The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-12-06 00:00:00

FURTHER SERIOUS LOSS, FROM PILFERAGIt,
IN THE LONDON DOCK WAREHOUSES.

On Friday the 25th ult., a meeting of those interested in
the colonial and foreign coffee trade was held at the Com-
mercial Sale-rooms, Mincing-lane, for the purpose of receiv-
ing a report, from the committee appointed to consider the
best means to be adopted to redress serious grievances, to
which the trade for a long period has been subjected. The
chair was taken by Mr. Edwards.
The CHAIRMAN said that the committee had bad inter-
views with the directors of the principal docks, who had
promised every assistance in remedying the evil complained
of. lie moved that the report of the committee be read.
The Hon. SECRETARY then read the following report:—
" That in pursuance of the desires of the trade, they have
solicited and obtained interviews with the directors of the
East and West India, the London, and the St. Katherine
Dock Companies, and have laid before them statements of
the losses constantly sustained, in consequence of the deli-
very weights of cofee being seriously short of the landing
weights, on which payments are made, both for coffee and
duty. They have also drawn the attention of the several di-
rectors to the great discrepancies which are shown in the
delivery weights, and have ventured to express doubts as to
whether such discrepancies can be solely the effect of natural
causes.
" That the directors of the several dock companies have
declared their readiness to act in any manner which may be
suggested, in order to prevent such losses, and to exercise
the greatest care and vigilance, so that deficiencies may not
be the result of want of attention, or any other cause which
such care and vigilance may prevent.
"That not any of the directors seem, however, to sub-
scribe to the opinion that any other cause than that of ab-
sorption by atmospheric influence has operated to produce
the losses complained of.
" That notwithstanding this conviction on the part of the
directors, the committee cannot but retain their former opi-
nion, that many cases show discrepancies quite irreconci-
leable with such conclusion, and also that the business of
weighing and tarring packages on landing is frequently car-
ried through so hastily as not to ensure proper security to the
buyers ; and that many coffees are landed in packages not
sufficiently strong to bear further transit, and which the
directors of the dock companies state that they have no
power to alter, but with the sanction of the importers,
which, as entailing expense, is generally withheld.
" Also that the fact of the trade being called on to pay
duty on what does not exist, is unjust and unreasonable;
and the committee feel assured that on a proper representa-
tion being made to the government, this grievance will be
speedily remedied ; coffee being of the articles named in the
Customs Act as subject to some deficiency from natural causes,
and being kept in the custody of their officers in warehouses
of special security.
" The-committee, therefore, suggest that a meeting of the
trade be held to take into consideration the necessity of me-
morialising the government on the present mode of paying
duties on coffee, and to devise any other means which may
be considered likely to prevent loss to the party on whose
account clearances are made ' • for which purpose the com-
mittee propose that a general meeting of the trade be held
at the Commercial Sale-rooms, Mincing-lane, on Friday
next, the 25th instant, at twelve for one precisely.
" Edward Edwards, Chairman,
" James C. Quick, Hon. Sec.

"21st Nov. 1842."
Mr. Moffatt rose to move a resolution that the report be
adopted. He expected no redress from the dock companies.
and that government ought to be applied to, in order that the
trade should not be charged on the landing weights. Re-
cently, in a parcel of five bales of Mocha coffee, there was
a loss of 53 lbs. One bale was deficient, in another purchase
he had made, of 27 lbs.
Mr. Chenery and other parties spoke of great deficiencies,
that could not arise from natural canses.
The report was adopted.
Mr. Condor had been thirty-two years in the trade, and in
the last two or three years-the decrease in the weight of bales
of coffee had augmented. He moved a resolution in favour
of applying to the First Lord of the Treasury against the
levying of the duty on coffee at the landing weight.
The resolution was carried, and the committee was
strengthened by several parties of influence in the trade, to
give weight to the representations to the government.!
The thanks of the meeting were given to the committee,
and the meeting then adjourned.