ENGROSSING, a term used in two legal senses : (I) the writ ing or copying of a legal or other document in a fair large hand (en gros), and (2) the buying up of goods wholesale in order to establish a monopoly and sell at a higher price. Engrossing and the kindred practices of forestalling and regrating were early regarded as serious offences in restraint of trade, and were punish able both at common law and by statute. They were of more par ticular importance in relation to the distribution of corn supplies. The statute of 1552 defines engrossing as "buying corn growing, or any other corn, grain, butter, cheese, fish or other dead victual, with intent to sell the same again." The law forbade all dealing in corn as an article of ordinary merchandise, apart from questions of foreign import or export. The theory was that when corn was plentiful in any district it should be consumed at what it would bring, without much respect to whether the next harvest might be equally abundant, or to the immediate wants of an adjoining province of the same country. The first statute on the subject appears to have been passed in the reign of Henry III., though the general policy had prevailed before that time both in popular prejudice and in the feudal custom. The statute of Edward VI. (1S52) was the most important. Any one who bought corn to sell it again was made liable to two months' imprisonment with forfeit of the corn. A second offence was punished by six months' im prisonment and forfeit of double the value of the corn, and a third by the pillory and utter ruin. Severe as this statute was, liberty was given by it to transport corn from one part of the country to another under licence of men of approved probity, which im plied that there was to be some buying of corn to sell it again and elsewhere. Practically "engrossing" came to be considered buy ing wholesale to sell again wholesale.
"Forestalling" was different. Statutes were directed against dealers who bought or contracted for corn and other provisions, and spread false rumours in derogation of the public and open markets appointed by law. The statute of Edward VI. was modi fied by many subsequent enactments, particularly by the statute of 1663, which declared that there could be no "engrossing" of corn when the price did not exceed 48s. per quarter, and which Adam Smith recognized, though it adhered to the variable and unsatisfactory element of price, as having contributed more to the progress of agriculture than any previous law in the statute book.
In 1773 these injurious statutes were abolished, but the penal character of "engrossing" and "forestalling" had a root in the common law of England, as well as in the popular prejudice, which kept the evil alive to a later period. In 1844, all the statutes, English, Irish and Scottish, defining the offences, were repealed and with them the supposed common law foundation. In the United States there have been strong endeavours by the Govern ment to suppress trusts and combinations for engrossing. (See also TRUSTS ; MONOPOLY.) See J. S. Girdler, Observations on Forestalling, Regrating and In grossing (1800) ; D. Macpherson, Annals of Commerce (18o5) ; W. Cunningham, Growth of English Industry and Commerce; W. J. Ashley, Economic History; Sir J. Stephen, History of Criminal Law; Murray, New English Dictionary.