Manufacture of Starch from Wheat, etc. Act 1812
| Jurisdiction | UK Non-devolved |
| Citation | 1812 c. 127 |
(52 Geo. 3) C A P. CXXVII.
[18th July 1812]
'WHEREAS it is expedient that the making of Starch from Wheat or any other Article or Thing used for the Food of Man, should be prohibited for a limited time: May it therefore please Your Majesty that it may be enacted; and be it enacted by the King's Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the Authorityof the same, That, during the Continuance of this Act, no Starch, Hair Powder or Blue, shall be made or prepared from any Wheat, Barley, Rice, Potatoes, Flour, Meal or any other Article or Thing used for the Food of Man, or any Mixture with Wheat, Barley, Rice, Potatoes, Flour, Meal or any other Article or Thing used for the Food of Man.
II Making Starch from Wheat, &c.
II. And be it further enacted, That if, during the Continuance of this Act, any Maker or Makers of Starch, or other Person or Persons whatever, shall make or begin to make Starch, Hair Powder or Blue from any Wheat, Barley, Rice, Potatoes, Flour, Meal or any other Article or Thing used for the Food of Man, or any Mixture with Wheat, Barley, Rice, Potatoes, Flour, Meal or any other Article or Thing used for the Food of Man, or shall put or lay, or cause or procure to be put or laid in any Vat, Trough or other Utensil or Vessel, any Wheat, Barley, Rice, Potatoes, Flour, Meal or any other Article or Thing used for the Food of Man, or any Mixture with Wheat, Barley, Rice, Potatoes, Flour, Meal or any other Article or Thing used for the Food of Man, for the Purpose of making Starch, Hair Powder or Blue, then and in each and every such case such Maker or Makers of Starch, Hair Powder or Blue, or other Person or Persons so offending, and the Person or Persons in whose Custody or Possession any Vat, Trough or other Utensil or Vessel which shall be made use of contrary to the Intention of this Act shall be found, shall severally and respectively (over and above all other Penalties imposed by any Act or Acts of Parliament already in force) forfeit the Sumof Two hundred Pounds; and all such Wheat, Barley, Rice, Potatoes, Flour, Meal or any other Article or Thing used for the Food of Man, together with every such Vat, Trough or other Utensil or Vessel shall be forfeited, and the same respectively shall and may be seized by any Officer or Officers of Excise: Providealways, nevertheless, that nothing in this Act contained shall extend, or be deemed or construed to extend to subject any Starch Maker to the said Penalty of Two hundred Pounds, for or by reason of his completing or finishing any Operation of Starch making from any Wheat, Barley, Rice, Potatoes, Flour, Meal or any other Article or Thing used for the Food of Man, openly put in Fermentation in his entered Starch House, on or before the Tenth Day ofJuly One thousand eight hundred and twelve, so that such Operation shall be continued without wilful Delay; any thing in this Act contained to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding.
III Wheat, &c. found in any Starch House, &c. forfeited.
III. And be it further enacted, That if any Wheat, Barley, Rice, Potatoes, Flour, Meal or any other Article or Thing used for the Food of Man, shall, during the Continuance of this Act, be found in any Starch House, or in any Place wherein Starch shall be preparing or making, or wherein any Starch shall have been prepared or made, or which shall have been or shall be entered for making or preparing of Starch, all such Wheat, Barley, Rice, Potatoes, Flour, Meal or any other Article or Thing used for the Food of Man respectively shall be forfeited, together with the Vessels, Sacks, Bags and other Things containing the same, and the same shall and may be seized by any Officer or Officers of Excise, and the Person or Persons in whose Possession or Occupation such Starch House or Place shall be, shall, for every such Offence respectively, forfeit the Sum of Twohundred Pounds.
IV Starch Houses or other Places suspected entered.
IV. And be it further enacted, That, during the Continuance of this Act, it shall and may be lawful to and for any Person or Persons who shall be authorized for that Purpose by the Commissioners of Excise for the time being, or any Two or more of them, within the Limits of the Chief Office of Excise inLondon , by One or more Justice or Justices of the Peace in any other Part of Great Britain , at any time or times with any Officer or Officers of Excise, or for any Officer or Officers of Excise to enter into any Starch House or any other Place whatever, wherein any Starch, Hair Powder or Blue, shall be or shall be suspected to be preparing or making or prepared or made; and every such Officer of Excise and Person so authorized as aforesaid shall have free Admittance into, and may inspect all the Materials, Vessels and Utensils contained in any such Starch House or other Place (giving thereby as little Interruption as may be to the lawful Business which shall be there carrying on), and in case any such Officer of Excise shall have reason to suspect that any Wheat, Barley, Rice, Potatoes, Flour, Meal or any other Article or Thing used for the Food of Man is mixed in any Waters or Liquids, or with any other Materials or Preparations whatsoever, or is otherwise in Operationfor preparing or making Starch, Hair Powder or Blue, it shall be lawful for such Officer at any time or times during the Continuance of this Act, upon Payment of Three penceper Pound Weight (if demanded) to take a Sample not exceeding Fifty Pounds Weight of any such Mixtures in Waters or Liquids or other Materials or Preparations which shall be found in any such Starch House or other Place aforesaid; and in case any Maker of Starch, Hair Powder or Blue, or the Owner or Occupier of any such Starch House or Place, or any Workman or Servant belonging to any such Maker or Makers, or Owner or Occupier, shall refuse to admit such Personor Persons as shall be so authorized, or any Officer or Officers of Excise into any such Starch House or Place, or shall obstruct or hinder any such Officer or Person or Persons in making such Inspection as aforesaid, or shall not allow any such Officer to take such Sample after the said Sum of Three penceper Pound Weight shall be paid or tendered for the same, every such Maker, Owner or Occupier shall, for every such Offencerespectively, forfeit the Sum of Two hundred Pounds; and it shall be lawful for any such Officer of Exciseor other Person or Persons authorized as aforesaid, having a Warrant for that Purpose from any Two or more of the Commissioners of Excise, or any Justice or Justices respectively as aforesaid, to seize, take and carry away all such Wheat, Barley, Rice, Potatoes, Flour, Meal or any other Article or Thing used for the Food of Man, and also all such Mixtures or Waters or Liquids, or other Materials or Preparations as shall be found in any such Starch House or other Place, together with all the Vessels, Sacks, Bags and other Things in which the said Commodities or any of them shall be contained.
V Makers of Starch, &c. not to have more than Eight Bushels of Wheat, &c. in Possession.
V. Provided always, and be it further enacted, That it shall and may be lawful for any Maker or Makers of Starch, Hair Powder or Blue, to have or keep for his, her or their necessary Use, in any Dwelling House, Room or Place, (not being an entered House, Room or Place for making or preparing of Starch) any Quantity of Wheat, Barley, Rice, Grain, Potatoes, Flour or Meal, not exceeding at any one time the Quantity of Eight Bushels of Wheat, Barley, Rice, Grain, Potatoes, Flour and Meal; and that if any such Maker or Makers shall, during the Continuance of this Act, be possessed of or have in his, her or their Custody or Possession, or in the Custody or Possession of any Person or Persons in Trust or for the Use or Benefit of such Maker, more than Eight Bushels of Wheat, Barley, Rice, Grain, Potatoes, Flour or Meal, at any one time, in any one or more Place or Places, every such Maker or Makers shall, for every such Offence, respectively forfeit all such Wheat, Barley, Rice, Grain, Potatoes, Flour and Meal, exceeding the said...
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