not afterwards have on board more than 25 lbs. (except for the GUNPOWDER. king's service), on pain of forfeiting all the gunpowder found on board above 25 lbs., and the barrels containing the same, and also 2s. for every pound above that quantity (1). And the corporation of Deptford Trinity House are to appoint searchers, who may between sun-rising and sun-setting enter any vessel (except his Majesty's ships) in the Thames above Blackwall, and search for unlawful quantities of gunpowder, and who have the same powers of seizing, removing to proper places, and retaining all such gunpowder and barrels as is given to persons searching under a justice's warrant by the twenty-third section of this statute (2), by which it is provided, that any justice, on demand made and reasonable cause assigned upon oath, may issue' his warrant for searching in the day-time any house, mill, yard, or any other place whatever, or any carriage, boat, or vessel, in which such gunpowder is suspected to be made, kept, or carried, contrary to any of the provisions in the statute; and all gunpowder found on such search to be made, kept, or carried, contrary to the act, and also the barrels, shall be immediately seized by the searcher, who shall with all convenient speed remove the same to such proper place as he thinks fit; and for that purpose may, for twenty-four hours after seizure, use any carriage or vessel in which the same may be, with the tackling, beasts, and accoutrements belonging to them (and paying afterwards to the owner a sufficient recompence for the use thereof, to be settled by the justices before whom the complaint is made), and may detain the gunpowder and barrels till it be adjudged on a hearing before two justices whether the same is forfeited (3). All penalties under the 12 Geo. 3. are recoverable before two justices on conviction of the offender by confession or oath of one witness, half to be given to the king and half to the informer. And where the penalty is pecuniary, to be levied by distress and sale, rendering the overplus after deducting the penalty and expences, and for want of sufficient distress, the offender to be committed to the house of correction, and to be kept to hard labour for any time not exceeding six months nor less than three (4). And all prosecutions under this act are to be commenced within fourteen days after seizure, or after commission of the offence where there is no seizure (5). The general issue may be pleaded in (1) 12 Geo. 3. c. 61. s. 24. (2) Id. s. 25. supra. (4) Id. s. 26. (5) Id. s. 27. GUNPOWDER. HATS. answer to any thing done under the act, and treble costs recovered if the plaintiff fail in his suit. (1) The manufacture of hats is first noticed as relating to England in the fourteenth century, when the people of Flanders dealt largely in rabbit skins from England, which they are supposed to have made into hats. In a century afterwards however the English nation had made such a proficiency in this fabric, that in a long list of articles, the importation of which was forbidden, hats were included (2). Afterwards the trade was progressively improved by the use of machinery, the skill of the French refugees, and the introduction of the beavers' instead of the rabbits' fur. In consequence hats have long been an article of exportation to a large amount, and as all the materials with which they are made and coloured, and the hats themselves worn in England are taxed, they produce a considerable sum to the revenue (3). It has been already observed, that from a regard to the interests of the hat manufacturers, the exportation of the skins or wool of hares and conies has been prohibited, and the importation of Turkey goat's hair was allowed duty free (4) ; and that with a view to prevent evasion of the laws against exportation, the staining or dying of the skins was prohibited (5). These laws concern the materials of the manufacture. Those are the provisions with regard to the qualification of the hatter, and to the exportation and importation of hats. All retailers of hats, commonly called felt or wool stuff, or beaver hats, or any leather or japanned hats, were required by the 51 Geo. 3. c. 70. to take out a licence from the stamp office, and to pay for the same, within the bills 40s., elsewhere 5s., which licence was to be renewed annually, ten days at least before the end of the year (6); and for selling any such hats without a licence, a forfeiture of £50 was incurred (7). Any person selling at any one time to any one person, a less quantity than one dozen is deemed a retailer (8). Every licensed retailer was also required to cause (1) 12 Geo. 3. c. 61. s. 28. (3) See upon this subject, and (4) 24 Geo. 3. sess. 2. c. 21. s. 1, 2. 6., ante, 1 vol. 577. the words Dealer in Hats by Retail to be put up over the door, or in the front of his house or shop, and if he sell any hat without fixing such notice, he is liable to forfeit 40s. (1). Any unlicensed person fixing up these words was made liable to a forfeiture of 50. (2). By the 17 Geo. 3. c. 50. the hatters were relieved from the hardships of an act of Eliz., and another of James I. whereby they were prohibited from employing any journeymen who had not served seven years as apprentices (3). Any licensed person may export any number of hats not less than a certain quantity, which by the 36 Geo. 3. sess. 2. c. 125. s. 18. is declared to be not less than one dozen lined or unlined, and if lined, then without being stamped and marked, upon giving notice to the nearest distributor of stamps, who shall grant a certificate thereof (4). On the importation of hats made of or mixed with felt, hair, wool, or beaver, a duty of 10s. 6d. is payable (5). The duties on hats and licences were repealed by the 51 Geo. 3. c. 70. HATS. LEATHER is the skin of several sorts of beasts, dressed and LEATHE prepared for the use of the various manufacturers, whose business it is to make them up according to their different employments. The butcher, and others who flay them off the carcases, dispose of them raw or salted to the tanners, tawers, they to the shamoy, morocco, and other kinds of leather dressers, who prepare them according to their respective arts, in order to vend them among the curriers, glovers, harnessmakers, coachmakers, saddlers, breechesmakers, gilt leather makers, chairmakers, shoemakers, bookbinders, and all in any way concerned in the article of leather (6). This manufacture extends to numerous articles of dress and use, and is in all its forms carried to a great extent, and a source of ample profit to Great Britain. It would be a useless task to follow in detail all the commodities in which leather is employed. Whoever considers them in the most cursory manner, must be convinced of the vast extent and importance of this branch of commerce. (1) 51 G. 3. c. 70. s. 5. (2) s. 6. (3) 17 Geo. 3. c. 50. ante. (4) 24 Geo. 3. sess. 2. c. 51. s. 24.; and as to exporting and dying hare-skins and wool, and cony skins and wool, see ante, It is also highly bene (5) 59 Geo. 3. c. 52. Table A. 256. LEATHER. Butchers and flayers of hides, thereof. Places, &c. for appointing inspectors. (2) ficial to the revenue, the duties on leather being under the care of the commissioners of the excise, and numerous laws are passed for the prevention of frauds in this most useful material. It is provided (1), that if any butcher, or other person, or his and of inspection servant, shall wilfully or carelessly cut or gash any hide or skin so as to make the same less valuable, or shall flay the hide of any ox, bull, cow, heifer, steer, stirk, or calf, more than two inches below the knee or gambul, and shall be convicted thereof before one justice on the oath of an inspector or any other witness, he shall forfeit not more than 5s. nor less than 1s. for the raw hide of every ox, bull, cow or heifer, steer or stirk, and not more than 2s. 6d. nor less than 1s. for the hide of every horse, mare, or gelding, and not more than 6d. nor less than 3d. for the hide of every hog, pig, sheep, or lamb. Places are appointed for examining hides, with proper persons as inspectors, who have power to impose penalties for damaging hides, to mark the hides, and to do other acts necessary for preservation. The statute 39 & 40 Geo. 3. enacts, that the mayor, bailiff, or other head officer of any city, town corporate, borough, or market town, having any such officer or any two magistrates acting for the same where there is no such head officer, and in any city, &c. having no two such magistrates, any two justices acting for the division within or nearest to which any such city, &c. shall be situate, shall within three months after the passing of the act (30th June 1800) appoint some proper and convenient place for examining and inspecting all the raw hides and skins of cattle, sheep, horses, and hogs slaughtered or flayed within such place or within such distance thereof as shall be fixed by the persons choosing and appointing the same, so as such distance shall in no case exceed three miles nor be less than two miles from such city &c., and shall also appoint convenient days and hours for the inspection of such hides or skins in such place, and shall cause notice thereof and of the distance from such city, &c. to which the jurisdiction of such inspectors shall extend, to be (1) 39 & 40 Geo. 3. c. 66. s. 4. as amended by 41 Geo. 3. c. 53. s. 5. The 1 Ja. 1. c. 22. continued and amended by 13 & 14 Car. 2. c. 7.; 9 Ann. c. 11. and 24 Geo. 3. c. 19. repealed by 48 Geo. 3. c. 60. (2) By 41 Geo. 3. c. 53., all things contained therein, and in 39 & 40 Geo. 3. c. 66., extend to raw hides flayed in G. B. found within any district, whether they have been flayed within such district or not. See form of appointment of inspectors of hides, 3 Burn's J. 798. tion of inspectors. put up in legible characters in some conspicuous place; and the LEATHER. persons appointing such places shall then, or as soon after as can be done, and annually, or oftener if necessary, appoint some person or persons of competent skill to be inspector or inspectors of hides and skins within such city, &c. or the district thereof, and also from time to time supply such vacancies as may arise (1). And the persons who under this act are authorized to appoint places for examining hides, are by a subsequent statute empowered to appoint any place within any district fixed under the preceding, whether such place be within any city, town corporate, borough, or market town or not (2). If any six or Recommenda more, or in case of any difference of opinion, the majority (the number in any case not to be less than three (3)) of any tanners, curriers, or other manufacturers of leather (since extended to shoemakers, saddlers, or other persons working or dealing in leather (4)), not being journeymen or apprentices, or persons working with or for any shoemaker, or worker in leather for hire, who shall be then residing and carrying on such trade within such district, and who shall have delivered in writing their respective names and places of abode, and occupation in such manufacture, shall recommend in writing to the persons authorized to appoint inspectors two persons proper to be appointed inspectors where one shall be necessary, or four where two are requisite, then one or two, as the case may require, of such persons so recommended, and no other, shall be appointed as aforesaid, provided that two or more partners shall be considered as one person only in such recom-· mendation; and that when any complaint shall be made by any person interested or dealing in raw hides or skins in any such place, of any misconduct or neglect of duty in any such inspeetor and due proof there, shall be made to the satisfaction of the persons authorized by the said act to appoint inspectors, they may discharge such inspector, and appoint another in his place (5). Inspectors, before they begin to execute their office, are to take Inspectors' oath. an oath (the form of which is given by the act), faithfully to execute the same according to the statute, without favour or affection, prejudice or malice; to be administered by the persons appointing them (6). Any inspector may impose such penalty for the To impose pewilful or careless cutting, gashing, or flawing of hides, or flaying flaying without hides, contrary to this act, not exceeding one-half of the highest justice's autho (1) 39 & 40 Geo. 3. c. 66. s. 2. (2) 41 Geo. 3. c. 53. s. 1. (4) Id. s. 2. nalties for bad rity. |