Star.
London, England, 1825-03-01 00:00:00

oatedt it restored order and peace by the prevention of
those evils to which smuggling had given rise. Why
should we not do here what the Legislature has already
done in Ireland? It is quite obvious that the reduction
of the duty on spirits in Ireland and Scotland, though
it was calculated to produce all the benefits to which I
have alluded in those two parts of the country, has
produced indirectly a corresponding evil in this coun-
try. I believe it is perfectly true, that we have
driven the smuggler out of the North of Scotland,
but I am afraid it is equally certain that he has, with
characteristic sagacity, established himself in the South.
What I propose to do is this: I consider it necessary, in
order to effect our purpose, that we should endeavour
to apply to England the same system of laws which ,
prevails in Ireland and Scotland. Everybody knows,
that as the law now stands in this country, a dis-
tiller must begin by making a raw spirit, which cannot
however be sold in that form, for he must give it into
the hands of the rectifier, who re-distils it, and com•
pounds it with other materials, and distributes it to the
consumers under the denomination of gin. Whit:key,
which is the pule extract, is not a liquor that can be
sold in this country. Ido not pretend to say whether
the people of this country would like to drink it, but I
propose to enable the manufacturers in Ireland and
Scotland to export whiskey into this country. The Ho-
nourable Member for Aberdeen, among various offences
of a similar kind, to which he pleaded guilty, declared
that he was annually in the habit of smuggling a certain
quantity of Scotch whiskey : now the change which I
propose will enable the Honourable Member to indulge
in that beverage, without the chance of incurring a pe-
nalty, and I congratulate him on the effect which this
measure will have in exempting him from all unplea-
sant liabilities. This measure, however, will not, in my
opinion, be sufficient to effect the object which 1 have in
view, unless accompanied by a reduction of duty,—
I am aware that objections have been made to the re-
duction of duty on spirits, and it has been contended
that it is a most dangerous policy to render ardent spi-
rits too cheap to the people; this objection is not en-
tirely without force, hut it is to be recollected that ar-
dent spit it, are cheap because they are smuggled. The
'obit w hich is now smuggled from. Scotland into the
North of England makes it cheap here. All the gin
which i. smuggled from Holland, and all the brandy
from France, make those commodities cheap here, so
that the ieduction of duty w ill not necessarily have the
effect of rendering spirit formidably cheap, but rather
that of bringing under the Excise a great quantity
of spirit which now evades the payment of duty
—at the same time, I do not think it will be advisable

in the first instance to reduce the duty to the same extent
as in Ireland and Scotland. The duty in Ireland and
Scotland was fixed at the present rate of two shillings,
because this was absolutely necessary to put an end to
the evil of illicit distillation, but that evil does not
exist in England in the same way as in the remote
parts of Ireland and Scotland. I propose that whereas
the duty is 10s. 6d. per gallon, it shall be hereafter
only ss.—upon all that is manufactured from malt, Gs.
I also propose a !eduction of duty upon colonial spit its,
rum, and ts hiskey distilled from gin in other parts of the
British dominions, from 10s. 6d. which is the present
duty, to Bs. The effect which will result to the manu-
facturer of rum from this change of system will be.to
enable him, if he thinks proper, to distil in the Colonies
a raw spirit of the same nature as whiskey, which he
may bring here and sell as whiskey, or by putting it at
any time into the hands of the rectifier, convert it into
gin. I mention this, becaus? it was proposed to me to
allow rum to be at once converted into whiskey by the
rectifier; I have met this proposition at least 1•alf way,
but I did not think it safe to adopt it in the first instance,
as the Revenue would be likely to suffer to a very
material extent, if we had allowed rum to go into
the hands of the rectifier. The loss which the Re-

venue is likely to sustain from the reduction of the
duty on Spirits and Rum, will amount to about
750,0001. It would amount to a great deal more
if I did not feel confident that the measure will
have the effect of displacing out of consumption a very
large portion of that spirit which is now illicitly im-
ported from Scotland and Holland. The other articles
which I shall mention are small in amount, but not of
small importance. I mean the duty on cyder. In those
parts of the country where it is manufactured, the gaols
are constantly filled with persons for a violation of the
' Revenue Laws affecting it. In the villages where the
system of smuggling cyder prevails, it becomes the
source of almost every other evil. I propose, therefore,
to apply some remedy to this disease, which, though
local, is by no means trifling. The duty at present is
30s. on each hogshead, which I mean to reduce to 15s.
[Mr. HussE—Say 105.3 W The Hon. Member proposes
10s. in place of 15s. ell, I shall not haggle about so
trifling a difference ; let it be 10s.—(Hear). My motive
for proposing 15s, was, that it had been suggested by
the individuals themselves, who are most interested.

Taking the reduction, then, at 10s. it will cost the re-
venue about 20,0001. and we shall relieve six counties
from the tremendous grievances which atise from smug-
gling ; for let it never be forgotten, that though the
immediate effect of smuggling a particular article may
be local, it is calculated to extend itself far and wide in
its operation. Smuggling one article leads to the smug-
gling another. Atter the numerous Petitions which
have been presented to this House, many of which have
been brought forward on the present occasion, and were
supported by different Members of this House, who
have expressed their sentiments favourable to the
views of the Petitioners, I feel it incumbent upon
me to endeavour to satisfy the House, that the
course which I propose to pursue, is one of which
the Petitioners ought not to complain. It has
been stated by the Honourable Member for Surrey,
that there are in the Petition from Lambeth many
names of rank, and wealth, and station. I would ap-
peal to them, and ask whether they can permit their
personal interest., however important (and I do not
deny their importance), to overturn the balance against
all the great interests I have undertaken to advocate?
If any man of rank or station should hold such opinions,
I should blush for that class of society of which I am
an unworthy member; I should say to them—
" Incipit ipsorum contra to stare parentum,
Nobilitas,claranxque facem przfetre pudendis."

—(Hear).—l would tell them to weigh fairly all the
individuals who are exposed to the temptations of
smuggling ; I would point out to them the advantages
resulting from the commercial regulations ; and I
should further add, that they had no right to asseime
that nothing had been done, because it was not done
in the manner they wished—(Hear, hear).— But
the question of commercial imps ovement, founded
on the principles I have laid down, bas peculiar weight
' when applied to the condition of Ireland —( ilea? ).
The misfortunes of that poor country are of long