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Casks of butter for sale to be tried, weighed, and proved by weighmasters, &c.
If merchantable, to be weighed and branded.
Penalty on weighmasters, &c. branding with numerical letters.
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15. And . . . that all and every cask and casks of butter which shall be brought into any city or liberties thereof, town corporate, seaport or place of export, or market town, for sale or for exportation, shall, before the same is sold or exposed to sale in or exported from such city or liberties thereof, town corporate, sea port or place of export, or market town, be brought to some one of the weigh-houses aforesaid, there to be tasted, weighed, and proved by said weighmaster or weighmasters, taster or tasters, of such city, town corporate, sea port or place of export, or market town (as the case may happen to be), his or their deputy or deputies, who is and are hereby required strictly according to their respective offices to inspect the same, and before he or they mark or brand or approve the same, to see that such butter be merchantable [Rep. 36 & 37 Vict. c. 91. (S.L.R.)]; . . . . . . . . . . and when such butter so brought to be sold, weighed, or exposed to sale pursuant to this Act shall appear to such weighmaster or weighmasters, his or their deputy or deputies, taster or tasters, to be merchantable, said weighmaster or weighmasters, his or their deputy or deputies, shall and is and are hereby required to weigh the same, and to brand and mark on the side of each cask the gross weight thereof, in figures, and not in numerical letters, and to use any other brand or mark in addition thereto, which the said weighmaster or weighmasters, his or their deputy or deputies, shall think least liable to be counterfeited; and in case the said weighmaster or weighmasters, his or their deputy or deputies, shall make use of numerical letters in branding any empty cask or casks, or cask or casks of butter, such weighmaster or weighmasters, his or their deputy or deputies, being thereof convicted on a summary hearing upon the oath of one or more credible witness or witnesses (or affirmation, if a Quaker) before such mayor, chief magistrate, or justice of the peace aforesaid, as the case may be, (and which oath or affirmation every such mayor, chief magistrate, or justice of the peace aforesaid 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 such mayor, chief magistrate, or justice of the peace, as the case may be; which warrant said mayor, chief magistrate, or justice of the peace aforesaid, as the case may be, is hereby empowered and required to issue.
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