as distributed to the poor by the overseers, in a certain proportion of their parochial relief. It is more peculiarly desirable that such societies should be formed in the metropolis, and such other places as are situated at the mouths of great rivers, and form the centres of extensive inland navigations, such as Liver'pool, Bristol, Hull, and Lynn. allowed, your Committee have examined some of the officers of revenue most conversant with the subject; and from their testimony, supported by the evidence given to former committees, it results, that sixty-five pounds of salt are sufficient to preserve a cran of herrings, during the voyage from the Forth to any part of the coast of England, and for some weeks after their arrival, and to allow in ordinary cases for such waste as is unavoidable. This allowance your Committee therefore recommend as proper to be granted, by the express provisions of an act of parlia ment. An additional encouragement will be given, by relieving persons, disposed to engage in this adventure, from the apprehension of | being pressed into his majesty's naval service. Your Committee therefore think it highly expedient, that persons willing to proceed to the Frith of Forth should be protected against the impress, both during their passage to the Forth, their employment in the fishery, and their return, if effected within a reasonable time. An order to this effect has been already given by the board of Admiralty; but your Committee think it may be adviseable to establish this protection by act of parliament. In order to encourage the greatest number of adventurers to repair to the Forth, directions have been given by the Treasury to the officers of the customs on the eastern coast of the island, to give notice to all fishers, or other persons owning boats capable of being so employed, of the great profit to be derived from that fishery, and of the indulgences proposed to be granted to them, and to procure a conveyance to Leith for such as are willing to engage in it. And two officers of the revenue, particularly conversant in this business, have been dispatched to those parts of the coast, for the same purposes, with directions to purchase, and send to Leith, the nets of such fishermen as they may not be able to induce to repair there. But the obtaining from the sea as large a stock of fish as can by any means be procured, though an essential, is by no means the only object requiring the attention of parliament in this branch of the inquiries of your Committee. The most abundant supply may, to a great degree, be rendered useless, so far as the internal provision of the country is concerned, unless proper means are employed to regulate its distribution and arrangement, and to remove the prejudices which at first usually oppose the introduction of a new article of food. This, your Committee think, will be best effected by the activity of voluntary associations of individuals, who may provide a supply suited to the wants of their respective districts, and promote its consumption by their persuasion and example. In all considerable towns, a weekly supply may be provided, and retailed to the inhabitants in general, as well | By forming considerable stores in each of those places, and such others as may be found most convenient for general communication, and by a correspondence established between the societies at each of those central places, and those of the surrounding district, the demands of every part of the country may be regularly supplied. And your Committee have the satisfaction to find, that, even previous to their inquiries into this subject, an association formed for other very useful purposes, the "Society for bettering the condition of the Poor," had undertaken, in London, the execution of a plan similar to what is here recommended; and that, as far as their operations have yet extended, they have met with all the success which could be reasonably hoped for, and have obtained a degree of public countenance and approbation, which strongly marks a general disposition to forward designs of this nature, as well as others of active benevolence. But, as the execution of such plans, on the extensive scale here pointed out, will necessarily, in the first instance, require an advance of capital beyond what can reasonably be expected from the voluntary efforts of individuals, even where they have a fair prospect of being ultimately repaid, your Committee think it essential, in order that the public may reap from them all the advantages which they appear capable of affording, that public aid, by a temporary advance of money, should be furnished, in such places as are most convenient, for the formation of large deposits. There is also a fishery carried on in the western parts of the kingdom, from which some supply of pilchards may be expected, to a limited extent. The season for this fishery is at present over; and your Committee are informed, that about 10,000 barrels of this fish are now cured, and ready for exportation. As they have been prepared in expectation of the bounties granted by former acts of parliament, your Committee do not think it would be just to the adventurers to deprive them of this bounty, by prohibiting the exportation; but, in order to remove the temptation of carrying to a foreign market such proportion of the fish so cured as may find any demand at home, they beg leave to recommend to the House, that the bounty to which the adventurers are now entitled, upon the exportation of the pilchards actually prepared for that purpose, should be paid to them, notwithstanding such pilchards should not be exported. This measure will bring no additional charge upon the public, as the money is already due; but it inay operate in retain ing for the subsistence of those parts of the kingdom which are furthest removed from the herring fishery, a supply of cheap and wholesome food of the same nature. | the provisions of an act made in the last session of parliament, intituled, “An Act to pro"hibit, until the expiration of six weeks after "the commencement of the next session of "parliament, any person or persons from "selling any bread which shall not have been Your Committee have received information, that, at the period when the herring fishery must be expected to end, the mackarel" baked a certain time," should be continued, fishery begins on the western and southern coast of England; and they have every reason to believe, that a very considerable supply of inackarel may be obtained in succession to the herrings. Your Committee will proceed in investigating this subject more particularly; and if their present expectation shall appear to be well founded, they will suggest to the House the expediency of affording the same encouragement and advantage to this fishery, as they propose to the House now to give to the herring fishery. Dec. 12. The said Report being taken into consideration, the House came to the following Resolutions: 1. "That it is expedient to allow the use of salt duty free, for the purpose of preserving herrings in bulk, for a time to be limited. 2. That the bounty allowed on pilchards cured and exported, be allowed on all pilchards now cured, whether exported, or sold for home consumption. 3. That persons engaged in the herring fishery, or in going to or returning from the said fishery, should be protected from being impressed into his majesty's service, for a time to be limited." Third Report of the Commons' Committee on the High Price of Provisions.] Dec. 15. Mr. Ryder brought up the following Report: THIRD REPORT FROM THE COMMITTEE APPOINTED ΤΟ CONSIDER OF THE HIGH PRICE OF PROVISIONS. The Committee appointed to consider of the present high price of provisions, and to whom so much of his majesty's most gracious speech from the throne to both Houses of Parliament as relates thereto, and also the several petitions presented to the House complaining of the high price of provisions, were referred : Have further proceeded in the matters to them referred, and have come to the following resolutions: 1. That an act made in the 36th year of his present majesty, intituled, "An "Act to permit bakers to make and sell cer"tain sorts of bread," should be repealed. 2. That in order to make more effectual provision for that purpose, it is expedient to allow mixed bread, and every species of wheaten bread, except the bread made of fine household flour, to be made and sold without assize. 3. That with such amendments as may make the same more effectual. 4. That it is expedient to allow the use of salt duty-free, for the purpose of preserving pilchards, mackarel, and every other kind and species of wholesome fish, either in bulk or in barrels, for a limited time. The three first Resolutions were agreed to by the House. The consideration of the fourth resolution was postponed. Fourth Report of the Commons' Committee on the High Price of Provisions.] Dec. 17. Mr. Ryder brought up the following Report: FOURTH REPORT FROM THE COMMITTEE ON THE HIGH PRICE OF PROVISIONS. The Committee appointed to consider of the present high price of provisions, and to whom so much of his majesty's most gracious speech from the throne to both Houses of Parliament as relates thereto, and also the several petitions presented to the House complaining of the high price of provisions, were referred : Have further proceeded in the matters to them referred, and have agreed upon the following report, viz. One of the most important objects which has engaged the attention of your Committee, has been the consideration of the different modes of dressing wheat, with a view to ascertain whether, by any alteration in the same, any considerable addition could be made to that proportion of the produce which is now applied to the immediate subsistence of the people. This subject has been at various times under the consideration of committees of this House, and of the legislature. majesty's reign, by which magistrates were An act was passed in the 13th year of his empowered, at their discretion, to set the and thereby to prohibit the making of all assize upon standard wheaten bread alone, other sorts of bread; but as the assize tables contained in that act were so drawn that the profit to the baker was far more considerable upon the fine wheaten bread than upon that of a coarser sort, the act has proved ineffectual. The use of bread made of wheat, from which only 5 lbs. of the bran had been excluded, was one of the means of reducing the consumption of wheat specified in the engagement which was entered into by the House in December 1795 for that purpose; and an act was then passed for allowing bakers to make such bread (as well as bread in the coarsest of all wheaten bread, that which is made of the whole produce of the grain without any separation. Specimens of this bread have been produced to your committee, and appeared palatable, wholesome, and nutritious. But though bread of this sort may be introduced with great advantage, where the wheat is well harvested and of good quality, and in such cases the saving may be computed at not less than one-third, yet your committee are induced, by several consider. ations, not to recommend this as the only mode of preparing that species of grain. They are informed, that in some cases where wheat has been very ill harvested, or is much da maged, it can only be made fit for use by a separation of the outward coat or husk; the coarse bran which is retained in this kind of bread, contains less nutriment than the other parts of the grain, and may render the food not only less palatable, but less likely to agree for a time with persons unaccustomed to it, than the bread now recommended, from which the coarse bran is excluded. It may also be made of different species of grain) without being subject to the regulations of assize. The committee, which sat in the beginning of the present year, employed much time and labour in the investigation of this matter. But although the result of their deliberations, as stated in their first report, was, that they were not satisfied that any saving would arise proportionate to the disadvantages which would in the first instance attend prohibiting the millers from making any sort of flour, except one which contained a larger proportion of the grain than is now in use; yet they state, in a subsequent report, that they are strongly impressed with the advantage which might result from the consumption of bread made of the whole meal, and recommend that an assize should be framed so as to promote the use thereof. A bill was brought in for that and other purposes in the last session; but as the subject required great length of examination, and as many difficulties occurred in parts of it, the bill was at that time relinquished. From the failure of the measures of permis-apprehended, that if no flour or meal of a finer sion and recommendation which have been adopted upon former occasions, in order to introduce the consumption of a more economical species of bread, it appears evident to your committee, that no sufficient reliance can be placed upon the repetition of similar measures, as adequate to afford material relief in the present emergency; and they are deeply impressed with the persuasion, that a degree of advantage which was not thought upon those occasions a sufficient inducement to adopt any particular measure, may become so upon the present; and that difficulties, which then deserved to have considerable weight, are now entitled to much less attention. This observation applies still more forcibly to the species of bread which your committee now propose to recommend; as the degree of advantage to be derived from it, is much greater than could be expected from adopting that species of bread, of which the last-mentioned committee declined to recommend that the consumption should be enforced by any positive law. Your Committee,under these circumstances, have thought it their duty both to refer to the evidence collected by former committees, and to institute such farther inquiries as the time would allow, and as appeared necessary to enable them to form such an opinion as they could presume to submit to the judgment of the House. The advantage to be procured by dressing wheat in a manner different from that which is practised for the supply of London, and of other places where the fine household bread is consumed, appears to be of two kinds. It arises from the production of a greater quantity of materials for bread from a given measure of wheat, and of a greater quantity of bread from a given weight of materials. Both these causes operate most powerfully sort than the whole meal were allowed to be made, it would prove a considerable discouragement to one of the most useful methods of economy, the use of bread made of other kinds of grain mixed in different proportions with wheat; such mixtures, though capable of producing excellent bread when the grain has been so dressed as to exclude the broad bran only, are rendered less palatable by the introduction of that article. It is, however, of the greatest importance, that as large a portion of the grain should be introduced into food, as is consistent with the use of wheat of different qualities, and with the mixture of wheat with other grain. This appears to be effected by the use of what is called an 8s. 9d. seamed cloth, or a patent cloth No. 2, which excludes only the broad bran, weighing about 5lbs. or 6lbs. in a bushel of wheat. Bread of this description includes all the finer parts of the wheat, and excludes the outward husk. It is little inferior, except in colour, to the white bread, and is far superior in every respect to the bread containing none of the finer parts, which forms the food of those countries from whence London is supplied with flour. In point of economy, this species of bread comes nearest to that which is made of the whole meal, producing an addition of somewhat more than one-fifth to the bread which would be made in the ordinary mode from an equal quantity of wheat. This calculation is made on a supposition, that, in the ordinary mode of dividing the grain, the whole of what is called weighing stuff, comprising the seconds, thirds, and middlings, as well as the fine flour, is made into bread or biscuit. Supposing the quantity of various kinds of grain consumed in bread in England to amount to nine millions of quarters, and that one third of this quantity is made into fine bread, the saving which will be made in and that the period necessary for enabling the millers to dispose of their present stock, and to arrange their machinery for the new mode of working, will not require a notice of many weeks previous to the proposed measure being enforced. nine months, by the use of the kind of bread here proposed, will be no less than 450,000 quarters, or about three weeks consumption of that part of the kingdom. When the reality as well as the necessity of this saving is made apparent to the people, it may be expected that their good sense will easily reconcile them to the use of a species of bread, which long experience, in a great part of the country, has proved to be wholesome and nutritious, especially when they understand how great a reduction must be produced by this regulation in the price of the quartern loaf. By a general prohibition of the use of finer flour unmixed, all ranks and orders of society will be called upon to sacrifice to the public good any reluctance or prejudice, and to make an united effort to relieve the general pressure; and it will be in the power of individuals, or associations of the community, to facilitate the execution of this measure, as well as to anticipate its benefits in some degree, by adopting, as soon as it can be procured, the use of such bread as is here recommended in their own families, and introducing it, by their example and influence, into their respective neighbourhoods. Your Committee have not thought it necessary to state the saving which might arise from the use of the standard wheaten or any other species of bread, finer than that which is here recommended, because they consider the necessity of the case to be such as calls for strong and effectual remedies, and because they think the introduction of the other sorts into general use would be in no respect easier than that of the bread here recommended, and would not be attended with the same degree of advantage. Your Committee are of opinion, that, under the present circumstances, it is necessary that an assize table should be formed for this species of bread, previous to requiring its introduction, and the exclusion of all bread made of a finer meal. The shortness of the time for which this session of parliament can continue would not admit of completing such a table with perfect accuracy. But although farther experiments may be necessary for ultimately attaining that object, your committee are satisfied, from the evidence they have received, that no considerable difficulty will attend the forming immediately a table sufficiently correct to prevent any material in convenience. They are desirous that such table should be so constructed as to ensure at least as large a profit to the baker, for the manufacture of each sack of meal into bread, as he now receives. Your committee have also the satisfaction of finding from the evidence of several respectable millers, that this alteration will be productive of no inconvenience to their trade, but will tend to make their process easier and cheaper; that the wires or cloths necessary for the proposed mode of dressing wheat and other grain are either now in use or may be readily prepared; * Your Committee are strongly of opinion, that it will be expedient, without delay, to prohibit, from a day to be fixed, the manufacture of flour or meal from wheat or any other grain finer than that which is dressed through an 8s. 6d seamed cloth, or a patent cloth. No. 2, or such wire machine as produces the same effect; and to prohibit also, from a day to be fixed, the use of any bread finer than what is made of such meal; and that in the mean time it is expedient, as your committee have already represented to the House, to permit all kinds of bread, except such fine bread as that upon which the assize is at present set, to be made and sold without being subject to the regulation of assize. It also appears expedient, that when the new assize shall be established, and the use of fine bread prohibited, permission should still be given to make any bread of inferior price, either from the whole meal of wheat, or with a mixture of wheat and rye, barley, oats, rice, or any other wholesome grain, without assize. By this means a still farther economy of wheat may be produced in such parts of the country as may adopt the use of such mixed bread; and from different specimens produced to your committee, it appears, as before stated, that wheaten meal, of the same quality as is here recommended, will make excellent bread, with a mixture of other species of grain. The use of such mixed bread will also afford the means of bringing into con sumption such fine flour as may be obtained by importation, as well as any small quantities which may be left in the hands of the millers, subsequent to the time when the use of fine bread will be prohibited. Dec. 18. The House took into consideration the preceding Report, and came to the following Resolution: "That it is expedient to prohibit the manufacture of four or meal from wheat or any other grain, finer than that which is dressed through an 8s. 6d. seamed cloth, or a patent cloth No. 2, or such wire machine as produces the same effect; and also to prohibit the use of any bread finer or dearer than what is made of wheaten meal so dressed." Fifth Report of the Commons' Committee on the High Price of Provisions.] Dec. 18, Mr. Ryder brought up the following Report: FIFTH REPORT FROM THE COMMITTEE AP POINTED ΤΟ CONSIDER OF THE HIGH PRICE OF PROVISIONS. for parochial relief, are necessarily reduced, through the inadequacy of the funds provided ments to your Committee, by which it appears, for them. The officers have given in statethat they are not able to grant pecuniary aid to so much as one-tenth part of those perthey resided in other parishes; and also, that sons, who would be likely now to receive it, if to the few whom they relieve, on account of their being entirely out of work, they give only about one-fifth or one-sixth part of the sum commonly granted in London to persons in like circumstances. It is also stated, that the workhouses are at this time exceedingly crowded. The Committee appointed to consider of the present high price of provisions, and to whom so much of his majesty's most gracious Speech from the throne to both Houses of Parliament, as relates thereto; and also the several petitions presented to the House, complaining of the high price of Provisions, were referred :— Have, in proceeding in the matters to them referred, received from certain parishes in the immediate neighbourhood of the city of London, representations of the extreme difficulties under which they at this time labour, through the very great number of poor, who are induced to reside in those parishes by the cheapness of lodging, occasioned by the general smallness of the tenements, and by the impossibility of finding suitable accommodations in the richer and more central parts of the metropolis. The parishes from which these representations have come to your committee, are those of St. Matthew, Bethnal-green, Mile End New Town, and Chirst-church, Spitalfields, which are contiguous to each other. The poor-rates in this district, which stand now, subject to abatements as to some of the smaller houses, at between four and six shillings in the pound, appear to be not materially higher than those of several other parishes; but, though the rates are not higher, it is evident to your committee, from the facts laid before them, that the pressure on the inhabitants must be much more than commonly severe, since they consist very generally of persons, in either low or very moderate circumstances, a great proportion of whom, if residing in other parts of the town, would be wholly excused. It is stated to your Committee, that in Mile End New Town, out of 630 houses which are assessed to the poor-rates, no less than 529 are supposed to pay a yearly rent of only 117. and under, and 73 others to pay a rent of only 191. and under. It is also stated, that of the remaining 28 houses in that parish, 20 pay a rent of less than 28l., five of 351. and under, two (of which the Spitalfields workhouse is one) a rent of about 70%. and one only, being a warehouse, a rent of 280l. The whole annual rental of this parish, charged to the poor-rates, amounts to no more than 6,167. Among these houses, nevertheless, are included many which pay a rent of less than 31. per annum. The proportion of small houses, or of houses divided into small lodgings, in the two other parishes, is represented as also great; and the deficiencies in the collection of the present poor-rates of all the three, are large and increasing, and the debt of each is considerable. The point, however, to which your Committee would more particularly call the im mediate attention of the House, is the very great distress to which the poor of these parishes, who are obliged to make application [VOL. XXXV.] The rental of all these parishes charged to the poor-rates, which it is usual to do according to the rack rent, is about 60,000l. the rental of the metropolis (if by that term is understood the district lying within the bills of mortality, together with the parishes of St. Pancras and St. Mary-le-bone) may be estimated at about fifty times that sum, or at ahout three millions. The number of persons in the three parishes, who are of the poorer class, and are not now relieved, are computed at between 16 and 17,000, forming unquestionably a larger portion of the poorer labourers and manufacturers of various descriptions, who work both for the city and for other parts of the town. In order to relieve the peculiar pressure on this body of persons arising from the circumstances which have been represented, it is obvious that a considerable sum will be necessary; and it is also certain, that this necessary sum cannot be obtained by additional burthens on the parishes themselves, since it has been lately found that every advancement of the rates, causes an almost proportionate deficiency in the receipts, by producing, in a short time, an absolute necessity for allowing a material increase in the exemptions. Your Committee, in proceeding to consider the remedy for the evil which they have stated, have adverted to a clause in the act of the 43rd year of the reign of queen Elizabeth, intituled, "An Act for the Relief of the Poor;" by which it is enacted, that "if the justices," charged with the execution of that act, shall "perceive that the inhabit. ants of any parish are not able to levy among themselves sufficient sums of money for the purposes of the act, that then two justices may tax, rate, and assess, as aforesaid, any other of other parishes, or out of any parish within the hundred where the said parish is, to pay such sum and sums of money to the churchwardens and overseers of the said poor parish, for the said purposes, as the said justices shall think fit; and if the said hundred shall not be thought by the said justices, able and fit to relieve the said several parishes, not able to provide for themselves as aforesaid, then the justices of peace, at their general quarter sessions, or the greater number of them, shall rate and assess, as aforesaid, [3 G J |
