Commune Concilium tentum in Camera Guildhall Civitatis London, die Mercurii, vicesimo tertio die Octobris, Anno Domini millesimo sexcentesimo septuagesimo secundo, Annoque Regni Domini nostri CAROLI Secundi, Dei gratia, Angliae, Scotiae, Franciae & Hiberniae Regis, Fidei Defensoris, etc. vicesimo quarto, coram Georgio Waterman Milite, Majore Civitatis London, Roberto Hanson Milite, Domino Majore Electo dictae Civitatis, Thoma Alleyn Milite & Baronetto, Johanne Laurence, Ricardo Ford, Willielmo Hooker & Josepho Sheldon Militibus, Aldermannis, patient Ward Armigero, Aldermanno, & Willielmo Pritchard Milite, Aldermanno, uno Vicecomitum dictae Civitatis, necnon majore parte Communiariorum de Communi Concilio ejusdem Civitatis tunc & ibidem assemblat.  
An Act for the Weighing of Goods at the KING's Beam.  
FOrasmuch as it appertaineth to justice and true Dealing, That to all men be uprightly given true Weight and Measure; and for that cause there are, and from the time whereof the memory of man is not to the contrary, have been within this City of London and Liberties thereof, Common Beams usually called The King's Beams, for the more just and equal weighing of all Goods and Merchandizes sold or bartered within the said City and Liberties thereof; at which Beams there are and have been during all the time aforesaid, certain sworn Officers, who by their duty ought to attend the weighing of all such Goods and Merchandizes.  
And whereas the Office of Tronage or Weighing of all Goods and Merchandizes within the said City and Liberties thereof hath been heretofore lawfully and rightfully, by several Royal and ancient Charters, granted unto and vested in the Mayor, Communality and Citizens of the said City: And more particularly, King Edward the Fourth in the eighteenth year of his Reign, by his Letters Patents under the Great Seal of England, did grant and confirm unto the said Mator, Communality and Citizens of the said City and their Successors, several Offices and the Duties thereunto belonging, and among them, the said Office of Weighing all sorts of Merchandizes: the Grant of which Office, together with the Decupation, Exercises, Dispositions, Ordinances, Corrections and Gifts of the same was afterwards, by a certain Act of Parliament made in the third year of the Reign of King Henry the Eighth, ratified and confirmed to the said Mayor and Communality and Citizens and their Successors for ever.  
And whereas by virtue of the said Grants and Confirmations, this Court hath from time to time made and enaited enaited several Dispositions and Ordinances for the well ordering and executing of the said Office and Duties thereunto belonging, as was most suitable to the several and respective times, wherein they were made and ordained. And forasmuch as several Disorders have of late been committed in, and Abuses obtruded upon the said Office: For the Reformation of the one and Prevention of the other for the time to come; Be it declared and enacted, and it is hereby declared and enacted by the Right Honourable the Lord Maior, the Right Worshipful the Aldermen his Brethren, and the Commons in this Common Council assembled, That no person bring at this present, or which hereafter shall be, a Freeman of the said City, shall from henceforth colour or own any Vnfree-man, Foreiners or Strangers Goods, or shall buy and receive, or cause to be bought and received of any Vnfree man, Foreiner or Stranger any manner of Goods, Wares or Merchandizes which shall come or be brought into the said City of London or Liberties thereof, commonly accustomed to be bought and sold by Weight as aforesaid, unless be or they so buying and selling the said Goods, Wares or Merchandizes, or one of them, at the coming or bringing thereof to the said City, shall cause the same to be weighed at the  Common Beams commonly called The King's Beams, or one of them. And also that no such Freeman or Freemen shall keep or retain in his or their Custody or Possession any Goods, Wares or Merchandizes appointed or intended by this or any former Act of this Court to be weighed at the said Beams, but shall before or after the receipt of the said Wares or Merchandizes so kept and retained, cause the same to be weighed at the said Common Beams or one of them, before the same shall be delivered or conveved to any other place or places whatsoever, upon pain that all and singular the Oftender or Offenders in any of the said cases shall for the first Offence of such colouring or owning of every twenty pounds value of Vnfree men, Foreiners or Strangers Goods, either by Copartuership or otherwise, forfeit the sum of twenty shillings, and also for every Draught of such Wares and Merchandizes as shall be so bought, brought or received by any of the said Freemen from any such Vnfree men, Foreiners or Strangers, or kept or retained in his or their Possession, and delivered without weighing as aforesaid, contrary to the true meaning of this or any former Ans to that purpose, the Sum of Thirteen shillings and four pence: and for the second Offence in any of the said Cases shall ipso facto be disfranchised, and recorded as a Violater of the Faith and Oath be hath given to the said City.  
And for the Prevention of all fraudulent and clandesime deal which may be hereafter practised by any Freeman of this City, by buying of and bartering for Goods and Merchandizes of Foreiners and Strangers without the Freedom of the said City, to the intent to avoid the just Duty of weighing such Goods and Merchandizes at the said Common Beams: Be it further enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That if any Freeman or Freemen of this City shall without the City and Liverties thereof, and within any of the Places mentioned within the common Weekly Bills of Mortality, contract for and buy any Goods and Merchandizes that should and of right aught to be weighed at the said Common Beams, and shall bring such Goods and Merchandizes into his or their House or Houses. Shops or Aware houses within the said City or Liberties thereof, before such time as such Goods and Merchandizes be brought to be weighed at the said Common Beams or our of them, than such Freeman and Freemen shall forfeit and pay double such Duty, that should and of right aught to have been paid for the weighing of such Goods and Merchandizes, in case they had been weighed at the said Common Beams or one of them.  
And be it Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, that no person or persons whatsoever shall at any time hereafter be admitted as Supervisor or Supervisors, or as any other Officer or Officers whatsoever for the weighing of Goods and Merchandizes at the said Common Beam commonly called The King's Beam, or be allowed in any wise to keep, use or exercise any Beam for the weighing of any Goods or Merchandizes whatsoever between any Bayer and Seller within the said City and Liberties thereof, other than such, as shall first be thereunto authorized and licenced by a Committee to be annually chosen by this Court, which shall consist of three Aldermen and sir Commoners, whereof three to be a Quorum, one being an Alderman. And if any person shall presume to act contrary hereunto in weighing of Goods at any other Beam, or to keep use or exercise any Beam for weighing between Buyer and Seller of such Goods within the said City and Liberties thereof, without being thereunto licenced and appointed as aforesaid, such person or persons for every such Offence shall forfeit and pay the Sum of Four pounds and nineteen shillings.  
Provided always and be it enaited by the Authority aforesaid, that this Act or any thing herein contained shall not be construed or erpounded to debar or hinder any Freeman or Freemen of the said City from using of his or their own Beam or Beams in his or their own House or Houses, Shop or Shops, Warehouse or Ware houses, or elsewhere for the weighing of his or their own prover Goods or Merchandizes in such manner as hath heretofore been used and accustomed, or to charge any Foreiner or Foreiners with any further or other Duties or Sums of money for or by reason of the weighing of his or their Wares, Goods and Merchandizes at said Common Beam, other than according to the several Rates hereafter mentioned and expressed, any thing to the contrary in this or any former Act or Acts contained in any wise not withstanding.  
And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That if at any time hereafter any person or persons Officer or Weigher employed or to be employed as aforesaid, shall be accused and convicted before the Lord Maior and Court of Aldermen of the said City, of false Weights or for Dishonesty or Unfaithfulness in the Observance and due Performance of his or their Duty, that then such person, Officer or Weigher shall ipso facto be discharged of the said Office or Deputation.  
them: Be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That an exact Register shall be kept in the said Office, of all the Proceed of Weighing between Buyers and Sellers, that due Proof may be made thereof by the Person or Persons to be appointed for keeping of the same, if occasion shall require: And that the keeper of the said Register shall deliver unto the Buyer and Seller, (if thereunto required) a true Copy of so much thereof, as he or they are concerned in, without any Fees or other Reward for the same.  
And forasmuch as the Weigh-house before the late dreadful Fire which happened in London, was and time out of mind hath been the Common Market appointed for the Buying and Selling of Hops within this City: and the said Weigh-house was by the said Fire burnt and consumed, by reason whereof the said Market hath been of late time discontinued, but another Weigh-house more large and commodious for the reception of Hops, hath since been built in or near Little Easte●…eap in the Ward of Billingsgate within the said City of L●…nd●… Be it Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That the said Weigh-house so built and situated and appointed shall from henceforth be and be deemed and used as and for the Common Office for Tronage and Weighing of all Goods and Merchandizes, and also the Market aforesaid. And it is hereby further Enacted and Declared, That it is and shall be the Common Market for the buying and selling of all Hops of English Growth brought in by Foreiners: and that no Hops of English Growth shall at any time hereafter be weighed by any of the Weighers of this City, save at that Weigh-house only, or by some of the Beams there and thereunto belonging.  
And be it Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That all and every the Rates and Forfeitures in this Act mentioned shall be such for and recovered by Action of Debt to be commenced in the name of the Chamberlain of the said City for the time being, in any of the Courts of Record within the said City the one moiety whereof, when recovered, (Charges of Suit being first deduited, shall be paid to the Treasurer of the Hospital of St. Bertholomew, London, for the time being; and the other moiety to such person or persons who shall sue for the same: In which Action or Actions no Elloin, Protection or Wager of Law shall be allowed. And that the Chamberlain of the said City for the time being in all Suints to be prosecuted by virtue of this Act, against any Offender or Offenders contrary to the same, shall recover his reasonable Cost of Suit expended in and about the Prosecution thereof: And if the Suit pass for the Defendant, than such Defendant to recover his Cost: And that the Chamberlain for the time being shall not have power to take less of any Offender or Offenders, than herein is limited to be forfeited for every Offence.  
Wagstaffe.   

Printed by Andrew Clark, Printer to Honourable City of LONDON, at his House in Aldersgatestreet. MDCLXXII.