A BRIEF STATE OF THE CASE OF THE DISTILLERS, &c.

THE Diſtilling of Spirits, is indeed an antient Art; and the Diſtillers Com⯑pany is antient, having been incor⯑porated in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth. But as the Nature of their Buſineſs is quite chang'd, that they work in a new Method, and from new Materials, are under new Limi⯑tations, and their Intereſt and Trade ſtand in a new and quite different Situation from what was the Caſe formerly; ſo it may be ſaid, their very Conſtitution is modern, and they are young in the Manufacture.

[2] But however young the Trade may be, and that the Materials they work from are diffe⯑rent from what they formerly made uſe of, it is apparent, that they are infinitely more a publick Benefit to the Nation, than they were before; and that the Diſtilling Trade, conſi⯑dered in its preſent Magnitude, is one of the greateſt Improvements, and the moſt to the Advantage of the Publick, of any Buſineſs now carried on in England.

In former Times, the Diſtillers, like other incorporated Arts and Myſterys, work'd whol⯑ly for themſelves and for their own Profit: now they, without a Pun, may be truly ſaid to be publick ſpirited People; for they work for the whole Body, and that immediately and in a particular manner.

1. They work for the Gentlemen or Land⯑ed Intereſt, in conſuming the Produce of their Soil, and encouraging Tillage and Husbandry.

2. They work for the Tenant and Farmer, in helping them off with their Corn, and particularly in finding them a Market for thoſe Grains of the meaneſt Quality, and which it would be difficult, if not impoſſible for them to diſpoſe of to Advantage any other way.

3. They work for the Navigation of the Kingdom; abundance of Shipping and other Veſſels, being daily and conſtantly, and ſome wholly employ'd, in bringing the Corn and Coal which is conſum'd by the Diſtillers Trade, up to London, from the remoteſt Parts of the Kingdom.

[3] 4. They work for the Poor; many Thou⯑ſands of Familys being neceſſarily employ'd as well in the Husbandry of the Corn they uſe, as in the Malting it, then in carrying and re⯑moving it to and from the Malting-Places, to the Ports for ſhipping it to London, or other⯑wiſe to London directly by Land.

5. But above all this, they work for the Publick in the extraordinary Sums of Money, which they pay to the Crown, as well in the Exciſe upon the Spirits they extract, as in the Duty upon the Malt paid before it comes to their Hands, and in the Tax upon Coals.

To explain theſe Particulars a little farther, tho as briefly as we can, let it be conſider'd,

1. The landed Gentlemen muſt be ſenſible the Diſtillers work for them, ſince the Diſtil⯑ling Trade in and about London only, con⯑ſumes about 200000 Quarters of Corn, and that Corn neceſſarily employs 100000 Acres of Land for the Produce of it; for this kind of Corn being generally the Product of the re⯑mote Countys, where the Lands are not rich, we may venture to ſay, two Quarters upon an Acre one with another, is no mean Crop, and is ſufficient to make a due Calculation upon.

N. B. The Horſes employ'd in the Huſ⯑bandry of 100000 Acres of Land every Year, and in the Carriage of this Corn to the Mal⯑ſters, and the Re-carriage of the Malt either to the Market, or to the Port where it is to be ſhipp'd, tho no gueſs can be made at their [4] Number; yet this may with Modeſty be al⯑lowed, that thoſe Cattle being very many, muſt neceſſarily conſume the Growth and Pro⯑duce of many Thouſands of Acres of Land more.

Nor is it ſufficient to ſay, that if thoſe Lands did not produce this Corn, they would pro⯑duce ſomething elſe; or that if the Diſtillers did not take off and conſume this Corn, ſome⯑body elſe would; ſeeing it is evident, England being now become what they properly call a Corn Country, produces much more Corn than it can conſume: And if that Conſumption ſhould be leſſen'd, many of thoſe Lands muſt lie uncultivated, as it is manifeſt many Thou⯑ſands of Acres did before. It is alſo a receiv'd Maxim, that every Quarter of Corn which is carried off, and conſum'd more than was con⯑ſum'd before, (no Scarcity being occaſioned at Home) is ſo much clear Gain to the publick Stock of the Nation.

If it be objected, that the Liquor diſtill'd is conſumed at Home, and ſo is not equally be⯑neficial to the publick Stock, as what is ex⯑ported; 'tis anſwered, (1.) But much of it is alſo exported, and more would be, if Encou⯑ragement were given. (2.) That moſt of what is conſumed at Home, is us'd in the ſtead and room of French and Foreign Brandys and Spirits, which are generally bought abroad with ready Money, and ſmuggl'd on Shore to the Ruin of the fair Trader, and leſſening the Re⯑venue by a conſtant abcminable Fraud, and [5] which it appears no Laws yet made, have been ſufficient to prevent.

2. The Tenant or Farmer is particularly work'd for, being aſſiſted by the Diſtilling Trade, and that in ſeveral reſpects; as the Diſtillers not only take off a great Quantity of their Corn, but alſo take off thoſe Kinds which are not marketable for other Uſes: As, particularly, (1.) When thro' long Drought the Grain appears thin and light, as is often the Caſe; or by unſeaſonable Rains in Harveſt the Farmers cannot get their Corn well in; or when by that or other Diſaſters and Accidents it is damaged, either in the Field, or in the Barn, in the Ear, or in the Sack; in all which Ca⯑ſes the Farmer is put to great Difficulty to diſ⯑poſe of it, and were it not for the Diſtilling⯑Trade could do little with it but feed his Hogs, which would not enable him to pay his Rent. (2.) The Farmers have oftentimes Lands which not only will not bear any other Corn, but that for want of Manure and Improvement. (which in ſome Places is hard to be had) of thro' the Sterility and Poverty of the Soil, are unable to produce either better Corn, or a bet⯑ter and fuller Grain of the Kind; and which Lands, if they could not employ them thus, muſt lie waſte and untill'd, but are profitably cultivated by the Vent which they find for that meaner Kind of Grain to the Diſtillers. This is viſible in the Northern and Eaſtern Countys and Coaſts of England, where a very great Quantity of poor and unimproveable Lands, [6] which formerly lay waſte, are now plow'd and ſow'd, to the Advantage of the poor Tenants, tho much more of the Landlord.

3. The Encouragement given to Navigation by the Diſtilling-Trade in England, is viſible in many Branches of it: For the Corn and the Coals which they conſume, being a bulky and heavy Carriage, and not to be eaſily brought far by Land, the Number of Coaſting Ships and Veſſels of all Kinds are viſibly encreas'd ſince the Encreaſe of this Trade, and conſequently the Number of Seamen employ'd are encreas'd; the Advantage of which is ſo well known, it needs not be enlarg'd on: The Coaſting-Navi⯑gation alſo being the greateſt and beſt Nurſery of able Seamen in the whole Nation.

To the Encreaſe of the Number of Ships and Veſſels thus employ'd, might be added here, the Addition which that Encreaſe is to all the numerous Trades, both Foreign and Home-Trades, and to the Employment of Hands, and Encreaſe of Buſineſs, which ne⯑ceſſarily attends the building, fitting out, fur⯑niſhing, and victualling all thoſe Veſſels. But I forbear to run it out to its full Length, con⯑tenting my ſelf to repreſent that this Trade is a great Addition to the Marine Intereſt, and an Encreaſe and Encouragement of all its De⯑pendencys.

That they work for the Poor is evident by their ſetting the Poor to work, which indeed is the beſt way of working for them. The Number of Hands employ'd, or whoſe Em⯑ployments are bettered and encreaſed by this [7] Trade, would take up a Volume by it ſelf to calculate and caſt it up. It is ſufficient to ſay, that as all Encreaſe of Buſineſs is an Encreaſe of Employment for the Poor, ſo all Encreaſe of Employment for the Poor is an Encreaſe of the publick Stock; as it enables thoſe People to gain their Bread, who were not able to do it, or not ſo well able, before. And this again aſſiſts the landed Intereſt too, in abating the heavy Rates of the Pariſh-Poor, and enabling ſeveral thouſands of poor People to ſupport themſelves and Familys, which muſt otherwiſe be left upon the Pariſhes to maintain.

This runs thro' all the ſeveral Branches of Buſineſs and People, thro' whoſe Hands the ſaid Manufactures paſs, as well the Diſtilling Part it ſelf, as the Materials made uſe of for the Pro⯑duction, as Corn and Coals, and the Shipping and other Carriages already mentioned; as al⯑ſo the vaſt expenſive Works of the Diſtillers themſelves, the Copper and Iron-Work they make uſe of, the Veſſels and large Utenſils, and the Number of Hands employ'd, and the exceeding Charge daily expended by them in all theſe Things.

But we wave the multiplying Particulars, and come to the laſt Article, namely, the great Be⯑nefit to the Publick, ariſing by the Dutys with which this Trade is loaded, and which have now for many Years encreaſed the Funds upon which the Publick Credit has been ſo long up⯑upheld; and theſe are conſiderable in three Branches.

• 1. The ſeveral Exciſes upon the Spirits themſelves, laid in ſeveral Branches and at ſeve⯑ral Times, and which amount in the whole to above a hundred thouſand Pounds per Annum.
• 2. The Duty upon Malt, which is paid by the Diſtillers in the Price of the Goods, when they buy, and which amounts to a very great Sum.
• 3. The Duty upon Coals, of which the Diſtillers conſume, by Calculation, above twen⯑ty thouſand Chaldrons a Year.

The Advantages of this Trade being thus conſider'd, it occurs in the next Place, to ſhew, (1.) That this Trade is yet improving, that it is a growing Trade, and that if not diſcou⯑raged by unreaſonable Hardſhips and Impoſi⯑tions, it is likely to encreaſe in an extraordi⯑nary manner. And, (2.) That this Encreaſe is likely to be obtain'd, not by an Encreaſe of Exceſſes and Immoralities, but by changing the Guſt of the People, from drinking thoſe other Spirits and Brandys, which being manufactu⯑red, corrupted, and adulterated abroad, are not only imported, as well clandeſtinely as otherwiſe, to the great Injury of the Health of our People, but being bought by our ready Money, are a great Diſadvantage to our Com⯑merce, and Injury to the Revenue.

1. That the Diſtilling Trade is a ſtill improv⯑ing and growing Buſineſs; and it is worth con⯑ſidering to what a Height, and on what a juſt [9] Foundation it is likely to improve; for if it be already, even while it is not much above twen⯑ty Years old, in its preſent Magnitude, ſo ad⯑vanced, as has been already ſaid, as to pay ſo great a Revenue to the Crown, and employ ſuch a prodigious Number of Acres of Land, beſides Ships, Cattle and Men, what may it not do, when by the Improvement of the Art, and the granting ſuch Regulations by which it would flouriſh, it ſhall from the mere Good⯑neſs of the Goods that ſhall be produc'd, en⯑tirely ſuppreſs the Importation of Foreign Mix⯑tures, and even of French Brandy itſelf; the Spirit diſtill'd from Corn in England, prevail⯑ing over them all by the Force of its own Me⯑rit?

Nor is this Queſtion unworthy the Conſi⯑deration of the Crown it ſelf; whether the Encouraging the Diſtilling Trade, is not really a better and more effectual way to raiſe a Re⯑venue by it, than loading it with new Taxes, which can have no other Effect than to leſſen the Conſumption, and bring a riſing Manufac⯑ture under a Decay.

It is evident, that as well by the Dearneſs of French Brandy, and the Corruption and Fraud of the Dutch Importation, as by the improv'd and ſtill advancing Goodneſs of the Engliſh Malt Spirit, which I ſhall make appear is coming fairly up to be equal to the beſt French Brandy; the great and opiniated Guſt of the People to French and Foreign Brandy, is already much abated, and the Conſumption of our own Pro⯑duct [10] gains Ground on them every Day, to the great Advantage of the whole Nation.

As the Conſumption encreaſes, the publick Revenue encreaſes of courſe, without the Addition of new Taxes, with this undeniable Difference to the Advantage of England, namely, That this way as the Revenue en⯑creaſes, all the fore-mentioned Advantages will encreaſe: The Quantity of Lands to be cultivated, will encreaſe: The Advantage to the Farmer, the Employment of Cattle, Ships and Men, will all encreaſe with it▪ where⯑as by burdening the Trade with new Dutys, it cannot be pretended the Conſumption will encreſe, tho the Duty ſhould; on the con⯑trary, if it ſhould decreaſe, as is moſt natural, the Dearneſs of all Goods leſſening the Con⯑ſumption, then all thoſe national Advantages above muſt decreaſe in proportion.

As to the weak Pretences of the Malt Spi⯑rits being deſtructive to the Health of the Peo⯑ple, they ſeem only fit to be jeſted with, as they have been: and I muſt ſay, I am ſorry to ſee ſome Magiſterial People have expos'd their Weakneſs in this Point ſo much.

They have no where ſhew'd the World a Reaſon why as good and wholeſom a Spirit may not be drawn from the Corn, (whoſe mere De⯑coction in other Preparations is allow'd to be ſo good) as from any other Materials; and if, as the Learned ſay, the Spirit only is the nutritive Part of all our Food, whether Meat or Drink, [11] there can then be no queſtion, but that a Spirit carefully extracted from the groſs and humid Parts, and faithfully prepared without any A⯑dulterations or corrupt Mixtures, muſt be as wholeſom to the Body, as the ſame Spirit un⯑extracted and mix'd with the common Liquids by Infuſion and Ebullition; or as any Spirit ex⯑tracted from other Principles of any kind what⯑ſoever.

As for the Exceſſes and Intemperances of the People, and their drinking immoderate Quantitys of Malt Spirits, the Diſtillers are not concern'd in it at all; their Buſineſs is to prepare a Spirit wholeſom and good. If the People will deſtroy themſelves by their own Exceſſes, and make that Poiſon, which is o⯑therwiſe an Antidote; 'tis the Magiſtrate's Bu⯑ſineſs to help that, not the Diſtillers. 'Tis humbly conceiv'd alſo, they would do the ſame with Foreign Brandy and Spirits, if there was no diſtilling at Home in the whole Na⯑tion.

It is in the next place, humbly offered to the Publick to conſider, what a Trade, and how ruinous to the Nation in ſeveral conſi⯑derable Articles, the Diſtilling Trade in England is now oppoſed to; and how neceſſary it is to have that pernicious Commerce, if poſſible, ſuppreſs'd. And this Part is the more uſeful, becauſe it ſeems very few, even of our moſt penetrating Gentlemen, are fully Maſters of it.

[12] Were the Foreign Importation of Spirits confin'd only to that Species we call French, which it is generally allow'd is a wholeſom and well extracted Spirit; yet as the French Brandys are a Product infinitely injurious to our Commerce, bought from a Nation with whom we having no Treaty of Commerce, cannot exchange our Manufactures, but muſt pay for them in Specie, to the evident turning the Ballance of Trade againſt us: In this reſpect they are injurious to the Health of the Publick, if not to the Health of particular Bodys; and conſequently 'tis a publick Good to diſcourage them, and abate their Conſumption.

But when we come to ſpeak of the Foreign Spirits, (however falſly call'd Brandys) it is e⯑vident there the Caſe differs extremely, and we are ſo great Sufferers in that Part, as well in reſpect to the Health of the Body as the Proſ⯑perity of Commerce, and the Frauds put upon the Crown to the great Loſs of the Revenue; that as it is a publick Good in our Diſtilling Trade, that we gain upon and leſſen that Trade, ſo it muſt be ſome Service to expoſe the Abuſes of it, and let our People ſee how gr [...]ſly they are impos'd upon in it, both in the publick and private Intereſt of our Coun⯑try

To ſet this dark Commerce in a clear Light, 'tis needful to take notice, by what unhappy Artifice the ſubtle Dutch Traders are enabled, our own Weakneſs concurring, not only to un⯑derwork us, but to impoſe upon us, and ſell [13] us Spirits diſtill'd from our own Materials, cheaper than we can make them at Home; tho as it happens, their Avarice, ſo natural to their Climate, will not ſuffer them to make them ſo good.

Firſt then, we are to ſuppoſe they have the Malt from England, as generally they have from Norfolk, and the Parts adjacent.

The Fraud begins at the very Beginning; for the Dutch approving to have their Malt far grown on the Floor, and without dreſſing and skreening off the Tails, as we call them; the Malſter lets it run in ſuch manner, that 20 Quarter of Barley ſhall meaſure out 40 Quar⯑ter of Malt: I ſpeak within Compaſs, for it has been known to meaſure 50 to 60 Quar⯑ter, from 20. Now the Fraud of this lies here, The Malt in the Maker's Hands be⯑ing gaged in the Barley, the Duty, which is 4s. per Quarter, is paid by the Meaſure or Gage of the Barley wetted; ſo the Score, or 20 Quarter pays 4l. to the King.

When this Barley is malted, and the Malt comes to be exported, the Duty of 4s. per Quarter is drawn back by Debenture; and then the Malt being meaſured anew, the 20 Quar⯑ter being encreaſed to 40, draws back upon that Meaſure, and ſo the Exporter receives 8l. Draw-back, upon that which paid but 4l. Du⯑ty. This is ſo vile a Fraud, and ſo openly practis'd, that nothing is more wonderful to me, than that no notice has yet been taken of [14] it, except this, that being ſo well known no care has been taken to put a ſtop to it.

But it does not end here: As there is a Draw-back allowed for the Malt-Duty, upon all the exported Malt, ſo there is a Bounty paid to the Exporter, by the Crown, for the encouraging the Exportation; and this is 2s. 6d. per Quarter more, which being likewiſe paid upon the 40 Quarter made out of 20, encrea⯑ſes the Fraud 5l. more. So that the Crown pays back to the Exporter 13l. for every Score of Barley malted, and receives but 4l. by which it is no wonder that the Malt-Tax ſhould be deficient.

Suppoſe then the Dutch pay a ſham Price per Quarter for their Malt, and thus receive double for it again, it is no wonder that they can diſtil a Spirit from it cheaper than the Diſtillers in England, who fairly pay 6s. per Buſhel to the Crown for all their Malt, and full 6d. a Gallon for the Spirits they draw from it.

Nor have the Dutch done with us yet; but let us examine it thorowly, and we ſhall ſee a greater Fraud yet behind.

The Dutch, I know not by what Error on our Side, are allow'd to import here foreign Brandy, the Duty upon Importation being 4s. 2d. per Gallon, or thereabouts; whereas the French Brandy pays 6s. 8d. per Gallon. This our People take up with, and call it French Brandy; and having ſufficient Proof that it comes from abroad, are ſatisfied with it as ſuch.

[15] The Dutch tell us, it is not French, tho we have good Reaſon to believe that all the real Brandy that is in it is French, by which we are cheated that way. But that is not the Caſe; 'tis apparent, the Dutch mix their own Malt Spirits with this Brandy, and ſend it to us, while our People, deluded with the Notion that it muſt be right Brandy, becauſe it comes by a foreign Permit, eagerly buy it for right Brandy, and give a Price accordingly.

Let any one judge then under what Diſad⯑vantages we carry on this Trade with the Dutch, and how much it is the Intereſt of England to put a Stop to it; and granting it is our Intereſt, the next thing is to conſider what is the Way to do it: And that is eaſily an⯑ſwer'd; the only Way is, to diſcourage the Importation of their adulterated Brandys, and encourage and encreaſe the Diſtilling Trade at home, by which ſo many Advantages accrue to the Nation, and the Conſequences of which would yet be greater than perhaps is expected, or than is thought poſſible, except by ſome Men of more Penetration than ordinary, viz.

1. The People will by little and little be brought off from being ſo fond of foreign Spi⯑rits, by the Difficulty of coming at them, and the Badneſs of their Quality; as we ſee the Taſte of the Nation was effectually brought off from the French to Portugueſe Wines, by the Prohibitions and high Dutys of the late War.

[16] 2. The Diſtillers here are apparently able to make as good, as fine, as clean and as whole⯑ſom a Spirit, from our own Materials, as any of thoſe imported from abroad; infinitely bet⯑ter than the Dutch: and as they are every Day improving, will very ſoon, if they are not diſcourag'd, be able to outdo even the French Brandy itſelf. And it is apparent they produce ſo fine a Spirit already, that a very nice Palate cannot diſtinguiſh it from French; and had they the Dutch Trick of importing it from abroad, they might eaſily ſell it for French Brandy, among the People.

I foreſee, that as abundance of People are apt ignorantly to charge the Immoralitys, and particularly the Drunkenneſs of the Age, up⯑on the great Encouragement of the diſtilling Malt Spirits; ſo they would make that grow⯑ing Evil, a Reaſon againſt the juſt Encou⯑ragement, which ought to be given to the Buſineſs of the Diſtillers as a Trade; as if the encouraging the Diſtillers Buſineſs, would be an encouraging of Drunkenneſs: whereas we are ſpeaking of it, as a needful and an advantageous Commerce; a Benefit to the Publick, to the Poor, and to the whole Na⯑tion. And that would be infinitely more ſo, if it may be encourag'd, in keeping out and putting a ſtop to that Foreign pernicious Com⯑merce, carried on to our great Loſs and Diſad⯑vantage. As to the Vice of Drinking to Ex⯑ceſs, we are no way concern'd in it; the Brewing Trade, and the Wine Trade, are liable [17] to the ſame Objections: Yet I do not find it argued by any body, that therefore we muſt have no Beer, nor Wine.

But to clear up this Caſe, upon which ſo much weak Cavilling has been made, I beg leave in a kind of Hiſtorical way, to enter a little into the State of National Drinking in England, as it has been, and as it now is. And tho I ſhall be very brief, I ſlatter myſelf it ſhall be both uſeful and diverting; eſpecially, I anſwer for it, that it ſhall come directly to the Caſe in hand; and clear not only the Diſ⯑tillers and the Diſtilling Trade, but even all the Liquors they make, from the Charge of being deſtructive to the Morals of the People, or an Encouragement to Drunkenneſs and Ex⯑ceſs, any otherwiſe than, nay not ſo much as, all ſtrong Liquors are ſo to thoſe, who drink to Exceſs.

Our Drunkenneſs as a National Vice, takes its Epocha at the Reſtoration Anno 1661-62, or within a very few Years after. Some run it back to James I. Time, and refer us to the Paint⯑ings on the Ceiling of the Banqueting-Houſe, for Proof of it; but I am not writing Satyres; [18] I am upon a Search after not ſo much the Vice, as the Materials and Manufactures upon which it is fed, and by which it was ſupported.

Joy, Mirth, good Cheer, and good Li⯑quor, were the Solace of the common People in the Year 1661. They rejoiced that after a long Uſurpation, the King ſhould enjoy his own again; that after a long Series of Blood and Confuſion, and a Civil War in the Bowels of their Country, the People ſhould enjoy a publick Peace and Tranquillity; that Trade ſhould flouriſh, and Plenty ſucceed Miſery and Want. Theſe were the ſeveral Reaſons of their Joy; and very merry, and very mad, and very drunken, the People were, and grew more and more ſo every Day.

As to the Materials, Beer and Ale were con⯑ſiderable Articles; they went a great way in the Work at firſt, but were far from being ſuf⯑ficient. Strong Waters, which had not been long in Uſe, came in play; the Occaſion was this: In the Dutch Wars, it had been obſer⯑ved, That the Captains of the Hollanders Men of War, when they were to engage with our Ships, uſually ſet a Hogſhead of Brandy a⯑broach, afore the Maſt; and bid the Men drink luſtick, then they might fight luſtick: and our poor Seamen felt the Force of the Brandy, ſometimes to their coſt.

We were not long behind them; but ſudden⯑ly after the War, we began to abound in ſtrong Water-Shops. Theſe were a ſort of petty Diſ⯑tillers, who made up thoſe compound Waters [19] from ſuch mixt and confus'd Traſh, as they could get to work from, ſuch as damag'd and eager, or ſour Wines; Wines that had taken Salt Water in at Sea; Lees and Bottoms; alſo damag'd Sugars, and Melaſſes, Grounds of Sy⯑der, and innumerable other ſuch like. For till then there was very little Diſtilling known in England, but for phyſical Uſes. The Spi⯑rits they drew were foul, and groſs; but they mixt them up with ſuch Additions as they could get, to make them palatable, and ſo gave them in general, the Name of Cordial Wa⯑ters. And thus the ſtrong-Water-Shops uſu⯑ally made a vaſt Show of Glaſſes, labell'd and written on, like the Gallypot Latin of the Apothecarys, with innumerable hard Names to ſet them off.

Here, as at a Fountain, the good Wives fur⯑niſh'd their little Fire-ſide Cupboards, with a needful Bottle for a cheriſhing Cup: And hence, as from wholeſale Dealers, all the little Chandlers Shops, not in London, and its ad⯑jacent Parts only, but over great Part of England, were furniſh'd for Sale; and to the perſonal Knowledge of the Writer hereof, and of Thouſands ſtill living, not the Chandlers Shops only, but juſt as is now complain'd of, the Barbers Shops (Barber Chirurgeons they were then called) were furniſhed with the ſame, and ſold it by Retail, to the poor People who came under their Operations.

And why ſhould it be ſo ſupriſing a Thing then in our Opinion, that the Geneva which, [20] as I ſhall ſhow preſently, is but the ſame Thing returned again, ſhould be ſo generally received among the inferior Poor? ſeeing would we but look thus a little way behind us, it would ap⯑pear that it was ſo with our Anceſtors; and our poor People are only ſet down where their Fore-fathers were before them, (as to the Li⯑quors I mean.) As to the Difference of the Quantitys, and whether they drank more to Exceſs, than our People do now, that is a Queſtion by itſelf, and not much to the pre⯑ſent Caſe.

But it is objected, They did not drink ſuch deſtructive Liquors then, as we do now: That is, in ſhort, they did not drink Geneva; for that is the Meaning of it.

This Objection muſt be ſpoken to as we go along; becauſe it comes into the Hiſtory I am upon; for it leads me to give a brief Account of what they did drink, and where they had it. I have mentioned the Introduction of the ſtrong-Water-Shops, and petty Diſtillers, who began this Trade. I come now to the Liquors; ſome of their Names were as follow.

• • Aqua Vitae.
  • Aqua Mirabilis.
  • Aqua Solis.
  • Aqua Dulcis.
  Theſe in Latin.
• • Anniſeed Water.
  • Cinamon Water.
  • Clove Water.
  • Plague Water.
  • Cholick Water, which in ſhort was Geneva.
  Theſe and many more in Engliſh.

But to ſum up the whole, Aqua Vitae and An⯑niſeed Water, were the Captains or Leaders; and the ſtrong Inclinations of the People run all into thoſe two: And in a little while the latter prevail'd over the former too; and as Anniſeed Water was the only Liquor for ſome Years, the Quantity that was drunk of it, was prodigious great: In a word, it was the Geneva of theſe Times, it was not only ſold in the Chandlers Shops, and in the Barbers Shops, as above; and perhaps in Bulks and Stalls too; but it had this particular Article attending it, (which we are not yet arrived to with the Geneva) viz. That it was cried about Sreets, of which, the Memory of the famous Anniſeed Robin, will be a never-dying Teſtimony; who was ſo well known in Leaden-Hall, and the Stocks-Market for his Liquor, and his broad-brim'd⯑Hat, that it became proverbial, when we ſaw a Man's Hat hanging about his Ears, to ſay, he looks like Anniſeed Robin.

This Part, viz. of going about the Streets, and into the Fields, to Shows, and Muſters of the Trained Bands, to cry a Dram of the Bot⯑tle, has not been ſo long omitted, but that we can all remember it: And the Bumboats, who continue to this Day, crying a Dream of the Bottle, in the River, among the Ships, are a Remainder of that Cuſtom, and which was ne⯑ver left off at-all.

I ſhould not however have troubled you with theſe Inſtances from Low Life, but that it is in the Scene we are now acting; and this [22] Anniſeed Robin was a magnipotent Fellow in his Day, I aſſure you.

Having thus brought you back to the Dram⯑drinking Age, I muſt let you ſee how a full Stop was put to it on a ſudden, and what be⯑came of the drinking World in the mean time.

As all theſe various ſorts of good Liquor had their Meridian, ſo they had too their De⯑clination, and after ſome time they fell into a general Diſlike: For the French out-did them exceedingly, and pouring in their Liquors at a very cheap rate, and the Goodneſs of the Brandy recommending it ſelf alſo, the famous Anniſeed Water began to loſe Ground, and the People took their Drams in plain Brandy; the Phyſicians alſo, on all Occaſions, telling the People, it was better than any of their com⯑pounded Waters.

Thus the beſt Brandy being ſold for 2d. per Quartern, the Poor could have a large Dram for a Half-penny; and the Fellows that cry'd it about the Streets, carry'd with them little double Dram-Cups, which being held up on one ſide was a Penny, and on the other ſide a Half-penny.

This held on for ſeveral Years, and the Cuſ⯑tom-houſe Books will ſhew the prodigious Con⯑ſumption, till the late Revolution; when a fu⯑rious and continu'd War the France breaking out, a Prohibition of Trade follow'd, Brandy roſe from 2d. to 6d. per Quartern, and from thence to a Scarcity, ſo that none good was be had. The Diſtillers not being yet come into [23] the way of Diſtilling from Malt, could not ſup⯑ply them; and thus the Poor were thrown off from the Dram-Cup to the Alehouſe-Pot, to their great Regret, as well as Expence: For now they could call for nothing leſs than a Pint, which tho for a while it was but a Pen⯑ny, yet ſoon after, by doubling the Exciſe, came up to three Half-pence, where it ſtill ſtays. And thus I have gone thro' the firſt Part of my Hiſtory.

It remains a Queſtion, which I believe is not yet determin'd, tho I ſee not much Diffi⯑culty in it, Whether the Morals of the People were the better or the worſe by this Change? If I may uſe ſo much Freedom, I inſiſt that they are much the worſe: And as my Reaſons for it are of ſome weight in the preſent Debate, I beg you will hear them ſumm'd up as briefly for your Convenience as I can.

1. The Charge was immediately increas'd, and a poor Man that could before be refreſh'd in his Labour, at the ſmall Expence of a Half⯑penny, was now oblig'd to ſpend three Half⯑pence at a time, as often as either Neceſſity or Inclination call'd him.

2. The Expence of Time was immediately al⯑ſo encreas'd; for then poor Men in their Stails, or Garrets, or Shops, or wherever they were at their work, could call in, and call up, poor Anniſeed Robin, or any of his Contemporarys or Succeſſors, and take a Dram, without the leaſt Loſs of their Time, and go on with their [24] Work: Or if they were at Day-Labour in the Field or the Street, in the Wet and the Cold, they could call for a Dram for a Penny or a Half-Penny, as their Pockets could afford, and go on with their Buſineſs; whereas upon this Change the Poor were really diſtreſs'd, and they made loud Complaints of it, as I very well remember.

Having thus gone thro' the Hiſtory of what's paſt, and given you ſome Account of the man⯑ner of our Drinking till within theſe few Years, allow me to bring it on to our own Times, and view our Poor in the preſent Situation of their great Affair, I mean of Liquor; for what they ſhall drink is (I aſſure you) no matter of mean Concern to them.

The Poor, as above, having been reduc'd to the miſerable Neceſſity of this Alehouſe-Tip⯑pling, and grown ſick of the tedious and dull, as well as expenſive way of Drinking, were ap⯑parently ripe for a Change, if they could have found any way to their Advantage; when on a ſudden the diligent Dutch, fruitful at Inven⯑tion, as the Engliſh are at Imitation, (and with their own Advantage at the bottom you may be ſure,) help'd them out again, as they had done once before: for the Dutch Sutlers carry'd into the Camps in Flanders, during the late long Wars againſt France, a certain new diſtill'd Water call'd Geneva, being a good wholeſom Malt Spirit, if rightly prepar'd, wrought up with Juniper-Berries; a Thing not only wholeſom, but really phyſical, and for [25] many Years allow'd to be ſo by the moſt cele⯑brated Phyſicians.

It was ſtrange to obſerve, how this Liquor prevail'd in the Army; how the Soldiers were ſurprized at the Goodneſs of it; the Spirit, the Vigor it put into them: They declar'd publickly to one another, there never was any ſuch Liquor heard of in the World; it put a perfectly new Spirit, and new Life into them; and invigorated them at ſuch a rate, that it made them quite a new kind of Peo⯑ple.

At firſt, like the Champaign and Burgundy, it was drank among the Gentlemen only; a Drink for Generals, and for Officers: Nay, they tell us in Holland, that even the great D [...] of M [...] gave it a Character as a Thing that inſpir'd Nature with a new Flame; and put a ſort of Vigor into the Mind, which Nature itſelf was a Stranger to before; and that he recommended the (moderate) Uſe of it, to the greateſt Men, when they were going at any time to engage the Enemy.

It is a great Miſtake to argue from hence, that the Dutch always made their Soldiers mad with Drink, before they led them out to fight; for what I am ſaying of them now, is of the Generals and Officers, before the Sol⯑diers came to have any fellow-feeling of this Article.

At firſt, no doubt the Dutch made a fine Spirit of it, and as perfect as it was poſſible to be expected: But as the Dutch are hardly to be charged with any Deficiency in needful [26] Craft, and that they ſaw plainly what was good for the High, was alſo good for the Low; and that the poor Soldiers Money was as good to them as the great Generals, if they could but make it out in Quantity; they ſoon came into the old Trading Maxim, viz. that Cheapneſs cauſes Conſumption, and found out a Way to make a Sort of the ſame Spirit, and drawn perhaps from the ſame Ingredients; that be⯑ing made meaner in Quality, ſhould be propor⯑tioned to the Purſe, as well as to the Palate of the common Soldiers.

And thus the Soldiers in the Confederate Camp, came to the honour of Drinking upon a Level with their Officers, or at leaſt, flat⯑tering themſelves that they did ſo, which in⯑deed was almoſt the ſame Thing; and if there was any apparent Difference, it was ſuch that neither Officers or Soldiers were nice enough in their Palates to judge of.

It would interrupt our Buſineſs and the main Deſign of this Work, to dwell too long upon the particular Steps and Gradations, by which Geneva gain'd ſo much upon the Minds of the common People; or to enquire into the Rea⯑ſons of it: If what I have ſaid, viz. its being thus approved by their general Officers, gave the firſt Occaſion, it is ſufficient to tell you, that by this means the Geneva gain'd a vaſt Cre⯑dit among the Dutch Troops; from the Dutch, it ſpread univerſally among all the Con⯑federate Armys; and the Engliſh Soldiers be⯑came as great Admirers of it, as any other Nation whatſoever; except the mere Dutch [27] themſelves, for they indeed drank it like Mo⯑thers-Milk.

But you are to take notice here, that the ſubtle Diſtillers, and particularly the wiſe Merchants of Amſterdam, who had felt the Sweet of the Trade, had conſulted together to bring this Part to ſute with their Intereſt alſo; namely, That the Geneva which they ſent to the Army for the Uſe of the Officers and Gentlemen, (eſpecially General Officers) bore a different Price from that which was open'd for the ordinary uſe of the Army, and for the common Soldiers: Whe⯑ther it differ'd in Virtue and Value or not, I cannot enter into here; for in ſuch Liquors as theſe, I ſhall not anſwer for it, that what is ſold for the higheſt Price, is always of beſt Qua⯑lity in proportion: ſometimes, Fancy ground⯑ed upon an advanc'd Demand, anſwers to Goodneſs, and makes an Equivalent to the Quality of the Liquor; nor could thoſe litle needful Frauds be always carried on without it: but of that by itſelf.

Let this Part be one way or other, and be the Liquor better or worſe, this is certain, the Price was reduc'd in the common Suttlers-Car⯑riages; and the poor Soldiers had their Gin at a Rate fit for a poor Soldier to pay: And this too betray'd a Secret in the Dutch Commerce, which it has been proper to mention already; and for the ſake of which, this Part has been mention'd here; and is abſolutely neceſſary to ſpeak of, namely, That the Dutch were ena⯑bled [28] to bring down the Price of their Geneva, even without reducing the Goodneſs.

I muſt be allow'd to ſay, that it ſeems ex⯑ceeding hard, that as our Diſtillers were not then come into the Thing, and that Geneva was not known here; they ſhould find themſelves ſo oppreſſed, at their firſt Entrance; and the Dutch ſhould be able not only to make their own Spirits Cent. per Cent. cheapter than we could, but that they ſhall be ſtill able to import them upon us fifty per Cent. cheaper than we can make them, and yet raiſe them from the ſame Materials, namely, from our own Corn.

And here there is ſuch an allow'd Conceſ⯑ſion made by the whole Legiſlature of Great Britain, to one of the Articles ſumm'd up in the firſt Part of this Work, namely, of the vaſt Advantage the conſuming of Corn is to the Landed Intereſt, that I could not but remind the Reader of it; namely, The allowing back all the Duty upon Malt, and 2s. 6d. Bounty-Money upon the exporting it as Barley, which if the Sums drawn back by Certificate, in the Countries of Norfolk and Kent only, are caſt up, will appear ſurpriſing in Value: I ſay, it is a full Conceſſion to our Argument, and no⯑thing but a full Conviction that the exporting it, is infinitely advantageous to Great-Britain, can be a juſtifiable Reaſon for it.

Were the Commons of Great-Britain to have been told when that Law was made, that all or the greateſt Part of the Bounty, whatever Sums were drawn from the Publick by it, would [29] only have two Effects, and both of them per⯑nicious to the Britiſh Commerce in general, and to the Revenue in particular; it is my Opinion they would have conſider'd better of it, before they had paſs'd it into a Law, or have put it in the Power of a voracious Set of Men, to have ruin'd ſo great and riſing a Manufacture, and Branch of our Commerce, at our own Expence.

Were thoſe Bountys taken off for a while, or were they reduc'd a little to a tolerable De⯑gree, the Conſequence would preſently be this, That the Dutch could no more draw a Spirit 50 per Cent. cheaper from our own Materials, than we could, or import it upon us, mixt among French or other Foreign Brandys, ſo much to our Diſadvantage.

What Reaſon can be alledged, why the Dutch ſhould be able to extract a better Spirit from the fame Goods? Nay, it is evident, they do not, and we are aſſur'd they cannot; but they have gotten into a Courſe of uncon⯑trolled K [...]ry, and by this they can ſend it over cheaper, and that is ſufficient to all the reſt; for Cheapneſs cauſes Conſumption.

But to return to the Article above: When firſt the Dutch came into this Trade, as I hinted before p. 25. they took their Malt ſo rough, ſo grown, and ſo undreſs'd, that it was frequent for a Score of Engliſh Barley at that time, to hold out 50 to 60 quarters of Malt, at the Exportation; which accordingly magni⯑fied the Fraud, and entitled the Exporter to receive back twelve Pound for a Score of Bar⯑ley; [30] which upon being gaug'd in the Ciſtern, paid to the Crown but 4l. Duty; and ſo again in the Bounty: But they have been pleas'd to be a little leſs barefac'd ſince, and have (thanks to their Modeſty) reduc'd it by a ſlight Dreſ⯑ſing, as above, to forty Quarters for twenty.

N. B. There is a little Cavil which may be rais'd here; and we doubt not our Oppo⯑ſers will think, they have ſome Advantage in it, namely, That the Barley does generally ſwell one in the Score, before the gauging: but we may anſwer that by itſelf.

To what Extremes do we ſee wiſe Men run, upon wrong Information of Things; and yet how little Care do they take to be rightly and better inform'd of the Things they are miſta⯑ken about? It will perhaps be very hard to perſuade Men of common Senſe to believe, that the Dutch can import their Spirits ex⯑tracted from our Materials, 50 per Cent. cheap⯑er than we can make them; and yet, at the ſame time prove too, that all the ordinary Parts of the Workmanſhip about them, may be per⯑formed as cheap in London, as in Amſterdam.

But it muſt be confeſſed, that when they come to be more fully and rightly inform'd of things, and to ſee what a Cheat is put upon the Engliſh Crown, in the Conditions upon which they get their Corn, which are the Materials; the Riddle is expounded preſently, and we cannot ſuppoſe Men to have common Senſe, who will not then open their Eyes to it.

[31] But to come back to theCamp: Our sol⯑diers taſting this Liquor, brought the De⯑ſire, as well as the Fame of it, over with them at the enſuing Peace; and our Diſ⯑tillers preparing it as well here, as the Dutch abroad, they ſupply'd the People with it, wrought from our own Corn the Product of our own Land, very much to our Advan⯑tage, as has been ſaid already: the Encreaſe of the Demand, afterwards encreasſing the Con⯑ſumption of our own Malt, to a very great degree.

It ſeems, Bacchus and the Brewer take Um⯑brage at this Invaſion: and tho what between the Wine-Brewer, and the Beer-Brewer, they have had the poiſoning Trade to themſelves to long, that one would think they ſhould be ſa⯑tiated with the Miſchiefs of it, tho they were not with the Profits, yet it ſeems they do not ſit eaſy under it; tho I am told the Pretence of the Brewing Trade being declined on this Account, is but a Pretence, and no more. It ſeems they could have been content with it in the Apothecarys Shops, and allow'd it among the Materia Medica, to paſs for good Phy⯑ſick: but when they found it applied to the defeat of Tippling and Sotting, as above, they reſolv'd againſt it, as fatal and deſtructive to the Health, and Underſtanding; and that as to the Tempers of the People, it was ſafer to be drunk with any thing, rather than Geneva.

[32] It is a poor Foundation to raiſe Clamour upon; viz. To ſingle out the vicious Temper of the Poor, to exclaim againſt; when here is a Vice in our Trade, that wants reforming firſt, and which if an End were put to it, would both do the Crown and the Revenue Juſtice: It would block up the Door to any more Dutch Cheats, (of this kind at leaſt) and put it into our own Power to reform the reſt with more eaſe; and till then, I doubt, it will never be reformed, while we live.

It has been ſuggeſted by ſome, (how weak⯑ly, we ſhall ſee preſently) that burdening the Diſtilling Trade in England with new Dutys, will be a Means to cure all the Evils which they acknowledge ſeem to be growing upon us, by the immoderate Uſe or drinking of the Malt Spirits, among the Poor. If theſe Mens Zeal for the Reformation of the People, was no greater than their Knowledge of the true Intereſt of their Country; they would never propoſe a Method which ſhould only ſhut the Door againſt the drinking our own Manufac⯑ture, our Spirits diſtill'd at home, and open the Door to a Flux or Tide of the ſame, or worſe Spirits imported from Holland, and ſo bring in Dutch Drunkenneſs among us too: which, by the way, is yet ſomething of a worſe kind than our own, feeding the Intemperance of the People with the ſame or worſe Ingredients; but giving the Dutch the Profit of it, and lea⯑ving us nothing but the Poverty and the Crime.

[33] Had not this prepoſterous Notion ſtarted itſelf into the World, juſt when theſe Sheets were in the Preſs, and ſo fair an Opportunity was left to anſwer and expoſe it, this Tract had not ſwell'd to ſuch a bulk: but ſince the Politicks of theſe Gentlemen have taken ſuch a Turn, and this Flight of their Wit has carried them to ſuch a height, I muſt treſpaſs a little on the Patience of the Gentlemen, that ſhall ſee theſe Sheets, to give in a Word or two, upon ſo weighty a Sug⯑geſtion.

All wiſe Crowns, and ours of England in particular, make it a Maxim in their laying Dutys, never by loading their own Product, to encourage Importations from abroad, in prejudice of the ſame Goods manufactur'd at Home. But if it ſhall be prov'd,

1. That burthening the Engliſh Diſtillery, will only ſerve to encreaſe the Advantage of Foreigners, and ruin the Manufacture of Spirits diſtill'd from our own Corn at Home; how will it anſwer the wiſe Maxims of State and of Trade, which we all depend ſo much upon?

2. If it ſhall appear that ſuch a burthening the Manufacture at Home, will but encreaſe the Frauds of Foreigners; and inſtead of detec⯑ting the vileſt clandeſtine Commerce in En⯑gland, and the openneſt and groſſeſt Abuſe of Parliamentary Bounty, with a leſſening to the publick Good, which it was appointed to en⯑creaſe; wherre then will the good End of the Parliament be anſwered; and how well are ſuch People qualified for Politicians?

[34] And if after all it ſhould further appear that the Propoſal itſelf comes from a Quarter where no ſuch ſanative Principles as theſe of preſerving our Trade are to be found; but that it is all from a View to ſeparate and corrupt Ends, tending in themſelves to ſupport the Intereſt of a Set of Men, who carry on a Trade a thou⯑ſand times more pernicious to Trade and to the Morals of the People than this: I ſay, if this ſhould be prov'd by it all, then it muſt give a new Turn to our Conceptions about theſe Things themſelves; we muſt run 'em all over again in our Thoughts.

Let us then endeavour to ſtate the Caſe clear⯑ly, among us

1. That the Dutch do cheat, and impoſe upon us already, moſt groſly and barefacedly; or rather to put it right, the Exporters of the Malt to Holland, do cheat and impoſe upon us: (for if the Dutch are not the Men, let us not wrong the Devil, but lay the Saddle on the right Horſe.)

2. That by this Cheat, let who will be in it, the Dutch Diſtillers (for we are not talking of the Dutch as a Nation, but as Traders, and eſpecially as Diſtillers) are enabled to buy their Malt for leſs than half the Price which our Engliſh Diſtillers give for it.

3. That by this means they are likewiſe ena⯑bled to work their Spirits (whether the Gene⯑va or other Spirits) for we are not now ſpeaking of one ſort more than another, ſo cheap as to ſell them one time with another for at leaſt 50 [35] per Cent. leſs Price, than our Diſtillers can work them for, from the ſame Materials.

4. That by the Advantages, Diſguiſes, and va⯑rious Kinds of crafty Ways which the Dutch have, for diſpoſing and diſperſing theſe Spirits among our People, under the Names of Fo⯑reign Brandys, and by the Aid of Foreign Per⯑mits, (for they always find the way to make us the Tools of our own Deluſions) they have an Opportunity to ſell that 50 per Cent. dearer than we do, which they can make 50 per Cent. cheaper.

Let any conſidering Perſon take theſe Things in pieces a little, and examine them ſeparately.

All Errors and Miſtakes of Mankind, are much better and eaſier prevented in Principle, than corrected in Practice; as Fire is eaſier ſuppreſs'd in the Sparks, than in the Flame: The firſt and groſſeſt of all the Miſchiefs that can be complain'd of in the Diſtilling Trade, are founded in this Original Fraud of putting 13l. of the Crown-Money in the Pocket of the Exporters, for every Score of Barley which is malted for their Exportation, whether to Hol⯑land or any other Part, and for which they pay 4l. Duty, and no more, or very little more, as has been ſaid.

Let us firſt ſee the Magnitude of this Cheat, and then a little of the Conſequence of it: Suppoſe the Dutch take off an hundred thou⯑ſand Quarters of Malt a Year for their Diſtille⯑ry; if I under-calculate it, the Gentlemen can make an Allowance for that, upon all their own [36] Eſtimations; and I doubt not but I ſpeak much below the Quantity: But, I ſay, ſuppoſe the Dutch take off for the Uſe of their Diſtil⯑ling Trade, one hundred thouſand Quarters of Malt from England every Year;

This Encouragement, were there nothing more in it, is very conſiderable; and gives the Dutch a vaſt Advantage over our Diſtillers here at home, who pay this whole Duty with⯑out any Draw-back, Bounty, or other Encou⯑ragement whatſoever; except it be, that they alſo pay a heavy Duty upon the Spirits again, after they are diſtill'd; inſtead of which, the Dutch ſending their Spirits hither, by the help of another Fraud ſubſequent to all the reſt, have a Price for theirs ſuperior to ours, and pay no Duty at all; and whatever Duty is paid, we pay it our ſelves, as we are the laſt Con⯑ſumers.

[37] But after we have conſidered the heavy Weight of 32500l. upon every hundred thou⯑ſand Quarter of Malt, which the Dutch take off, and the Diſadvantages which our Diſtillers lie under upon this account, let us add to it, what is mentioned p. 13. and undeniably made out, namely, That the Dutch, or ſome⯑body for them, draw off from us juſt two and thirty Thouſand five hundred Pounds Sterling more, upon every hundred Thouſand Quarter of Malt they take off, and which is done by the mere Craft and Fraud of the Ex⯑porter, as has been ſaid; which our Offices are ſo ſupinely negligent in, as to paſs upon them⯑ſelves for Law; or our Officers ſo well inte⯑reſted in as to connive at. I do not pretend to enquire, whether it is Ignorance or Cor⯑ruption, let the Gentlemen concern'd acquit themſelves of it as well as they can; it is equal to the poor diſcourag'd Diſtillers, whether they are oppreſs'd by one or the other; 'tis mani⯑feſt they are oppreſs'd by it, be it which way it will: 'tis the ſame thing, if my Houſe be fir'd, whether it were done by a Fool-Ser⯑vant, or a Rogue-Servant; the Houſe is burnt, and I feel the Loſs, let it be done how it will.

Not but that it may come in my way in this Debate, to ſay ſomething of the probable Cau⯑ſes, or at leaſt the Encouragements of theſe groſs pieces of Fraud; and how a wiſe Nation, as we are eſteem'd to be, or at leaſt think our ſelves to be, ſhould come to ſhut our Eyes ſo [38] apparently to our own Intereſt, as to lie open to ſuch Cheats as theſe are, and to be ſo abus'd every Day; nay not to ſhut our Eyes to them, but to be abus'd with our Eyes open, (for cer⯑tainly this can never be ſaid to be a Secret) if it has been practis'd ſo long, and never ſeen before; we muſt have been as unhappy in the Ignorance, as I think we are expos'd in the Fraud of it.

But to return to the Point, about loading the Diſtillers Trade with farther Weight: I would humbly recommend to thoſe Gentlemen who have this Deſign under Conſideration, if any are ſo weak, that they would firſt conſider of un⯑loading it; and then they may put it into a Condition to bear any Hardſhips they ſhall afterwards put upon it, with the greater Eaſe.

Let them unload it from the dead Weight, which theſe clandeſtine Practices are not to the Trade only, but to the whole Nation; for in ſhort, 'tis a Tax levied upon us, to give to a ſet of clandeſtine Traders: whether they are Dutchmen or Engliſhmen, or any Men, where the Malt is ſhip'd for Holland, 'tis the ſame thing, 'tis a National Grievance, and a Bur⯑den upon the Trade, which ought to be remo⯑ved.

All Inequality of Burthens, is a Prejudice to the fair Trader; in the Senſe of which Maxim, it has always been the Care of our Crown by an Equality of Burthens, to give the fair Trader a due Advantage: Hence ſmug⯑gling [39] and clandeſtine Trade, is on ſo many Ac⯑counts guarded againſt, and by ſo many Laws made criminal among us, tho ſo impoſſible to be fully prevented.

But here is a Law, which however good in it ſelf, and intended with the ſame juſt View, is unhappily, and by the Craft of a ſet of Fo⯑reigners, perverted, the Point of it turn'd up⯑on the fair Traders; and the greateſt clandeſ⯑tine Fraud that ever was, (of its kind) prac⯑tiſed in England, is ſet up by its Authority: So that the Cheat is ſupported by the very Law that was made to prevent it; may, it is founded upon the very Execution of that Law of Equality, on which Juſtice was to have been expected.

Inſtead of an encouraging Draw-back, by which the Conſumption of our Growth was ſuppoſed to be ſecur'd, and in order to which the Exporter to have the Benefit of all; the Duty that was paid being return'd to him, he receives 4l. per Score in one Article more than ever was paid, and 2l. 10s. in another, more than ever was intended.

I have often heard it ſpoken of, with ſome wonder, in England, how it came to paſs, that in ſome particular Places on the Coaſts, the Draw-back upon the Duty on Malt came to more than the Duty it ſelf; as was alledg'd once likewiſe in the Affair of the Salt-Duty, and by which, as I have been told, a groſs Abuſe of the Publick afterwards was detected. Whether it was ſo in the Salt or no, and how [40] it came about, is none of my Buſineſs: But if it be ſo likewiſe in the Malt Draw-back, I believe, upon a due Enquiry into the Reaſon of it, ſome of theſe wicked Things might come to light, and perhaps more than ſome People are aware of.

But to reduce all this to the true End for which all ſuch Complaints ought to be made, namely, the preventing the like; and ſuppo⯑ſing it to be detected and prevented, as we hope it may, what are we to enquire next?

The next Queſtion is, How would this re⯑form the Abuſes of the Diſtilling? My Anſwer is direct, in two Heads.

• 1. You would then have no Abuſes to cor⯑rect but our own; whereas now all the Cor⯑ruptions and Adulterations of Foreigners, are put to our home-Account.
• 2. The Diſtillers then being, as is ſaid, again ſecur'd and form'd into a Body, with due Pow⯑ers to act by, and ſufficient Encouragement, are able to anſwer for all Abuſes of the Trade, that is, they are able to anſwer that there ſhould be no Abuſes committed, no unwholeſom Liquors diſtilled, or ſold if they were diſtill'd.

This being the Caſe, there would be nothing left for the Crown to be concern'd in, but to prevent if they can, the Intemperance of the People,

Nor would ſuch a Regulation want its En⯑couragement even in the Nature of the thing; there are many Ways to encreaſe the Revenue, [41] beſides loading Trade with new Taxes. If this particular Branch, clogg'd with Difficulties, and oppreſs'd by Foreigners, Smuglers, and the like, may be ſet free from thoſe Oppreſſions and Weights, giving it room to encreaſe, encreaſes the Revenue of courſe; whereas while it ſinks under thoſe Weights, adding Du⯑tys only ſerves to ſink it deeper, and ſo even leſſens the Revenue which it paid before.

This was the Caſe exactly with the late high Dutys upon Pepper; while thoſe Dutys ſub⯑ſiſted, the Revenue was devour'd, I think I may ſay wholly devour'd, by the Draw-backs; and all the Home-Conſumption of Pepper was ſup⯑ply'd by clandeſtine Trade, that is to ſay, by Smuglers; whereas thoſe high Duties being again taken off, the Trade return'd into its own Channel, and the Revenue reviv'd which was ſunk before.

Thus if the Diſtilling Trade ſhould be loaded with more Duties, while theſe Frauds on the Foreign Trade ſtill remain unredreſs'd, what muſt be the Caſe but this, namely, The Foreigners would have all the Buſineſs, and the Diſtillers might put out their Fires and ſit ſtill?

But I meet with another popular Objection ſtill, and it ſhews a little from what Quarter all the reſt has come. The Objection is this:

That the Diſtillers pay too ſmall an Exciſe, that they may pay a little higher Duty very well, and that they do not pay an Equality with the Brewer upon a Quarter of Malt.

[42] Now, tho this ſeems a little envious at beſt, ſuppoſing we ſhould grant the Suggeſtion, as if the Brewer was uneaſy that any Malt ſhould be conſum'd but what ſhould pay as great a Duty as that which their own Trade pay; yet as it happens not to be ſo in fact, it ex⯑poſes the Objector ſo much the more, and leaves us to gueſs (a little the plainer) whence theſe Clamours at the Diſtillers had at leaſt ſome of their Original. I ſhall enquire into the Particulars preſently, but ſhall name ano⯑ther Objection of ſomething a like nature along with it.

It is alſo ſaid, there is a ſudden and great De⯑cay of the Brewing Trade in London; and this too they would place to the account of the Diſtilling Trade; as if the Diſtillers were riſing upon the Fall of the Brewers; all which are mere groundleſs Jingles of a few deſigning Men, who would deſerve more regard if they ſpoke truth, and as they are miſtaken, de⯑ſerve indeed little or none at all.

It is true, we have not room here to give a large and particular Anſwer to all theſe Cavils; for ſuch we hope to prove them to be and no more. But yet we cannot cloſe this Tract without letting them know that we have heard all they have to ſay upon theſe ma⯑terial Heads; which upon the whole, amounts to but very little in Subſtance, tho much perhaps in Noiſe and Pretences. The whole may be briefly anſwer'd in the following Par⯑ticulars, reſerving a more full and particular [43] Anſwer, as we may hereafter ſee occaſion. But to take them as they lie:

1. It is ſo far from being true, that the Diſtillers pay leſs Duty upon a Quarter of Malt than the Brewer, that 'tis evident they pay more. And not to enter at this time into a Calculation of the Particulars, here not being room for it, this we may undertake to aſſert, namely, That the Diſtillers pay near 12s. per Quarter upon the Malt they uſe, allowing a juſt proportion for its being not dreſt down to the ſame Fineneſs, and con⯑ſequently the ſame Meaſure as that of the Brewers.

Whereas on the contrary, the Brewers, the Dreſſing of their Malt being likewiſe conſi⯑der'd, do not pay above 8s. to 8s. 6d. on each Quarter.

For let it be conſidered here what is obſerv'd already in its place, and ought to have notice taken of it on all occaſions; namely, that for the Double-Beer, Pale-Ales, Stout, and ſuch like Drinks, which the Brewers now run ſo much upon, and in which they do not draw near ſo great a length from a Quarter as in the ordinary Brewing, they of courſe do not pay ſo much to the Crown for the Exciſe; nay, for theſe Liquors they may be ſaid not to pay ſix Shillings per Quarter on the Malt: whereas the Diſtillers always extracting the utmoſt Spirit the Malt will put forth, and paying as much Duty for the meaneſt Malt as the Brewer does for the beſt, has an infi⯑nite [44] Diſadvantage, and pays more for his Malt, by how much the leſs Spirit he extracts from it.

This, as above, will require a more full Ex⯑planation, and on occaſion ſuch an Explana⯑tion will not be wanting; but in the mean time, thoſe who make the Objection know ſo much of the Truth of it, that they are able to ſave us the Labour, and anſwer them⯑ſelves, tho at this time perhaps ſuch generous Treatment may not be for their Intereſt.

I go back then to the firſt Head, namely, That there is a great and ſudden Decay of the Brewing Trade. My Anſwer is,

1. There has been no apparent Decay of the Brewing Trade, one Year with another, for above four Years paſt, to laſt Midſummer; what Decay has been muſt be ſince that time.

2. By conſequence then the great encreaſe of the Conſumption of Spirits in England has not been the Cauſe of the Decay of the ſaid Brewing: for as that Encreaſe has been of three or four Years continuance, why, if it decay'd the Brewing Trade, was it never felt till ſince Midſummer laſt?

3. There has been no proportion'd Advance upon the Diſtillery ſince Midſummer laſt; why then ſhould the Decay of one be occaſion'd by the other, which has not felt the Effect of it? If the Diſtilling had encreas'd in propor⯑tion during that time, and that, ſo much more than ever it had done before, then indeed the Water of one Channel being found in the [45] Stream of another, would account for the difference. But as that is not ſo in fact, the Deficiency muſt be from ſome other more ap⯑parent Cauſe, and that we ſhall ſee preſently.

The apparent Cauſes of the Decay or ſud⯑den ſtop of the Brewing, ſo far as the Fact may be granted, (for it is not ſo mighty in Fact as in Noiſe) are theſe:

1. The exceſſive Dearneſs of Hops the laſt Seaſon, which was ſo heavy a Rent-Charge upon the Brewer, that it really put a check to their whole Buſineſs; and ſome of them found it hard to furniſh themſelves with a ſuitable Stock upon any Terms whatever: That Difficulty has of courſe cauſed them to leſſen the Quantity of Beer among their Cuſtomers, as much as they could, when they came to lay in their Stores.

2. The Dearneſs of Malt it ſelf, which by the univerſal Badneſs of the Seaſon in all the Malting Counties, has had an effect upon the Malt as well as upon other Grain; this has both leſſen'd the Quantity and advanc'd the Price, ſo that Malt in particular has been 5 to 6s. per Quarter dearer this Year than it was the laſt. Theſe things have been ſo apparent, and here ſo well known to other People as well as to the Brewers themſelves, that 'tis ſomething ſtrange they ſhould lay themſelves open to ſo effectual a Reply.

But this too will appear leſs ſtrange when we ſhall add, that the K [...]ery of the Brewers themſelves, to ſay no worſe of it, may have [46] ſome ſhare in the Reaſons for a ſudden Decay of their Trade; eſpecially if it be true that they have come into that bare-fac'd piece of Policy, viz. To ſtrike their Work in order to leſſen the Exciſe, and ſo make a joint Clamour for promoting the Deſign. But of this we may ſay more in its proper Place.

But now, to put in a Word for the Poor, as well as for the Trade, and ſo to cloſe this Diſ⯑courſe; you muſt allow me to ſay, that were it ſo that they had quite forſaken the drinking Beer and Ale, and were wholly come in⯑to the drinking of Spirits, Brandy, Geneva, or what you pleaſe; it ſeems to me they have done not only that which their Anceſtors did before them, but even what their Superiors have ſeem'd to lead them into juſt now, by a general Example. As follows.

There has been for ſome Years, and ſtill continues among us. a national Guſt or Inclina⯑tion to drinking ſtronger and highe pric'd Li⯑quors than formerly; I do not ſay we drink more, or more to Exceſs, that is a Subject of another Nature, and however true, is not to my preſent Purpoſe. But the Stream of the Nation's Palate runs, I ſay, for ſtronger and dearer Liquors. Let me begin at the Head.

The Ladys and Gentlemen of Quality and Diſtinction, not content with the uſual, and as I have ſaid above, moſt wholeſom Dram, call'd right French Brandy, now treat with Ratafia and Citron, at a Guinea a Bottle.

[47] The Punch Drinkers of Quality, (if any ſuch there be) not contented with the beſt French Brandy in their Bowls, muſt have Ar⯑rack at 16s. to 18s. per Gallon.

The Wine Drinkers of the better ſort, not content with the Portugal and Barcelona Wines, muſt have high Country Morgeau, O Brian and Hermitage Clarets, at 5s. to 6. per Bottle; and after that Champagn and Burgundy at 7s. to 8s. per Bottle.

The common Draft of Red Wine of Opor⯑to and Viana, tho all ſtronger than the French Wines formerly drank, is not now ſtrong e⯑nough for the Citizens; but they muſt be made up (ſo the Wine-Brewers call it) with Lisbons, with Alicants, and Bene-Carloes: and the Oporto and Lisbon Whites, tho very ſtrong, are turn'd out of Doors, for the yet ſtronger Mountain Malaga.

To deſcend ſtill lower: Our common Drink⯑ers of Ale or Beer, are not contented as for⯑merly, with the ordinary Beer and Beer, or Porters Ale; but they are advanced, firſt to Two-penny, then to double-Beer, and Stout; and now to the ſtrongeſt North-Country Bur⯑ton, and Tamworth Pale Ale; Dorcheſter and Newbury Beers, and the like; of which great Quantitys are brought up by Land Car⯑riage, above 100 Miles, and for which, above 300 ſmall-Brew-houſes, have, as I am told, been erected within theſe few Years, in the City and the adjacent Parts; which Ales are ſold from 6d. to 10d. per Quart.

[48] In like manner then, the Poor following this unhappy Humour of the Rich, and find⯑ing themſelves as willing to gratify their Palate, only not equally able to bear the Expence, are fallen into the old Dram-drinking Way, which their Fathers practis'd before them; and which, as it is eaſy to their Pockets, ſpends leſs of their Time; and unleſs they pleaſe, no more prompts their Exceſſes, than the Beer and the Ale did before; and if I may give my Opi⯑nion, I think indeed not ſo much. And thus I have brought down the Hiſtory to our pre⯑ſent Times.

I ſhall cloſe this Tract, which is already ſwell'd to a larger Bulk than was intended, with a few very ſhort Hints at the Diſadvan⯑tage which the Diſtillers at preſent are under in the Courſe of their Trade, and which they hope to be deliver'd from, by the Juſtice of the Parliament, and the Encouragements which they have reaſon to hope for and expect.

Some of the Diſadvantages they are under, are as follows.

1. That whereas all the Malt exported to Holland, and from which the Dutch extract the Spirits which they import upon us, draws back the whole Duty, beſides a Bounty of 2s. 6d. per Quarter to the Exporter (not to ſpeak of the Fraud mentioned above, and which doubles both the Draw-back and the Bounty) yet our own diſtill'd Spirit upon Ex⯑portation draws back but 4l. 4s. per Tun of [49] the Exciſe paid, and nothing at all of the Malt Duty.

Thus the Dutch are enabled exceedingly to under-work and under-ſell the Engliſh Diſtiller (even by our ſelves) and at the Expence of our own Crown, whom they ſo many ways in⯑jure in the ſaid Allowances.

2. That by the Advantages given to the Dutch for the importing Brandy 2s. 6d. per Gallon Duty leſs than the French, which Du⯑tys are alſo paid by the Importers, not by the Dutch, they have an unreſtrain'd Liberty of impoſing their Mixtures upon us, of a baſer Kind; which Mixtures, becauſe they appa⯑rently come from abroad, and are called Bran⯑dy at the Cuſtom-houſe, our People are eaſily perſuaded to take for true Brandy, whereas it is very well known, that many times it is in⯑ferior to our common Malt Spirits, and our Diſtillers affirm, they are able to out-do even the beſt of it.

The Dutch, by the like Artifice, come in⯑to our Rivers and Ports, or at leaſt into the open Roads where our Ships ride, as in Yar⯑mouth Roads, the Downs, St. Helens, and even into the River of Thames, up to the Nore and the Hope, and there ſupply our out⯑ward-bound Ships with their Spirits, or Brandys (as they call them) not only for the ſaid Ship's uſe, but alſo in Quantities for Trade; for all which no Entry is made, or any Duty at all paid: So that our Guinea and Eaſt-In⯑dia Ships in particular, which uſed to take [50] in large Quantities of Liquors of our Diſtillers, go away now with little or no Stores, de⯑pending to be ſupply'd by the Dutch in the Downs and other Places.

Theſe are all great Obſtructions to the Diſ⯑tilling Trade; and as they are withal great A⯑buſes upon the fair Traders in general, and in⯑jurious to the Crown in particular, we cannot doubt, but if fairly repreſented, the Diſtil⯑lers ſhall have ſuch Relief, as in right and juſtice they ought to expect.

Beſides theſe apparent Diſcouragements in favour of Foreigners, and in favour of clandeſ⯑tine Trade, they are unjuſtly attack'd with Clamours and popular Pretences, as if their Trade was a publick Nuſance, and ought to be regulated by the Magiſtrates; ſuggeſting, that their Liquors are unwholeſom, and deſtruc⯑tive, Incentives to Vice, and tempting to the Poor, to the Waſte of their Health, Money, Time and Underſtandings; Things which tho not worth replying to, their apparent Partiali⯑ty being ſufficiently already expoſed, and as all the Exceſſes of the People, either in theſe Liquors or any other are founded in their own Intemperance; the Diſtillers ſay, if they may obtain ſuch Powers and juſt Authority, which as a Company they once had, and ſtill ought to have, and which other Companys in Caſes leſs eſſential to the Health of the People now have, ſo as they may be able to inſpect and regulate the Trade as it ought to be regulated, they would anſwer to the World for the Wholeſom⯑neſs [51] of the Liquors they extract, and appeal to the Underſtanding and Senſe of the moſt experi⯑enc'd Phyſicians, if unprejudic'd.

As for the learned and worthy Phyſician, who, if Report lyes not, is to be employ'd to ſhow to the World the pernicious Conſequence of drinking Geneva or Malt Spirits, and how many Thouſands it has ſlain, we impatiently wait his elaborate Performance; and to help it forward, only beg he will not omit to prove alſo, the few needful Particulars following.

• 1. That the Malt Spirits made in England are much more pernicious than thoſe made in Holland and ſent over hither, tho made all from the ſame Materials.
• 2. That the Liquor call'd Geneva is mortal in it ſelf, and that the Juniper-Berries put into it are Poiſon.
• 3. That it is the Liquor it ſelf, not the im⯑moderate Uſe or Exceſs of it, that does the Miſchief.
• 4. That 'tis much better to be drunk with Strong-Beer and Pale-Ales brew'd from Malt, than with Spirits extracted from the ſame Malt, tho it is the Spirit alone in the Beer and Ale that intoxicates.
• 5. That Drunkenneſs by Ale and Beer, de⯑ſtroys no Health, waſtes no Time, ſpends no Money, weakens no Underſtandings; and that it is only the Geneva that does ſuch wicked Things as thoſe.
• 6. That there are more People drunk with Geneva than with Ale and Beer, and that a poor Man can be drunk for a Half-penny.
• [52] 7. And laſtly, to clench it all, Let him prove that more People die of drinking Gene⯑va, than die of the Doctor; not failing to tell to the World, where that formidable Geneva Shop ſtands, that has ſlain more Chriſtians than himſelf.