Cheese and Butter Trade Act 1692

IV. Weigher, &c. to keep a Book of the receiving and shipping the Butter, &c.

Book inspected without Fee; Weigher, &c. offending; Penalty; Distress; If no Goods, Imprisonment.

And for the prevention of frauds and undue practice herein be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid That all and every Warehouse-keeper Weigher Searcher or Shipper of Butter and Cheese in any such Port or Place shall from and after the First day of April One thousand six hundred ninety and three keep a Book wherein he and they shall duely and fairely enter all Butter and Cheese that shall be brought to him or them as the same comes to his or their respective hands in which entry shall be inserted the time when such Goods were received and the Quantity of such Goods and the Name of the Owner of the same And shall make the like Entries when the said Goods are shipped or put on board of the time when the same were shipped on board and the Masters Name and the Vessels Name in which the same are shipped or put on board and to whom the same are consigned Which Book so kept shall be free and open for all Persons to see and search att all times without paying any thing for such search And [X1 if] such Warehouse-keeper Weigher Searcher or Shipper of Butter and Cheese shall not keep such Book as aforesaid or shall refuse neglect or omitt to make such Entries therein as aforesaid or shall make any undue Entries therein (by undue preferring one Mans Goods before another) or shall refuse in the day-time to produce such Book to be searched as aforesaid That every such Offender and Offenders being thereof convict in manner as aforesaid shall forfeit for every Ferkin of Butter Two shillings and six pence and for every Weigh of Cheese Two shillings and six pence and for every other the aforesaid Offence the Sum of Two shillings and six pence to be levied in manner as aforesaid And in case such Offender or Offenders shall not have Goods and Chattells sufficient for the levying the said Penalty that then it shall and may be lawfull for the Justice [X2 and] Justices before whom such Conviction shall be made to co[m]mitt such Offender and Offenders to the Gaol without Bail or Mainprize there to remain until such Penalties shall be paid and satisfied.

Editorial Information

X1 omitted in King's Printer's Copy.

X2 Variant reading of the text noted in The Statutes of the Realm as follows: or O. [O. refers to a collection in the library of Trinity College, Cambridge]