made by a reduction of the cuftomary meafure of the market to Winchefter meafure, the price of the measures of ten gallons being ranked as nine gallons, they raise the price of the article confiderably above the value it fold for. In other markets, where no average is taken, the price of bread is generally fixed from the highest fale of the beft wheat which has been in the market; confequently the price of flour, bearing a proportionate value to the wheat of which it is made, and that being put at a higher average (owing to this falfe return) it follows, that bread is fold at a dearer rate than it would be if the fale of wheat was properly regulated.

It will be faid, Why is not the use of the Winchefter bufhel enforced, as the law directs? This has been attempted during the laft century without fuccefs; it is a very unpopular proceeding to bring this forward. The lower orders of people deteft it, from the fmallness of its contents, and, the dealers of provifions inftigate them to this, it being their interest to retain every uncertainty in weights and meafures, and this cannot be enforced but by informations, which do not fuit the honest character of the people of this country; but if it was brought into general ufe, certainty (which is one object of this letter) could not be obtained; for in the act of measuring, no two men fill the fame quantity into the fame bufhels, and the manner of ftriking the measure is as uncertain as that of filling it. Weight, regulated by the 35th Geo. III. which gives the magiftrates a power of preventing falfe weights, would re

medy this, and prove the difference of the quality of good and bad wheat, which is fuppofed to be nearly one third; this difference will fhew the fallacy of the original formation of the bushel, which is to contain 495,040 grains of wheat, "well dried, and gathered out of the middle of the ear," notwithstanding there is perhaps as much difference in ears of wheat, arifing from foil, climate, and culture, as there is in the uncertain measures of this kingdom. The fyftem of weighing corn is practifed in many parts of the country; it is authorised to be done by the 31ft Geo. III. in which act the refpective weights of all grain taken by the bufhel, and also of the meal of the different grains, is inferted; and as moft corn dealers buy according to their judgment of the weight of grain, and all millers weigh their corn on its being delivered at the mill, the regulation which I propofe would not be strange to them, and it will place the fhopkeeper, manufacturer, and labourer (who purchafe wheat for their own ufe) on a fair footing with dealers. It will reward the induftrious farmer, by giving the highest price to the best and cleaneft corn, while it expofes the idle and flovenly farmer, by reducing his price to the proportionate quality of his unproductive grain.

Salt was originally fold by mea. fure-it is now fold by weight, 56lb. to the bufhel. The act which regulated this, in one inftant equalized all the falt measures in the kingdom; the fame effect would follow a fimilar proceeding in the fale of corn, by which the affize on flour might be justly fet, and the 3

relation

em

relation between the articles of corn, flour, and bread, afcertained and fairly regulated, and the magiftrates fhould be powered to control the clerk of the markets, millers, and bakers, fo as to prevent fraud, which is the only object of any regulation which I wish to propofe; but perhaps, if the quantity to be weighed in the market was declared to be not lefs than a bushel, this would meet the ideas of many gentlemen who now complain of the difficulty of the poor becoming the purchafers of fmall quantities of corn, and are defirous of having that quantity pitched in the market as a fample. And alfo, as the weight of the bufhel of the different grain is fixed by the 31ft George III. c. 30. I fhall add that regulation to what I wished to fubmit to the confideration of the committee.

56

55

fhall be respectively deemed equal
to every ftandard Winch. bufh.
Wheat meal
Wheat flour
Rye meal
Barley meal
Beer or bigg meal 41
Oatmeal

53

48

22

hall be deemed equal to every fuch buthel of the unground grain whereof it is made, and what will not pass through a fourteen hillings cloth is to be confidered as wheat meal.

If, therefore, the committee are of opinion that the introduction of the use of weight, to regulate and afcertain the meafures of corn, is

likely to produce certainty in the returns from the markets of corn in this kingdom, and by a juft and clear statement of the relations between the prices of wheat and flour, to enable us to prevent fraud, and to fupply the inhabitants of the country with bread at a more moderate rate than it has been fold for, allowing a fair profit to the perfons employed in the manufacturing of thefe articles, I would recommend the following refolutions, or fuch as would enable the committee to act with certainty in fetting the juft values on flour and bread.

I. That the returns fhall be made of the corn fold from every market town in England, ftating the quantity and the weight of grain fold in fuch markets.

2. That in ftriking the average of the grain fo fold, it fhall be computed from the weight of fuch grain, as that is fixed by the 31st Geo. III. c. 30.

3. That a certain quantity of the grain intended to be fold, not lefs than one Winchefter buthel fhall be pitched in the public market, and the weight of the wheat, or other corn, openly marked on fuch fample.

4. That the weight of the bushel, and the quantity of the corn fold, fhall be delivered, with an account of the price, to the clerk of the market for the purpose of making his returns, and alfo to prove the quality of the corn, if the quantity fold thould prove, on the delivery, to be of an inferior quality to the fample produced in the market.

MILLERS.

1. To keep a regular account of the weight of all corn delivered in

at

at their respective mills for the purpofe of being ground.

2. To grind all grain feparately, maflin excepted.

3. To keep a regular account of the produce of the faid grain, fubject to infpection of the magiftrates of the county or diftrict where the mills are fituated, when they shall find occafion for fetting an affize on flour or bread.

4. Perfons who have had corn made into flour at any mill, to have the option of paying the miller's toll either in money or in kind (meal) as they choose.

5. That nothing in this fhall affect the customs of foke mills, as far as relates to their ancient tenures, but that the magiftrates fhall have a power of examining their books as above.

When I propose these refolutions to the committee, it is for the purpofe of drawing their attention to the fubject, and to request of them to converse with their intelligent neighbours in the country, who are either farmers, flour dealers, or bakers. I have received feveral letters on this fubject, containing opinions of perfons of experience and practice. They all agree in the justice of the plan I propose; fome dread the diflike which attends every thing that is new; but almost all allow that the improvement would be of confiderable benefit to

the country. I am particularly fatiffied by the decided opinions (in favour of weight being the regulator of measure) of Mr. Strutt, of Terling, of Mr. Davies, of Longleat, and Mr. Meffiter, of Wincanton (in their letters to Mr. Morton Pitt) and of Mr. Billingsley, of Afhurft Grove in Somerfetthire: gentlemen who are fo fit to judge, from

their ability, experience, and judg ment in these matters. Mr. Bil. lingsley is defirous that the weight of the grain fhould be put higher than it is directed by the 31ft Geo. III. I have fubjoined his letter to this, that the weight he recommends may be confidered.

I have only to add, that should the committee, on their return to parliament, approve of the propofal I have now made, and it is thought of too great importance to be contained in a part of the act for regulating the objects which now engage the attention of the corn committee, I will (unless fome gentlemen of more confideration will undertake it) move for leave to bring in a bill for the purpoles ftated in this letter.-" To ufe weight as the regulator of meafure, in buying and felling of corn;" not intending to carry the bill through the houses of parliament in this feffion, but that it fhould be printed and distributed in the country, and brought forward hereafter, if it fhould be generally approved.

I have the honour to be,
With much respect,

Your obedient fervant,

CHARLES DUNDAS. Barton-court, near Newbury, 7th Dec. 1795.

Suppofe the following: Wheat

the wheat into, the weight of

It is not only my own opinion, but also that of the most intelligent

farmers and corn dealers in our part of the kingdom, that such an alteration would be highly conducive to the general weal of the kingdom.

I am, dear Sir,.

your most humble fervant, J. BILLINGSLEY. Afburft-grove, Dec. 6, 1796.

10th Dec. 1795.

P.S. Since I had the honour of fubmitting the above letter to the committee, I have received several letters from gentlemen of experience and judgment in the country, on the proposal of fubftituting weight as the regulator of measures in the fales of corn; all of whom (except two very refpectable men) approve of the plan. The two gentlemen I allude to fay, there will be an alteration without an improvement: their reafons have, however, relieved my doubts, as they reft their opinions on two grounds :

ift, That weighing will occafion trouble.

zd, That it is already practiced by all skilful purchasers. In answer to the firft. When a load of wheat is delivered, if the facks should be fufpected to be small, they are fooner weighed than measured; and if the corn is not as clean as the fample was, the weight will prove this, which cannot be done by measure.

In loading and unloading of fhips, after having ascertained the weight of a box or machine to run

fure.

Capy of a Letter from Mr. Billingsley to Charles Dundas, Efq.

SECONDLY, as to the prefent practice of weight being ufed, I am well acquainted with this circumftance, and it is a very obvious reason for endeavouring to make the mode general, as by this public regulation, fraud would be prevented, and the labourers or manufacturers purchafing corn would be put on an equality with the most artful feller.-I have introduced the pitching of a bushel in the public markets, to meet the wishes of many respectable menbers of the house of commons, in confequence of applications from their conftituents, who have found great difficulty in procuring wheat to purchase. But as pitching a buhel may be attended with inconvenience to the farmer, and alfo raise the price of that small quan tity to the poor; and as compulfive regulations are confidered by many as unjuft and impolitic, in the fale of an article the growth of which is optional, I beg to fuggeft to the committee the propriety of empowering the magiftrates of towns, the clerks of the markets, or the overfeers of the poor in their parishes, to open or authorize hops (under the regulation of their justices of the peace) to supply the labourers, manufacturers, poor, &c. of their parish, with any quantity, from one peck to one quarter of corn, at the market price, with fuch addition as would be neceff.ry to pay the attendance of a perfou