The Sun.
London, England, 1801-11-18 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR Of THE SUN:

Titr. s}iritof.selfishi.and rapacious Monqpoly *ap-
?cars pretty- evident in the -arts which are used.in
rartous parts of the Kingdom, bUt particularly in
Lancashire, to inflame the minds of the Lower
Orlers':of the People against the opening of the
Distilleries, which, by a
.Law that has been in
force 'mire- than a- tWelvemOoth, is fixed for the
Ist of January next.
It is well known that since the Distillety of
Crain has been prohibited,' great advantages have
arisen to the West India Planters and Merchants by.
the increased price of Sugar and Molasses, -owing.,
to the consumption of' those articles by distillation.
'The wish to secure the exClasive possession of those
advantages to themselves, has induced some 'persons
interested in that trade 6) take steps which we are
confident the great, body of • the Planters and. 'Mer-
chants 'Would in the most 'pointed manner disa-
vow and condemn: Songs and hand-bills of ~the
mOst seditious- and inflammatory kind have been
circulated at Liverpool and other places, and every
• means employed to excite, the People .to viblence,
by representing the. opening the Distilleries as a.
Measure calculated -to remelt: the evils of SFareity,.
and rob the Poor of their food.
Leaving these abominable produlions to the
cpercion,of the' Law which they deserve- to feel, I
shall make a few observations on the subject, -for
the purpose of making it intelligible to,those who
may not hive had the meals of information re-
speaing it. Without entering into a moral or poli-
tical disquisition on the effeas ,of the use of spi-
thous liquors on the health and morals of the
People, it will be sufficient to observe, that such
considerations (however important in themselves)
cannot enterinto the present question, as there can
be no doubt that Spirits distilled from, Sugar and,
MolasseS, of which vast
.quantities.have been mane:
faCtured in the 'present* year, have all -the Mis-
chievous effeas which ,can be occasioned j”, those
which are made from corn. Experience likewise
has shewn that all attempts ,to prevent the use of
Spirits, by prohibiting the preparation of them in
this Country, 'have only ended in ,occasioning 'an
illicit trade, ruinous to the Revenue, and -destruc-
tive of the morals and subordination. of the People..

The-principal and indeed only avowed objec-
tion to the Distilleries is the consumption of. Grain ;
and it has been stated that the price of Wheat. has
been greatly .raised merely by. the report of their
opening. To prove the falsity as well as .malig.
Pity of this insinuation, it will.be Sufficient .to ob-,
serve, that Vy'hent is not :permitted, to be used. in
the British Distilleries. The consumption of Bar-
ley; which is the only Grain in .use, except a very
small quantity of Oats,- may be estimated at about
'tso,ooo quarters, which probably. does not much
exceed one twentieth. of an ordinary Crop. The
produce of Barley in the present year has been
ab,..t!drint, perhaps, beyond all example ; and it
is weii known that a great putt of the Corn used
in the 12/:,illeries, is such as is. damaged, and
unfit for any other purpose. It must not he fOr_
gotten that without the resource of some such con
stant market, the Cftivator might
,not in a year
of plenty, meet. with -a price adequate to his ex-
pences, and, in an untavouruble season, see his grain,.
received injury from the. wet, relish in
his barn for ~.aot of aPurchaser. The consequence
of such a discouragetnent to Agriculture, must, in
the first instance, be 'ruin to the Farmer,. and, in
the next, Famine to the Nation. Exclusive how.,
ever, of the produftion of Spirits, the Distilleries
•are subservient to purposes highly important to the
sustenance of the People. The quantity of fork,
which t/4 fatten, is suppose-J. by many to be equi-*
valenti in point of human nourishment,
.to, the total
amount or the Grain consumed. Withci,it attempt-
ing any exaCt calculation, we can safciiy assert, than
the extreme Scarcity of Bacon whic,lr lately prevailed,.
and which was perhaps . the re.OSt grievous among,
the privations of the Labnurir4 Poor in the Country,
. during their late distress, /as well as the difficulty
and immense expence wl:,ich have lately attended.
the supply of our Navy., and Merchant Ships with
be principally attributed to t7ie stoppage
of the Distillerie4,, a measure-Which was ju-stillect
and required by, the necessity of the:tithes, -b4-ene
inconveniences of which' have been:settereLy..celt. In
short, those only will. complain 0fj.1).-.'„ opening, of
DiStilleries, who are either wilelly ignorant of the
subjett, or .are attnaterl selfish or siriiSter
tivcs who may wish to injure the .Revenue,
,and
enrich the Smuggler ; -to encourage Fraud, and ruin
the 'Fair Trader ; to swell the hoards 'off the ,Weu
India Planter, and to starve -the Cultivators of Old
England.
I am, Sir, your humble Servant,
AGRICOLA.

DUBLIN, Nov. 12.

THE following is a copy, of a Circular Letter,.
which' has been-delivered to each Commandant of
•
a Yeomanry Corps; viz.

Dahill; Castle, Ottober 3t , 17R t.

" SIR,

have the Lord kieutenant's commands to acquaint you,
- that His Exce/lencynas much satistaCtiOn in-being-enabled
upon the approach of a peaceful winter, to relieve the Yeo-
puffy from some pcdtion of their duty. He has therefore
diteei',:d, that from the nth day of November, inclusive, the
, Exercise Day shall be., reduced to one in each Fortnight.
" His Excellency is clesirolis of taking this opportunity to
express the high degi=ee of satisfaction with which he has
itnessed the loyalty, zeal, auci spirit universally displayed
by the Yeomanry of this Ceituttry, whose exertions have al-
. ready so inater'ally contributed to its security, and which
he is persdaded will ever hen readiness to maintain the`Bles
sings O' Pea:7e, by the preservation of good-order amongst ail
His 'Majestv's Subjects. .
" 1 have the honour to be,:Sir,
" Your most obedient humble servant,
"CHARLES ABBOT."