Star.
London, England, 1818-05-08 00:00:00

7'o THE EDITOR OF THE STAR.

SIR—As the Bill now pending in Parliament to al-
ar and amend the :Auction Laws, &c. appears framed
to counteract abuses which occur principally in Lon-
don : yet, as its operation (should it pass) will be ke-
wral, and will he severely felt by the profession in
the country, you will not, I trust, refuse an indivi-
dual a portion of your valuable Paper, to offer a few
plain ideas on it. The general, object of the Bill is
stated to be The Prevention of Mock Auctions and
Fronds on the &venue and the Public." But unless
the writer is much mistaken in his viewof the subject,
tl:e restrictive cltnutes will only cause trouble and dif-
ficulty to the AUCTIONEER-4 source of veratiousin-
formations to the REcisE, without benefiting the PUB-
Lic, and actually lessening in a great degree the RE-
VENUE. The Auction Laws are sufficiently strict
at present for honest men, but if a number of
unprincipled persons have got into the profession.
it has• arisen from die facility afforded by the low
rate of licence ; the remedy then is simple, but
(as in the case of the Attornies) it will prove effi-
caci.ans.)--RaisE TIIE RATE OF LICENSE. None,
then, but men of reputable 'character will continue
in it, and frauds will naturally cease; but while I
recommend this, I would also advise that the future
licensee should be general, i.e. include plate, wine, &c.
because at present it costs an Auctioneer jusras much
to sell a few ounces of plate, or dozens of wine, as it
does a silversmith, or wine-dealer, who live wholly
by it. Mock Auctions, and frauds on the Revenue,
tvonld also be prevented, if on all goads,. wares, and
nv•rchandize that are bought in either by or for the
07-ner, a duty was to be laid, say* per cent. instead
cf being free as at present, there would then be no
more Neck Auctions, and the Revenue would be
much increased.

Rut in looking more minutely into the contents of
the Bill, there are many proposed clauses that will
prove very oppressive to the public, and will tend also
to lessen the number of sales greatly. For instance,
it does not follow naturally that every one who wishes
to have his name concealed from the public eye as
the owner of goods, is a scoundrel ! the most respec-
table characters find it convenient at times to resort
to a public sale to lessen a superfluous stock of goods,
&c. and would it not be very unjust to compel them
to the choke of exposing their names in a public ad-
vertisement, or spoiling their goods and suffering
.by a protracted Sale? If sold by a broker pn-
v.:ely the name is not requited, why then should it
be by Auction ?
The Clause which would compel us to obtain a
certificate from the Collector of Poor-rates, will also
be met troublesome and useless ; it will only tend to
create delay and difficulty, and in no respect promote
the object intended, which is to prevent goods being
sold under fictitious names ; for the plain fact is, the
regular demands of trade at present are by no means
equal to the manufaLtures produced, and some means
must be resorted to, to dispose of superfluous stock,
but in proportion as the trade of the kingdom in-
creases, will this be diminished, and the evil will cur
rect itself.

The proposal to prevent an Auctioneer from selling
his own goods, or those of another Auctioneer, is so
very absurd, that it can only be looked on as an error
of the framer, and will of course be corrected.

To limit Sales to the day-time only is also impoli-
tic, as there are many articles that can only meet a
sib after night, because the labouring classes, who
are the principal purchasers in those articles, can
then attend without loss of time. Lastly, the expos-
ing all goods for a certain time before the sale to
public inspection, will be found very inconvenient in
most cases, and with furniture almost impracticable.
It therefore appears clear to me that great inccnve-
stience will result to the sellers of goods: the Auc-
tioneer will find business decrease, whilst from the
greater rigidity of the laws he will be more liable to
unintentional errors and the Excise Revenue will in
this branch be found less productive, because other
'nodes of sale lad payiseg duty will be resorted to; thus
there will no end be answered that is proposed by it.
These reasons, Sir, will, I hope, plead an apology
4er intruding myself on you and the Public. And,
as no communication has been made to any of

the profesaiaa in my part of the country from the
London Arectioneers to ascertain their sentiments, I
welt close by observing that it is most earnestly wished
by-them that some change for the better could he
made, assd their opinion is that raising Me license and
making it general, with laying on a duty on (knits
.bought in, would go far to answer ev,ry good purpose.
I am, Sir, your most obedient Servant,
May 5, Isis. A COUNTRY AUCTIONEER.

POOR LAWS.—In the proposed Bil:, intended to be
broughs in by Mr. STURGES BOURNE, one alteration
may be essentially useful in regard to parish settle-
ments—that none shall he established, as to servitude,
but from a continuance of three years in the same place.
This may induce the servant to act with greater in-
dustry and fidelity to his master, and rgay stop a
number of those inconsiderate marriages which ser-
vants enter into, without any means, of supporting a
family, under an idea that the parish must find them
a residence.

Boa MOT.—A Gentleman assuring a certain legal
Lord, that he had not mimicked him at a late Fancy
Ball, received the following facetious reply :—‘, You
may take me 9ffany where but the Bench."
AlAssioN-Howsz.—A Gentleman yesterday stated,
that he had been paying some Notes into the Bank,
amongst which one for El was declared to be a for-
Fery. He knew from whom he took it, and requested
it might be returned to him, that he might recover
the value. This, however, the inspector refused.—
The LORD MAYOR said, there was no mode of ob-
i-I:ging redress but by alcgal action againstthe Bank,
as such was their uniform practice, however unjusti-
fiable; and as such he could not interfere.

Last week a respectable Fanner of Hertfordshire
went to the Bank with sixteen Notes of 11. each, all
dated previous to the year 1817, for which to obtain
gold. One of them was declared to he forged. The
man desired to look at it, and having done so, he said
he knew the person from whom he had received it,
and put it into his pocket. The Clerks demanded it
back, and on his refusal he was collared, searched,
all his papers examined, and even his clothes stript
of—but notwithstanding all this, they did not find
_ .

the Note, and he was permaittedlti depart.