352 MISCELLANEOUS 



In 1882 Colonel Barne introduced a fresh Bill, but it did 

 not meet with much approval, and Mr. Duckham was requested 

 to move again for a Select Committee, which the Government 

 again refused. Later in the session the Government intro- 

 duced another Bill, which was passed, and which met several 

 of the complaints made against the previously existing system, 

 but which did not satisfy the Council, as they thought that 

 only the first sale from the producer should be returned for 

 purposes of the tithe rent charge. 



In 1884 the Council expressed satisfaction at the announce- 

 ment that the Government intended to enlarge the scope of 

 the annual agricultural statistics, by procuring the yields of 

 corn, and suggested that a census of live stock should be 

 taken. 



In 1887 Mr. (afterwards Sir James) Rankin introduced a 

 Bill to make compulsory the sale of corn by weight, that 

 weight to be the cental of 100 lb.; this Bill was approved by 

 the Council, but the measure was withdrawn. In 1888 Mr. 

 Jasper More introduced a Bill for altering the character of 

 the returns of corn prices upon which depended the fluctua- 

 tions of tithe rent charge. This came before the Council in 

 May, but instead of approving the Bill, the Council asked 

 the Government to investigate the whole subject by a Select 

 Committee. To this the Government assented, and appointed 

 a Committee with Mr. Jasper More as its Chairman ; several 

 of the Chamber's witnesses gave evidence before the Com- 

 mittee, but a report of the evidence was presented without 

 any recommendations. In 1889 the Government introduced 

 a Weights and Measures Bill, which Mr. Jasper More and Mr. 

 Rankin thought would give an opportunity to introduce a 

 provision making the sale of corn by weight compulsory, 

 and these two members were put on the Grand Committee 

 on Trade (to which the Bill was referred) to represent the 

 agricultural view. The Council contented themselves with a 

 resolution re-affirming the opinion they expressed in 1878. 

 but without following it up in any way ; the result was that r 

 when the Bill became an Act, no reference to corn was included., 

 although the sale of coal by weight was made compulsory. 



