THE CORN LAWS. ft

Another great diftrefs upon agriculture had arifen,:, and continued long, in the execution of the office of Clerk of the

narket.

The Clerk of the market was originally an oflicer in the King's houfehold, who had the charge of the King's mea- fures, and the cuftody of the ftandards for regulating the

weights and meafures throughout the kingdom.

But the jurifdiction of this office had, by degrees, been ex- tended over the whole markets of the kingdom, and by the general inequality of weights and meafures then in ufe, the Clerk of the market came to be invefted with powers in ap- pearance legal, to opprefs the farmers, and other fubjects, at

his pleafure.

The Crown had alfo been in the praëtice of letting the ofice to farm, for which, great fums of money were paid; and, Of courfe, it became neceflary to the leflees, for their own reim- burfement and profit, to execute the unjuft powers committed

to them with the utmofit rigour*.

* The Cutwal of the bazar, or market, in India, is exa@ly fuch an officer as is here defcribed. In fhort, the peafantry of that country, particularly under the native princes, labour under all the hardfhips that appear to have exifted in Great Britain fome hundred years ago. This being the cafe, may not benefit be derived, even in the government of the Britifh empire in India, from the inveftigation of this fubje&, fo important in all countries? And might not the example of our government there, were they to redrefs all fuch grievances, have a happy influence in alfo direting the at- tention of the native princes, to objets of fuch confequence to the profperity of their

people? Eds, B'2

GFAPT

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