COAL-MINING 531 
and upon these Statements the Committee, assuming an ADs 
imaginary basis, fix the relative proportions, as to quantity, ’ 
between all the Collieries, which proportions are observed, 
whatever quantity the Markets may demand. The Com- From each 
mittees then meet once a month, and according to the ciery. 
probable demand of the ensuing month, they issue so much 
per 1,000 to the different collieries; that is, if they give me 
an imaginary basis of 80,000 and my neighbour 20,000, 
according to the quality of our Coal and our power of 
raising them in the monthly quantity; if they issue 100 to 
the 1000, I raise and sell 3000 during the month, and my 
neighbour 2000; but in fixing the relative quantities, if 
we take 800,000 chaldrons as the probable demand of the 
different markets for the year; if the markets should require 
more, an increased quantity would be given out monthly, so 
a8 to raise the annual quantity to meet that demand, were it 
double the original quantity assumed.” 
It was possible to argue that the vend was an arrange- 
ment which merely secured a reasonable price, and that, 
while it benefited the producers as a body, it did not entail 
altimate loss on the consumers’. But the relations which and the 
existed, in some parts of the country, between the coal- Soacung 
owners and the labourers were much less defensible. It 
was important to the employer to be able to command the 
regular and constant service of a number of labourers, and 
customs grew up® by which the miners were just as definitely 
astricted to particular mines as villeins had been to par- 
ticular estates in the middle ages. This custom was specially 
noticeable in Scotland; an Act was passed with the view of 
breaking it down in 17754 but apparently with little success, 
for farther legislation was necessary in 1799%, The bonds- were 
men were born in a state of subjection, and an attempt was bondsmen, 
first made to free them gradually; but many of them failed 
to take advantage of the opportunity, while others became 
1 Reports, ete., 1830, vim. 6. 
2 Especially as the arrangement only held good in the Newcastle district which 
was exposed to competition from other fields. Jb. 1830, vi. 17. 
8 Cosmo Innes considers it was not a vestige of mediaeval serfdom, Sketches 
of Barly Scotch History, 499: May, Oonstitutional History, m1. 38. 
t 15 Geo. IIL. c. 28. § 39 Geo. IIL. ec. 56. 
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