By the 99th chapter, of Seth and 40th George it is provided, that for every pledge on laid s sum, not exceeding two shillings and sixpeace, shall have been advanced, it shall be lawful to take one halfpenny per month, as interest and indemnification for warehouse room ; one penny for five shillings; three halfpence for seven shillings and sixpence; twopence for ten shillings ; and if the loan does not exceed forty shillings, the pawnbroker may take at the rate of fourpence fur every kalendar month, in cluding that which is current. For any sum exceed ing forty shillings and not above ten pounds, he may at the rate of threepence monthly per pound Sterling. But these sums, though apparently new aiderable, are in fact high per ecstasy', and far sur passing the legal rate of interest.
The pawner may redeem his goods within sever days after the egsgry of the first month, without pay ing any thing as interest to the pawnbroker on these seven days; and also, if the pods are redeemed be fore expiry of the first fourteen days of the second month, the profits or interest of one month and half only are due. But if he fail to redeem them until after the lapse of these fourteen days of the second month, the pawnbroker may demand the profits of the whole second month; and the like repletion g in force for every kalendar month subsequent.
Should the sum advanced on the goods in pave ex. ceed five shillings, it is enacted that a description of the pledge shall be entered in a book• by the pent• broker, and a note or ticket, an nowt copy or duple one of the same, be delivered gratis to the iteeleks• If the sum advanced be above firm =stunner ten dull infa, the pawnbroker ie tinkled to a halfpenny for this dupikate4.if *eye ten.aadiaadee tweety,,te roe penny; and ilar * copy of the entry of goodspewn. ed for five pounds or more, Iburpence may be taken, but nothing higher. Further, as account of the amount of profits shall be written on this duplicate when the goods are redeemed ; and pawnbrokers are bound always to produce their books when required. They own likewise exhibit a table of their profits in conspicuous characters in the place where they carry en their business, and register *hair name and pro femican over their doors, under a penalty of ten pounds.
By the seventeenth section of the statute, it is de clared that all goods and chattels which me pawned or impledged, shall be deemed to be forfeited, and may be sold at the expiration of a year, from the date of pawning. But the impledger is, to a certain degree, protected by another clause, prohibiting from purchasing goods in their own custody. If any sum above ten shillings, and not exceeding ten pounds, has been lent, the goods shall be sold by public auction after expiration of the year, under strict regulations in respect, to previous adver tisement, and publication of catalogues, specifying, in addition to their description, the month in which they were impledged, as also the name and place of abode of the pawnbroker. But it is provided that pictures, prints, books, bronzes, statues, busts, carv ings in Mary and marble, cameos, intaglios, musical, mathematical and philosophical instruments, and china, shall be sold only at four times in the year; namely, the first Monday of January, April, July, and October, an• on the following day if the num ber of articles render it necessary. Thus the im
pledger may redeem his goods at any time within a year, on payment of the memory profits on the but, on his &litre, they may be sold. he give notice to the pawnbroker before the year closes, of hie intention to redeem, the sale mien be postponed until time months subsequent to its termination. When the sale has actually taken plum, the pawnbroker is entitled to appro ate only a much of the price received as shall cover his own advances, the statutory profits and costs, and must pay the residue to the owner on demand, within three years, under high penalties in event of re• fnd.
s Pawnbrokers are prohibited from lending money to persons below twelve years of age, or to those who are intoxicated; nor may they receive any goods in pawn beftwe eight in the morning, or after nine at night, between Michaelmas and Lady-Day ; nor beftwe seven in the morning and after ten at night, during the remainder of the year ; but with some exceptions which the statutes explain.
A great many enactments are comprised in the statute 89th and 40th Geo. IIL, respecting the penal ties of unlawfully pawning goods the of another, and those of forging any notes or memo randums regarding them ; likewise as to the appre hensiere and punishment of persons offering goods to - pawn who cannot give a good account of themselves.; The fluidity with which loans might be obtained ftom pawnbrokers on Baden goods, had previously _ rendered it' an object of anxiety with the Legisla. ante to detect offender& Hence an act was passed in the 89th of Geo. II. cap. 80, after Manypreced ing ones, annexing the pain of transportation fdr fourteen years, to the reset of stolen goods: and by a statute of the preceding year, it was lawlid for a pawnbroker, or other dealer, his servants or agents, to whom any goods should be offered to be pawned, exehanged, or sold, which he suspected to be stolen, to Mae and detain the person eftirig the same, for the purpose of being examined by a j418. fioe, who was empowered, if he saw arty reason to suppose that the goods had been unlawfully obtain ed, to commit the persons offering the same to pri ses, for a period not exceeding six days. Nevelt. shelve" all prohibitions are fund ineffectual in prod. thee ; eithough pawnbrokers, IC the rameopetle, are entitled to carry on their trade only on taking out an annual licence of L.10, and of L.5 if in any other part of the kingdom, nothing is liable to great er abuses. It is not uncommon for sharpers and swindlers to obtain such licences, and, taking advan tage of the necessitous or unwary, to exercise all possible deceptions on them. Such persons- are in. variably the receivers of stolen goods, on which ad maces. are made without scruple, from itell-knowhig that no one will ever return to reclaim them ; antlk besides,. the goods may safely be sold, for the same reason, beibre the statutory period empires. With out any regard to reputation or integrity, it has proved so easy to be established a pawnbroker, that, It is alleged, persons confined to the hulks on the Thames have even been able to obtain• licences to carry on a trade in the very place of their punishment.