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THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



are obliged to have recourse to strong Baltic or other fo- 

 reign wheat, at a cost of generally 5s. to 15s. a quarter 

 more than home-grown. The winnowing also is generally 

 very carelessly done. Now, I believe this carelessness is 

 induced in a great degree by the selling by weight, which I, 

 therefore, protest against as an injury to the miller, more 

 so to the baker and the public, and a national disadvantage. 

 The imperial bushel, with a guarantee of the natural 

 weight, is the best guide ; and if the weight is not stated, 

 we use our judgment; and, if foolish enough to over- 

 estimate the quality or weight, it is no fault of the seller. 

 We should then buy inferior quality at its relative 

 value ; and the tithe would be fairly charged, with 

 a uniform measure throughout the kingdom. " In 

 these remarks he entirely concurred. In conclusion, he 

 would observe that, so long as such an anomalous clause 

 as the 6th clause of that act continued on the statute-bonk, 

 there could be no uniform system ; and, in his opinion, they 

 should, at all events, petition the Legislature not to con- 

 tinue to stultify itself by a clause so inconsistent with the 

 manifest intention of the act. 



Mr. Acton (of the Temple) said, there could be no doubt 

 from the turn the discussion bad taken that measure was the 

 prominent mode of selling corn in the Eastern and Western 

 counties, whilst weight seemed to prevail in the Northern and 

 Midland districts, and although he agreed with Mr. Sidney that 

 there ought to be some uniformity in Londcn to guide other 

 markets, owing to the rapid advances of steam transit, he 

 should vote with Mr. Baker and the wise men from the East 

 for an improved measure. We had lately heard much of one 

 great social evil, which was very difficult to deal with ; but not 

 80 with another one which hinged on this question, viz., the 

 prostitution of common honesty towards the poor and needy, in 

 many of the districts aroundLondon, and especiallyintheonehe 

 resided in— Camberwell. Now, if a deputation went up to the 

 Government in this matter, he would suggest that a more 

 general supervision of weights and measures should be enforced 

 than at present, and that the fair day's wages for a fair day's 

 work which that Club wished to enforce, should not be frittered 

 away by the iniquities which now daily took place in poor neigh- 

 bourhoods. 



The Chairman said he had only a few words to offer in clos- 

 ing the discussion. Like Mr. Baker, he was very sorry to differ 

 from his friend Mr. Wallis; but he must declare that he was 

 certainly in favour of measure which had prevailed in his own 

 county (Berkshire) for a very long period. He had no wish, 

 indeed, to deny that what Mr. Skelton advocated, namely, 

 measure with a guaranteed weight, might be an improvement 

 on measure alone, and he thought such a system would be 

 generally acceptable in his own county. Having, however, 

 . made numerous inquiries in the district to which he belonged, 

 he was convinced that while there would be no objection to 

 the system which Mr. Skelton advocated, there would be the 

 Btongest objection to the simple use of a standard weight. 

 Not only are the tithe rent-charge and corn rents, but 

 all the valuations which took place throughout the country 

 Were based on measure, not on weight ; and be was sure that 

 valuers would have the greatest difficulty in arriving at correct 

 conclusions if weight were substituted for measure. Moreover 

 thrashing and other operations of the farm were regulated by 

 measure ; and he thought the establishment of measure as a 

 universal rule would interfere far less with all existing cus- 

 toms than the establishment of a standard weight. He quite 

 agreed with preceding speakers as to the desirableness of 

 adopting, if practicable, some uniform standard /or the sale of 

 corn (Hear, hear). 



Mr. Wallis then replied : Notwithstanding, he said, all 

 that he had heard to the contrary that evening, he was still 

 of opinion that weight was far preferable to measure as a 

 uniform system ; and if there were to he any change at all, it 

 was of course desirable that it should be a change to the best 

 system that could be adopted. The majority of persons in- 

 terested in the matter were manifestly in favour of weight, 

 which was in very many places entirely superseding measure. 

 What Mr. Skelton advocated was, in fact, selling by weight. 



Mr. Skelton observed that it was a uniform weight that 

 he objecfed to. 



Mr. Wallis continued: The bushel varied with almost 

 every sample; and to call it a standard, therefore, was altogether 

 a mistake. It was quite certain that the country could not 

 now go back from weight to measure, and therefore if there 

 were to be a uniform system it must be based on weight. 



Considerable discussiou ensued as to the form in which the 

 question at issue should be submitted to the meeting. 

 Ultimately, 



Mr. Wallis proposed, and Mr. B. Webster seconded, 

 the following resolution : — " That it is the opinion of this 

 meeting that a standard of weight is preferable to a standard 

 of measure." 



Mr. Skelton moved, and Mr. Little seconded, the follow- 

 ing amendment : — " That all sellers and buyers of corn in this 

 kingdom should come to the conclusion to petition Parliament 

 to enforce a uniformity of measure of 8 imperial bushels." 



The amendment, after having been seconded, was put from 

 the chair, when 13 hands were held up in favour of it, and 13 

 against it. The chairman then gave his casting vote in favour 

 of the amendment, and the effect of this was of course to carry 

 it. As the original resolution involved the same question as 

 the amendment, and had virtually been negatived, it was not 

 submitted to the meeting. 



On the motion of Mr. Wood, seconded by Mr. Thomas, 

 of Bletsoe, thanks were voted to Mr. Wallis as the introducer 

 of the question which had been discussed. 



Mr. Wallis, after acknowledging the compliment, ex- 

 pressed his regret that the decision of the Club on the subject 

 which he had brought forward was not in accordance with the 

 opinions of the majority of farmers and corn merchants, adding 

 that he was not without hope that the time was not far distant 

 when a very different view would be taken of the matter, even 

 in that room. 



On the motion of Mr. Grey, seconded by Mr. Wallis, a 

 vote of thanks was given to the Chairman ; and, after a brief 

 response from that gentleman, the meeting separated. 



HALESWORTH FARMERS' CLUB.— The members of 

 this Club have been engaged in an interesting discussion on 

 the " Principles of Rating." The question was introduced in 

 an able speech by Mr. J. Howlett, of Wisset ; and the dis- 

 cussion which ensued extended to considerable length. We 

 must content ourselves with recording the following resolu- 

 tion, which was unanimously adopted : " That the principles 

 of rating having undergone a lengthened discussion, it is the 

 opinion of the members present that, in order to secure one 

 uniform rate, as prescribed by Act of Pariiament, the several 

 boards of guardians throughout the country should be vested 

 with full powers of correcting not only any inequalities which 

 may be presumed to exist as between parish and parish, but 

 also as between their respective unions ; and further, that all 

 poor-rates should hereafter be levied and made by the authori- 

 ties so constituted, instead of by the different churchwardens 

 and overseers." 



