trary, of all properties, land is the most open to seizure. It is the first to attract the cupidity of the invader, it is the only kind of possession which cannot in some degree be screened from his violence. Will Bonaparte, or his conscientious subordinate, Massena, stop to enquire the validity of title deeds; or does it appear from the example of France, that domestic insurrection respects hereditary right?-But I will suspend the painful anticipation. Enough has been said to prove that the colonies are on the brink, of ruin, and that the fate of the mother country is involved in theirs. CHAPTER IV. On the means of relieving the West India Colonies. THE principal expedients which have been suggested for the relief of the West-Indies are the following: 1. The substitution of sugar for grain in the breweries and distilleries. 2. The interruption of the export of sugar from the enemy's colonies to America, and thence to Europe in neutral ships. 3. The diminution of the duty on sugar for home consumption, or a bounty on exportation. 4. The suspension of the monopoly, by which our planters are at present obliged to send their whole produce to this country; and the permission to sell their sugars to foreigners in the islands. I shall first consider the expediency of substituting sugar for grain in the distilleries and breweries. The Report of the Committee appointed to inquire into this subject in January last, discouraged the idea of using sugar in the breweries, and even in the distilleries, under the present plan of collecting the revenue. It concluded, however, with expressing * a wish, that such steps may be taken, as may tend to remove this barrier, in case at any future time circumstances of imperious necessity, may make a measure similar to that which has been the subject of the Committee's consideration, fit and proper to be adopted." No one will deny that "these circumstances of imperious necessity" already exist, and call loudly for redress. The glut in the sugar market consists almost always in low sugars. The cause of this is, that in refining, the low sugars leave a large quantity of molasses, for which the refiner can obtain no adequate price. + He prefers therefore, to buy sugar of fine quality; but if molasses could be introduced into the breweries and distilleries, the consequent increase in the price of molasses would be an inducement to the refiner to take the low qualities of sugar out of the market. Molasses, it appears, is a better article than sugar for the manufacture of beer, whether to mix with grain, or to use by itself; because the process of fire, to which the molasses has been subjected, makes the extract from it sounder than from sugar. The beer made from molasses is inferior to that made from malt; but the grand obstacle to the introduction * Report, page 8. + Evidence before the Distillery Committee, page 11. of sugar into the breweries is on the part of the revenue. In regard to the distilleries, however, the objections which exist on the part of the revenue, are by no means so serious. Mr. Jackson, of the Board of Excise, says explicitly,* that these objections are very few, provided the distillation from sugar, be confined to those persons who have distilled from malt within the last year." In the sequel of his evidence, he expresses an opinion, that the use of sugar would not be advisable in Ireland and Scotland; and that if grain was prohibited in the English distilleries only, it would be necessary to prevent the English distiller from suffering by the importation of corn spirits from Scotland or Ireland. These objections, however, may be removed by particular regulations. Mr. Benwell, an eminent distiller, declares, † that the buildings and machinery for distillation from sugar, would be much less expensive than those requisite in using corn. At present the excise duty on the wash is higher in the case of sugar than of corn; but during the time that both were used in the distilleries, (1799,) the duty was the same, and no material injury to the revenue appears to have ensued. ‡ The English distilleries consume annually about * Evidence Distillery Committee, page 17. + Ibid. page 27. Ibid. page 22. 150,000 quarters of barley; and were they confined to the use of sugar, their annual consumption of it would exceed twenty thousand hogsheads. The distiller would not purchase the lower qualities; but good brown sugars, such as sold in 1799 at * 70s, and at present would fetch 60s. It appears of the greatest importance that no time should be lost in following up the recommendation of the Distillery Committee, by removing whatever obstacles may exist on the part of the Excise laws, to the introduction of sugar into the distilleries. In 1799, under less alarming circumstances, Mr. Pitt lost no time in carrying this measure into effect; and the whole evidence before the late Committee does not contain a single complaint of the adoption of this decisive step. At present, were the price of malt to rise suddenly, during the prorogation of parliament, it does not appear that Government are prepared, even in such an event, to introduce sugar into the distilleries in its stead. The best policy would be that the competition between malt and sugar were at all times equal. To this it may be objected that the use of sugar in the distilleries, along with grain, is incompatible with the safe collection of the revenue; and that either one or other must be excluded by law.—In that case, why continue, as you do at present, to exclude sugar, when * Evidence before the Distillery Committee, page 25. |