During the greater part of the sixteenth century a struggle was maintained by the makers of the laws against the rise of prices which characterised nearly the whole of that period. In September, 1549, a proclamation was issued, directed against dealers in the principal articles of food. According to it, no man was to buy and sell the self-same thing again, except brokers, and they were not to have more than ten quarters of grain in their ion at one time. This proclamation possession " that all justices should divide themselves into the hundreds, and look what superfluous corn was in every barn, and appoint it to be sold at a reasonable price; also, that one must be in every market-town to see the corn bought. Whoso brought no corn to market, as he was appointed, was to forfeit 10/., unless the purveyors took it up, or it was sold to the neighl ours." (Turner's Hist. Eny. f. 172.) Obedience to these regulations was not confined to the temporary provisions of a proclamation ; but in they were, with some modifications, embodied in a statute (5 & 6 Edw. VI. c. 14). By this enactment, engrossers (persons buying corn to sell again) were subjected to heavy penalties. For the third offence they were to be set in the pillory, to forfeit their personal effects, and to be imprisoned during the king's pleasure. Farmers buying corn for seed were compelled to sell at the same time an equal quantity of their corn in store, undernalty of for feiting double the value of pe what they had bought. Persons might engross corn, not forestalling it—that is, enhancing the price or preventing the supply—when wheat was under 6s. 8d. per quarter.
In a further attempt was made to restrict the operations of buying and selling in articles of food, as well as many other commodities. The 5 & 6 Edw. VI. c. 14, already quoted, contained a proviso that corn-badgers, allowed to that office by three justices of the peace of the county where the said badger dwelt, could buy provisions in open fair or market for towns and cities, and sell them, without being guilty of the offence of forestalling; but this relaxation was not permitted by a subsequent statute passed in (5 Eliz. e. 12), in the preamble of which the act 5 & 6 Edw. VI. is thus alluded to:—" Since the making of which act such a great number of persons, seeking only to live easily and to leave their honest labour, have and do daily seek to be allowed to the said office, being most unfit and unmeet for those purposes, and also very hurtful to the commonwealth of this realm, as well by enhancing the price of eorn and grain, as also by the diminishing of good and necessary hus bandmen." Accordingly it was then enact ed that the licences to corn-badgers should only be granted once a year by the justices at quarter-sessions, instead of at any period by three justices ; and that none were to obtain a licence but resident householders of three years' standing, who are or have been married, and of the age of thirty, and are not servants or retainers to an other person. Those who received a licence were to have it renewed at the end of every year. Licensed persons were also required to find security not to fore stall or engross in their dealings, and not to buy out of open fair or market, except under express licence. The statute did not apply to the counties of Westmore land, Cumberland, Lancaster, Chester, and York.
In 1554 a new act was passed (1 & 2 Phil. and Mary, c. 5) which allowed ex portation so long as the price of wheat should not exceed 6s. 8d., that of rye 4s , and that of barley 3s. per quarter. The preamble complains that former acts against the exportation of grain and provisions had been evaded, by reason whereof they had grown unto a " won derful dearth and extreme prices." Under the act of 1554, when prices exceeded 6s. 8d. per quarter for wheat exportation was to cease ; and when it was under that price it could not be exported to any foreign country, or to Scotland, without a licence, under penalty of forfeiting double the value of the cargo as well as the vessel, besides imprison ment of the master and mariners of the vessel for one year. The penalty for exporting a greater quantity than was warranted by the licence was treble the value of the cargo, and imprisonment ; and a cargo could be taken only to the port mentioned in the licence: The ob ject was to prevent exportation when there was not a sufficient supply in the home market, and to permit it to be sent abroad when it was below a certain price at home.
In 1562, only eight years after the act 1 & 2 Phil. and Mary had been passed, the liberty of exportation was extended, and wheat might be carried out of the country when the average price was 10s. per quarter and under, that of rye, peas, and beans 88., and that of barley or malt 6s. 8d. per quarter (5 Eliz. c. 5); and to prevent evasion of the law, it was enacted that the corn and grain should only be exported from such ports as her Majesty might by proclamation appoint.
In 1571 a statute was passed (13 Eliz. c. 13) which contains provisions for settling once a-year the average prices by which exportation should he governed. The Lord President and Council in the North, also the Lord President and Council in Wales, and the Justices of Assize, within their respective jurisdic tions, "yearly shall, upon conference had with the inhabitants of the country, of the cheapness and dearth of any kinds of grain," determine " whether it shall be meet at any time to permit any grain to be carried out of any port within the said several jurisdictions or limits ' • and so shall, iu writing, under their hands and seal, cause and make a determination either for permission or prohibition, and the same cause to be, by the sheriff of the counties, published and affixed in as many accustomed market-towns and ports within the said shire as they shall think convenient." The averages, when once struck, were to continue in force until the same authorities ordered other wise; and if their regulations should " be hurtful to the country by means of dearth, or be a great hinderance to tillage by means of too much cheapness," they could make the necessary alterations. All proceedings under this act were to be notified to the queen or privy council. The statute enacted that, " for the better increase of tillage, and for maintenance and increase of the navy and mariners of this realm," corn might be exported at all times to friendly countries when pro clamation was not made to the contrary. A poundage or customs duty of lx. per quarter was charged on all wheat ex ported; but if exported under special licence, and not under the act, the duty was 2s. per quarter.