WHEREAS it appertaineth to Iu­stice, That to all Men be uprightly given true Weight and Measure;

And whereas, for the more indif­ferent and just Weighing of Goods and Merchandizes, which used to be Bought and Sold by Weight, within the City of LONDON and Liberties thereof, there are, [Page 2] and from the time, whereof the Memory of Man is not to the contrary, there have been certain Com­mon Beams, within the said City and Liberties thereof commonly called the KING's BEAMS, at which there are and have been (during all the time aforesaid) certain sworn Offices who by the Duty of their Places have used, and ought con­stantly to attend for the Weighing of such Goods and Merchandizes.

And whereas the Office of TRONAGE, or Weighing of all Goods and Merchandizes within the said City and Liberties thereof as well by Custom time out of mind, as by several ancient Charters and Acts of Parliament, is confirmed unto and vested in the Mayor and Commonal [...], and Citizens of the said City.

And whereas all Goods and Merchandizes, of all Foreigners not being Free of the said City, which have been Sold or Bartered within the said City or Liberties, to any Person or Persons what­soever, as well Freemen as others, ought and during all the time aforesaid have been accustom­ed to be Weighed at one of the said [...]ams, at or before the Sale or Delivery thereof.

And whereas divers Foreigners of late time not minding or regarding the good and wholsom Customs of the said City; but out of a Covetous desire, by sinister ways and unlawful means, to promote their own private Interests, have of­tentimes Sold and Delivered such their Goods and Merchandizes within the said City, as well to Freemen of the said City as others, by other Weights and Beams, without weighing the same at any of the said Common Beams, whereby many Frauds, Injuries and Deceits have hapned and [Page 3] been committed: And the better to palliate their Offence and avoid suspicion, do sometimes by Confederacy and Practice with some Freemen of the said City, cause Fraudulent and Clandestine Sales to be made of such their Goods and Mer­chandizes to Freemen of the said City, before the same Goods or Merchandizes do come to the said City or Liberties thereof, contrary to the Oaths of such Freemen, and sometimes do mix their Goods with the Goods of other Persons that are Free of the said City, that so the distinct proper­ty of the Goods of Foreigners, may not be known from those of Freemen: And other times do procure Freemen to be Partners with them in such Goods and Merchandizes, who many times have but a small and inconsiderable Share there­in; and upon such and other like fraudulent means and pretences, hold themselves discharged from the Duty of Weighing such Goods at any of the said Beams, whereas in truth they are not, nor ought by any such Colour or Pre­tence to be in any sort excused or discharged, of or from the said Duty.

For remedy whereof, It is hereby Enacted, Ordained and Declared by the Lord Mayor, Al­dermen and Commons of the City of London in Common Council assembled, and by the Authority of the same; That all Goods, Wares and Mer­chandizes of any Person or Persons being a Fo­reigner or Foreigners, and not Free of this City, of what kind soever usually Bought and Sold by Weight, at any time after the first day of January next ensuing, which shall be within or brought to the said City or Liberties thereof, and shall be Sold or Bartered to any Freeman or Freemen of the said City, or to any other Person or Persons whatsoever, within the said [Page 4] City or Liberties thereof, shall at, or before the Delivery thereof to the Buyer, or any other Person or Persons, for his use, be Weighed at the said Common Beams, or one af them, upon pain of forfeiture of Thirteen shillings and Four pence for every Five hundred weight of such Wares and Merchandizes, to be paid by the Seller or Barterer thereof, and so after the same Rate for every greater or lesser quantity.

And for the further prevention of all Fraudu­lent and Clandestine Dealings, which may hereafter be practised by any Freeman or Freemen of the said City, Foreigner or Foreigners in Buying of, or Bartering for Goods or Merchandizes of Foreigners and Strangers without the Freedom of the said City, to the intent to avoid the Duty of weighing such Goods and Merchandizes at the said Common Beams, and the reasonable Duty to be paid for the same: Be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That if any Sale shall be made by any such Foreigner or Foreigners, to any Freeman or Freemen of the said City, of any such Goods or Merchandizes, before the same Goods or Merchandizes come to this City, or the Liberties thereof, whereby they avoid the just Weighing such Goods or Merchandizes at one of the said Beams, and the Duty for Weighing thereof; and such Goods and Merchandizes shall afterwards come to this City or the Liberties there­of, and shall after the said first day of January be Sold or Bartered, and delivered by such Fo­reigner or Foreigners, Freeman or Freemen, to any other Person or Persons whatsoever, within the said City or Liberties thereof; Then such Goods or Merchandizes shall, at or before the Deli­very thereof to such Person or Persons so Buy­ing the same, be Weighed at the said Common [Page 5] Beams called the King's Beams, or at one of them, up­on pain to forfeit Thirteen shillings and Four pence, for every Five hundred weight, of such Wares or Merchandizes, to be paid by the Seller or Bar­terer thereof, and so after that Rate for a greater or lesser quantity, notwithstanding any such Sale as aforesaid,

And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That if any Freeman or Freemen of this City, to whom such fraudulent Sale of such Goods or Merchandizes shall be made, as aforesaid; shall wittingly or willingly after the said first day of January, put in Vre, Iustifie or Endeavour to Maintain such Fraudulent Sale, to the intent to avoid the said just Weighing such Goods and Merchandizes, and the Duty to be paid for the same; Then every such Freeman shall forfeit for every such Offence the Sum of Five pounds.

And it is hereby further Enacted and Decla­red, That if any such Goods or Merchandizes, of any Freeman or Freemen of this City, shall be mixed with the Goods and Merchandizes of any Foreigner or Foreigners not Free of this City; so that the distinct Property and Proportion of each of them cannot be known and distinguished from other, and such Goods or Merchandizes so mixed and not divided, being within the said City or Liberties, shall at any time after the said first day of January, be Sold or Bartered within the same by such Freeman or Freemen, Foreigner or Foreigners, or by any, or either of them, to any other Person or Persons, before any Par­tition, Division or Seperation be thereof made; Then all such Goods and Merchandizes, as well of such Freeman or Freemen, as of such Fo­reigner [Page 6] or Foreigners shall, at or before the Deli­very thereof to any other Person or Persons so Buying the same, be Weighed at the said Com­mon Beams, called the King's Beams, or at one of them; or in default thereof, as well the Buyer as the Seller thereof, shall each of them forfeit and pay the Sum of Thirteen shillings and Four pence for every Five hundred weight of such Wares and Merchandizes, and so after that Race for a greater or lesser quantity, as aforesaid.

And it is further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That all such Goods and Merchan­dizes usually Sold by weight, whereof any Freeman or Freemen shall be possessed, by Consign­ment to be Sold, or Disposed for the benefit of any Foreigner not Free of the said City, or in Copartnership, or in Common with any Fo­reigner by equal Moieties, or by any other Share or Shares, which at any time after the said first day of January, shall be Sold or Bartered, to any Person or Persons whatsoever within the said City or Liberties thereof, shall at, or be­fore the Delivery thereof, be Weighed at the said Common Beams, or one of them, and in de­fault thereof, the Seller or Sellers thereof shall forfeit and pay the Sum of Thirteen shillings and Four pence, for every Five hundred weight of such Wares and Merchandizes, and so after the same Rate for a greater or lesser quantity, as afore­said.

And whereas, for defraying the necessary Charges of repairing, and maintaining the said Beams, and the Scales, Weights and other neces­saries thereunto belonging, and likewise to en­able the said Mayor, Commonalty and Citizens, to give reasonable recompence and satisfaction for [Page 7] the care and attendance of such Persons, as are and shall be necessarily employed therein; There have been time out of mind paid to the said Mayor and Commonalty and Citi­zens, their Deputies or Officers in that be­half, certain reasonable Rates and Duties for Weighing such Wares and Merchan­dizes; and the same have in all times been subject to the Alteration and Regulation of the Common Council of the said City.

Now, to the intent that the said Rates and Duties may be the better ascertained and made publick to all Persons concerned in Weighing, as aforesaid; And to pre­vent the Officers and Collectors thereof from Demanding, Exacting or Receiving more than they ought to do: Be it further Ena­cted by the Authority aforesaid, That all and every Person or Persons not being Free of this City, who shall Sell and De­liver, or Cause to be Sold and Deliver­ed within the said City or Liberties thereof, any Goods or Merchandizes usually Bought and Sold by Weight, as aforesaid, shall from and after the said first day of January, in the Year of our Lord 1698, pay or cause to be paid unto the Master Weigher or Super­visor of such the said Common Beams, at which the said Goods or Merchandizes shall be weighed at, to the use of the said Mayor, Commonalty and Citizens or their Assigns, the Rates and Duties, following; (That is to say) for all Goods or Merchandizes whatsoever Sold by Weight, from Twenty eight pounds weight exclusive, to Two hundred weight inclusive, for each Draught Two pence: And from Two [Page 8] hundred weight exclusive, to Four hundred weight inclusive, for each Draught Three pence: And from Four hundred weight exclu­sive, to Six hundred weight inclusive, for each Draught Six pence: And from Six hundred weight exclusive, to Eight hundred weight inclusive, for each Draught Ten pence: And from Eight hundred weight exclusive, to Ten hundred weight inclusive, for each Draught One shilling and Four pence: And from Ten hundred weight exclusive, to Twelve hundred weight inclusive, for each Draught One shilling and Eight pence: And from Twelve hundred weight exclusive, to Eighteen hundred weight in­clusive, for each Draught Two shillings: And from Eighteen hundred weight exclusive, to Twenty two hundred weight inclusive, for each Draught Two shillings and Four pence: And from Twenty two hundred weight exclu­sive, to Twenty five hundred weight and up­wards, for each Draught Three shillings; for every Bag of Hops, Six pence; for every Ton of Iron, One shilling and Two pence; for every Fodder of Lead, Ten pence.

And be it further Enacted by the Authori­ty aforesaid, That the said several Rates so appointed to be paid for the uses afore­said, for the Weighing of all Goods or Mer­chandizes, as aforesaid, be from henceforth the only Rates that shall be taken or received for the Weighing thereof, as aforesaid; any thing herein, or in any other Act, Custom or Vsage, to the contrary in any wise not­withstanding.

And be it further Enacted by the Autho­rity aforesaid, That no Person or Persons whatsoever, shall at any time or times here­after be constituted or admitted Master Weigher, Supervisor or Supervisors, or other Officer or Officers whatsoever, for Weigh­ing of Goods or Merchandizes at the said Common Beams, commonly called the King's Beams, or either of them, or shall keep, use or exercise any Common Beam or Beams, for the Weighing of any Goods or Merchandi­zes within the said City or Liberties there­of, other than such Person or Persons, as shall be first thereunto Authorized or Licen­sed by this Court or a Committee thereof: And that if any Person or Persons shall keep, use and exercise any Beam or Beams, for Weighing of Goods or Merchandizes, as aforesaid, within the said City or Liberties thereof, without being thereunto Licensed or Appointed, as aforesaid, such Person or Per­sons, for every such Offence, shall forfeit and pay the Sum of Four pounds and Nineteen shillings.

Provided always, and be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That this Act or any thing herein contained, shall not be con­strued or expounded to debar or hinder any Freeman or Freemen of the said City, from using of his or their own Beam or Beams, in the Weighing of his or their own proper Goods or Merchandizes, (not in Copartner­ship with a Foreigner or Foreigners) by him or them Sold in, or Delivered out of their Shops or Warehouses, as hath heretofore been used [Page 10] and accustomed; any thing herein contain­ed to the contrary hereof in any wise not­withstanding.

And be it further Enacted by the Autho­rity aforesaid, That every Master Weigher, Supervisor or Supervisors, or other Officer appointed, or to be appointed to be Master Weigher of the said Common Beams, or any of them, shall from time to time once in every Three Months at the least, carefully Examine all the Weights and Beams to be used for the Weighing of Goods and Mer­chandizes, as aforesaid, with the Standard kept for that purpose, and shall constantly keep them true and agreeing with the same: And that, if at any time hereafter any such Person or Persons, Officer or Weigher im­ployed, or to be Employed, as aforesaid, shall be Convicted upon the Oath or Oaths of one or more Witnesses, before the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen of the said City, of keeping and using, at any of the said Beams, any Weights not agreeing with the said Standard, or for any Dishonest or Vnjust Dealings or Practizes, in or about the Weighing of any Goods so to be Weighed, as aforesaid; That then such Person or Persons, Officer or Weigher so Offending, shall (ipso facto) be Discharged, of and from such his said Office or Depu­tation.

And to the end, that all and every the Person and Persons that shall hereafter be so, as aforesaid, Authorized and Appointed to attend the said Beams, or any of them, for the Weighing of Goods and Merchan­dizes, as aforesaid, may the more impartial­ly, diligently and carefully perform his and their Duty: Be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That no Weigher, Super­visor or Supervisors, or other Officer or Offi­cers whatsoever hereafter to be Authorized or Appointed to attend the said Beams, or any of them for the purposes aforesaid, shall at any time after such Authority or Appoint­ment, Vse or Exercise the Trade, Art or Mystery of a Factor or Agent, for the Buy­ing or Selling any Goods or Merchandi­zes, or shall Employ himself as a Broker, to make any Bargain, Contract or Agreement between Merchant and Merchant, or other Buyer and Seller of any Goods or Mer­chandizes whatsoever: And that all and every Master Weigher, Supervisor or Supervisors or other Officers, in either of the said Cases Offending, shall from thence forth be (ipso facto) Discharged, of and from such his and their said Office and Employment,

And for prevention of all Differences that shall or may arise between Buyers and Sel­lers, concerning the Weight of the Goods or Merchandizes weighed at the said Beams, or any of them: Be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That One or more exact Register or Registers shall be kept by the [Page 12] Master Weigher or Supervisor of the said Com­mon Beams, of all Goods and Merchandi­zes Weighed from time to time at his re­spective Beam, and of the true Weight there­of, to the intent that due Proof may be made of the same by such Master Weigher or Supervisor, his Deputy, Agent or Agents, if occasion shall require.

And be it further Enacted by the Autho­rity aforesaid, That if any Master Weigher, or Supervisor, at any of the said Common Beams, shall neglect to keep such Register, and be thereof Convicted upon Oath, as aforesaid, before the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen, such Master Weigher or Supervisor, shall for every such Offence be (ipso facto) Discharged, of and from his said Office or Deputation.

And be it further Enacted by the Au­thority aforesaid, That all and every Per­son or Persons, that shall hereafter be ap­pointed to be Master Weigher, Supervisor or Supervisors, or other Officer, at any of the Common Beams aforesaid, shall set on Work and Employ such Porters as are and shall be admitted of the Fellowship of Ticket Porters within this City; They the said Porters sub­mitting to accept such Rates, as from time to time this Court or a Committee thereof shall think fit and reasonable.

And be it further Enacted by the Au­thority aforesaid, That such Person or Per­sons that have, or who shall have the Authority over or Government of the said Porters, as well to prevent Exactions by the said Porters, as also that the said Ser­vice may be duly and constantly sup­plied, shall provide that such competent number of the said Porters may by Turns attend at the Weigh-House every Morn­ing except Sundays, upon the said Master Weigher, Supervisor or Supervisors of the said Common Beams, as by him or them shall be required for performing the said Ser­vice, according to the intent and mean­ing of this Act; And their Wages or Allowances for all Labour and Work by them done and performed, shall be paid unto such Porters by such Master Weigher, Supervisor or Supervisors, out of the Moneys to be by him or them received, for Weighing any Goods or Merchandizes at the Beams afore­said.

And be it further Enacted by the Au­thority aforesaid, That every Master Weigher. Supervisor or Supervisors, or other Officers, from time to time appointed for Weighing of any Goods or Merchan­dizes at the Beams aforesaid, or some of them, shall upon request and within con­venient time after reasonable notice to him or them given, for the Weighing of any one or more Draught or Draughts [Page 14] of Goods or Merchandize, (the Person or Persons so requiring, undertaking to pay or satisfie the Charge of Carrying and Recarrying some one of the said Beams, together with the Triangles, Weights and Scales thereunto belonging) apply him or themselves to the Weighing thereof, upon pain of forfeiture of his or their Office or Deputation, being thereof Convicted, as aforesaid, for every such neglect or re­fusal.

And it is hereby further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That the Weigh-house, Scituate, Standing and being in or near Little East-Cheap in the Ward of Billings-Gate within the said City of London, shall be deemed, as and for the Common Office for Tronage and Weighing of all Goods and Merchandizes, that shall be Sold within the said City or Liberties thereof, as aforesaid, and also shall be the only Market for the Buying and Selling of Hops.

And be it further Enacted by the Au­thority aforesaid, That all and every the Penalties and Forfeitures in this Act mentioned, shall be Sued for and Reco­vered by Action of Debt, Bill, Plaint or Information to be Commenced and Pro­secuted in the Name of the Chamberlain of the said City, for the time being, in any of the Courts of Record within the said City.

And that one Moiety of all and every the Forfeitures and Penalties before mentioned, when recovered, (Charges of Suit being first deducted) shall be paid to the Treasurer of the Corporation for the POOR within this City, for the use of the said Cor­poration: And the other Moiety of such Forfeitures and Penalties, to such Person or Per­sons, who shall Sue for the same, as aforesaid.

And that the Prosecutor or Prosecutors in all Suits to be Prosecuted by virtue of this Act, against any such Offender or Of­fenders, shall recover his reasonable Costs of Suit expended in and about the Prosecu­tion thereof.

And that the Chamberlain of the said City, for the time being, (where any Action is brought in his Name, by virtue of this Act) shall not Release, Suspend or Delay the Prosecution thereof.

Provided, that nothing contained in this Act, shall extend to charge any Person or Persons whatsoever, for or by reason of any such Forfeitures, as aforesaid, unless such Suit or Action shall be Commenced within the space of Six Months, next after such Offence is committed.

And be it hereby further Enacted and De­clared by the Authority aforesaid, That one Declaration touching the Weighing of Goods and Merchandizes at the King's Beams, with an Act of Common Council, Intituled, An Act for the better Regulation of the Weighing of Goods and Merchandizes at the King's Beams, which were made the Thirteenth day of May, in the Year of our Lord 1681, in the time of the Mayoralty of Sir Patient Ward Knight, and all and every the Clauses and Branches in the said De­claration and Act, or either of them contain­ed, are hereby Repealed, Annulled and made Void, to all intents and purposes whatsoever.