The Sun.
London, England, 1830-04-30 00:00:00

DISTILLERS.

The Earl of MALMESBURY rose to present a petition
from the Distillers of the United Kingdom. He hoped
to obtain the attention of their Lordships, particularly of
the Noble Viscount opposite, who was, a few years ego,
Chancellor of the Exchequer. The petitioners would sot
then come before their Lordship, had they not had some
reason to complain of an alteration which they uoderstosd
was about to be introduced into the regulations for levying
duty on corn spirits. In 1825 the petitioners stated that
a regulation had been made fur levying duty both on
the Bpi:its made from corn in England and from runt,
and that regulation was now to be departed from. In
1825 those regulations were made after a long investi-
gation, and the result was that 1 s. 6d. was given as
an advantage to the English corn distiller. Was there
then any change in circumstances now to make an
alteration of this discriminating duty necessary ? Rum,
when brought into this country, was fit fur consumption,
as their Lordships knew ; but the British spirits had to irs
rectified and compounded, which made a difference of hid.
per gallon against the English distiller, as compared to the
manufacturer of rum. The next ground of complaint on
the part of the distillers, of which he found himself parti-
cularly called on to take notice, was the Corn Lawe, which
prevented the cor❑ distillers from getting their materials as
cheap as they ought, which was a disadvantage equal to
Is. more. Then there was the duty on malt, on which a
drawback, indeed, was allowed in Scotland for spirits ex-
ported. These three heads together made a difference in
favour of the distiller of rum one shilling and sixpence,
and showed the propriety of giving a protecting duty to
that amount in favour of the British corn distiller. More-
over, there was a long series of regulations to which the
British corn distillers were exposed, which had cost them
250,000/. in 1822 to understand them. It would give
their Lordships some idea of the multiplicity of these regoa
lations when he informed them that these regulations
amounted to 62 folio pages. When their Lordships con-
sidered the number of regulations contained in such a mass
of printed paper, the extent of memory necessary to have
them always present, and the vexation to which they ex-
posed the English distiller, their Lordships would see that
this gave the maker of rum great advantage over the ma-
nufacturer of English spirits. It ought to he added to the
reasons for continuing the discriminatory duty. He would
not trouble their Lordships any further, except to make
some general remarks on the consequences of the proposed
alteration. He was happy to make these remarks in the
presence of the Noble Viscount, who would correct bhn
if be made any mistake. The British distillers said
that they consumed about 14,000,000 quarters of corn
yearly, and this corn was of a peculiar description,
not adapted to the food of man. We had lately had
two seasons in which a great quantity of such corn
had been grown, which must have been a complete
loss to the farmer, had he not found a customer for it in
the distillers. Again, it was well known that a quantity
of malt was employed in all distilleries, and if the distillers
were prevented from consuming the corn and the malt, a
great injury would accrue to the agricultural interest—an
interest which was already involved in difficulties, and
which difficulties ought not to be increased, and for the
protection of which the Corn Laws had been established.
He knew that the West Indians might say, that having
these protecting laws, the landed interest ought not to
stand in the way of the West Indians; but he would tell
those gentlemen that they had their own protecting and
prohibitory laws, which were more in their favour than
the Corn Laws were in favour of the landed interest.
They had protecting duties on sugar, and coffee, and
while they maintained these, they ought not to object to
the protection afforded to the corn growers. If he were
a West Indian, he should not look at this measure as a
boon, or at all adapted to give him relief. On the
contrary, he should look for relief from other sources.
lie should ask for a great reduction of the sugar duties,
which would be a great boon to the West Indians, and a
great benefit to the working classes. He observed by the
Gazette, that die price of sugar was 235. per cwt., but
the duty was 275., and this was not an ad valorem duty,
but the same for every description of sugar, the lowest
priced as well as the highest priced. At present, when
beer was a general beverage, perhaps even more was drunk
than ardent spirits. He thought sugar was essential to
the comfort of the poorer classes, and a reduction of duty
on it would Le a great benefit to them. It would increase
the consumption of sugar, and be a boon to the sugar-
grower. By lowering the duties, too, East India Sugar
might come into the market, and the price be lowered
without injuring the grower. Tha next effect it bad was
that of increased smuggling. The additional duty of one
shilling might make a considerable difference in this re-
spect it would be equivalent to 1-14th of the cost, and
might turn the balance in favour of the smuggler. Those
who recollected the former state of that part of the country
where he lived must be sensible of the great advantages
which had resulted from lowering the duty, and from the
preventive service, which had put an end to most nefarious
scenes. He did fear that a difference so great in favour
of the smuggler as this additional duty would make, might
renew those scenes. He did not know exactly what sum
might turn the scale, but 50/. 01 1,000 gallons might
effectually do it. He should not object to the imposition
of Is. duty additional, if it were also imposed on West
India produce, and would tend to the diminution of the
consumption of ardent spirits in the country. For his
part, he considered that any lowering of duty which in-
creased the consumption of ardent spirits would be a great
evil. There were two difficulties which their Lordships
had to avoid in lowering the duty so much as to promote
the consumption of spirits, and raising it so much as to
give a temptation to smuggling. He did not pretend to
know exactly what duty would best fulfil both these cull-

Ilitions, as that would demand ao extensive inquiry. The
Noble Earl who had already addressed their Lordships had
called their attention to the anomalous state of the law as
to the small notes of England, Scotland, and Ireland ; but
the law relating to ardent spirits was not less anomalous.
The duty, he believed, was ss. less in Scotland anti Ire-
land than in England—so that a man might there step
over the borders and drink spirits for ss. less than on the
side he had left ; nay, he might there pay fur the cheap
spirits with a one pound note, by one hand, which he
dare not exhibit in the other. This was an anomalous
state of the law that required revision. Their Lordships
must also recollect, that if the duty were raised, illicit
distillation would be again encouraged. The Noble Lord,
in conclusion, said that he hoped at least that these altera-
tions would not be carried into effect without investiga-
tion ; and if it were attempted, he did not know that he
should not himself move for an investigation.—The peti-
tion was read, and ordered to he laid on the table.

Viscount GODERICH said, that not only the petitioners
were deserving of attention, but there was a great principle
involved in those alterations which he had the honour to
propose to Parliament, and which ended in an alteration of
the law. That alteration originated in the necessity of
taking some decided step to put an end to illicit distillation,
which prevailed to a great extent in Scotland and Ireland.
He presumed that only those who were on the spot or who
had made it a special matter of inquiry, could be aware of
the great extent to which the evil was carried. It had
produced in Ireland a state of civil war between the inha-
bitants and the King's troops. The duty had been changed
twenty times; the most severe and oppressive laws had
been enacted ; but all there things had failed to put an end
to the illicit distillation ; and it was then resolved, as
the only remedy, to diminish the duty, which was, in
consequence, lowered in Scotland and Ireland, from Os.
to 2s. 10d. At that time, as the Irish and Scotch
spirits were excluded from time English market, the re-
duction of duty widened the door for smuggling into
England. That restriction was both unjust and unpalat-
able, and could not be maintained. It was impossible,
therefore, that the ditty should be continued so much
lower in Scotland anent Ireland than the duty in England.
At that time too (1824), the West India interest was
labouring nnder great difficultim s; and one of the causes
of their difficulties was, the imposibility of finding a
market for their rem. It was further stated, that a re-
duction of the duty on rum might give them some com-
pensation for the low price of sugar, by causing an in-
creased consumption of ruin. The difficulty was, to levy
such a duty on rum and English spirits as should be equal
for both. He considered that the owners of the soil in
Jamaica were as much British subjects as the owners of
the soil in England, and were to he treated on a fair foot-
ing of equality. When the duty was reduced in 1825, he
was not prepared to say what duties would place these in-
terests on the same footing; and in order to ascertain that,
he instituted au investigation. The corn distillers claimed
a protection of 2s. the gallon, and the Jamaica planters said
they could not allow more than Is., and he thought he
should- he acting on a fair principle if he struck the balance
between them, and gave a protecting duty of Is. 61 to
the English corn distiller. This sum was given him as a
compensation for the greater charges to which he was ex-
posed. At that time he had concluded that the conse-
quence of lowering the duty on rum would he that time
consumption of the article would be increased, and in this
anticipation he had not been disappointed. He had cal-
culated that the loss to time revenue of lowering the duty
would be about 600,0001., but as ha concluded that there
would he an increased consumption, he had estimated it at
300,000/. He was told that he was too sanguine ; but
the result had justified his expectation. The duty in the
year 1828 was only 200,0001. less, instead of being
600,000/. ; and he was informed that in 1829 the con-
sumption had increased even more than in 1828 ; so that
the loss to the revenue was still less.. He agreed with the
petitioners and the Noble Lord that no circumstances had
occurred since 1825 to justify the change now proposed.
He had always stated to the West India interest, that the
arrangement then made might at any time he revised by
Parliament; but he saw nothing in the present circum-
stances to warrant a departure from the scale adopted in
1825. Like his Noble Friend, he apprehended that some
mischief would result from the proposed change. It would
widen the difference between the price of the English, and
Scotch, and Irish spirits, and renew the stimulus to
smuggling ingenuity; and he could inform their Lord-
ships that in their calling, smugglers—gentlemen as
well as ladies—were an ingenious class of people. If ne-
cessary to make any alteration, he should have thought
it would have been one in the reversa sense. He should
rather have proposed to increase the duty on Irish and
Scotch spirits, for he did not think thmt even 2s. or 6d.
a gallon added to them would touch diminish the cen-
iiiimption. He understood that the motion was proposed
only for the purposes of revenue, and for the purpose of
time additional duty he had mentioned, would have been as
equally efficacious. The arrangement now proposed, if
intended for the advantage of the West India interest,
would not, he thought, answer t'ee'end, though he did not
agree with his Noble Friend that the planters would derive
all the benefit he seemed to suppose from that reduction of
the duties on sugar which he recommended. A part of
the benefits of that reduction would go into the pockets of
the consumers. The Noble Viscount concluded by apolo-
gising to their Lordships fur having troubled them, which
he should not have done had he not been appealed to by
the Noble Earl concerning the regulations made in 1825.
The Earl of 114ALMESBURY explained. He had for-
gotten to state, that the consumption of rum had increased
at the rate of 55 per cent. since 1825.—The petition was
read and laid on the table.

POOR LAWS (IRELAND).
The Earl of DARNLEY presented a petition from the
inhabitants of Chatham and Gillingham, in Kent, praying
that the system of Poor Laws might be extended to Ireland.
The Earl of LIMERICK said this petition showed pre-
cisely what was wanted. The petitioners only sought to
obtain relief from the burdens that pressed on themselves ;
but he would tell them:that if 10,000,0001. a year were le-
vied on Ireland for the relief of the poor, that would not
send one man less over to England.—The petition was read.