nution
of the revenue in this article: a consideration which, at all times,
ought to be sacrificed to the health and morals of the people: nor will
this consideration be found of any great weight, when we reflect that
the less the malt-spirit is drunk, the greater quantity of beer and
ale will be consumed, and the produce of the duties and excise upon the
brewery be augmented accordingly.

In the meantime, all sorts of grain continuing to fall in price, and
great plenty appearing in every part of the kingdom, the justices of
the peace, and of the grand juries, assembled at the general quarter
sessions of the peace held for the county of Norfolk, composed and
presented to the house of commons, in the beginning of February, a
petition, representing, that the weather proving unfavourable in
the harvest, great part of the barley raised in that county was much
damaged, and rendered unfit for any other use than that of being
made into malt for exportation; that unless it should be speedily
manufactured for that purpose, it would be entirely spoiled, and perish
in the hands of the growers; a loss that must be very sensibly felt by
the land owners: they, therefore, entreated that leave might be given
for the exportation of malt; and that they might be favoured with such
further relief, as to the house should seem just and reasonable. In
consequence of this petition, the house resolved itself into a committee
to deliberate upon the subject; and as it appeared, upon examination,
that the price of grain was reduced very low, and great abundance
diffused through the kingdom, they resolved, that the continuance of
that part of the act, prohibiting the exportation of grain, ought to be
abridged and shortened, and the exportation of these commodities allowed
under proper regulations, with respect to the time of such exportation
and the allowance of bounties thereupon. A bill being founded on these
resolutions, was discussed, and underwent several amendments: at length
it was sent with a new title to the lords, who passed it without further
alteration, and then it obtained the royal sanction. While this affair
was under the deliberation of the committee, the commons unanimously
issued an order for leave to bring in a bill to continue, for a limited
time, the act of last session, permitting the importation of salted beef
from Ireland into Great Britain, with an instruction to receive a clause
extending this permission to all sorts of sa