JB/149/028/001

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No 5 Hoxton March 1s 1794.

Sir,

According to your desire I present you with
with my humble opinion of the probable consequences of your proposed
Bill for regulating certain dealers as far as the knowledge I have of
the several Trades will permit me.

1

Dealers in Old Stores.—In relaying Old Cordage or converting it
into a considerable waste is made from decayed strands which
comes under the description of Hand Stuff. Licenced Dealers in Old Stores
should therefore have the liberty of selling such Waste or Hand Stuff
without taking out an additional Licence as a Rag Dealer. The proposed
regulations with this trifling regulation exception (which may be
be be easily introduced) can not possibly injure the Fair Trader, and this
property as well as that of Government Merchants &c. will derive
a long wanted security and protection from embezzlements, which
are at present committed to an immense extent.

2

The Rag Trade is followed by a variety of persons whose Interests
will be differently affected. The Persons whose maintenance depends
more or less upon the Rag Trade are; Rag Merchants.—Stationery
and Rag Dealers and Persons keeping Rag and Iron Shops; these
will all derive Benefit from the Act should it pass into a Law, as
many persons keeping China, Glass, & Earthenware Shops, Oil
Shops Chandler Shops &c who now buy or exchange goods for White
Rags may not chuse to take out a Licence or be subject to those
restrictions which the Rag Trade in General would then be subject
to: This will increase the Business if those whose subsistence in a
great measure depends upon the Rag Trade and remove that
temptation to Fraud, which at present exists by the white Rag
Trade being at present very inconsiderable to individual retail
Dealers, which is occasioned by the very great number of persons
that follow this part of the Rag Trade whose maintenance does
not all depend thereon. Of this latter description of Persons cannot
be content with Profits of their respective Trades; but chuse to
intrude upon the most easy and profitable part of the business
of others, it is certainly fair that they should be subject to the

Identifier: | JB/149/028/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 149.
Date_1	1794-03-01	Marginal Summary Numbering
Box	149	Main Headings
Folio number	028	Info in main headings field
Image	001	Titles	no. 5 hoxton march 1 1794
Category	correspondence	Number of Pages	4
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering
Penner		Watermarks	[[watermarks::l munn [britannia with shield emblem]]]
Marginals		Paper Producer	benjamin constant
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year
Notes public		ID Number	49882
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