Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-10-25

ed, OF such a nature that the poorest indivlouai
NAV place himself on level, on the score OF ex.
citement, with the Frenchman. After this,
however, they are no longer upon level. ! ne
Frenchman's propensity TO drink may increase
but his taste is not perverted. The more ne
drinks the greater his partially for good wine
rather than bad; besides, although with prac-
tce he may augment his stimulus, he is still
obliged to regulate his potations by The capa-
city of his stomach. He may advance in his
indulgence from half a bottle to two or three,
but he is sill dealing with liquor Of limited
powers-he cannot concentrate in one dram an
limi,abe quantity Of intoxicating spirit. Not
so the Norhener--he is dealing with drug
his appetite becomes more and more inordinate,
and his taste more and more depraved as he adj
vances in practice, while unfortunately the ca
pacity Of his stomach is more than abnndantly
sufficient Cor all the poison he can have occasion
to swallow. His half glass soon becomes a
glass, and two, and three, and FOUR and his era
wing is not for liquor Of finer flavor, but tor
something stronger and more fery-and all this
time too he is tampering with liquid which
should be dealt out only by the apolhecary.
Both these individuals may be equally lgno-
rant, and equally prone TO self indulgence; but
one is placed in a country where good wine is
cheap, and he has little or no temptation to
seek other liquors-the otheris located where
this article is at higher price, and he is obg-
ed to CRAFTY the same appetite by applying TO
substitute of an infinitely more deleterlous
character.
Still, however, it is believed that the vice Of
intemperance is not SO prevalent IN any part OF
the continent ofEurope as it is in Great Britain;
g., -, hn fanp
in the facts, that the inhabitants Of the CONT
nent have not been SO much driven by enor-
nous excise anu impost duties to the invention
and substitution OF fictitious spiriluous liquors.
and that The articles of tea, coffee, sugar, on
account Of the same moderate taxation, have
been more generally introduced into use on the
continen, as objects ofrefreshment, than IN the
British dominions, and we believe II Will be
found that in proportion as the mild iniuslons
of these plants are placed within the reach eS-
pecay Of the pore classes, IN the same pro-
portion the disposition to the incorporate use
Of strong liquors will diminish OF this the o.
peration flhe system Of taxation in Great Brl-
tain will afford an illustration.
Here, in the first place, we find the light,
adolescence, cheap, wines of the south OF Europe,
which might be procured in the greatest abun-
dance, actually excluded by high duties. Then
such wines, and other foreign liquors, as are
more freely admitted, are SO heavily taxed as to
afford the utmost encouragement for adultera-
ton, while, at the same time, they are placed
out Of the reach Of the poorer classes With
The middrg class, & most Of the richer, the
taste becomes so much depraved by the habi
tual use of the artificial liquors to which they
are necessarily confined, that the wine drinker
is scarcely satisfied with his port, unless he
tastes the brandy in it; and ii cannot be surprs-
ing, that, from first tasting :his spirit IN his
wine, he should learn at last 10 take ii ocithout
The more INDECENT must find their graft
fcation in other substitutes They cannot drink
imported brandy, rum or gin these are set a.
part by taxation for the use of princes, mobiles,
and perhaps the gentry. They cannot drink
good whiskey or good gin of domestic manu-
facture for in addition to the excise, these arti-
cles are rendered dear by the high price OF
grain, and the price of grain is kept high by the
corn laws. All this we should suppose would
be sufficient TO coerce the people into temper
ance But what is the facl' if foreign liquors
are dear, and grain is dear, every substance al
fording spirtuous liquor is distilled. If the
excise is brought to bear upon distiilauon,
drugs and poisons are. resorted TO for counter
acting the effect ofthe excise. The more ex
orbitant the taxes, the greater the refinement OF
ingenuity, both before and after distillaton, in
placing the cos, of every dram within the
means Of the poorest individual. The greater
tie necessity for diminishing the quantity of
the liquor, the greater the effort for infusing in
to that quantity higher degree Of pungency
and spirie The thirst creating power, and
the intoxicating quality of the liquid becomes
more and more concentrated, in proportion as
the price is augmented, and the more it is so,
the more dangerous and destructive the habit
of drinking becomes.
Here appears to be ample cause for the
prevalence of Incorporate habits, throughout
the United Kingdoms; but as if to give the full
lest effect to these causes, the government have
in addition checked almost as far as possible,
the consumption of tea and coffee amongst the
poor, by imposing upon these articles higher du-
ties than are paid in other countries.
Tea was first taxed heavily as luxury for
the support of government; and coffee was at
forwards taxed, to keep up the price OF tea.
Till within few years, the inhabitants gener-
ally in Great Britain we believe, were not per-
mitted TO roast or TO grind their own coffee, lest
the excise should be evaded: and although. the