PARLIAMENTARY REPORTS. 373 



man, creating a competition for 

 lowness of price, in preference to 

 excellence of quality, whereby 

 the best workmen are injured 

 and thrown out of employ. 



Your Committee have received 

 information of darinsr combina- 

 tions, by a set of men who attend 

 real sales, and drive, by various 

 means, respectable purchasers 

 away, purchase at their own 

 price, and afterwards privately 

 sell the same, under a form of 

 public auction, termed, " Knock- 

 out Sales." 



Your Committee have but 

 shortly adverted to the substance 

 of the evidence they have re- 

 ceived ; but enough, they ex- 

 pect, to satisfy the House to 

 make some alterations, in the 

 present session, which may pre- 

 vent in some degree a conti- 

 nuance of these frauds and impo- 

 sitions on the public ; and there- 

 fore resolve to recommend a 

 complete revision of the auction 

 Jaws, and at as early a period as 

 may be practicable. 

 , Your Committee therefore re- 

 commend to the House, that 

 a bill be immediately brought 

 in, to increase the annual licence 

 from 12s. to 20/. on every auc- 

 tioneer or person selling by 

 auction within 10 miles of the 

 Royal Exchange, the first year, 

 and for every future year the 

 sum of 5l. ; and every auctioneer 

 without the space of 10 miles, 

 the sum of 5l. the first year, and 

 the sum of 405. for every future 

 year ; and any person directly or 

 indirectly making any sale by 

 auction, not being licensed, to 

 forfeit for every offence 100/. 



That no goods be sold, under 

 a heavy penalty, without being 



previously exposed to view, at 

 least 24- hours, nor without a 

 catalogue previously printed, and 

 sold in the order of the said 

 catalogue ; and that the real 

 name and address of the auctio- 

 neer be printed on the first page ; 

 and that a penalty of 100/. be 

 inflicted on every person using 

 any fictitious name ; and that the 

 sales be confined to the hours 

 from ten in the morning to six 

 in the afternoon ; except book 

 sales, and produce usually sold 

 by the candle. 



That all auction rooms for the 

 public sales of goods by auction, 

 such as linen drapery, woollen 

 drapery, hosiery, haberdashery, 

 mercery, stationary, ' jewellery, 

 hardware, books and prints, be 

 licensed from time to time for 

 one year, and security taken from 

 the auctioneers and others, that 

 these regulations and former acts 

 should be complied with. 



That a duty of 1^. per lot be 

 deposited at the Excise- office 

 upon delivery of the catalogue ; 

 and that the sum of Is. per lot 

 be allowed to be deducted from 

 the duty on every lot which shall 

 exceed 20^. 



REPORT OF THE SELECT COM- 

 MITTEE ON THE USURY LAWS. 



The Select Committee appointed 

 to consider of the effects of the 

 laws which regidate or restrain 

 the Interest of Money, and to 

 report their opinion thereupon 

 to the House ; and who were 

 empmvered to report the Minutes 

 oj the Evidence taken before 

 them; — have, pursuant to the 

 Order of the House, examined 

 the Matters referred to them, 



and 



