tration, 5s. ; and so long a.s a patent agent continues to practise he must pay an annual registration fee of ..P3, 3s.
business of a pawnbroker, that is to say, a person who " carries on the business of taking goods and chattels in pawn,'" is governed and regulated in England, Wales and Scotland, by the pro visions of the Pawnbrokers' Act, 1872. The Act applies to all loans by a pawnbroker not exceeding L'10, but where the amount is above forty shillings a pawnbroker may make a special contract with the pawner according to a prescribed form. But in no ease does the Act apply to a loan by a pawn broker of above ..e10, or to the pledge on which the loan is made, or to the pawnbroker in relation to the loan or pledge ; and, !law ithstanding anythina in the Act, no one can be considered to be a pa xnbroker merely pays, advances,' or lends on any terms, any. ht1111 of money above ...€10. A pawnbroker may also require to be registered under the' Money-Lenders Act, as to which tile article on NIONEY-LENDERS should be referred to. A " pledge," in connection with pawnbroking, has the simple statutory definition of " an article pawned with a pawnbroker," and by the word " pawner," when ,used in the same connection, is meant " a person delivering an article for pawn to a pawnbroker." In order to prevent evasion of the statutory provisions relating to pawnbrokers, a certain class of persons other than pawnbrokers strictly so called is specifically brought uithin the scope of the Act. This class comprehends the "dollyman "—one who keeps a " dollyshop" or " leaving shop," a place where goods are sold with the option of repurchase at an advanced price within a certain fixed time. The section of the Act which so Checks the operations of the dollyman defines him, and others of the same ,type, one who keeps a shop for the purchase or sale of goods, or for taking in goods as security for advances thereon, and who purchases or takes in 'goods, and pays or advances thereon any sum not exceeding 1.10, with an ,agreement or understanding expressed or implied, or to be from the nature 'and character of the dealing reasonably inferred, that those goods mav be afterwards redeemed or repurchased on any terms. Every such transaction, article, payment, advance, and loan is a pawning, pledge, and loan respectively within the meaning of the Act, and the person within the scope of this sec tion, unless he cares to run the risk of punishment, must observe and comply with its provisions. They also extend to and include the executors or
administrators of deceased pawnbrokers ; but an executor or administrator is not personally answerable for any penalty or forfeiture unless it is incurred by his own act or neglect. Anything done or omit ted by the servant, apprentice, or agent of a pawnbroker in the course of or in relation to his business as such is considered to be done or omitted (as the case may be) by the pawn broker himself ; and anything authorised to be done by a pawnbroker may be done by. his servant, apprentice, or agent. The rights and benefits reserved to pawners extend to their assigns, and to the executors or administrators of deceased pawners ; but any one who represents himself to a pawnbroker to be the assign, executor, or administrator of a pawner must, if required by the pawnbroker, produce the assignment, probate, letters of administration, or other instrument under which he claims." General obligations of pawnbmkers.—A pawnbroker must keep and use in his business the books and documents described in the' Act,' in the forms therein indicated or to the like effect ; and, from time to time, a.s occasion requires, he must enter therein in a fair and legible manner the particulars indicated in and in accordance with the statutory directions, and must make all inquiries necessary for that purpose. These forms and directions are set out at the end of this article.
The following rules must be carefully observed by a pawnbroker :—(1) Always keep exhibited in large characters over the outer door of the shop the Christian and surnames, with the word " Pawnbroker"; (ii) Always keep placed in a conspicuous part of the shop (so as to be legible by every person pawning or redeeming pledges, standing in any box or place provided in the shop for persons pawning or redeeming pledges) a notice containing the same information as is required to be printed on pawn-tickets. Should he fail in any respect to comply with thc,se rules he will be guilty of an offence against the Act.