Genre:

News-Commentary

Subjects:

Measurement, Charlatanry, Crime, Government, Commerce

    Discusses a petition brought to the House of Commons from a representative of Southwark tradesmen who seek reformation of the 'arbitrary and unjust mode of inspecting weights and measures'. Suggests that it will only grant some of the wishes of the petitioners. Believes that it would be quite willing to meet the petitioners' request for a 'searching investigation' of the subject with a view to 'amending the law that the standard may be kept correctly thereto', and for magistrates to 'dismiss trivial complaints where no fraud or injustice is committed or intended'. Warns, however, that the petitioners will not be successful in their call for 'informers, and persons otherwise enforcing the law' to be given the power to penalise those who use fraudulent scales, weights, and measures.