Essential Writings Volume 4 by William Cobbett

Author:William Cobbett [Cobbett, William]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Politikwissenschaft
Publisher: Jazzybee Verlag
Published: 2018-03-19T23:00:00+00:00

“ADULTERATED BREAD AND SHORT WEIGHT.

Union Hall.—A Baker was summoned before Mr. Evance, charged with exposing to sale bread short of weight: he pleaded guilty, and was fined 7l. 5s. and costs, being at the rate of 2s. 6d. per ounce.

Another information was then preferred against him by Wortley and Lockie, charging him with adulterating his bread, and using potatoes and alum. It appeared, that in consequence of information which they had received, the officers went to the defendant’s house, and proceeded to search the premises, and in the bakehouse they found a quantity of alum; they also found the customary apparatus, the iron pot and tin cullender, to the latter of which a quantity of potatoes and some alum were still adhering. Wortley’s curiosity induced him to look into the oven, he there discovered another iron kettle close covered, the iron being hot; he inquired what it contained, and was told a stew: this, however, not satisfying him, he drew it out, and on examining its contents, found them to be potatoes. These, in their boiling state, together with the light bread and alum, they conveyed to the office.

The defendant pleaded ignorance that he was doing any thing illegal, though he confessed having heard that other bakers had been fined for similar practices: he used the alum and potatoes because he considered they improved the flavour of the bread.

The Magistrate reprobated his conduct in strong terms, observing, that had he known what was to follow, he would most certainly have imposed the full penalty of 5s. per ounce for the short weight. In the present, which he considered an aggravated case, he should for the adulteration impose a fine of 20l. and costs.”

So, then, it appears, that it is a crime for a man to use potatoes in the making of bread, and that the iron pot, and the cullender, were looked upon in somewhat the same sort of light as a pick-lock or a bloody knife.

Now, what crime could this baker intend to commit in using the potatoes and the iron pot and the cullender? A fraud, I suppose, upon his customers, just as if the poor creatures had no taste of their own: no palate: no discriminating faculty either in their jaws or in their bowels: and being of this extraordinary description, a description which never before suited either man or beast, the law, with paternal tenderness, comes in to their aid, and protects them against the man who was selling them bad bread for good! Astonishing law! Where it was first invented, I know not; but I am very sure that there never was such a law ever heard of before in this world; and, if the people of England are remarkable for their thinking faculties, this law affords a very strong presumption that their bellies are the most stupid of those of any part of the creation.

What, then, the poor devils in the Borough of Southwark, did not know that they were eating potatoes in the

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