The Sun.
London, England, 1832-03-01 00:00:00

MALT DUTIES.

On the question that the Order of the Day for the
second reading of the Malt Duties' Drawbacks' Bill be
then read,
Mr. DIXON rose to move that it be read a seciond time
that day six months. Before they proceeded with ir, he
contended that they ought to give the Scotch distillers an
opportunity of being heard respecting its provisions.
Captain ROSS observed, that every effort had been
made in the Committee to show that the Scotch distillers
had been guilty of frauds; and were it possible to ests,
blish that fact, the ingenuity and indu•try exerted on that
occasion would have succeeded in its establishment. It
was no doubt the fa-ct that the Scotch distiders had been
selling cheap ; but it was equally true that they were so
doing to their own ruin.
Mr. LEADER said there could be no doubt that the
Irish distillers were undersold by the Scotch ; and they
possessed no facility for doing so excepting such 3,9 they
derived from the system which the Bill was introduced for
the purpose of putting down.
Sir G. MURRAY should support the amendment.
•

Mr. F. BARING said that the best mode of preventing
fraud would be to remove temptation, and certainly the
Bill would effect that.
Mr. W. CAMPBELL knew there was no case what•
ever of fraud proved against the Highland tliatiliers, and
he doubted altogether whether the Bill would have the
effect of removing the temptations so much talked of.
Lord ALTHORP said there had been notice enough of
the Bill. It was introduced before Christmas, and sent
down to Scotland. So well was it known, that the
Ga-
verument had had applications on the subject from the
Highland Society. It was, therefore, in vain that lion.
Members could think of appealing to the House for further
delay.
Mr. GILLON said that every day convinced him only
the more of the evils resulting to commerce from that un-
qeadiners and mutability of purpose observable in our Ex-
cise regulations. The House seemed to forget that" con-
fidence was the soul of commerce," and that they were
now wantonly sporting with the rights and properties of
their fellow-countrymen. The low price of spirits in

Scotland arose frith the competition, and the distillers of
raw grain whisky, which was the species complained of,
had been selling off under prime cost, but this was an evil
that would soon cure itself. But if the representations of
the distillers be deemed interested and es-parte, he begged
to call the attention of the House to the reports of the
Highland Society of Scotland, he believed he might say,
the most extended—the most intelligent—and the
most influential association in the kingdom ; they de-
precated the change proposed, and suggested other means
which he had before suggested to the Committee, for pre-
venting fraud, as far as was possible, under the present
Excise system. He would he happy to concur in a change
of the Excise regulations, the whole of which, by their
absurd complication, held out the strongest temptation to
smuggling. He had heard, with the greatest alarm, that
it was not altogether out of the intention of Government
to carry this change still further. With what confidence
were the malt-distillers to go on, with this further change
hanging over their heads? He was convinced this expe-
riment would fall; bat if it was to be tried, he be4ged to

suggest that the change would take place from the sth of
July next
The House divided—
For the second reading
Against it l7
Majority
TOBACCO:
Mr. S. RICE obtained leave to bring in a Bill to facili-
tate the sale of tobacco grown in Ireland.
Bill brought in; read a first time; to be read a second
time en Friday next.
The other Orders of the Day were then disposed of,
and the House adjourned at a Quarter-past Nine.

LIST OF THE MINORITY
ON THE DIVISION ON THE MALT DRAWBACK BILL.
Arbuthnot, General !James, W. Wetherell, Sir C.
Rrydges, Sir J. 'Lowther, CoL Wyndham, W.
Best, V. S. Murray, Sir 0. Weyland, J.
Campbell, W. M‘Leod, R.
TYLLERS.
Campbell, J. Morison, .I.C. Ross H.
Calley, T. Pelham, J.,
eißon, W. 1). Pown*heud, Col. 4Oixon, J,

147"

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