Hall marks on gold & silver plate

SELECT COMMITTEE'S REPORT. 113
time in contemplation to establish an c^ssay under the control of
Government, these objections might prevail. But in this country
the system has existed substantially in its present form since the
of Edward I.
reign
Without speculating on its origin, and while making due allowance
for its defects, it is established that it has resulted in the creation
and the maintenance of a high standard of excellence for all
British assayed wares, which has not only raised the reputation of
British workmanship at home and abroad, but has also created a
large amount of private wealth readily convertible by reason of the
guarantees of value which the <strong>Hall</strong>-<strong>marks</strong> afford.
As far as can be ascertained, every British manufacturer, and
by far the largest number of the dealers, cling to the maintenance
of the system with marked tenacity. The public do not complain
of it. That the foreigner appreciates it, is shown by the fact that,
rejecting the theoretical advantage of private <strong>marks</strong> and personal
reputation, foreign watch-cases are sent to this country to be <strong>Hall</strong>marked
in yearly increasing numbers. Nor should tbe antiquarian
or sentimental aspect of the question be altogether disregarded. At
any rate this should prevail to the extent of throwing the entire
burthen of proof on those who propose the abolition of a system
which has worked well for five hundred years.
The Committee do not consider that a voluntary or optional
system of <strong>Hall</strong>-marking would be satisfactory. So long as the inland
duty on plate is retained, no better means of collecting it than
through the assay authorities has been suggested. But the Committee
are of opinion that the abolition of the duty need not entail
the abolition of compulsory <strong>Hall</strong>-marking. Watch-cases have been
free from duty since 1798, but no difficulty has been experienced in
enforcing the <strong>Hall</strong>-marking laws with regard to them. Assuming
that the system of compulsory <strong>Hall</strong>-marking, with or without the
duty, is to be maintained, the Committee proceed to consider the
operation of the Acts under which that system is carried on.
Since the report of the Committee of 1856 the Assay Office at
York has ceased to exist. In other respects the condition of the
offices described in that report seems to have continued unaltered.
The chief complaint against the operation of the existing law
comes from the manufacturers of watches and watch-cases. They
have established by evidence that within the last few years a practice
has sprung up, and is rapidly increasing, under which foreignmade
watch-cases are sent to this country to be <strong>Hall</strong>-marked with
the British <strong>Hall</strong>-mark, and are afterwards fitted with foreign movements,
and are not then unfrequently sold and dealt in as British
made watches ; and they assert that this not only injures their own
reputation and lowers the credit of British workmanship, but is contrary
to the spirit and intention of our legislation. The Assay
Offices are unable legally to refuse to <strong>Hall</strong>-mark these foreign watchcases
when brought for assay by registered dealers, though their
officials are practically able to distinguish them from cases of
British manufacture.