: 
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* 
Pay 
USEFUL PROJECTS, 
. Suppose the following : 
Wheat — 63 per Winch, bush. 
‘Barley 52 or 53-ditto ? 
Oats 38 or 40 ditto 
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 condu- 
<ive to the general weal of. the 
‘kingdom. - 
I am, dear Sir, 
Your mest humble servant, 
J. BILLINGSLEY. 
Ashurst-grove, Dec. 6, 1796. 
J 
10th Dec. 1795. 
P.S. Since I had the honour of 
submitting the aboye letter to the 
committee, I have received several 
letters from gentlemen of experience 
and judgment in the country, on 
‘the ‘proposal of substituting weight 
as the regulator of measures in 
the sales of corn: all of whom 
except two very respectable men) 
approve of the plan. ‘Lhe two 
gentlemen I allude to say, there 
- will be an alteration without an 
improvement ; their reasons have, 
however, relieved my doubts, as 
they fest their opinions on two 
grounds : 
*. rst, That weighing will occasion 
trouble. 
2d, That itis already prattised 
by all skilful purchasers. 
' In answer to the first. Whena 
load’ of wheat is delivered, if the 
sacks should be suspected to be 
small, they are sooner weighed 
than measured ; and if the corn is 
not as clean as the sample was, 
the weight will prove this, which 
tannot be done by measure. 
In loading and unloading of 
ships, after having ascertained the 
» 5 
fiasi 
weight of a box or machine to run 
the wheat into, the weight of the 
grain would be much sconer proved 
than the quantity by measure. 
Copy of a Letter from Mr, Billingsley 
to Charles Dundas, Esq. 
SECONDLY, as to the present 
practice of weight being used, I 
am weil acquainted with this cir- 
cumstance, and it is a very obvious 
reason tor endeavouring to make 
the mode. general, as by this pub- 
lic regulation, fraud would be 
prevented, and the labourers or ma- 
nufacturers purchasing corn would 
be put on an equality with the 
most artful seller.—I have intro- 
duced the pitching of a*bushel in 
the public markets, to meet the 
wishes of many respectable mem- 
bers of the house of commons, in 
consequence of applications from 
their constituents, who have found 
great difficulty in procuring wheat 
to purchase, But as pitching a 
bushel may be attended with in- 
convenience to the farmer, and also 
raise the price of that small quan. 
tity to the poor; and as compul. 
sive regulations are considered by 
many as unjust and impolitic, in 
the sale of an article, the growth of 
which is optional, I beg to suggest 
‘to the committee the propriety of 
empowering the magistrates of 
towns, the clerks of the markets, 
or the overseers of the poor in their 
parishes, to open, or authorize shops 
(under the regulation of their jus. 
tices of the peace) to.supply the la- 
bourers, manufacturers, poor, &ce 
of their parish, with any quantity, 
from one peck to one quarter’ of 
corn, at the market price, with 
such addition as would be necessary 
to pay the attendance of a person 
to 
