The Sun.
London, England, 1825-09-08 00:00:00

[MORNING HERALD.]

The changes made in the Distillery Laws, by
Acts of last Session;&c. are likely to be of most
beneficial tendency. About half a dozen of the
English distillers, with perhaps a million at their
command, have been in the habit of dictating to
the market and the consumer ; and they there-
fore may not be very well pleased with the in-
fringement upon their monopoly, not only by
allowing the use of much smaller stills than
were heretofore legalized, but in permitting
the Scotch distiller to send his manufacture
to England for sale and consumption. This
was a complete triumph of the Scotch over the
English distiller; or rather, it was a signal and
resolute act of justice and policy in the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer in breaking down old
precedents, crippling monopoly, and equalizing
the laws and the advantages of the two countries.
The character of the change is that which few of
the public are capable of appreciating ; compared
to it, Mr. Huskisson's battles with the Brewers
(a set of gentlemen who still want a good deal of
mending) were mere child's-play. The whole
provisions of the chief Act will take effect in the
course of two or three months. The most im-
portant change, perhaps, is that which will, after
January next, remove the restriction as to the
article to be used by distillers ;—they will no
longer be limited to corn. They may then use
molasses, sugar, rum, &c., or whatever they can
procure the requisite spirit from. The first great
advantage of these changes (we profess only
generally, not minutely, to describe then))
undoubtedly is, that the Chancellor of the
Exchequer has had the courage and the good
fortune to be able to kick from before
him some musty, unscientific, and impolitic pre-
cedents, by which most regulations on this sub-
ject were heretofore guided. This has cleared
his way a little for future operations. The next
benefit (withost dwelling on that of legalizing
smaller stills) will result from no longer tram-
melling the distiller as to the article he shall use.
If corn be cheap, he will purchase that article , if
sugar be a drug in the market, and consequently

low in price,he becomes a purchaser of sugar ; and
similar will be the case of rum, &c. Such purchases
will improve the markets for all those articles ;
and by such operations, those interess that re-
quire relief, from their produce being a drug, will
find it in increased demand, which will of course
tend to improve their prices. The distiller will,
of course, if the law permit him, resort to that
article in the market which is cheapest ; so
great a customer appearing there, requiring,
as he does, such large supplies, must re-
lieve the market, and thus where the mar-
ket most wants relieving, where articles are a
drug or low priced, the purchases of the distiller
will extend the required aid. The duties are
still to be levied on the wash, not on the sprits;
a change on this point has been urgently pressed on
the Chancellor of the Exchequer, by the most
conversant with the subject ; and as he has made
so good a beginning for the distillers and the coun-
try generally, should the policy of the required
alteration in the mode of collecting the duties
be proved to Mr. Robinson, doubtlessly no long
time will elapse before it be recommended to
Parliament. It is satisfactory to observe that the
Government has bowed to the progress of science
in these matters ; heretofore Exchequer Chan-
cellors seemed to think that science on such sub-
jects, instead of improving the article, or aiding
the community, could only be exerted to cheat
the Revenue. The notion is exploded.

FRENCH PAPERS.

(From the Etoile.)

MADRID, AUG. 28.—Our Gazette publishes
this day the following dispatch addressed to the
Minister of War :

" I have the honour to announce to your Excellency, that on
the 23d at noon, the traitor Bessieres and his associates were
arrested in the village of Zafrilla, by a detachment of horse
grenadiers belonging to the Royal Guard, under the command
of Lieutenant-Colonel Don Saturnino AlbuM, whom I had or.
dered, as I apprised you in my former dispatches, to pursue
them till they were exterminated. Lieut.. Colonel Albuin has
this moment arrived with the criminals at my head-quarters,
where I had taken by anticipation the necessary measures to
carry into full effect the orders of the King our master, commu-
nicated to me by your Excellency, the entire execution of which
I shall report to-morrow, in order that you may transmit the
same for the information of his Majesty.—" God preserve you
many years.
" Head-quarters, Molina de Arragona, Aug. 25.
at nine o'clock in the evening.
(Signed) " Count D'ESPAGNE."