268 Coal Duty, and Coal Trickery. [MARCH, 



their own men they have the privilege of excluding all others, and, of 

 course, of defying all competition. 



Into the smaller particulars it will be wearisome to enter they are, 

 however, full of abuses. Our parting glance must be cast upon the 

 coal-merchant's charges. Here we see, among them, two shillings a 

 chaldron for lighterage, that is, for conveying coals from the ship in 

 lighters to the wharfs. Were the trade free none but watermen free 

 of the City can engage in it now this charge would be brought down 

 to about one-third. The difference of course goes to the City in money 

 or in patronage. In the Tyne river the conveyance of coals to the ships, 

 with a navigation of seven or eight miles into the bargain, costs only 

 Is. 6d., even though the labour of shoveling the coals from the keels 

 (coal-boats) through the port-holes, is far heavier and more toilsome than 

 from a lighter to the wharf. 



In addition to the cartage, to which we cannot now advert, is a farther 

 charge of Is. 6d. a chaldron for shooting, that is, for unloading the 

 waggon, and dropping the coals into the consumer's cellar. Next to the 

 whippers' charge, this is the most impudent and extortionate. Thou- 

 sands of labourers would be glad to perform the same labour for a 

 groat one of the witnesses before the Commons' committee declared 

 they would be glad to heave them back again for two-pence. 



The elaborate packing, again the curious and not untasteful arrange- 

 ment of the sacks in the waggons and the very sacks themselves all, 

 of course, adding to expence are all perfectly superfluous. Let coals 

 be sold by weight, and close waggons may be filled, and emptied into 

 the cellars with half the trouble. Trouble implies time, and time 

 money. In Scotland that favoured, or fortunate, or intelligent and 

 awakened land this is the case. There, there is neither measuring nor 

 packing. At Edinburgh and Glasgow they weigh the coal, to check 

 the seller, on the machine, at the entrance of the town, and there is an 

 end, and security withal. 



Without going farther into more of the minutiae of these charges, here 

 is surely enough to stir up every man that knows what the cost is of 

 keeping fires in his house, to join in one common and urgent demand, 

 to have these nuisances cut away at the root. On the very lowest com- 

 putation, ten shillings in every chaldron are added to the necessary 

 expense of coals exclusive of the government duty, which will, of 

 course, now be abolished and all by the mere operation of laws, which 

 sanction corporation encroachments, and facilitate, on all hands, the 

 execution of fraud upon fraud. 



We have not noticed we recollect too late what is called the 

 " Richmond shilling" a duty of one shilling a chaldron upon coals. 

 This duty is exacted upon the coals exported from the Tyne only ; but 

 of course it influences the price of all sea-borne coals either the Tyne 

 shippers gain less, or all others gain more than the fair price for all are 

 sold at the same price in London. This duty was imposed when kings 

 could do what they can dare no more. It was granted by Charles II. 

 as a provision for one of his sons, the young Duke of Richmond. Two- 

 and-thirty years ago the government compounded with the Duke of the 

 day, but the tax was not repealed nor has one word been said about 

 repealing it even now ' 



