66 On the Mail" 2\ix\ F^h. 



tional wealth ; the comfortable subsistence of the people is the 

 beat species of hixary ; aiid vvheateii liour has been very ge- 

 nerally substltu:cd in the room of meal, which was made from 

 oats or barley. About 60 years ago, the inhabitants of the 

 midland comities of JLngland, and a great proportion of the 

 people of Scotland, subsisted partly, if not chiefly, on meal 

 made from barley, and from bear or big. In the calamitous 

 season of 1782, the lives of the common people of Scotland 

 were in a great measure preserved, by using thio- sp-i^cies of 

 meal. And in 1796 and 1797, and more generally in 1800 

 and 1801, the people of the midland counties of England, and 

 a great proportion of the whole iahabitant^ of Scotland, re- 

 turned to the use of barley and hear meal. From 1697 to iSoi, 

 Great Britain exported abov^ f^ighteen millions (exactly 

 18,298,941) quarters of barley more than we imported. But, 

 from the unfruitful seasons in the end of last century, we im- 

 ported, in nine years,, from 1792 to i8oiy nearly eight hun- 

 dre<l thousand (exactly 763,868) quarters of barley more than 

 we exported. Yet., in the first year of plenty after tlie two last 

 calamitous seasons,, a tax was imposed upon malt, which, no 

 doubt, tended to discourage the raising of barley ; andj. at the 

 same time, the proportions of taxation between Scotch and 

 jinglish malt, which had subsisted for 77 years, were altered 

 suddenly, and without proper investigation. Not long after, 

 viz. next Session of Parliament, when there was a general dis- 

 satisfaction vv^ith this tfix, aiidin one part of the island applica- 

 tions from all the people to restore the former ratio of taxa- 

 tion, another great addition v\'as m^de to the tax,; without the 

 ibrmer proportions of malt-duty being re-established in North 

 Britain. But it was declared that the inferiority of Scotch 

 grain,, and the conseqirent inability of the people, to pay the 

 newly established proportions of malt-duty should be fully in- 

 vestigated j and ample redress was promised, if this new ra- 

 tio of taxation was found to- be unjust. In that declaration 

 and' promL-^e-,. there is the fullest confidence. It is now sub- 

 mitted to your good sense, whether taxing malt at so high a 

 proportion of its price, be prudent^ even in the happier cli- 

 i^iate and situation of England ; when you consider that it is 



only 



by them j and bifing the only member from that part of the country 

 of which the produce is bear or big, he proposed to .state the question 

 of its iiiteriority to barley, in a secondary memorial, which he ac- 

 cordingly drtw up. The Gentlemen of the ?oulli, agreed to receive 

 li;is memorial at firTt, but they afterwards retracted that concession, 

 and published their own memorial wnd resulutinus, without regarding 

 CLt: int-eresti of the liortliera courities, and upland dii.tritt>. 



