alone, we shall not doubt the propriety of an expression frequently used during the last century, and especially during the late war,-that the coal trade is Great Britain's best nursery for seamen. Most emphatically does the history of our marine attest the truth of this sentiment: but while recording the bravery and the loyalty of the hardy race of men, who were at first cradled upon the water in the coal barges, and inured to toils in the Tyne, the Wear, and the Tees, who does not feel a mingling sensation of shame for his honour as an Englishman, when he recollects how often those very men were conveyed, nolens volens, from their own craft on board King's ships, by the detestable system of impressment, so prevalent during past years!

Since the above passage was written, an unsuccessful attempt has been made in Parliament to relieve the nation from the odium of impressing its seamen. The subject, as connected with the Tyne, has likewise been worked up into a tale by Harriet Martineau-not, however, with the success displayed in some others of that series produced by this ingenious political economist. The kidnapping of these hardy keelers by press-gangs, for the manning of King's ships, is a crime of old practice. In 1693, the coal trade of Newcastle suffered great interruption, the keelmen there being afraid to work, on account of the impress for seamen; and in one quarter of the year 1783, five hundred and eighty-four keelmen took out protections to avoid being impressed to go on board his Majesty's ships of war; as did the next quarter, seven hundred and ninety-eight of the same body many infirm individuals, and those above and under age to be pressed, took out no protections.

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CHAPTER XIX.

THE LONDON COAL TRADE.

Early Legislative Regulations-Use of Pit Coal formerly prohibited in London-Growth of the Coal Trade-Duties laid upon Coal-Regulation of the Vend-Charges upon a cargo of Coals at the place of Shipment, and Coastwise—Charges in the Port of London-Enactments relative to the Coal Trade-Method of transacting businessShip and Land Meters-Coal Bushel-Parliamentary Enquiries-Opinions of the CommitteesProposal to substitute Sale by Weight in lieu of Sale by Measure-Breakage of Coal-Sales by the Chaldron abolished by Act of Parliament, and Sales by the Hundred-weight authorised—Suspension of the Law respecting Meterage-Duties chargeable upon Coal-Discharge of the Cargoes of Vessels in the Thames-Progressive State of the Trade.

A SERIES of legislative enactments, which it would

be tedious to detail here, from the commencement of the intercourse between the northern collieries and London, regulated the trade in coals to the metropolis, as well as the lighterage from vessels on the Thames,

and the modes of sale and distribution to the inhabitants. As evils have grown up in the existing system, or new provisions have been called for, these enactments have been revised by the Government for the time being; rarely, however, including the sacrifice of any of those numerous imposts on the commodity, which, accumulating through ages, rendered this kind of fuel so expensive to the consumers. London, however, has no particular reason to complain on the whole; and of late years, competition, and an abundant supply, have prevented prices from becoming oppressive; and this, notwithstanding the fraudulent practices on the part of the retailers, which appear to have been carried on to a great extent.

The use of sea-coal, as we have already seen, was prohibited at London, in the year 1306, by royal proclamation. Brewers, dyers, and other artificers, who had occasion for great fires, had even at that time, found their account in substituting this fossil for dry wood and charcoal; but, so general was the prejudice concerning it, that the Nobles and Commons assembled in Parliament, complained against the use thereof as a public nuisance, which was thought to corrupt the air with its stink and smoke. A regard to private interest caused the first proclamation to be but little noticed: on a second complaint, the King issued a commission of Oyer and Terminer, with strict orders to punish the delinquents by fines, and the demolition of their furnaces and kilns: it does not, however, appear, that this severe edict was less nugatory than that preceding it. wards, sea-coals appear so far estimation, as to have been used in the royal palace: and we hear nothing more of legal objections to their

Twenty years afterto have grown into

METROPOLITAN IMPOSTS.

369

use in London, though the prejudices against them, in some sort, continued long after the trade had become very considerable; indeed, almost until the popular complaint was transferred from the smell and smoke of pit-coal, to the wasteful consumption and decay of the forests.

The imposts subsequently laid upon the coal trade, have not only contributed to enrich the coffers of every Sovereign, from the time of Edward the Third, or earlier, but have, in one or two instances, been made directly advantageous to the city: for it appears, that Sutton, the founder of the Charter House, derived much of his wealth from the northern coal mines, leased to him by Queen Elizabeth, on advantageous terms. And, for the building, finishing, and adorning of St. Paul's Church, then rising over the ashes of the "great fire," there was given by Parliament, an imposition charged on sea-coal imported at the port of London, viz. of two shillings per chaldron or ton, from the first of May, 1670, to the 24th June, 1677; and three shillings per chaldron from the 24th of June, 1677, to the 29th September, 1687; and three fourths of the money raised by the former, and one half of the money raised by the latter Act, was to be employed towards the rebuilding of fifty-two parish churches; one fourth of the latter sum, was to be applied towards the rebuilding of St. Paul's. Again, by another Act of Parliament, 1 James II., an imposition on coals of eighteen-pence per chaldron or ton, was granted, to continue from the 29th of September, 1687, to the 29th September, 1700, two thirds whereof was applied towards the carrying on the building of this church. Before proceeding to detail the statutable regulations of the London coal

trade, it may be mentioned that at Newcastle, there exist certain regulations of long standing, which directly affect both price and supply. These are, more particularly, in the first place, what is called the "Regulation of the Vend," a sort of compact entered into among the principal coal owners, as to the amount of each quality of coal they shall respectively send to the market. The ostensible design of this agreement has always been, so to regulate the supply in reference to the demand, that ruinous fluctuations should be avoided. This object has, perhaps, been largely attained; at the same time, that its necessary tendency has been to keep up prices, by preventing competition; and since the opening of so many new collieries on the Wear and the Tees, the freedom of the vend is but little, if at all, controulable by any such compact on the part of the large owners. In the second place, there is a regulation on the Tyne, authorised by Act of Parliament, and which requires that all ships coming into the river for coals shall be laden in turn; the object being to prevent the giving a preference to particular ships; so that when a vessel arrives, she is put upon the list, and comes on for a cargo accordingly. This "Turn Act," which was renewed for twenty-one years, some years ago, has been complained of as causing the unnecessary detention of ships in the river, where it is estimated ten thousand arrive in the course of a single year its influence, however, on the trade at Newcastle, has probably been, on the whole, beneficial hitherto.

The following are the charges on a cargo of coals from Newcastle to London, over and above the price paid to the coal owner. The ship is 204 tons regis