The Sun.
London, England, 1808-04-14 00:00:00

I)IS"CILLATION FROM SUGAR.

Lord BINNING, Chairman of the Committee ap-
pointed to consider the propriety of contining;for a
time to be limited, thel)istillerics to the use of Su-
gar and Molasses in thei.Mantithaure of Spirits,
brought up the Report of that Committee.
Sir H. Mit.D.Any thdught it right to apprize the
House, that the part of the neport which went to
prohibit the use of grain in distillation, though sanc-
tioned by the opinions of the majority of the Com-
mittee, shad by no means its unanimous approbation.
It any legislative measure should be proposed on the
BepOrt, tending to carry that princii,le into efred, he
• gate notice that lie should feel it his duty to oppose
it. There was no sufficient public ground tOr such
a measure, and it would be extremwiy injurious to
the Barley Counties, one of which he had the ho-
nour to represent, He was confident that his ca-
stitueuts would give him instructions to oppose the
proposition, and that they would Petition against the,
tueasure.
Mr.Ciatrra agreed with the Hon, ban. The limited
interest was sutticietitly depressei, and the influenc‘
of Members whose consequeane arose from trade was
already sufficiently great; without strikiug a general
blow at an (extensive branch of the Agriculture at the
Country. He should give his determined opposition
to the measure.
Mr. WUSTZRU spoke to the same effect.
Admiral HERVEY, a 4 a Member of a Barley
County (Essex), found it impossible to allow the
measure to be announced', without announcing at
the same time his determined opposition. He could
not hvlj• ascribing the design to party -motives a
=moor had reached his ears, that the Members for
Norfolk, Statiiilk, and Essex, were excluded from
the Counalittee its its formation, beciuse they were
Parley Codnties.
,11.1BBEdi7' would not sutfer misconceptions,
sucli as those expressed by the Hon. Member who

bad spokeu before him, to go abroad, and operate
imcontradicted during the recess. Though he was
':4merchant, he felt the importance of agriculture as
, as any in3o4 and.. know that thu principal
of the country was upon it. It would he
found, w hen the Report should come to be examined,
that the Committee had looked not only to the in-
terests of the West !tidies, but also more particularly
to those of the Country at home, taking into cello-
aeration the present state of its foreign relations,
which probably would occasion a total stoppage trir
a considerable time of the usual supplies of grain
front abroad. Under these circumstances, the Com.
tnittee had thought jt wise to re.cornMend the. SUS;
pl.:Mimi, for a, time, of the use of grain in distilla-
tion, and not, as was supposed by some, a perma-
nent substitution of sugar and molasses. On a ge-
' neral view cif the state of the Cduntry„and of the:
Continent, it appeared wise to adopt this measure,
es a timely precaution against a sciireity. It was a
satistaetion, that in adopting this measure of pre-
caution, an important article of. British produce and
property may be brought in to supply the other da-
iiiancis of public, and that a mkt. could be thus
afforded to a deserving class of the community, and
new vigour imparted to a principal branch of the
revenue. He did not think the proposed measure
would cause a fall of 6d. a quarter on barley ; if he
did, he would not vote for 0. Hut if such a fall
should unexpectedly be the consequence, the Report
contained a recommendation to the Privy Council .to
take trieisures immediately to return to the Use of
grain. Such was the nature ut the Repast which
had excited so much alarm, and which 1)0 met
with so unusual opposition, before its nature was
communicated or understood.

LordIiZVIVING thought the discussionprema tut*
till the Report should be printed, and in the hands
pf Members a sufficient time for constdetation. He
did not conceive that the Right Hon. Gentleman, on
whose motion the Committee was formed, had pass-
ed over the Members. for Norfolk, Suffolk, and
Essex, because these were corn counties. lie him-
self had voted in favour of the recommendation to
prohibit the-use of corn in distillation, but he by no
means would have done so if he could have thought
the prohibition likely to prove injutious to the laud-
ed interest.
Mr. LUSIII24GrON thought it must be a most
extravagant degree of alarm that could suggest to
one Member that the barley fields would lie uncul-
tivated, and to another that the representation of the
people, and the composition of the House of Com-
mous, would be deteriorated by affording the relief
Which West India produce required, which could
be al brded without injury, and to which persons
interested in the West India Colonies were well
entitled. The Committee bad been formed as fair-
ly as possible, by including a just proportion of
every interest concerned. He hoped the landed
interest would take up this matter fitirly and dis-
pasSionately. The Country Gentlemen must reed
but little if they did nut see that the depression of
the 'West Inetia trade would infallibly aggravate
their own burthens.
-Mr. BRAN!) allowed that the West India trade
was entitled to relief, and would be ready to support
any relict given at the general expellee of the Coen-
try. What he complained of was 3 relief proposed
to be given by the injury and oppression of the
Barley counties. A Committee was not to be ap-
pointed to revise and bring into question the Intitia-
mental principles of public economy, so decidedly
laid down by Hirne, Stuart, and Smith, in this
Country, and by Turgot and Condorcet, in France.
The uncertain wealth Of speculation should not be
supported by the sacrifice ofTertain'benefits of agri-
culture. He should look to the Report narrowly,
and oppose it in every stage, if, as he feared, it con-
tained s recommendation to prohibit the distillation
of corn.
The CHA NCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
said the Committee had by no means been appoint-
ed in Opposition to the established principles alluded
to by the Hon. Gentleman who had just sat down,
or with a view to consult the interests of the Cole-
Dies .at the expellee of those of the Mother Country.
The circumstances which called for the investiga-
tion of the; 'Committee were of a temporary na-
ture; so was the relief- proposed* in the Repnrt.
These cialmistances applied to the. Mimher Coun-
try as well as the Colonies, and so did the relict,
and so far .W2B it from being intended to do any
permanent injury to agriculture, that not even a mo-
mentary depression of the price of grain was tra
take-place without a power to put em end to the pro-
posed restridlion. He would expresss no, cOinion' as
to the propriety of carrying the; recommendation coo-
tained in the Report into etfeet. He had timed no
opinion ; he had avoided forming any till he should
Dave; the whole' subject end evidence bet Ore him in
the Report. The Committee; had been appointed to
consider the depressed state of the West India pro-
duce, and what relief could be afibrded by introduc-
ieg the use of sugar into the distilleries, or by any
other means. The Committee had taken into Con-
sideration the state of our foreign trade, attd of the
Contitient, and the probability of'our being for some
time deprived 0,t7 our usual supplies of • grain, from
abroad. And upon the general consideration of the
state of the country and of the West Indies the Re-
port had been framed. These were matters which
it•was no absurdity to refer to a ComMittee, nor to
receive a Report upon them. As to the formation
of a Committee, it was Made up of cttuntry Gentle-
men, general merchants, and persons connected
with the West Indies. So far was the ruinour•from
being founded, which stated that the Members for
three particular counties had been purposely passed
over, that it was his intention to have natried a Met:n•
ber for one of these counties, Norfolk, if he had
noticed him in attendance previous to the appoint-
ment of the Committee. Of four Members added
to the Committee subsequent to its formation, one
only was a Met chant distinguished for his intormae
and the other three,-Gentlemen of the landed
interest, of whom one, the Hunourable Baronet be-
hind hint (Sir H. Mildmay) had taken a very aaive
part in the Committee. At the same time that he
peotessed and telt so great a rep+ ti fur the interests
of agriculture, he thought that it by bringing an ad-
ditioteel article of food into the Market a former arti-
cle should sustain some falling off, there would yet
be no reason to complain, any more than if three or
400,1)00 acres of waste hum Were brought into cul-
tivatiun, the general price of provisions should be
reduced. He hoped, that after the Report should
be printed, and a reasonable titre; under comidgra,
lion, the sense of the House would be taken upon
it, in order that the suspense that now existed aheul4
OrQuglit to an end.

.111 i: ELLIS condemned the. opposition ,o,4ewn to
the Rep9rt- as premature the object of the Report
could yet be scarcely ktn and certainly the rea-
800$ on which that object Was founded, and the
regulations and restriCtions by which the prOposed
measure was to be accompanied, were not. He
etas satisfied, that no Member of the Oonunittee
would have voted for the Report, if there could have,
been the slightest idea that the-measure proposed.
would be injurious to agriculture. The Committee
was fairly formed of persons selected from every
imerest, and framed its Report from the best view.
of the general situation and eircumstaneei of the,
county.

Alotiral HERVEY declared himself satisfied,
after the explanation of the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer, that the rumour of the Members for,the
Corn Counties having been. excluded from improper
motives was without foundation.
Mr. WINDHAM knew nothing of the Report
but its substance, and would reserve a perfed free-
dom of opinion till he had partieulatirexamined it.
Ie thoUght it right, however, to observe, that the
illustration adduced by the Right Hon. Gentleman
oppoitte did 'not apply. , Bringing an additional
quomitY of land into cultivation only increased the
supply of the article, and extended the competition
in the.market : but in this case there was a prohibi-
tion of one article, and an exclusion of one pet of
dealers,

Sir JOHN S/NCLI/R stated, that the agricul-
tural part of the community througkont the .Empire
h kit the greatest alarm since the Cotwnittee ha.!

beet) formed. re was therefore essential that the
%Tort should be printed as speedily as possible, and
that it shntlld be circulated through the country,
and full time given for the consideration of it Own
the sentiments of the farmers and land-owners may
be ccnveyed to Pailiatnentr—the case would be de-
cided on an attentive view of the whole of the me-'
rits, and the landed interest would receive that pro-
tetlion to which it was entitled.
Mr. MAN.IVING said the attention of the Com-
mittee was always directed to the interests of the.
Country, as well as to those of the West India trade;
Ho should have felt himself unwortby of the trust
reposed in him as a Member of the Committee, if
he had acted on any other principle. The measure
recommended was-but of a temporary nature, to be
in force for twelve months from the Ist of July
next ; and if the restriction should at any time be
found injurious to the price of corn, it may be re-
moved without delay. But if the restriction upon
the Exportation of Corn from the Port of London
to the Colonies should be taken off, the landed in-
terest would gain more by opening that trade than
it could by any possibility suffer from the limitation.
He thought it right to state this now, to correa as
far as possible the misconception and alarm that had
gone abroad.. Such explanation was the more es-
sential,' as, from the voluminous nature of the Re-,
port, it was 'a long time before it could be printed.
and circulated in such a manner as to do itself that
justice. As a. proof of the. impartiality that regu-
lated the formation of the Committee, he stated,
that he did not know his name was on the list till
he heard it pronounced from the Chair. Most of
the Merchants on the Committee were wholly con-
tieded with the West Indies. • . •

Mr. .111scLum stated, that the ,greatett alarm
prevails lin the County he represented (Ross) and
the adjoining County of Sutherland, at tbe idea of
the measure recommended in this respeot He was
sure there would be Meetings and Petitions to Par-
liament on the subject.
Lord 'BINNING. gave notice, that unless some
other person should offer'a Motion to the House on
the Report, he should do so in proper time.
Mr. FosTER brought up the Irish •Drawback
Suspension. Bill which was read a first time, and
ordered to be read a iecond time on Wednesday.
se'nnight.
Lord CthLER rAGH brought in a B:11 for the Con-
stitution of a Permanent Local Militia for theln-
ternal Defence of the RealM ; which was read a
first time, and. ordered to be read a second time. on
Friday the 29th instant, and to be printed.
Tice CHANCELLOR of the Exenttcunia brought in
a till to encourage the Residence of Stipendiary Cu-
rates.

Mr. TAYLOR ,expressed his satisfaaion at this
Bill. The Ads for entbrcing the Residence of the
Clergy were nugatory; from the facility of obtaining
licences on certificates of sickness, He knew. one
Clergy Man who/had two Very valuable livings, and
did not reside on either, because the air of the 'tine
disagreed with himsclt, and that of the other with.
his mite.- After a short conVersation, m' which the
Chancellor of the Exchequer exprisa.fd his hope of
the Hon. Gentleman's attendance and support
against the opposition likely to be made to this Bill,
and Mr. Taylor promised his support in every:ittago
of ho PH, it was passed through she various stages
up to the Report,
/which is to be. received to-mor-
row, and to 'be taken into further consider-
ation' •to-torrow fortnight. The Bill. is to be
printed.
A MeSsade fi'oni the Lords notified .their Lord-
ships' assent to the Irish Duties Bill, and several
private Bills:

Mr. BANKES gave notice, that, after the holidays,
he gliould again bring before the House the ques-
tion of the propriety of taking Foreign Property in
the Funds.