Inspectors for exempt Juris

dictions.

Country Inspectors not to be Millers, Dealers, &c.

Country Inspectors to take

an Oath.

for that Purpose at any such Quarter Sessions, or at any Adjournment thereof, upon any Misbehaviour or Neglect of Duty of any such Inspector of Corn Returns as aforesaid, or for any other good and sufficient Cause to them appearing, to remove from such his Office any such Officer; and in case of the Sickness, Absence, or temporary Incapacity of any such Inspector of Corn Returns, it shall be lawful for any Two or more of the said Justices, at any Petty Sessions of the Peace to be holden at such City or Town, or within the County, Riding, or Division thereof in which the same is situate, to nominate and appoint a fit and proper Person to act as and be Inspector of Corn Returns for such City or Town until the next General Quarter Sessions of the Peace, to be holden as aforesaid, and no longer.

XV. Provided always, and be it further enacted, That within each and every of the Cities and Towns aforesaid (other than the City of London), being a County of itself, or having an exempt Jurisdiction, and not contributing to the Rates of the County, Riding, or Division in which the same is situate, the Mayor or other chief Officer, and the Justices of the Peace assembled at the General Quarter Sessions of any such City or Town, or at any Adjournment thereof, shall have, enjoy, and exercise all and every the Powers hereinbefore vested as aforesaid in the Justices of the Peace for the several and respective Counties, and Ridings or Divisions thereof, as aforesaid, assembled at their General Quarter Sessions; and such Mayor or other chief Officer shall, within such last-mentioned Cities and Towns, have, enjoy, and exercise the Powers hereinbefore vested as aforesaid in the Justices of the Peace for the said several and respective Counties, Ridings, or Divisions thereof, assembled at any Petty Sessions.

XVI. And be it further enacted, That no Person shall be eligible or shall be appointed to the Office of Inspector of Corn Returns under this Act, for any of the Cities and Towns aforesaid, who within Twelve Calendar Months next preceding the Time of any such Appointment hath been engaged in Trade or Business as a Miller, Maltster, or Corn Factor, or who during that Period hath, as a Merchant, Clerk, Agent, or otherwise, bought Corn for Sale, or for the Sale of Meal, Flour, Malt, or Bread made or to be made thereof; and if any Person, who shall in manner aforesaid be nominated and appointed to be the Inspector of Corn Returns for any such City or Town, shall during his Continuance in such Office engage in Trade or Business as a Miller, Maltster, or Corn Factor, or shall, as a Merchant, Clerk, Agent, or otherwise, buy Corn for Sale, or for the Sale of Meal, Flour, Malt, or Bread made or to be made thereof, he shall in manner aforesaid be removed from such his Office, and from and after the Time of such Removal shall become incapable of acting as an Inspector of Corn Returns under this Act.

XVII. And be it further enacted, That every Person so appointed Inspector of Corn Returns for any City or Town other than the City of London, shall, before he enters on the Discharge of the Duties of such his Office, take and subscribe, before some One Justice of the Peace for the County, Riding, Division, City, or Town within which he shall reside, the Oath, or, being one of the People called Quakers, the Affirmation following (which

Oath

Oath or Affirmation all such Justices are hereby authorized and required to administer); (that is to say),

4. B. do swear [or affirm], That I will at all Times, as In- Form of Oath. spector of Corn Returns for the City [or Town] of

make due and true Returns to the Comptroller of Corn Returns appointed by virtue of an Act passed in the Eighth Year of the Reign of King George the Fourth, intituled [here set forth the Title of this Act] of the Quantities and Prices of British Corn in the said City [or Town] of

according to the Accounts to be delivered to me in pursuance of the said Act; and that I will in all Things, to the best of my Skill and Judgment, conform myself to the Directions of the " said Act.'

XVIII. And be it further enacted, That every Nomination and Appointment so to be made as aforesaid, of any Inspector of Corn Returns for any of the Cities and Towns aforesaid, other than the City of London, shall be enrolled at some Sessions of the Peace to be holden in such Cities and Towns respectively, or in the respective Counties, Ridings, or Divisions thereof, in which such Towns are situate, or at some Adjournment of such Sessions, together with a Certificate of the Oath aforesaid having been taken by such Inspector of Corn Returns, such Certificate being signed by the Justice of the Peace before whom such Oath shall have been so taken; and the said Enrolment, or a Copy thereof certified under the Hand of the Clerk of the Peace for any such City or Town, County, Riding, or Division, shall for all Intents and Purposes be and be deemed and taken to be good and conclusive Evidence of any such Appointment as aforesaid having been duly made.

XIX. And be it further enacted, That every Person who shall deal in British Corn at or within any such City or Town as aforesaid, or who shall at or within any such City or Town engage in or carry on the Trade or Business of a Corn Factor, Miller, Maltster, Brewer, or Distiller, or who shall be the Owner or Proprietor, or Part Owner or Proprietor, of any Stage Coaches, Waggons, Carts, or other Carriages carrying Goods or Passengers for Hire, to and from any such City or Town, and each and every Person who, as a Merchant, Clerk, Agent, or otherwise, shall purchase at any such City or Town any British Corn for Sale, or for the Sale of Meal, Flour, Malt, or Bread made or to be made thereof, shall, before he or she shall so deal in British Corn at any such City or Town, or shall engage in or carry on any such Trade or Business as aforesaid, or shall purchase any British Corn for any such Purpose as aforesaid, at or within any such City or Town, make and deliver, in manner hereinafter mentioned, a Declaration in the following Words; (that is to say,)

A. B. do hereby declare, That the Returns to be by me made conformably to the Act passed in the Eighth Year of the Reign of King George the Fourth, intituled [here set forth the Title of this Act] of the Quantities and Prices of British Corn which henceforward shall by or for me be bought, shall to the best of my Knowledge and Belief contain the whole Quantity, and no more, of the British Corn bona fide bought for or by me within the Periods to which such Returns respectively shall

refer,

Country Inspector's Appointment, and Certificate, to be enrolled.

with the Oath

Corn Factors, Brewers, Carriers, &c. beTrade to make fore carrying on the following Declaration.

Magistrates to deliver Certifi

cate thereof to Inspector.

Inspector empowered to require such Declaration.

Returns.

' refer, with the Prices of such Corn, and the Names of the Sellers respectively; and to the best of my Judgment the said Returns 'shall in all respects be conformable to the Provisions of the said Act.'

Which Declaration shall be in Writing, and shall be subscribed with the Hand of the Person so making the same, and shall by him or her, or by his or her Agent, be delivered to the Mayor or Chief Magistrate, or to some Justice of the Peace for such City or Town, or for the County, Riding, or Division in which the same is situate, who are hereby required to deliver a Certificate thereof to the Inspector of Corn Returns for any such City or Town as aforesaid, to be by him registered in a Book to be by him provided and kept for that Purpose.

XX. And be it further enacted, That it shall and may be lawful for any Inspector of Corn Returns for the City of London, or for such other City or Town as aforesaid, to serve upon and any deliver to any Person buying or selling Corn in any such City or Town, and who is not within the Terms and Meaning of this present Act specially required to make any such Declaration as aforesaid, a Notice in Writing under the Hand of such Inspector, requiring him to make such Declaration as aforesaid; and any Person upon whom such Notice shall be served as aforesaid shall and he is hereby required to comply with such Notice, and to make such Declaration in such and the same Manner in all respects as if he or she had been specially required to make the same by the express Provision of this present Act.

XXI. And be it further enacted, That all Persons who are hereinbefore required to make, and who shall have made such Declaration as aforesaid, shall and they are hereby required, on the first Market Day which shall be holden in each and every Week within each and every such City or Town as aforesaid, at or within which they shall respectively deal in Corn, or engage in or carry on any such Trade or Business as aforesaid, or purchase any Corn for any such Purpose as aforesaid, to return or cause to be returned to the Inspector of Corn Returns for such City or Town an Account in Writing, signed with their Names respectively, of the Amount of each and every Parcel of each respective Sort of British Corn so by them respectively bought during the Week ending on and including the Day next preceding such first Market Day as aforesaid, with the Price thereof, and by what Weight or Measure the same was so bought by them, with the Names of the Sellers of each of the said Parcels respecttively, with the Names of the Person or Persons, if any, other than the Person making such Return, for or on account of whom the same was so bought and sold; and it shall and may be lawful for any such Inspector of Corn Returns to deliver to any Person making or tendering any such Return a Notice in Writing requiring him or her to declare and set forth therein where and by whom and in what Manner any such British Corn was delivered to him or her; and every Person to whom any such Notice shall be so delivered shall, and he or she is hereby required to comply therewith, and to declare and set forth in such his or her Return, or in a separate Statement in Writing, the several Par

ticulars aforesaid.

XXII. And

receives a satis

factory Declaration of.

XXII. And be it further enacted, That no Inspector of Corn Inspector only Returns in the City of London, nor in any of the Towns aforesaid, to include such shall include in the Returns so to be made by them as aforesaid Sales as he to the Comptroller of Corn Returns, any Account of Sales or Purchases of Corn, unless such Inspector shall have received satisfactory Proof that the Person or Persons tendering such Account hath made the Declaration hereinbefore required, and hath delivered the same to the Mayor or Chief Magistrate, or to some Justice of the Peace of the City or Town for which such Inspector shall be so appointed to act, or to some Justice of the Peace for the County, Riding, or Division in which such City or Town is situate.

XXIII. And be it further enacted, That every such Inspector Inspector's of Corn Returns for the City of London, and for the several other Returns. Cities and Towns aforesaid, shall duly and regularly enter in a Book to be by him provided and kept for that Purpose, the several Accounts of the Quantities and Prices of Corn returned to him by such Persons respectively as aforesaid; and every such Inspector of Corn Returns for the City of London, and for the several other Cities and Towns aforesaid, shall, in each and every Week, return to the Comptroller of Corn Returns an Account of the Weekly Quantities and Prices of the several Sorts of British Corn sold in the City or Town for which he is appointed Inspector, according to the Returns so made to him as aforesaid, and in such Form as shall be from time to time prescribed and directed by the said Comptroller of Corn Returns; and the said Returns shall be so made to the said Comptroller by the Inspector of Corn Returns for the City of London on Saturday in each Week, and by the Inspector of Corn Returns for the several other Cities and Towns as aforesaid within Three Days next after the first Market Day holden in each and every Week in any such City or Town.

XXIV. And for the Purpose of ascertaining the aggregate Mode of ascerAverage Prices of British Corn by which the Admission of taining Average Foreign Corn for Home Consumption into the United Kingdom Prices. from Parts beyond the Seas is to be regulated, be it further enacted, That the Average Prices of all British Corn, by which the Importation of all Foreign Corn, Meal, or Flour, for Home Consumption, shall in future be regulated, shall be made up and computed at Four Quarterly Periods in each and every Year, in manner following; (that is to say), the said Receiver of Corn Returns shall, within Seven Days after the Fifteenth Day of February, the Fifteenth Day of May, the Fifteenth Day of August, and the Fifteenth Day of November, in each Year, add together the Total Quantities of each Sort of British Corn, and also the Total Prices for which the same were sold, as shall appear from the Returns received by the said Receiver of Corn Returns in the Six last Weeks immediately preceding the said Fifteenth Day of February, Fifteenth Day of May, Fifteenth Day of August, Fifteenth Day of November, in each Year, and shall divide the said Total Prices by the said Total Quantities of each respective Sort of Corn, and the Sum produced thereby shall be deemed and taken to be the aggregate Average Price of each such Sort of Corn in and for the Six Weeks immediately pre7 & 8 GEO. IV.

Ff

ceding

Average Prices to be published in Gazette and transmitted to Officers of Customs.

ForTwo Weeks after the pass

the Duties

shall be regu

ceding the above-mentioned Periods respectively, by which the Importation of Foreign Corn, Meal, and Flour, for Home Consumption, or the taking out the same from the Warehouse, for Home Consumption, shall be governed and regulated in the United Kingdom.

XXV. And be it further enacted, That the said Receiver of Corn Returns shall enter the said Accounts of the aggregate Average Prices of each Sort of British Corn in a Book, as soon as he shall have made up and computed the same in the Manner hereinbefore directed, and shall at the same Time cause the same to be published in the London Gazette, and shall transmit a Certificate thereof to the Collector or Chief Officer of the Customs at each of the several Ports of Great Britain, and to the Commissioners of Customs in Ireland, who are hereby required forthwith to transmit Copies thereof to the Collectors or other Chief Officers of the Customs in the several Ports in Ireland; and the Importation of each Sort of Foreign Corn, Meal and Flour, for Home Consumption in the United Kingdom, and the taking the same out of Warehouse for the Purpose of being so consumed, shall be governed and regulated by the said aggregate Average Prices, until new Average Prices shall, under the Provisions of the said above-recited Act of the Fifty fifth Year of His said late Majesty, or under the Provisions of this Act, be made up and computed, and a Certificate thereof be received by such Collectors or other Chief Officers.

XXVI. Provided always, and be it further enacted, That for the Space of Two Weeks next after the passing of this present ing of this Act Act the Amount of the Duties payable to His Majesty upon Corn imported into the United Kingdom from Parts beyond the Seas shall be regulated by the last aggregate Average Price of British Corn which shall have been made up and published under and in pursuance of the Act so passed as aforesaid in the First and Second Year of His Majesty's Reign.

lated according to recited Act.

The present Inspectors, &c. to perform their

Duties until Appointments under this Act.

XXVII. And Whereas some Time must necessarily elapse after this Act shall have come into operation before Inspectors of Corn Returns for the City of London, and the several other 'Cities and Towns aforesaid, can be appointed by virtue of this

Act; Be it further enacted, That each and every Inspector of Corn Returns, or other Person who, at or immediately before the Time when this Act shall come into operation, shall hold an Appointment as Inspector of Corn Returns, or any other Appointment under and by virtue of the Act so passed as aforesaid in the First and Second Year of His Majesty's Reign, or who shall be discharging any Duties required of him by such lastmentioned Act, shall and he is hereby authorized and required forthwith to act as Inspector of Corn Returns under and by virtue of this present Act, and to discharge the several Duties of and belonging to such his former Appointment, in such and the same Manner, and as fully and effectually, to all Intents and Purposes, as if he had been appointed to be such Inspector of Corn Returns, or had held any such other Appointment as aforesaid under and by virtue of this present Act, until a new Inspector of Corn Returns shall be appointed, and until he or some other Person shall be nominated under this present Act to perform and discharge the Duties theretofore performed and dis

charged