Coal Trade.
The Times, 1824-02-14T00:00:00

[Having published several articles against the report presented by 1r. Southgatc., it is but fir to give that gentlenan's answer.] l.' Ltl. 1:SaJ l.J.Vi 05 It r1isu7II b. I Mr. EDITOu,-In Your paper of the 3d inst appears a letter, I signe.t " Carbo," on the subject of the coal trade, in which the i writer indulges himself in severe observations on the report of the Coal and Corn Committce,as read to thelast Coartef Common Coun- cil. PernmiL me tb sav, he would have acted more fairly by a re- spectable bodlv of men, if, previoisly to charging t!:eni with a dere- liction of duty, and being influenced by " an intention to preserve their patronage unimpaired," he had aiade himself acquainted with thBe contents of their report lie h4s stated what the Com- inittee etuht to have done, when, if the ebullition of his zeal for the latouring classes would have persitted the inquiry, he would have learnt that the Commnittee had done what he has re- commended. Having attended all the meetings, I can speak to the sedu!ous attention of its members in the investigation of the sub- ject referred to them, and tile report, nowv p,inted, will, 1 think, on perusal, be fbund highly creditable to their research. The ignorance of Carbo mnust be evident to any person ac- quainted with the subject on which he writes; but as I do not wish to recrnminate, 1 shall cntent myself by renlying to the riis- representations of his letter. He states, that the Committee have only " examined the coal-merchants on the -o*e hand, W'ho throw tthe whole fault on the want of a sufficient nupmber of mneters: and ori the other, " the doal-meters, who allege they are sufficiently numerous to work all the coals that are necessary ," and that " they confined their exaniination to the two interested parties." Now the fact is, in addition to the " interested parties," the Com- mittee examined a number of the most respectable ship-owvners and factors, (amongst wlhom wvere proprietors of coal-works), the coa].. meters in trust for the city, Mllr. Joseph Hurcombe (tie mover of the reference in theCourt of Common Coun-il, and Mlessrs. Drum- mer ansd Botcher, clerks in thse coal-marm4et. Carbo asserts " they have made no inquiry whatever as to the r[onopoly at the mouth of the pit." The Commi'tte did inquire; =ad the re. sult of such inquiry was, that the coal-owners send coals to the London markiet in a much better condiiiorn thal they for- merly were accustomed and that a reduction of 3s. 6r 4s. per .Newcastle chaldron has takeni place in the collieries on the Trne. Carbo'statcs " neither have they enterea into any exposition of the practice bf tne c6al-merchau3ts in buying their own coalsa.` Page 7 of the report states, " one cause towards increassing the prie of coals arises from several merchants importing their own coals, and buying them in order te mix the pri,e,and set the market going." I am free to confess, that as the whole evidence went to sliriv that tthe presant ptice of coals was not cxessive," theCoommittee did not see the necessity of " recommending any substantial remedy for those abuses" over which they have no control. Carbo states, "there is another evil of a very peceliarnature,which at least the Committee might have remedied." " The coals, no matter what their quality may be, are merely designated Wawl's.end." Now Carbo, before he aossuneg the character of a cenrsor, ought to hIave known that any mneter neglecting to deseriVe the quality of cbal on the ticket, is liable to apenalty; and I believe I atU correct when I state, a meter was, and is niow, utnder susjension fromt his office for such neglect. W1 ould it not, iudecd, have been a work of sine. rerogationi to report a remedy fbr a mal.practice, for whichl a remedy iS already provided ? 'With respect -to the -Conmittee nbt having " called upon the Lord ;Ulavor to furnish them witli infor mation," I beg to obstrve, they were led to' belive- e is.- lodr4 ship would favour them- by his advice and 'sssistane,: as he intsunated his intWntion of so doing. No peFson can tet III* absence more tha I do, because, as one of. hids cnumisoAi 1- cii, I have had fremSuent opportusities of' witnessing and ' if! mirin;g his t uleat for investigation. With - respe[ct to. " thex constitution" of the Coimroittee.f it can be shown to be Mil I feel assured tho Court- of- Common Council will rT0fmaim it; end- I state front experienc, that its nsimmense tourceofo X trois~e '- is onot' ~its- greatest i ortcivellitelS; for: cmp -of hs * shnaiY Petititrns.which-he caMioegrifitj that bnns~~azI-, offhnd more-thian he gratifies ;because the pre4 e,a)ida'dhd,re~tre cmip1eTlinrt. "When IpYe way l3lae," al4,Levis XIv., ~I wakeanlhundred disth~n-. Th~~~~re '"'comm-On report," of the Con1.. is~i6z~ru~ sver.dmewne are now leaving the CDommittee with.. auez~cams of other c,isdidatcs, or the sup,erior in- flue',e and exerlinn (if their juniiors. 'Not wishing to oc. ctPY a greater 3pace in youtr vatuable paper than is absolutely necessaryI cobclude by observing, that' the remaedy is in the hanKf thce'p'ublic ; -for if tlhey wvould deeijwitli meni of cha- rac~r,insead6Fen-eusrain ilvertishin undersellers, and if-they woud se tat be~~alty f te cal,as well as the onantity, is markd o theliter'sticet, he awsnow existin wil be fopund foij1eqUti.to spPres "the buse inthe coal tradfe." e sigatur, Cabo, ay sit te mnisrepresentations_ of ilts writr; btasIfee assredmy rplyis bornie out by the report of the Cmmitte; Isubscibe mself Yours. rcsi;eetfnllv. T IL ;izrTxTfr- . 1'oncsleD. 4, IbZ4. 0. or to e inatormation of Carbo, the Factrs- -do- n-o-t sell orle"i ark-lanbe,~' but Thayfiei-~street. I subjoin;.; a it may be ltrtiogt oeo' orraes the average. po,rice of' the betcoalsg(n Pooarl From 180~ to 1809 was 55s. 2d. Per cbaldron. 1810 1814 GIs. Od. do. 1815 1819 46s. 1Od. do. 180 1828 44%. Ild. db. COA L TRADE,