Statute Law Repeals - Law Commission - Ministry of Justice

City of London Gauger Act (1817)
6.114 The preamble to this 1817 Act 196 recorded that the office of Gauger within the
City of London was granted to the City by letters patent dated 20 June 1479. 197
The Gauger’s functions included examining and measuring all barrels of wine,
beer, oil and other liquid substances brought by sea into the City of London. The
Gauger charged fees for these services. The preamble also recorded that, until
the completion of the West India Docks and the London Docks in the early 1800s,
liquor imported into London would arrive in the City where it would be processed
by the deputy Gauger, thereby earning the City of London a considerable sum by
way of profits and revenue. The completion of the docks meant that much of the
liquor was now arriving in the docks rather than in the City, a change that resulted
in a loss of income both for the City and for the person currently holding the office
of deputy Gauger. 198 Finally the preamble recorded that the cost of compensating
the City and the estate of the late deputy Gauger for their respective losses could
be met by increasing the fees payable by persons seeking to be admitted as
commodity brokers within the City. 199 The licensing of such brokers was an
ancient power exercised by the City. 200
6.115 The 1817 Act accordingly provided that every person wishing to be admitted to
act as a commodity broker within the City of London as from 1 July 1817 was
required to pay to the City Chamberlain an admission fee of three pounds and a
yearly fee of three pounds (in addition to the existing admission fee of forty
shillings and the existing annual fee of forty shillings). Part of this fee income was
to be paid by way of compensation to the estate of the late deputy Gauger, the
balance being paid to the City.
6.116 The City’s jurisdiction over commodity brokers, and the fees payable by them,
ended with the passing of the London Brokers’ Relief Act 1884 201 which took
effect on 29 September 1886. Accordingly the 1817 Act thereupon became spent
and its repeal is proposed on that basis.
196 57 Geo.3 c.lx.
197 This grant was made by Edward IV and was confirmed by letters patent.
198 The most recent office-holder had been Nicholas Bacon Harrison, appointed in 1806
following the death of his brother who had also been the deputy Gauger. Mr Harrison paid
a yearly rent of £750 for the right to exploit this apparently lucrative office. He died in 1817.
199 These fees were first charged in 1707 pursuant to an Act of that year: 6 Ann c.68 (City of
London (garbling of spices and admission of brokers)). This Act was repealed by the Food
and Drugs Act 1938 (c.56), s 101, Sch 4.
200 Between 1285 and 1886 the Corporation of London was empowered to license all
commodity brokers operating in the City of London.
201 47 & 48 Vict. c.3. This Act was repealed by the Statute Law Revision Act 1898.
203