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landed, though the prices fhould, in the mean time, have fallen there so as to admit of exportation.

VI.

General Regulations, and thofe regarding the afcertaining of the Prices for the Purposes of this Act, &c. 1. The maratime parts of England * are divided into the following districts;

1. London, Effex, Kent and Suffex.

2. Counties of Suffolk and Cambridge. 3. Norfolk.

4. Lincolnshire, East and North Riding of Yorkshire, and town and county of Kingston upon Hull,

5. Counties of Durham and Northumberland, and town of Berwick upon Tweed.

6. Counties of Cumberland and Weftmoreland. 7. Counties of Lancashire and Cheshire.

8. Counties of Flint, Denbigh, Anglefea, Carnar. von and Marioneth.

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9. Counties of Cardigan, Pembroke, Carmarthen, and Glamorgan,

10. Counties Gloucester, Sommerfet, and Monmouth, and city and county of Bristol.

II. Counties of Devon and Cornwall. 12. Counties of Dorset and Hants.

Scotland is divided into the following Districts. 13. Counties of Fife, Kinrofs, Clackmannan, Stirling, Linlithgow, Edinburgh, Hadington, Berwick, Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles.

14. Counties of Dumfries, Wigton and Ayr, and Stewartry of Kirkcudbright.

15. Counties of Argyle, Dumbarton, Lanark, Renfrew and Bute, and the western ports, and ifles of Invernessshire, and Rossshire.

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16. The remains of the counties of Rofs and Invernefs, and counties of Orkney, Shetland, Caithnefs, Sutherland, Cromarty, Nairn, Elgin, Banff, Aberdeen, Kincardine, Forfar, and Perth,

In all parts of each of these districts the importation, exportation, &c. is to be the fame.

2. The Lords of the Treafury to appoint a perfon to be receiver of corn returns, who is to take fuitable oaths. The proprietors of corn exchange, or failing them, the lord mayor and aldermen of London are to appoint a perfon, not a corn dealer or factor, to be infpector of corn returns, and if need be, a temporary deputy inspector of corn returns for London, who are to take fuitable oaths, and give fecurity for their good behaviour.

And the justice of the peace, or lord mayors of the towns forming a county of themselves, are to appoint a fimilar inspector of corn returns in each of the principal towns (enumerated in the act) of the aforementioned districts. The functions of which offices are explained in the fequel.

§3. Every corn dealer and factor in the towns where there are inspectors of corn returns, muft, under a penalty, fign a written declaration, that he fhall tranfmit weekly to the infpector of corn returns, an account of all the British corn and oat meal fold by him, mentioning the prices and the buyers. Thefe returns are to be recorded by the inspectors, but kept private from every one except the receiyer of the corn. returns, or by a written order from the mayor, aldermen of London, and towns forming a county of themfelves, or justices of peace of other counties. The infpector of corn returns is to tranfmit fame weekly to the receiver of corn returns, who fhall forthwith make up therefrom, an account of the average prices of grain, &c. for each diftrict, and tranfmit fame to the collectors of customs in all the fea port towns, by VOL. VI.

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which they are to regulate the exportation of corn and the bounty.

The infpectors and receiver of corn returns to make up in like manner within seven days after the 15th day of November, 15th February, 15th May, and 15th Auguft every year, an account of the average prices for the fix preceding weeks. Oats and oat meal excepted, in London, the average price of these in that city, and the rest of that district being to be taken from the returns of the twelve preceding weeks, Which account the receiver of returns is to tranfmit to the custom-houses to regulate the import till the next quarter day.

§4. All grain brought into the Thames eastward of London bridge, and fold, and delivered, is to be subjected to a duty, British, of id per last of 10 qrs.— on Foreign, of 2d per do. Which duty is to be collected by the inspector of corn returns; and is to be applied as follows:

1. Salaries of the inspector and occafional deputy infpectors of corn returns, together not below Iool. nor above 200l. per annum.

2. Expence of infpectors chamber or office, 3. Balance to be paid into the customs,

The lord mayor and aldermen to examine the infpector of corn returns's accounts, and enforce payment of said duty once a quarter.

$5. The fheriff depute of each county in Scotland fhall fummon, on the 15th of Sept. 1791, and on the 15th of every fucceeding month, or within three days. thereof, a jury of not more than 7, or lefs than 5, good inhabitants of the county, not dealers or factors in corn to fell again, of which jury two to be freeholders, or commissioners of fupply, two farmers of land, and the remainder reputable inhabitants of some town in the county.

These are to make up, from the evidence of perfons fkilled in the prices of corn, fummoned for that pur

pofe by the fheriff-depute, a ftate of the prices of grain and oatmeal, for each of the four weeks preceding, by the measures in use in the county. Same account, and a converfion into the price per Winchester bufhel, to be tranfmitted by the fheriff-depute to the receiver of corn returns at London.

Said proof to be taken for Lanark at Glasgow; for Paisley at Renfrew; for Caithness at Thurfo, and the county town of each other county.

The depofitions of the perfons furnishing the evidence to the juries to be recorded by the theriff clerk, and given to any perfon demanding them, on paying extracting fees.

The receiver of corn returns to enter these in record, compute the average price in each district ten days after the 15th of November, and every fucceeding month, and tranfmit fame forthwith to the customhouses in each diftrict in Scotland, by which the Exportation Bounties fhall be regulated, till next such account fhall be received.

The receiver of corn returns to make up, in like manner, within ten days after 15th November, 15th February, 15th May, and 15th Auguft, each year, an account of the average prices in each district in Scotland, for the preceding fix weeks, to be tranfmitted in like manner as the monthly accounts to the customhouses, by which the Importation and Duties are to be governed.

§ 6. The average prices are, for the fake of information, to be taken in the inland counties of England, (enumerated in the act,) nearly in the fame manner as the maritime counties. (See § 3.) These to be tranfmitted to the receiver of the corn returns, who fhall publifh them, as well as the avarage prices of the maritime diftricts, in the Gazette, in the manner that the Lords of Council fhall direct.

§ 7. If returns fhould not be made from all the counties in each district, thofe from two-thirds of the counties in each fhall be fufficient for forming the regulat

ing average: if the returns fhould not come from twothirds of the counties of each diftrict, the average shall be ftruck from the prices of the whole kingdom.

§ 8. If the average prices of the whole kingdom be at any time when the parliament is not fitting, higher than to permit importation on the low duties, from places not colonies, the King in Council may prohibit for a limited time all exportation, and permit a general importation on the loweft duties payable at that time in any part of the kingdom, and recal fuch prohibition or permiflion, if circumftances induce him thereto; but if fuch importation be allowed, it must remain in force for three months after the date of the order; and such prohibition fhall not extend to grain warehoused.

§ 9. The falaries of the infpectors of corn returns in England are to be paid quarterly, out of the county rates; and in fuch towns as are counties of themselves, out of the poor's rates, after the rate of 5s. for each return in the maritime towns, and 2s. in the inland towns, or more, if the mayor or justices think them, on account of their trouble, deferving of it.

In Scotland, fheriff-deputes to receive out of the county cefs 20s. for each monthly return, to defray charges.

All these to be repaid annually by the receiver general, out of the duties arifing from corn.

10. All corn to be measured and computed by the Winchester bufhel, being 1-8th of a quarter, and a ftandard to be kept in each town from which returns are to be made. If corn be fold by weight, the following quantities shall be confidered equal to a bufhel:

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*This bushel contains 2,150 cubical inches, and 42-1ccths parts

of an inch. [This is not mentioned in the act.]

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