418 
Market Rights and Tolls. 
That a Markets Rights Commissiou, to endure for such time as mav be 
necessary, and to be constituted in such manner as Parliament may deter- 
mine, be appointed to hear and decide all questions referred to or arising 
out of the foregolDg resolutions. 
It must be admitted that many rights have been proved to exist 
in England, Scotland, and Ireland, which nobody but an antiquarian 
or an interested ratepayer would attempt to defend. These are 
summed up in the sixth resolution as " Octrois, transit tolls, and all 
restraints whatsoever of an analogous character, on free sale, 
purchase, and carriage." Putting aside what I have already alluded 
to in regard to competitors with the market, there is very little 
doubt that these rights must go, and, as they are to be paid for, it 
is well that a Special Commission should be appointed to deal with 
them. 
Particular examples may be usefully cited. At Xewcastle an 
income of 5,5i\l. is obtained from a through toll which was 
originally granted for repairing the streets. The cost of such 
repairs is now provided for by a general rate, but the income is 
maintained for the purpose of relieWng the rates. These tolls are a 
nuisance to everybody, but there is a difficulty in abolishing them, 
because they have been mortgaged for 120,000/. (see p. 10 of 
Vol. IV.). Similar tolls exist at Carlisle and at Cork, the income 
derived from them in the first city being 1,2-56/. a year, and in the 
second 2, -370/. The corporations are naturally reluctant to give up 
these incomes, but they do not pretend to justify the toll which is 
" collected upon all goods, cattle, carts, waggons, «tc. ; or upon all 
kinds of grain and agricultural produce passing into one or other of 
these cities." The same remarks apply to the Shore Placks, or Plack 
Dues, at Dundee. This is a duty le\"ied upon all sorts of victuals or 
food, grain, flour, wheat, barlej-, oats, oatmeal, ttc. at the rate of Sd. 
a ten on all such goods loaded or unloaded in the port of Dundee 
(sec pp. 63 to 67 of the Report). This is obviously objectionable, 
and is one of the many difficulties which the Commission would havje to 
deal with. But whether the Market Monopoly be abolished or not, 
the Commission would certainly find occupation in determining the 
compensation to Ije paid by Local Authorities for the purchase of 
markets now in private hands, besides determining the principle on 
which charges in a market are to be made, as suggested in the 
sixteenth resolution. 
After the abolition of Monopoly Rights, by far the most im- 
portant conclusion is that all markets should as soon as possible 
pass into the hands of Local Authorities, and that when once in the 
hands of such authorities, they should not be given up to any other 
body. This subject is dealt with in the third, fourth, fifth, eleventh, 
and fourteenth resolutions, and has already been alluded to in the 
discussion of the monopoly principle. It has this point in its favour, 
that the Commissioners are unanimous about it, and the only question 
in dispute is as to whether Local Authorities should be compelled 
to purchase or be allowed to exercise their discretion. Four of the 
