ts of grain abounded in such plenty, that the very
waste of materials by disuse, over and above the lying out of the money,
would be of great prejudice to the proprietor: thus the business of
distilling, by which so many families were supported, would be banished
from the kingdom entirely; especially, as the expense of establishing
a large distillery was so great, that no man would choose to employ
his money for this purpose, judging from experience that some future
accidental scarcity of corn might induce the legislature to interpose a
ruinous delay in this branch of business. They affirmed, that from the
excessive use of malt-spirits no good argument could be drawn against
this branch of traffic, no more than against any other conveniency of
life; that the excessive use of common beer and ale was prejudicial
to the health and morals of the people, yet no person ever thought of
putting an end to the practice of brewing, in order to prevent the abuse
of brewed liquors. They urged that in all parts of Great Britain there
are some parcels of land that produce nothing to advantage but a coarse
kind of barley called big, which, though neither fit for brewing nor for
baking, may nevertheless be used in the distillery, and is accordingly
purchased by those concerned in this branch at such an encouraging
price, as enables many farmers to pay a higher rent to their landlords
than they could otherwise afford; that there are every year some parcels
of all sorts of grain so damaged by unseasonable weather, or other
accidents, as to be rendered altogether unfit for bread or brewery,
and would prove a very great misfortune to the farmer, if there was no
distillery, for the use of which he could sell his damaged commodity.
They asserted, that malt-spirits were absolutely necessary for
prosecuting some branches of foreign commerce, particularly the trade
to the coast of Africa, for which traffic no assortment could be made
up without a large quantity of geneva, of which the natives are so fond,
that they will not traffic with any merchant who has not a considerable
quantity, not only for sale, but also for presents to their chiefs
and rulers; that the merchants of Great Britain must either have this
commodity of their own produce, or import it at a great national expense
from Holland; that the charge of this importation, together with the
duties payable upon it, some part of which is not to be drawn back on
exportation, will render it i