Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-05-14

sne several yearssso, anu has s'ei 'i"~o
remained among the neglected papers o,
my bureau. Having stumbled upon IL
This morning by mere accident it occur
red to me that I could in no way dispose
Of it so well, as by sending it to you' 10
be published as a specimen OF the pecull-
ar style of wit with which the late Rich
ard Briusley Sheridan SO frequently de-
lighted hi, auditors and played upon his
msie.ty's ministers. During the debate
on the tobacco excise act, in mhlchit was
said by a person Of some Importance ID
the political word, That Mr.. Pitt had tne
argument, and Sheridan the wit on bis
side, the latter, borrowing his terms from
the subject, thus described the progress
.ad manufacture Of the bill in question.
:. The original leaf (said hey after a
chemical tinge from the crown lawyers
and being busted and sifted at the 'Fea. :.
sury, receives permit from the house OF
commons; but who, MIR. Speaker shall
guard against the dispensing powers Win
which the commissioners are armed-
Assisted by the hint Of some damn'd good
natured friend, they may say TO an IN
fortunate snugsler, you opposed 60
vernmeut at the general election-you
are O rank blse.ana.bgf; you have long
carried on a centrabanG trade, and can
e1pec, no mercy bat for the person be-
hind you, see by his grange cape, that
he is an honest fellow, he is not one OF
the maddliog faction, which on every oc-
casion is vsting against US; his fiue shall
certainly be mitigated.'
Besides, the commissioners, in an
instance on record, have obliged parlIa-
ment to sanctify error, and legai'ze
false testimony; they have determined
Clarke's hydrometcr to be the best and
only legal standard, although iSa public
court of justice, when a man was tried
for keeping spirit above proof, it was de-
termiued that this hydrometer was FALSE
inaccurate ard erroneous, By the evil
dence Of many respectable officers Of the
revenue, as we'll as the declaration OF
Clarke himself, the original inventor.
"Isit possible, sir. to provide against
the caprieiousness Of an English climate;
the different qualities, sweatings and
fermentatiops, of an article like tobacco |;
which on one hosshead has been known
to gain ten pounds in weight, and on ano'
Their to lose forty; though landed toss-
ther from the same 8 pip, and kept in the
same warehouses Can you control ter>
mentatiou by act Of parliament s-"ill
the elements submit to the statute book !
II, however, means can be invented to
obyiate these elections, your e1cisemen
must be sent forth with thermometers in
stead of ink bottles, hanging at their but
ton holes; permits must be issued tor
damps and fogs; we must take security
OF Christmas for frost, and make August
give bond for fine weather."
Speaking Of Mr.. Sheridan, an elegant
writer in London makes the following
observations, which are no less correct in
sentiment, than true and substantially
founded in fact Complaints Of the
slow rewards Of eminent endowment,
have been frequent; reams Of paper have
been moistensd by the wailings of ne
elected merit.-Instsad OF argument or
Reply, produce the member for Stat.
ford; who, alter surmountiag the sbsta.
Gle, Of unpleasiug form, narrow fortune,
peculiarly disqualifying paternal situa-
ton, ministerial frowns, and an unpopu-
lar opinion ofhrt principles, has obtained
a pre.eminence which enables him to
meet, on even ground, the proud posses
sors of hereditary honor and wealth.
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