The Sun.
London, England, 1822-05-07 00:00:00

SCOTCH DISTILLEMES.

Capt. NITEIFC,'SS presented a Petition signed by upwards of
2,000 farmers in the county of Fife; praying that the importa-
tion of Scotch spirits into England might be allowed. The
House was aware that grain and spirits might be sent from Ire-
land to Scotland, but neither of those articles was allowed to be
exported to Ireland or England. The Petitioners calculated,

that if the permission which they prayed for were granted,, fh
consumption of bailey would,be increased, to the amount of
500,000 quarters.
.. • •

den. VERGUSSON called upon the landed gentlemen in
the House to support the prayer of the. Petition, which, if it
weregred to, would create them a market for their grain,
whicif was at present rotting in. warehouses,
. _

Lord A. HAMILTON also, said a few words'in support
the Petition. . .

The CHANCELLOR-of the EXCHEQUER said that the
Hon. Gentleman who presented the Petition had overstated the
case. This was a• question of much importance, and he Wished
the House to suspend their opinions until the CommiSsioners of
Inquiry, before whom the whole matter was lald, should make'
their Report. In the present distress, he had no objection to.
give every facility for the consumption of barley, but he had"
no hesitation in saying that he would prefer seeing the increased
consumption take place rather in beer than spirits,. which were.
so hurtful to the morels of the people. . •
Mr. HUNTER BLAIR said that evidence upon the point
had been taken by the Agricultural Committee. Many.perSolis
had declared that the measure proposed would not tend to lessen
the consumption of beer in England-: its only effect would be
to drive out. the illicit importation of spirits. •
..
Sir RONALD FE RGUSSON complained that the laws re-
gulating distillation in Scotland were. unnecessarily-severe. If.
a distiller worked for the home trade and for exportation, he
was obliged to hive a separate building for each branch of his
ltisiness ; those buildings not standing
.within two miles of each
other. • • •

The Petitio.-. was then read, and referred to the. Agricultural
Committe.e.

Mr.,HUNTER BLAIR moved for a copy of reports fur.
nislied to the Treasury within the last year. on the subject of
illicit distillation in Scotland.-Orderd •to be laid upon the
table.

Mr. MAULS presented a Petition Trom the growers of
barley In the County of Kincardine, praying• that the importa-
don of Scotch whiskey into this country might be placed on the
same footing with that of Irish.
Mr. STUART WORTLEY presented a Petition to the
same effect from the County of Forfar.—Read, and ordered to
he referred to the Agricultural. Committee.
AGRICULTURAL DISTRESS.

Sir EDWARD KNATCHBULL:presented three Petitions
from occupiers of land in the County of Kent, complaining 'of
the depressed state of the Agricultural Interest.—Read, and
ordered to be printed.
11r. DUGDALE presented three Petitions from-the County
of Warwick against the proposition for allowing foreign corn
lying in British warehouses to be ground and exported.—Read,
and ordered to be printed.
MARRIAGE ACT.
_ -

Mr. PARES presented a Petition from certain Ijnitarian
Dissenters against the.existing provisions of the Marriage Act.
RELIEF TO THE COUNTRY. .
Sir T. LETHBRIDGE presented a Petition from certain
Owners and Occupiers of Land in Abe counties of Somerset
and. Gloucester, on .the subject of Agricultural Distress. They
complained that none of the Resolutions which had been brought
forward seemed likely to- supply,an .adequate- remedy, -but in
particular they were filled with alarm by those submitted to
the House by the lion. Member for Portarlington. That Ilon.
Member he considered was rather too hard on those who; like
him (Sir T. Lethbridge), favoured a high protecting duty on
foreign corn, when contended that they-had no reason for
making such a demand. -lie (Sir. T, Lethbridge), when advo-
cating that system for which he felt it to be his duty to con-
tend, had given his reasons for so doing, and these, if not
satisfactory to the Hon. Member-for Portarlington, were satis-
- factory to 'his own mind. The -Hon. Gentleman, the Member
for Portarlington, might be .almost.a God of Reason, but re-
membering the establishment of the Goddess of Reason in ano
ther country, and the scrapes into which that country had bCdti
drawn by her means, he was not disposed to suffer the name of
reason to carry him too far. The names of other Mertibers.who
had produced Resolutions were certainly thentioned, in the
Petition which he now presented ; but those which filled the
Petitioners with most alarm were the Resolutions. of the Bon.
Member for Portarlington. . He (Sir T. Lethbridge) was most
perfectly of accord with..the Petitioners, when they declared
it to be their conviction that nothing short of a mast efficient
duty on the importation of every kind of foreign produce could
restore confidence and prosperity to the cultivators of the soil.—
The Petition was ordered to lie on the table.