Coal Trade, London Act 1745
| Jurisdiction | UK Non-devolved |
| Citation | 1745 c. 35 |
| Year | 1745 |
(19 Geo. 2) C A P. XXXV.
'WHEREAS many Frauds and Abuses are daily committed in the Admeasurement of Coals, and in and relating to the Coal Trade, within the City and Liberty ofWestminster , and that Partof the Dutchy ofLancaster adjoining thereto, and in the Parish of Saint Giles in the Fields , Saint Mary le Bon , and such Part of the Parish of Saint Andrew, Holborn , as lies in the CountyofMiddlesex , notwithstanding the Laws now in Force for the Regulation of the Coal Trade:' For Remedy thereof, be it enacted by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the Adviceand Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the Authorityof the same, That from and after the twenty-fourth Day ofSeptember onethousand seven hundred and forty-six, there shall be erected and continued, within the City and LibertyofWestminster , one publick Office, which shall be called by the Name of The Land Coal-meters Office , for the Cityand Liberty ofWestminster ; which said Office shall from time to time be managed by two Persons, to be nominated and appointed by his Majesty, his Heirs and Successors; which said two Persons, so to be nominated and appointed, shall be called and known by the Name of The Principal Land Coal meters for the City and Liberty of Westminster; and such Office, after erected, shall be kept open every Day (Sundays excepted) from the twenty-fifth Day of March to the twenty-ninth DayofSeptember yearly, during the Continuance of this Act, from the Hour of Five till Twelve in the Forenoon, and from the Hour of One till Eight in the Afternoon; and from the twenty-ninth Day ofSeptember to the twenty-fifth Day of March yearly, during the Continuance of this Act, from the Hour of Seven till Twelve in the Forenoon, and from the Hour of One till Six in the Afternoon.
II Principals to be sworn.
II. And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That no Person or Persons shall be capable of acting as one of the Principal Land Coal-meters, until he or they shall, before two or more of his said Majesty's Justices of the Peace for the said City and Liberty ofWestminster (who are hereby authorized and required to administer the same) take an Oath in the Words following; to wit,
I A. B.do swear, That I will truly and faithfully, according to the best of my Judgment and Ability, execute the Office of one of the Principal Land Coal-meters for the City and Liberty of Westminster, and for that Part of the Dutchy of Lancaster adjoining thereto, and for the several Parishes of Saint Giles in the Fields, Saint Mary le Bon, and for such Part of the Parish of Saint Andrew, Holborn, as lies in the County of Middlesex.
So help me God.
III Principals to appoint Labouring Coal-meters;
III. And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That it shall and may be lawful to and for the said Principal Land Coal-meters, or any one or more of them, and they, or any one or more of them, are and is hereby authorized to appoint a sufficient Number of Persons to be Labouring Coal-meters within the said City and Liberty, and the aforesaid Part of the said Dutchy ofLancaster , and in the said Parishes, and the aforesaid Part of the said Parish of Saint Andrew, Holborn ; one of which said Labouring Coal-meters shall attend every Day(Sundays excepted) at such of the Coal Wharfs, Warehouses, or other Places of Sale, within the said City and Liberty, and in the aforesaid Part of the said Dutchy of Lancaster , and in the said Parishes, and the aforesaid Part of the said Parish of Saint Andrew, Holborn , at which he shall be stationed by the Principal Land Coal-meters, or any one or more of them, from the twenty-fifth Day of March to the twenty-ninth Day of September yearly, during the Continuance of this Act, from the Hour of Fivetill Twelve in the Forenoon, and from the Hour of One till Eight in the Afternoon; and from the twenty-ninth Day ofSeptember to the twenty-fifth Day of March yearly, during the Continuance or this Act, from the Hour of Seven till Twelve in the Forenoon, and from the Hour of One till Six in the Afternoon, to measure out the Coals which shall, from time to time, be sold at any of the said Wharfs or Warehouses, where such Labouring Coal-meters shall be so stationed as aforesaid.
IV To be sworn.
IV. And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That no Person or Persons shall be capable of acting as one of the Labouring Coal-meters to be appointed as aforesaid, until he or they shall, before two or more of his said Majesty's Justices of the Peace for the said City and Liberty ofWestminster (who is and are hereby authorized and required to administer the same) take an Oath in the Words following; to wit,
I A. B.do swear, That I will duly and faithfully, to the best of my Skill and Knowledge, execute the Office of one of the Labouring Coal-meters for the said City and Liberty of Westminster, and for that Part of the Dutchy of Lancaster adjoining thereto, and for the several Parishes of Saint Giles in the Fields, and for Saint Mary le Bon, and for such Part of the Parish of Saint Andrew, Holborn, as lies in the County of Middlesex; and will well and truly, according to the best of my Skill and Judgment, measure Coals, between Buyer and Seller, without Favour or Ill-will .
So help me God.
And the said Justices respectively, who shall administer the said Oaths hereby directed, are hereby required to certify the taking thereof to the next General Quarter Sessions of the Peace, to be held for the said County ofMiddlesex , after the taking of such Oaths respectively, there to remain on Record.
V Penalty of breaking Bulk.
V. And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That if any Lighterman, or other Person, after Coals shall have been delivered on Board any Lighter or Craft from out of any Ship, shall break Bulk, before the Time of Delivery at the Wharf, in the Absence of a Meter, or of the Consumer, or of his Agent (in Cases where the Meter is not hereby obliged to attend the Delivery) the Person so offending in this Respect shall, for every Offence, forfeit and pay the Sum of five Pounds.
VI Station to be varied.
VI. And, in order to prevent Confederacy, be it enacted, That the Stations to be appointed to and for the said Labouring Coal-meters, at the said Wharfs, shall be varied in such Manner as the Principal Coal-meters, or any one or more of them, shall think fit.
VII. And be it further enacted, That all Contracts and Agreements to be made at any Time, from and after the said twenty-fourth Day ofSeptember , for any Quantity of Coals to be delivered within the said City and Liberty of Westminster , or the aforesaid Part of the said Dutchy, or the said Parishes, or the aforesaid Part of the said Parish of SaintAndrew, Holborn , directly from any Lighter, or other Craft, to the Consumer (not being less than Five Chaldron) shall be for Pool Measure, including the Ingrain of one Chaldron in every Score, according to the ancient Custom of the Port of London , and shall be so understood between the Seller and Buyer, though the Term of Pool Measure may be omitted in any written or verbal Contract or Agreement for that Purpose.
VIII Pool Measure, &c. to be loaded separately.
VIII. And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That all Coals which shall, at any Time from and after the said twenty-fourth Day ofSeptember , be delivered as and for Pool Measure at any Wharf within the said City and Liberty, or the said Part of the said Dutchy, shall be loaded separately in the Craft, together with the Ingrain thereto belonging, and shall be so filled and delivered from thence, without being measured by the Bushel, unless the Buyer desire to have the same so measured.
IX One Labouring Coal-meter to be present at Wharf Measure.
IX. And be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That all Coals which, from and after the said twenty-fourth Day ofSeptember , shall be sold as and for Wharf Measure, at any Place or Places within the said City and Liberty, or the aforesaid Part of the said Dutchy, or the said Parishes, or the aforesaid Part of the said Parish of Saint Andrew, Holborn , shall be measured in the Presence of one of the said...
To continue reading
Request your trial