The Sun.
London, England, 1847-01-28 00:00:00

Deduct economics made by starvation and non-
feeding of pigs

4,627,000

Total deficiency ... .
Money value of the deficiency at 3/. per quarter,
48,000,0001.

CHARGE OF FRAUD AGAINST
AN EXTENSIVE CORN DEALER.
BIRMINGHAM, JAN. 26.—A corn-dealer of extensive busi-
ness and most respectable connexions in this town, named
Thomas Gomm, is now in custody at the public-office,
charged with obtaining moneys upon false pretences to the
amount of between 3,000/. and 4,0001. The prisoner followed
the occupation of a commission agent, his business being to
purchase wheat, barley, and other grain from farmers and
dealers at the Stratford, Worcester, and other markets, on
account of extensive millers and consumers by whom he was
employed. From the information which has at present
transpired, it appears that Mr. Gomm has purchased grain
on several occasions in the names of well-known established
firms of the highest credit, subsequently sold the lots so
purchased to other parties, and ultimately appropriated the
money received upon these sales to his own purposes.
The prisoner was to have been brought before the magis-
trates at the public office this morning (when Mr. Rollason,
solicitor, appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. Thomas
Harding foi the defence), but without the prisoner being
placed in the dock.
Mr. Harding rose and said—A case of considerable im-
portance was, he believed, to have occupied the attention of
the magistrates, but he understood that the solicitor for the
prosecution intended to apply for a remand. He (Mr. Hard-
ing) appeared for the prisoner, who stood charged with ob-
taining money to the amount of 3,0001. upon false pretences.
He had looked over and considered the grounds upon which
a remand of the prisoner was asked, and he must admit that
he thought them sufficiently strong to justify the- magis-
trates in taking that course. Ile would therefore consent on
the part of the prisoner that the further hearing of the case
should be adjourned until Friday.
Mr. Rollason intimated his assent, and the prisoner was
remanded accordingly.
Proceedings have been adopted with the view of making
Mr. Gomm a bankrupt, but great difficulty is found in the
attempt to establish an act of bankruptcy.-- In the meantime
parties, in a condition, are selling off the prisoner's available
effects, and it is feared little will be left for the remaining
creditors.

SOME REMARKS ON THE PRO-
POSED ADMISSION OF SUGAR INTO THE
BREWERIES AND DISTILLERIES.
FROM A CORRESPONDENT.)
We take for granted that the Chancellor of the Exchequer
has arranged his accounts in such a manner that he can
afford to sacrifice two-thirds of the revenue he at present
derives from the tax on malt, before he consented to
the measure he has expounded for the admission
of sugar into the breweries, if he has not so
made np his mind, we are free to tell him that
will be the effect of his plan : thus, barley when malted
yields a given quantity of saccharine matter, equal, perhaps,
to about seven pounds of sugar. The process is carried on for
this object, and for rendering the grains of cern friable. Now,
these advantages a brewer can derive from a bushel of
malt can be obtained by adding seven pounds of sugar to a
bushel of kiln-dried barley. The revenue, consequently, will
lose the difference of money betwixt the duty on a bushel of
malt, 2s. Sid., and the duty on seven pounds of sugar, 100.,
occasioning a loss to the Crown on the small quantity
here taken of one shilling and tenpence ; for this sacrifice
we suppose the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who has
the national income to manage, is prepared. The
admission of sugar into the breweries, however, dwindles
into insignificance, when compared with the evils likely to
arise from the other part of his plan, namely, the terms of
the admission of sugar into the distilleries. Here we have a
system of bounty originated, and ingeniously mixed up with
it—a scheme, against which even the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer himself, ouglir to be the first to hold up his hands.
No one can foretel the extent of mischief to which this
measure may lead. The plan proposes that the distiller
shall clear his sugar from the bonded warehouses, and pay
duty on it at the same rate as other folk, and when he is
called upon to pay the spirit duty he is to be allowed at the
rate of 12s. 10d.—in fact, keeping up the expensive
machinery, now in existence to collect fourteen shillings, to
collect fourteen pence ! and this extravagant scheme is based
upon the supposition that all descriptions of sugar
will yield the like quantity of spirits—namely, eleven
gallons and a half. Now, it is thoroughly known that few
articles vary so much in their yield as sugar; some sugar
not giving more than five gallons of spirits, while others
will yield twenty ; and yet, according to the scheme in-
tended to become a permanent law, before us, the distiller
is to receive 12s. 6d., for each quantity of eleven and a half
gallons of spirits, a fixed amount of drawback upon an
uncommonly fluctuating extract. The Chancellor of
the Exchequer may fancy he is perfectly safe, looking
to the results of the experiments laid before him, but
we will tell him if he is safe to-day, he may not be so to-
morrow. Is he or any one else prepared to say that the art
of distillation has reached perfection? Is he or any one else
prepared to say that the distiller will not and cannot dis•
cover some new mode of carrying on his process, or some
new implements by which he will be enabled to obtain more
than eleven gallons and a half from each cwt. of sugar?
The Right Honourable Gentleman seems to have pinned his
faith on what has been told him by the West Indians
A little reflection will tell him, that, if the average quality
of sugar will yield eleven gallons and a half, the superior
qualities will yield much more; the superior qualities of
sugar are precisely the sort the distiller will select far his
operations.
Had this measure been brought forward by the protec-
tionists we should have thought it an ingenious and novel
mode, on thir part, of fleecing the community for the advan-
tage and profit of the colonists.