§ Mr. Harbordrose, to move for the appointment of a select committee to take into consideration the existing regulations relative to the making and the sale of Bread, with a view to repeal the same. When it was considered that two-thirds of the population of the empire lived almost entirely on bread, it behoved the House to see that they were supplied with it at the cheapest possible rate, of the best possible description, and in just measure. That was not now the case. The existing law on the subject was pernicious in its tendency, inasmuch as it held forth to the poor the expectation of a protection which it did not realise, and prevented them from using that caution to which they would otherwise resort. He had referred to all the acts on the subject which had passed during the last 553 years. He would trouble the House, however, only with the general result which he had drawn from those acts. All that he now felt it his duty to do was, to point out the defects of the law as it existed. With regard to the remedy, some might think that there ought to be no legislative interference at all; others might be of opinion that this or that provision would be desirable. He intended to move for the repeal of the 59th of Geo. 3rd, c. 36, containing a clause which enacted, that in all cases of complaint against bakers, the complaint should be made within 24 hours after the bread was made, and should be supported before the magistrate by one 1258 or two disinterested witnesses. It was manifest that the onus probands was here laid upon the wrong party, and that difficulties were cast in the way of the poor, who were most exposed to frauds of this description. The labouring poor in the country often bought their, bread on a Saturday, and employed, their children for that purpose. A deficiency in the weight might not therefore be discovered till Monday, when the time for receiving the complaint was gone by. In fact, he believed that in Norfolk, not one conviction had yet taken place under this statute, although a very short time before it passed, there had been 40 before one magistrate. In Dorset, similar effects and followed, and one magistrate had stated to him that he was averse to receiving complaints, from a fear of making the bakers acquainted with the actual state of the law. In the county of Stafford the same inconvenience was generally felt.
§ Mr. Littletonobserved, that he had, heard many complaints of the futility of the law in its present state. He was inclined to think that unrestricted competition would afford the public, greater security than any legislative enactment, but was of opinion, at the same time, that there should either be an entire repeal of the law, or that bread should in future be sold by weight.
§ Sir C. Burrellobserved, that the circumstance of the quartern loaf being now sold at 10d., whilst fine wheat was at 14l a load, could only be ascribed to combination.
§ Alderman C. Smithobserved, that wheat being at 14l. per load, the quartern loaf might be sold at 17½d.
§ The motion was then agreed to.