ving, for a limited time, the duty
then payable upon foreign corn and flour imported; as also permitting,
for a certain time, all such foreign corn, grain, meal, bread, biscuit,
and flour, as had been or should be taken from the enemy, to be landed
and expended in the kingdom duty free. In order still more to reduce the
high price of corn, and to prevent any supply of provisions from
being sent to our enemies in America, a third bill was brought in,
prohibiting, for a time therein limited, the exportation of corn, grain,
meal, malt, flour, bread, biscuit, starch, beef, pork, bacon, or other
victual, from any of the British plantations, unless to Great Britain
or Ireland, or from one colony to another. To this act two clauses were
added, for allowing those necessaries, mentioned above, to be imported
in foreign built ships, and from any state in amity with his majesty,
either into Great Britain or Ireland; and for exporting from Southampton
or Exeter to the Isle of Man, for the use of the inhabitants, a quantity
of wheat, barley, oats, meal, or flour, not exceeding two thousand five
hundred quarters. The commons would have still improved their humanity,
had they contrived and established some effectual method to punish those
unfeeling villains, who, by engrossing and hoarding up great quantities
of grain, had created this artificial scarcity, and deprived their
fellow-creatures of bread, with a view to their own private advantage.
Upon a subsequent report of the committee, the house resolved, that,
to prevent the high price of wheat and bread, no spirits should be
distilled from wheat for a limited time. While the bill, formed on this
resolution, was in embryo, a petition was presented to the house by
the brewers of London, Westminster, Southwark, and parts adjacent,
representing, that, when the resolution passed, the price of malt,
which was before too high, immediately rose to such a degree, that the
petitioners found themselves utterly incapable of carrying on business
at the price malt then bore, occasioned, as they conceived, from an
apprehension of the necessity the distillers would be under to make use
of the best pale malt, and substitute the best barley in lieu of
wheat: that, in such a case, the markets would not be able to supply
a sufficient quantity of barley for the demands of both professions,
besides other necesssary uses: they therefore prayed, that, in regard
to the public revenue, to which the trade of t