The Sun.
London, England, 1832-08-02 00:00:00

PORTUGAL.

From the Chronica Constitucional do Porto, No. 5,
dated the ISth of July, 1832.)
(OFFICIAL.)

SIRE-The wine-farmers of the three Northern pro.
vinces of this kingdom suffer the greatest hindrance to
their industry, and the greatest intrenchment on their
rights of property, from the privilege granted to the
Company of Vineyards of the Upper Douro, of exclusively
selling the wines of this country in the shops of the city of
Oporto, and also of almost exclusively distilling spirits.
Such a privilege, which becomes extinct by the general
meaning of the charter, is in its nature destructive of in-
dustry and of the increase of profit which would accrue
to the growers from a snore extended consumption and ex_
portation of their produce, and destroy at the same time
the natural price of commodities, which would be uncom_
monly cheap were it not for the intervention of an arti.
ficial price, which operates against all in favour of a few
and has the inconvenience of contributions without any
advantage to the public revenue.

The Government, acting in the spirit of general benefi-
cence which your Imperial Majesty has communicated to
it, has reduced all the export duties to one per cent. which
must cover all expenses, so that it may be said that all the
export duties have ceased in Portugal, and the northern
provinces of the kingdom enjoy this benefit still more than
the others, on account of their great production of wines.
But there must be contributions and a public revenue.
The wine and brandy paid contributions, partly on ex-
portation and partly on consumption, which were exorbi-
tant and ill calculated; and the Government of your Im-
perial Majesty, by repealing the former and modifying the
latter, is unable to suffer so great a loss as that arising
from the reduction above-mentioned.
Brandy paid hitherto the exorbitant duty of twenty
milrees the pipe; after the decree of the 20th April of
this year it only pays one per cent. export duty ; and the
brandy employed for preparing the wine pays one per
cent., and the wine of consumption, which also used to pay
twenty milrees, is reduced to 12,300 rees. The wine de
rarno, which paid nearly 6,000 rees, now pays 6,300
reel ; and the tart wine, which was not admitted, pays
one-half, or 3,150 rees; so that the "almude" (a mea-
sure) of brandy is sold for 600 rees; the " almude" of
the wine de ramo, or the factor's shipping Port wine, con-
sumed in Oporto, 300 rees; and the " almude" of sourish
(tart) wide 150 rees.
The duty on all wine and brandy consumed in Lisbon
is 400 rees per " almude," and Oporto is, as it ought to
he, on account of its inferior population, much more fa-
voured considering the greater dimensions of the measure;
end when brandy pays 600 roes, this great irnpoit, in pro-
portion to that of Lisbon, takes place in a ratio com-
pounded of that difference of measure and of the good
quality of the article, as well as of the restricted facility
which must be applied to the consumption of that beverage
in a country such as Oporto, which has excellent wine.
Morals and public health demand that the consumption of
brandy should be limited.

On the other hand, the Company had sometimes lost that
violent monopoly, which it again obtained from the usurp-
ing Government; but as it cannot be charged on the share-
holders that their capital is invested in wines de rally),
and i❑ brandy for consumption, as well as exclusively for
the preparation of the wines, the remainder of the year
must be conceded to the Company to enable them to sell
the wines and brandy ; and this was practised when on
other occasions that monopoly was taken from them.
For these reasons I propose to your Imperial Majesty
the following decree :