s of
Spital-fields; the mayor and commonalty of New Sarum; the gentlemen,
clergy, merchants, manufacturers, tradesmen, and other inhabitants of
Colchester; the mayor, aldermen, and common council of King's Lynn in
Norfolk; the mayor and bailiffs of Berwick-upon-Tweed; representing the
advantages accruing from the prohibition of the malt distillery, and
praying the continuance of the act by which it was prohibited. On the
other hand, counter-petitions were offered by the mayor, magistrates,
merchants, manufacturers, and other gentlemen of the city of Norwich; by
the land-owners and holders of the south-west part of Essex; and by
the freeholders of the shires of Ross and Cromartic, in North Britain;
alleging, that the scarcity of corn, which had made it necessary to
prohibit the malt distillery, had ceased; and that the continuing the
prohibition beyond the necessity which had required it would be a great
loss and discouragement to the landed interest: they therefore prayed
that the said distillery might be again opened, under such regulations
and restrictions as the house should think proper. These remonstrances
being taken into consideration, and divers accounts perused, the house
unanimously agreed that the prohibition should be continued for a
limited time; and a bill being brought in, pursuant to this resolution,
passed through both houses, and received the royal assent; by which
means the prohibition of the malt distillery was continued till the
twenty-fourth day of December, in the year one thousand seven hundred
and sixty, unless such continuation should be abridged by any other act
to be passed in the present session.

OPPOSITION TO THE BILL FOR PREVENTING THE EXCESSIVE USE OF SPIRITS.

The committee, having examined a great number of accounts and papers
relating to spirituous liquors, agreed to four resolutions, importing,
that the present high price of spirituous liquors is a principal cause
of the diminution in the home consumption thereof, and hath greatly
contributed to the health, sobriety, and industry of the common people:
that, in order to continue for the future the present high price of all
spirits used for home consumption, a large additional duty should
be laid upon all spirituous liquors whatsoever, distilled within or
imported into Great Britain: that there should be a drawback of the
said additional duties upon all spirituous liquors distilled in Great
Britain, which should be exported; and