§ Sir George Clerkpresented a Petition from the Distillers of Scotland, complaining of the abuses arising out of the allowance of a drawback of a shilling on every gallon of whiskey distilled from malt, and exported from Scotland, and praying that the Resolution on that subject be repealed, as it caused a great loss to the revenue, without being of any advantage to the distillers.
§ Mr. Leadercomplained of the frauds practised on the revenue by this drawback: the Irish distillers, by its operation, were undersold in their own market. He freely concurred in the prayer of the petition.
Mr. O'Connellobserved, that the manner in which the system operated, might be judged of from the fact, that duty was paid on 16,000,000 gallons, while the drawback was obtained on 17,000,000 gallons, though there was a considerable quantity consumed at home. The system gave one class of men more advantages than another engaged in the same trade, and, therefore, ought to be abolished.
§ Petition to lie on the Table.