Star.
London, England, 1802-11-15 00:00:00

.SAIUCGLING IN SCOTLAND.

We have often had occafion to notiei the extent
to which fmuggling is carried on at prefent in Scot •
land. The following Letter, which appeared in
the Caledonian Merestry, contains lonic judicious
'remarks upon that fubjc(t

To TES PRINTER or Tilt CALEDONIAN MERCURY.
Sia—lt is tiniverfallv admitted that the practice
of Smuggling is pregnant with innumerable ills.
It defrauds the Revenue, it ruins the Fair Trader,
it corrupts the morals of the lower ranks of the
people, it difcourages the exertions of our own
manufaaures, it depreciates the fair profits of the
Farmer, and ultimately mutt fall a dead weight
upon the Landed Intereft.
With all thefe evils in its train, it is neverthelefs
true, that this illicit trade was never carried on
to a greater extent than it is at prefent in Scot-
land. On the caftan coati, the quantity of gin
uthered in by the Smugglers is incredible ; and by
their audacity and ingenuity, it is circulated, by
•arious ramifications, over the whole country.
That the faa is as I have fiated it, admits of no
difpute ; that the evil demands immediate redrefs
is equally true.
- -

Two claffes in fociety, and to them I would par-
ticularly addrefs thefe obfervations, appear to me
materially interelled. Theft are the Fair Traders
and the Landed Intereft.

Refpeeting Fair Trader one remark will fuffice.
A {lop muff be put to Siling,- or they may
shut their Mops. To fellgoods which pay duty
upon the fame terms with ofe who pay no duty,
is a folecifm in trade altogether irreconcileable.
The application is to obvious that it requires no
illuftration.

The Landed Intereftr-Though at firft fight
their intereft may appear remote, yet upon due
olsfervation, it will be found they are more deeply
concerned than perhaps any other clafs of men.—
The rent of their lands is their fortune, and this
mull of courfe increafe or diminith in proration to
the encouragement afforded to the Farmer. View-
ing the matter in thit light, I call upon them to
confider what has occurred in Scotland within there
twelve months. The Diftillers, after having been

fufpended in their operations for two years,
in January laft, again .permitted to work : having
done fo for feven months only, they found them-
felves neceffitated to drop their licences, owing to
a full market. And how co'ild it be otherwife ?
the influx of fmuggled foreign fpirits was fuch,
that the demand for home-made fpirits was not
equal to one half of the ufual confumpt. If the
fame caufe continues to operate, the fame confe-
quences may be expeaed to follow. If then the
Diflillers of Scotland are to work only one half,
or three fourths of the year, the barley produced
by our farmers muff come to a heavy market, and
the influence of this upon the letting of lands will
loon be felt both by tenants and landlords..
If the Country Gentlemen would protect their
own interells and that of the Farmers, the fubjeft
upon which I now addrefs them will not fail to oc-
cupy their attention at the County Meetings. If
to promote a foreign manidadure at the expence
of our own betokens hoftility to our Country, it
follows, that to fopprefs Smuggling is a duty in-
cumbent upon us as good and loyal fubjeas.
By inferting the above in your ufeful Paper, you
will much oblige • FREEHOLDER.
0(2. is, iSos.