City of Cork (Butter Market) Act 1800

All casks of butter for sale, shall he tried, weighed, and proved by weigh-master.

Merchantable butter to be weighed and branded as herein.

Casks not to be branded with numerical letters.

XI. And be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, That all and every cask and casks of butter which shall be brought into the said city or liberties thereof for sale, shall, before the same is sold or exposed to sale in said city or liberties, be brought to some one of the weigh-houses, aforesaid, there to be tried, weighed, and proved by said weigh-master or weigh-masters of said city, for the time being, his or their deputy or deputies, who is, and are hereby required strictly to inspect the same; and before he or they mark or brand the same, to see that such butter be merchantable, and in case any such butter shall not appear to be merchantable, said weigh-master or weigh-masters, his or their deputy or deputies, are hereby empowered and required to seize the same, and to carry it, with the person who brought same to be weighed, before the mayor of said city, who is hereby empowered and required to enquire into the same, and if such butter shall upon examination, inspection, or due proof, appear to him to be unmerchantable, he shall adjudge the same to be forfeited, and if said mayor shall be doubtful of the quality of such butter, or if either party require the same, the said mayor is hereby empowered and required to summon, examine, and hear upon oath, (which oath the said mayor is hereby empowered and required to administer) two able merchants of said city, in relation to the nature and quality of such butter, that he may be better able to determine concerning the same; and when such butter so brought to be weighed pursuant to this act, shall appear to said weigh-master or weigh-masters, his or their deputy or deputies, to be merchantable, said weigh-master or weigh-masters, his or their deputy or deputies, shall and is, and are hereby required to weigh the same, and to brand and mark on the bottom and side of each cask the gross weight thereof, in figures, and not in numerical letters; and also to brand on the side of each cask, the word (Cork) and to use any other brand or mark in addition to the above which the said weigh-master or weigh masters shall think least liable to be counterfeited; and in case the said weigh-master or weigh-masters, his or their deputy or deputies, shall make use of numerical letters in branding any empty cask or casks, or cask or casks full of butter, such weigh-master or weigh-masters, his or their deputy or deputies being thereof convicted by the oath or oaths of one or more credible witness or witnesses, before the said mayor, (which oath or oaths the said mayor is hereby empowered and required to administer) shall forfeit the sum of five shillings for every cask so branded, to be levied by distress and sale of the offender’s goods and chattels, by warrant under the hand and seal of said mayor, which warrant the said mayor is hereby empowered and required to issue.