1835.] on Spirits. 223 



have been more accurately determined, this has remained 

 nearly stationary. 



The subject is undoubtedly a difficult one, from the little 

 progress that has yet been made in the developement of 

 the laws which regulate the formation and decomposition 

 of organic substances. Whether we shall ever be able to 

 reach this point is questionable ; it can only be hoped for 

 as the result of an accumulation of facts, ascertained by 

 careful and persevering examination of the processes them- 

 selves. 



Hence, it is to be regretted that in place of this, the 

 ingenuity of our distillers should have been so exclusively 

 directed to the improvement of their apparatus ; and con- 

 siderable as we must allow their success in this way to have 

 been, it is highly probable that had the same expense and 

 labour, neither of which have been spared, been directed 

 with different views, the results would have been still more 

 satisfactory. 



The usually received explanation of the nature of the 

 process of fermentation itself, on the changes which take 

 place during its progress is rather the result of theoretical 

 reasoning than actual experiment. 



Hence, the very laws which regulate the manufacture of 

 spirits from being founded on data deduced from these 

 theories, prove uncertain in their application and inade- 

 quate to their object, and in consequence to ensure the 

 protection of the fair trader and revenue in a case where 

 the duty so much exceeds the cost of production, as in this 

 article, our legislators to obviate the deficiency, have been 

 under the necessity of imposing checks and regulations of 

 the most restrictive kind : obliging the manufacturer to 

 follow a certain routine, and leaving him but a very limited 

 extent of power to attempt alteration or improvement. 



The operation of these laws, therefore, however necessary 

 in a revenue point of view, must with justice bear part of 

 the odium of the little progress that has been made in im- 

 proving this branch of our national industry. 



Not that our revenue Boards have been indifferent on the 

 subject or unaware of these legal differences, though hitherto 

 from the want of more correct principles, the numerous 

 attempts that have been made at improvement, have been 

 found productive of but little real advantage. 



