould not be divulged, have formed their opinion
upon the refulLof their evidence.
Your Committee beg leave to refer to the four
reports made by them to this HOnottrahle Court
in the courfe of the laft year, viz. of the 16th of
May, 7th of June, 14th of October, and 4th of
November, for a detailed account of their pro-
ceedings to that period. By the firs of which it
appears (inter are) from the concurrent teftimony
of Salefmen, Carcafe, and Cutting Butchers, and
others, " That the then exifting fcarcity of fat
cattle was occafioned by unfavourable (colons, but
that there was a fufficient (lock of lean cattle to
prevent the.apprehenfion of fuch fcarcity being of
long continuance."
" Your Committee have the fatisfaelion to re?
port, that the opinion then formed has been rea-
lized by the markets having been and now are
plentifully fupplied with fat cattle: And although
a very confiderable reduction has taken place in
the price, yet the fame Rill continues fo exorbi
tantly high as in a great meafure to deprive the
poorer claffes of fociety of this neceffary article of
human fuftenance. •
Your Committee, in order to put a flop to the
nefarious practice of regrating in Smithfield mar-
ket, noticed in their laid Report (and which in
their opinion is one caufe of the prefent high price
of Butchers meat) directed Mr. Solicitor to profe-
cute the parties; and although Tome of the offen-
ders have been convicted, yet the practice Rill con-
tinues from the inadequacrof the penalties, and
the difficulty of obtaining evidence to fupport,the
legal proceedings neceffary under the Statute of
King Edward the VI. We therefore recommend,
that an application fhould be made to the Legif-11
lature for powers to increafe the penalty, and that
the fame may be recovered in a fummary way be-
fore two Juflices of the Peace, as the molt effec-
tual means of putting a flop to fo grievous =evil.
By the fecond Report, your Committee recom-
mended (inter arm) an application to be made to the
Lords of his Malay's Treafury, to take off the
duties on falt'ufed in curing and prefervipg 6th,
which it appeared from the evidence laid before us,
would enable the fifhermen of Harwich alone to
fupply the London market with sco tons of cod,
haddock, ling, and other &fit that would other-
wife be deftroyed, from their inability to bear the
expence of the Salt Duty; and although this mea-
fore was afterwards adopted by Parliament, yet
we lament that the oppofition it experienced in this
Honourable Court. prevented the Corporation
having the credit due to a meafure fo highly bene-
ficial to the poor.
In our third keport we adverted to the prac-
ekes which prevailed, of fupplying the metropolis
with butter and cheefe, through the medium of
Contractors; and to fuch an extent is this fyfteux
carried on, that the whole produce of the Dairies
are agreed for by the opulent traders., and the (ap-
ply of the metropolis now depends upon the orders-
tranfrnitted by thofeCapitalifts to the Dairy Forma.
Your Committee are therefore confirmed in their
former opinion, that thefe articles being fo impro-
perly Intercepted or aontroulad, is one very. prin-
cipal caufe of the prefent high price of there ne-
ceffaries of life, and which can alone be remedied
by the interference of Parliament.
Your Committee have the fatisfaftion to Rate,
.that the meafure of vending Potatoes at reduced
prices, recommended in our fourth Report, has
been productive of the nooft beneficial and fidutary
effects to that defervtug clefs of fociety, the induf-
trious poor, who have been fupplied with this ne-
ceffary article during the winter and fpring, at lets
than one half of the price At which they were fold,
previous to the Refolution of this Court to korai-
gate the caufes of the unprecedented high price ofl
every article of life.
Having in our former Report anted it as our
unanimous opinion, that a legiftative interference
was abfolutel y neceffaryto remedy the evils fo juftly
complained of, we faw with great fatisfaelion that
both Houfes of Parliament had appointed Com-
mittees " to confider of the prefect high Price of
Provifions, and to report the tame, with their opi-
nion thereupon, from time to time to the Hoar, '
Your Committee,. with every deference due to
fo high and refpeitable an authority, feel it their
duty to Rate to this Honourable Court their opi-
nion, that there are other conies to Which the high
prices of provibous arc attributable, than thole no-
ticed in the Reports made by both Houfes of Par-
hameut upon the forane reference, and which have

been gradually operating for many yetliglin# itre
now me:raring with fuck alarming tapitiley' as to
threaten the- snot} (crious calamities b amocgft
which are to be claßcd : _ .

Fird, The incrcafed and increa(ng confutnpti.ort
of Wheat and Anitnal Food from !more Incurious.
habits ofliving, and the greater nurnbet of perfons
taken from agricultural occupations than hereto-
fore. . _

Secondly, That too confider/tide confdidation,
and confequent enlargement of Farms, whereby a
lefs produce of various articles of proviflon, foch
as poultry and.pigs, takes place, they being TWA'
deemed too unimportant for the opulent Farmer
to attend to, who is stlfo enabled to give a higher
rent than the perfon occupying a (mall farm, on
account of the reduced proportionate expence of
cultivation ; and instead of bringing his
.produce
to Market, as was formerly the cukom, in order.
to,dife.harge his rents, he is enabled to Withhold it,'
add the charader of the Farmer is loft In that of
the Speculator and hfonopoiik, to the great in-
jury of the Public.
Thirdly, the,great inCreafe of the Country Banks,
and the inundation of their paper, by which the
Farmer and the Crazier are enabled to raifc an
artificial capital on the credit of their crop or
ffock, and thereby to feed the Market as fuits their.
avarice or convenience.
'Fourthly, From a variety of evidence which
has come before us, it is 'our opinion. that thp
extra demand for the (apply' of the Army anti
Navy, during a Rate of warfare, neieffarily cauks
an advance in the price of cattle, and has a ten-
dency to produce a firnilar Oh& iii various other
articles of provilion.
Your Committee have, among( other objets of
importance, direded their attention to that clefs
of perfons denominated Jobbers and Middle, Meni,
and although a '.Conffdentble difference of Opinicni
exists Orin thislubjeft, they have (Mani:stoutly
agreed to recommend, that they tiontd be Cub-
jeCted to Parliamentary regulation, and Cmongfk
others to the following:
Tirft, that every Fador or Agent to whom corn,
cattle, sth, butter, cheefe, potatoes, or any other
articles of provifiOns fhould be configned, thould.
be annually licencfd, and enter into a bond, with
fofficient fureties, not to buy or fell, direkly or:
indiredly, on hit own account, or deal in any
articles tonfigned to him for Pale. • i
Secondly, That all corn, fat cattle, clreefe, but,
ter, potatoes, and other tweeffaries of life, when
difp,d of by the oamer, escept by retail, Mould
be fold in a public open market, or,conligned for
fate to a Scented Fattor, or Agent; and that all
contra& entered into for buxing the fame before
fo publicly expofed for tale, or configned as afore-
fold, thould be void, and .the •itintraiting parties;
as well buyer as feller, fubjefted to Penalties, which
penalties Mould be recoverable in a flimmary wj
before two Justices of the Peace for the county or
town where filch offence ilia be committed. '
Thirdly, That the Clerk of the Market Amid
keep a bookfor regiftermg all wholecalefeles '
conned' tits& in franch markets; and that the ter-
kr should deliver to fuchaerk of certificite In
ing, fpecifying the =line and refidenee ofthe buyer
and feller, the quantity fold, and the price patd
kir the fame.
. Fourthly, 'That in order to pot an effedual flop
to the nefarious melees of regratirsaand alto of
intercepting the fupplies of provitionffor the Me-
tropolis, by which the price is not only confidera-
bly enhanced, but the Farmer and Grazier futtain
great injury, we are unanimoufly of opinion, that
the purchafe of any article of provifion, configned
to the Metropolis for fele, thould be prohibited
before the fame is brought into the public market ;
and that the offenders Mould not only be fubjeCted
to heavy pecuniary penalties recoverable as afore.
faid, but the contrails declared void.
Fifthly, That the Clerk or Clerks of Smithfield

Market,.ihould regifter in a book to be kepi for
that pupae, the cattle, (peep, &c. brought into
the market for tale, and when fold the fame should
be ;parked, and the feller and buyer deliver to
fuch Clerk or Clerks of the Market, a note in writ-
ing, containing a particular of Poch purchafe, and
the price paid for the fame ; and that no cattle,
Cheep, &e. should be refold on the fame day, nor
within fourteen days afterwards; and that all con-
tralts for fuch refak fhould be declared void, and
the buyer and feller each fubjeeted to penalties,
recoverable as aforefaid; and that the time for
holding the Paid market %Inds' alio be afcertained
and limited. _ _

Your Committee are alto of opinion, that if the
wage lands were thrown into cultivation, a fuffi.
cient fupply of corn would be produced fo as
greatly to fuperfede the neceffity of importation;
end if in addition thereto a fmall portion of tend
was allotted to each cottager, he would be enabled
to cultivate the fame at lusleifore, and raife a fuf-
ficieot fupply of potatoes and other vegetables for
the confumption of his family, by which the con-
dition of the indoftrious poor would be very con-
fiderably ameliorated.
Your Committee are further of opinibn, that an
A& of Parliament to compel Farmers to employ a
reatonable cumber of oxen in ealtivating their
farms, in proportion to the ftze and quality of the
foil, would be produetive of the' moft beneficial
effeas to the Public, by reducing the confumption
of oats, increafing the fupply of-animal food, and
thereby diminith the price of this di-coital necelfary
article voile.
Yourp Committee have alfo direaed their anvi-
-1 don to the laws for rutting the Atfize of Bread,
and from the evidence they, have received, and
the heft coolideration they have been able to give
this fubjea, are of opinion, that the benefits pro-
pofed by the late ACt of Parliament have been de-
feated by various nefarious praaioes; and that the
fame lhoold be repealed, and io lieu thereof that
au Aa fhould be obtained for letting the Alias
upon the weight: and quality only.
All which we fubosit to the jndgment of this
Roo. Court, this loth dry of Juno, ,80s.
r, ariaLerr, ;es. W ttAll• •
WV LUNA ',rows. TIO. WARM.
SOW. 1111111.1111 LT, J• fACILS.
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