1835.] on Spirits. 259 



amount, in some of the higher indications, of nine or ten 

 per cent. 



The deficiency of these acts was soon universally ac- 

 knowledged ; and shortly after the passing of the latter, 

 application was made by government to the Royal Society, 

 for the institution under their direction, of a series of ex- 

 periments, by which the actual relative values of spirits 

 and the consequent just appreciation of the duties to be 

 paid by each, might be ascertained. 



The experiments that we have already had occasion to 

 notice were the result of this application. Unfortunately, 

 however, in place of fixing the value of the (at that time 

 considered) legal proof spirits, and determining the relative 

 value of other strengths to this, they thought proper to 

 propose a new standard, and drew up the result of their 

 experiments so as to be applicable to this. 



Leaving out of view the temporary inconveniences that 

 would have been experienced by the trade and revenue 

 officers, from the adoption of this proposal, it would be 

 difficult to point out any advantage that would have been 

 gained, by changing the standard from 0*92, to an equally 

 arbitrary point 0*825, while very satisfactory reasons 

 might be adduced against it. Hence, though these tables 

 undoubtedly afforded data' for a very accurate system, 

 from not meeting the immediate views of Government, 

 little advantage was taken of them, and the uncertainty in 

 the standard was allowed to continue. 



One more attempt has since been made to overcome this 

 difficulty, a difficulty, which certainly it is surprising 

 should have been allowed to remain, in spite of three 

 successive enactments, for the express purpose of doing 

 away with it ; since, had a certain specific gravity at a fixed 

 temperature, been declared to be that of proof spirit, the 

 question would have been at once clearly and definitely 

 settled, it remains to be seen, how far this has been accom- 

 plished by the succeeding act, the one by which proof spirit 

 is at present defined. The exact words of the act are, 



" That an hydrometer, called Sikes, had with great care 

 been completed, and had by proper experiments made for that 

 purpose, been ascertained to denote as proof spirits, that which 

 at the temperature of 51 degrees, weighs exactly twelve thir- 

 st 



