§ Mr. W. Smith, in presenting a Petition from a body of men who were not numerous, but very important, on account of their wealth, and the sums they paid to the revenue, he meant the English Distillers, observed, that the prayer of their petition was, that no alteration might be made in the discriminating duty now levied on rum, and on English corn-spirit. They had been induced to present the petition to the House by observing that a petition had lately been presented to it, praying for a reduction of the duty on rum. When that petition was presented 74 he had no doubt that many of its allegations were unfounded, and the petitioners began by denying them. Already the price of spirits was ruinously low in this country, and he thought that any further reduction of the duty on colonial spirits would bring them so much within the reach of every class, as almost to supersede the use of our wholesome national beverage. Indeed he regretted very much to observe that spirits were already generally drank instead of beer, and he could not but fear that the change had led to a deterioration of public morals.
§ Petition read and printed.