( 28 May. i7o MINUTES OF EVIDENCE BEFORE SELECT COMMITTEE Do you think that if a mode of delivering them by weight were adopted, it Alexander Tulloch would or would not open a door to great frauds?— I should think it would. Independently of mixing the coals by using means to increase the weight ?— Yes. Then on the whole, are the Committee to understand your opinion decidedly to be, that selling coals by measure is the most advantageous to the consumer?— Yes; provided that the meter be honest, it depends upon that. Have the corporation of the city of London exercised the right of raising the fees for inetage?— No; there has been no alteration in the expense of metage, since the Act of the 47TH of the late King; I think it was in the year 1806, pre- vious to that Act there was only 4 d. per chaldron. Then it was raised from 4d. to 6d. ?— Yes. By what authority is the 8d. payable in the pool levied?— By authority of the lord mayor of London. By what authority, or what Act was the 8 d. per chaldron charged for measuring in the pool ?— I am not aware of any other authority except that; the Parliament gave that privilege to the city of London. When was that ?— I do not know. Was it before the 47th of the late King?— Certainly. Does the Act recite any reason for raising the meters from 4d. to 6d r— The difference of the times, the inducement was that better men might be employed and the times are more expensive. Therefore the Committee may conclude your opinion to be, that the increase of expense is more than balanced by the superior respectability of the persons now employed than formerly ?— Certainly; I can speak of my own knowledge. It is a situation of considerable trust?— It certainly is. A person if he were disposed to be dishonest would have considerable oppor- tunities ?— Certainly. It is therefore of importance that the officers should be paid so as to induce persons of a superior description to accept of it?— Certainly ; I take a great deal of pains in making a selection of men who possess good characters, they have served as non- commissioned officers in the army, and they retire with pensions, which makes them independent, and above committing any fraud; there is a variety of difference in weight and quality, and advantage accrues to the public by prefer- ing measure to weight, because a chaldron of good coals weighs perhaps about twenty- five hundred; a chaldron of a light quality of coals would weigh but eighteen hundred. But if the coals be very slatey and exposed to weather, will not in that point of view the worst coals weigh heaviest?— It will increase their weight, certainly. Who are the meters appointed by ?— The principal Westminster meters are appointed by the Treasury, by patent; the coal meters in the city of London are appointed by the corporation, and the labouring meters of Westminster are appoint- ed by myself. What is your custom in appointing those meters ?— We make generally the best selection that we can possibly have ; we select non- commissioned officers, who have served in the army, who are discharged with an allowance of one shilling, or half a crown per day, and they give security for their good conduct, or some person for them, in order that they may be a class of men to be above the inducement of receiving bribes or acceding to any frauds. They pay nothing for their situation ?— No. They give security?— They do; the security is nominal; in fact, they are not entrusted with any sum of money received in the course of the week for whatever business they do, they retain their own 205. and pay any surplus into the office. The rest goes to the expense of the office, and the principal meters ?— Yes. Then the men are not paid by the chaldron ?— No. The money is collected by them on the chaldron ?— Yes; they receive their wages on Saturday night. The men are sworn ?— They are. Are they freemen of the city ?— No; the principal number in the city of London are freemen of the city of London, because the corporation is obliged to provide somehow or other for their freemen, and sometimes they are not the best men to be employed, but we make a selection of the description of men I have mentioned. Freemen are not preferred?— No. You