The Sun.
London, England, 1802-05-31 00:00:00

El RMINCHAM, May /9, tgoS.

At a MEETING of the MALL-TERS, and others interested,
in the-Malting Trade, in the Town and Neighbourhood of
,
BiZlingl- ,
lanr, :held this 'day -at the Public Office, pursu-
-211: to an A,lstertiserrient for that purpose, inserted in
PirmiNhana Gazette of the 17th inst. in order to
lake into consideration some grievous and onjedionable
Plaines in an Al of PArfiament passed in the forty-first
year of the Reign of His present Majesly, Chapter 91, and
of another Act passed in the • forty-seeond'year of his pre-
unt-Majestyrs Reign, Chapter 38 ;
Mr. 'WI LLI A M. SHURE in the Chair

followino-Resolutions were severally moved
.by_ Mr. Thomas Spurrier, andcarided unanimously, via-.
ist, Ras( lved,_ That the first Sedion of the first fnentioned
Aft; tuthoriling any Ofit4r of Excise to throw out and
levet upon the Malt-house floor, the grain of any. -Couch he
may suspect: to -have been forced together, and if upon
guaging,the-same when- so thrown out'and levelled, an in-
'crease he found of more • than one Bushel in twenty, above
what the same appeared to he* by the previous. gui.,•6e in the
Couchhat theri the same shall be'conclusive evidence of
svch Coach having been forced tngether-to prevent its rising ;
and subjecting Malster to a penalty of ss. for every
ofMait in such 'Couch ; is arbitraryi.unjusti and un-
constitutional, as it must often substitute falsehood for fact,
and presumption .for proof, anti in all cases deprive- the
Tylalster of his defence, thereby • sUbjeding him to disgrace
an-1 punishment. for t crime of which he may not be guilty,,
and yet depriving him of the means of proving his innocence,
however ciear- and incontrovertible his evidence- might other..
wise be for that purpose.
Resolved, -That the additional duty upon Malt is par-
tial, and therefore unjust, as it subje'ds one part of the Com-
munity to- a tax on their beverage, who make use of Ale
or Beer, while another part of the Community, whose
beverage is Cyder or Perry, produced and manufadtured
.at
little trouhlt or
.ex penCe, 'are exempted from Duty.
3d,, Resolved, That an Ad passed late on one day; to take
efitel early the next (as was the case in the Ad'of the forty-
second year ofthe Reignef the present King, above mention-
ed), inflicting pains and penalties for new created crimes, and
I).:fiire the nature and provisions ofsuch Ad could be known,
is uncehstifutional, and dangerous in precedent, cruel in ope-
ration, antir, aka an ex post facto Law.
4th,, Resolved, That the power granted by the last men_
tinned Ad to Excise Officers, to apprehend Malster's Serv-
ants for .vatering.a Couch on the floor, without the au-
thority of a M,lgistrate, is new and unprecedented; and that
the penalty of iol. imposed for the offenee, to-be, paid doWn
non covidion, into the hands of 'the Excise Officer, or the
Party,, committed -to prisonto hard labour for any time not
exceeding twelve months, is cruel and oppressive, the pu-,
nishment being disproportioned tothe-offence, and a convey
sion in the first instance of fine into itherisonnient.
Resolve, That, the soth Seaton of the last men-
tioned Ad, inhicling a, penalty of tool. upon the !Mister for
'watering a Couch upon the floor, which it may be necessary
to water, is 'impolitic, unwise and unjust : inipolitie, by
preventing so good an article being made as' might otherwise
be made, and-consequently lessening the consumption and in-.
juring the revenue; unwise, in depriving the Malster of the
means of using spurted and damaged Barley, the Ponseqttence •
of bad harvests, and thereby increasing the misfortune which
Providence mayintiia; and unjust, in ptleventing the Mal-
ster from using his property to the best advantage, increas
ing the expence oil the manufadure, and thereby advancing
the price to`the Public. • '
6th, Resorved, That it is the opinion of 'this' Meeting, that
Maltcan be made better:at any time by watering the Couch
on the floor, than without, and that in warm seasons of the
year, the-Couch, without watering on the floor, will become
mbultly; offensive, and unwholesome, and of course lessened.
in its value, both for use and sal; to the great injury not only
of the Trader but of the Public-. , -

• 7th, Resolved, that it is also the opinion of this Meeting,
that the Malt-houses in this part of the Country are not cal-
culated to be worked without watering the Couch on the
floor, the floors not being in size proportioned to the Kilns,
nor made of proper materials, being principally, if notuni-
verSally, of brick, plaister, or mortar; whereas those suited'
for the purpose of • being worked without watering the
CoucheS on the floors,, are of marle or chalk. It is also the
opinion of this Meeting; that Fraud upon the Revenue is
more practicable without watering on the ftoor'than with.-
3th, Resolved, That the 34th section of the last men-
mentioned Ad, auth6rizing Excise Officers to enter- Malt,
houses at 'any hour in the night, withbut a Warrant from a
Magistrate, or the presence of the Malster or a Constable,
is a most unconstitutional and unprecedented attack upon
private propeity aild. private security, wasmuo, as
secretfastenings no longerof any use, for when kdown, they
are no longer secret: makes the Excise' Officer the judge of
the expediency of such an entry ; subjects the Malster to
t lie ca pnee,',/exation; fraud and maice of the Excise Officer,
antl'onens such a door to.plundet and peculation, as no human
foresight ran V‘'ell guard against far,. by similar means to
those. which the Excise Officers enter, Thieves may also
enter, independently of the carelessness of Excise Officers in
losing their keys. or leaving their in the Malt-house doors,
or the doors unlocked.
gth, Resolved, That we will use every Constitutional en.
deavour tooprocute the Repeal of the Clauses complained of.
Loth, Resolved, That it appears fo this Meeting to be
highly expedient for Malster other' Counties to convene
Meetings tOr the, like purpose, and appoint Committees to
correspond with-the Committee of this Meeting on the best
mode of obtaining redress. • .
rich, Resolved, That a Memorial be preSented - to the
Right Hen. Henry Addington, and another to 'tlip Honourable
CommisSioners of 'Excise, -stating the injury and'inconve-
uiebc& Which the MalsrerS"and the Public in general, i %Vitt
StifEti by 'entbreirig the prOVisions of the last mentioned AO,
particularly as far as relates to waltering the Couch on the
tioor, and .also pointing out that the Revenue is as Well; if
not bette'r secured, by. our present method of watering on the
Hoar, than without, and soliciting the support of the Chan-
cellor of the ExchequerldprocUring the repeal of the objec-
ti6nable Clauses above referred to.. •
math, Re'solved, That a Subscriptjun be immediately
opened, and. a Committee appointed, consisting of thirteen
Gentlemen, to carry these Resolutions into elti:d, any five
of whom stall be competent to ad ; and that a Treasurer
and Solicitor be also appointed.
13th, Reseive.d, That the Chairman, Mr. Joseph Dand,
Mr. Thorny s" Spurrier, Mr.. Thomas. Dutton, Mr. Read
Best, • Mr. William Toney, Mr. Edward ''Ashwell, Mr.
Samuel 'Taylor, itlr. Baxter, Mr. Thomas Hitchins,
Mr. William Thoirias, Mr. jatpes Adcock, and Mr. Richard
Hndson, be appoint&l "the Committee, and Mr. Thomas
Inftto'n'the: Treasurer, and Mr. William Spurrier Solicitor
and StaCetry. _ - - _ _

14th, Resolved, That the Thanks of this Meeting be given
to ;dr. Thomas Spurrier, fdr promoting this Meeting, and
frinring.and moving the above Resplutiens.
Resolved, That th,:ic Resolutions be signed by the
C lia'rrnan, and inserted iri Aris's Birmingham Gazette, Swill-
nei's I•lirmingham Chropiele, and in Tuz SUN and Travel-
ler London Papers.

WILLIAM SHORE.

Shore having left thi Chair, • . • • •
Rt.iOlve.,:l'U•iii,niinouOv, That' the Thanks of this MeOting
be ,7.1.•;. tibore, for his able coniluel in' the Chair. '
\V AL SPURRIER, Solicitor and' Secretary.