The Sun.
London, England, 1856-09-12 00:00:00

GOOD WINE-NO DRINK.

No apostle enthusiastic in promoting good works
can labour more assiduously than Mr. Oliveira to
promote the reduction of wine duties. In vain the
Chancellor of the Exchequer says how sorry he is,
but that he really cannot afford it—in vain the be-
lievers in Port and Sherry shake their heads, and
deprecate any greater facility to the importation of
" wish wash," as they are pleased to term good
Claret and Rhenish—in vain those interested in

malt and hops, and native alcoholic
expatiate on the innate love of John Bull for heavy
drinks, loudly protesting there is nothing like beer,
and whisky, and gin—Mr. Oliveira will not take
no for an answer, and we now find him busily en-
gaged during the recess traversing continental
wine-growing districts, collecting new data to be
used in the forthcoming campaign.
The financial issue involved in the proposed
reduction of wine duties is one thing—the social
benefits of that reduction another. If the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer must, for the time being,
replenish his coffers by the proceeds of the existing
wine duties he must, and for the time being there
is an end of it. But this affords no reason wherefore i
the judgment of individuals should be biased for or
against the theoretical advantages which Mr. 011-
veira, and many sharing his opinion, anticipate
from a reduction of the import duty on wine. We
apprehend that the fear of displacement of home.
made alcoholic drinks, by the enlarged importa-
tion of cheap weak wines, is in a great measure
unfounded ; neither do we believe the consump-
tion of Port and Sherry would be materially af-
fected. Let us glance at the chief alcoholic drinks
now commonly used, and see how, and to what ex-
tent, the enlarged importation of weak wines would
be likely to afoot them. Commencing with malt
liquors, it will be found that the great consumers
of beer in all countries are manual labourers. In
countries whore beer and wine are both good, and
almost equally cheap, the manual labourer always
takes to beer. Malt liquors combine, more than
any other alcoholic drinks, the properties of nerve,
stimulation, and body nutrition ; hence, more than
any other, are they congenial to the hard-working
artisan. To suppose that the English blacksmith
or navigator would adopt the lighter wines is con-
trary to experience and reason ; nor would it be
desirable for him to do so. We think, then,
that the beer interest, far from obstructing Mr.
Oliveira in his agreeable task, may shake hands
with him, and wish him God speed. Still
less probable is it that individuals who have
been accustomed to Port, Sherry, or Madeira,
would set aside their favourite cordial wines in
behalf of others less strong and generous. Finally,
there remains the dram-drinker. He has climbed
already to the very summit of alcoholic stimula-
tion, and he is as littl.e likely to adopt Moselle or
Chablis, or even if he could get it, the princely
Johannisberg or gentle Liebfraumilch, as the tiger
to be allured from his gory feast by the smell of
a Strasbourg pate. The classes to experience the
benefit of.. the reduction of wine duties, and the
importation of drinkable in contradistinction to
sipable wines, would be the hard-worked seden-
tary classes. Not the mere learnedly stu-
dious, for the class is so small that the principle
de minimis non curat lex would be applicable ;
but all who have to gain their broad by
headwork, not handwork. For these, the thin
natural wines furnished in abundance by France
and Germany, to say nothing of Portugal and Spain,
would afford a daily beverage every way eligible—
something which they could drink without causing
a sensation of heaviness, as generally happens when
they drink beer—something they may quaff when
thirsty, and feel refreshed, as they assuredly will not
feel if they venture to quaff potions so mighty as
the honoured wines of Xeres and Oporto. It is sure-
ly a violation of all truth when Port and Sherry
are spoken of as wines to drink; cordials to sip
would be nearer the mark. True, the phenomenon
is not rare in England of individuals who manage to
imbibe considerable quantities of these liquids ;
but the veriest six-bottle man would hardly ven-
ture to imbibe his sparkling Beeswing or nutty
Amontillado otherwise than by sipping. We think
Lord Eldon is reported to have said that every
good man and true, whatever passing liaisons he
might have formed with meritorious grape juices
of high-sounding names, at certain periods of life, 1
always settled down to love and cherish good Port '
at last. The remark may be true ; we do not
quarrel with it. We have nothing to say against
Port in the abstract, or Sherry, or Madeira. In
the proper place, and at the proper time, and,
more than all, to the proper end, all are good.
They are good to set conversation moving at
the dinner table—good to make the blood circulate
on a cold day—good for the aged and infirm when•
ever they are not thirsty—good to be lingered over,
sipped, and pondered upon—but (and we have no-
thing worse to say about them) they are not good
to drink. Now, we should like to see greater facili-
ties given, if possible, to the importation of wines
that are good to drink, and we would venture very
respectfully to express a desire that the Chancellor
of the Exchequer may be so mollified by imbibition
of the choicest grape juice, and the inhalation of the
sweetest bouquets, before and during the forthcom-
ing session, that ie may lend a willing ear to the
persuasions of Mr. Oliveira.—Morning Post.

WINDING-UP OF THE BOTAL BRITISH

BANS.

No fewer than three petitions have been presented to
the Court of Chancery since Tuesday for the winding up
of this company's affairs. TiJey proceed re::p ctiveiy
from Mr. Robert Mee, of 2, King's-square, Goswell-
road, warehouseman, holder of 19 shares, through his
solicitors, Messrs. Chilton and Burton, Chauctry-lane ;
from Mr. Jerenikh Harridge, of 49, Lime-street, ac-
countant, holder of 17 shares, through his solicitor, Mr.
Columbine, of Br.singhall•street ; arid from another
shareholder, through his solicitor, Mr. Brandon, of
Essex•street, Strand.

The allegations contained in the petitions, after recit-
ing the provisions of the deed of settletnent,set forth
that in Feb., 1855, letters patent were granted to the
directors giving them power to increase the capital to
500,0001., by the creation of additional 100/. shares,
and that the outstanding debts and liabilities amount, it
is believed, to 400,0001. ; that the directors have ad
vanced considerable sums of money to one another on
insufficient insecurity, and that there is reason to believe
great losses will arise, from this cause, and that there are
no efficient means for winding up the company excepting
under the provisions of the Joint Stock Companies
Winding•up Act. The announcement that the petition
would be heard before Vice•Chancelior Kindersley, at
Radley's h otel, Southampton, on the 20th instant, was
somewhat premature, a telegraph message baying been
rtition the 2.41,h1
rcevived infr.”,vn to clay, that C-vi
wculri Win t 13.7. hr9.64,,,z of the
.Bury 6f. Edmund's, when and wlicaa all_ partiertht-e-
-re3tcd will be entitled to attend,