160 THE RELATIONS OF THE STATE WITH 



one or two persons at the most to buy up all or the greatest 

 part of the fish which is brought to the said market . . . 

 and afterwards dividing the same amongst the fishmongers 

 by lots, by reason whereof the fishmongers buy and sell at 

 what rates they please." It is consequently enacted that 

 " no such practices shall be at any time hereafter used or 

 allowed " ; and that any person buying any quantity of fish 

 at Billingsgate to be divided among other persons and 

 afterwards retailed, and any fishmonger " ingrossing " any 

 quantity of fish except for his own use or sale, should be 

 liable to a penalty of 20. 



Subsequent acts increased the stringency of these pro- 

 visions. 9 Anne cap. 26, in its zeal for the prevention of 

 " regrating, forestalling and engrossing," by the sale of fish 

 "at unseasonable hours in the market of Billingsgate," 

 enacted that no fish should be sold before 3 A.M. from Lady 

 Day to Michaelmas, or before 5 A.M. from Michaelmas to 

 Lady Day. By 22 Geo. II. c. 49, interference with "free- 

 dom of contract " was carried still further, all contracts 

 between fishermen and fishmongers for the buying and sell- 

 ing of fish " to be sold again by retail before such fish shall 

 be brought to an open market " being declared void, with 

 the provision that one party to such a contract might 

 inform against the other, and that all bonds for not suing 

 for any penalty under the Act should be of no effect. Be- 

 sides this, a special clause was enacted to prevent fisher- 

 men and others from bringing their fish to some place in 

 the " River of Thames, and there keeping it for a consider- 

 able time and sending only small quantities from time to 

 time to market with a view to keep up the price of the 

 several species of fish . . . which practice will not only tend 

 to enhance the value of fish, but also to render it unwhole- 

 some food, to the great prejudice of the consumer as well as 



