1825.] 
spirits, as by a statement of the number 
of gallons, charged with duty in each of the 
twoyears will be seen. The quantityappears 
less in 1824 than in 1823, although the pre- 
ceding statement represents an increase of 
duty, to the amount of £310,052; and which 
misrepresentation will be further confirmed 
by referring again to the statement in‘ the 
supplement, where the gross receipt of duty 
on foreign spirits in 1823 will be seen to have 
been £2,699,127, the quota of charge not 
exceeding £30,000, whilst the amount in 
the preceding statement is only £2,369,709. 
There is also a fallacy, to the extent of 
£300,000, in the comparative amount of the 
customs, as far as the question of increase 
of consumption is concerned ; that amount 
having been levied on grain and flour, taken 
out of bond and imported within the last 
quarter ; which, on slight reflection, will 
be seen to admit of no comparison with the 
preceding year; nor to indicate any in- 
crease of consumption. We might, by ob- 
servations on each separate item, proceed to 
shew the fallacy of the conclusion so gene- 
rally drawn from the comparison of the two 
years’ accounts ; but the various statements 
we have before adverted to, in the supple- 
ment—with the several notes affixed, af- 
‘ford conclusive evidence of the erroneous- 
ness of our commercial and financial policy, 
and of the calamitous results which must 
soon ensue, if not timely averted ; that, if 
they do not suffice to awaken the attention 
of the public to the peril that otherwise 
awaits them, we know not what will. 
We must next advert to one other circum- 
stance, by way of shewing the audacity,with 
which the assertions of the increasing com- 
fort of the British people are made; and 
hitherto without contradiction. 
It will be remembered, that, as evidence 
of such increasing comfort, it was asserted 
by one of the servants of the nation, in his 
place in Parliament, in the last session, that 
the consumption of sugar had increased 
40 percent. per annum, since 1818. 
In refutation of which assertion we refer 
to the 9th of the statements in the supple- 
ment, which exhibits the importation, the 
exportation and consumption of sugar in 
each of the sixteen years, 1807—1822; 
and by reference to documents of an earlier 
period, we find that the actual quantity of 
sugar, consumed in Great Britain in the 
four years 1804-7, averaged 2,327,564cwt. 
per annum; the diminished quantity, on 
which duty was charged, in 1818, arose 
from a fluctuation in the rate of duty, at the 
beginning and end of that year, as the 
amount in 18i7 will serve to shew. 
In conclusion we will add, that whilst 
the numbers of the people have increased 
thirty to forty per cent. the consumption of 
malt, which would be the very first article 
to denote an increase in the means of en- 
joyment on the part of the great body of the 
people, was greater on an average of the six 
years, 1786-91, than it has been on an 
Political Affairs in January. 
85 
average of any six years since that time. 
And the consumption of tea on an aver- 
age of the four years 1807-10, greater than 
the average of any four years since that 
time ( Vide Statement, page 642, of owr 56th 
volume), thereby demonstrating, that the 
privation of the people has increased, in a 
ratio exceeding the increase of their numbers. 
Besides the official statements of the 
returns of the revenue, and the determi- 
nation of our government to recognize the 
independence of the three American 
states of Brazil, Mexico and Columbia, 
the preceding month has furnished little 
matter for political animadversion. The 
latter of these, however, there are those 
who would persuade us, is a topic likely 
hereafter to intrude itself again, in its con- 
sequences, in a more serious way. The 
French papers, at least, are loud in hostile 
declamation. The legitimates of the Ccnti- 
nent take the conduct of our cabinet upon 
this question, it seems, in high dudgeon. 
It is to be a ground of breach and separa- 
tion between us and the Holy Alliance. So 
much the better—‘ farthest from them is 
best.”” The three great potentates—the 
three-headed dictatorate of Europe—the 
regal Cerberus of legitimacy! are or is (for 
eyen grammar itself is puzzled by this mys- 
tified monstrosity, and knows not whether 
to consider it as singular or plural!)—this 
mystified potency is to settle down the re- 
volted colonies to their primitive obedience 
in our despite; and we, it is inferred, are 
to feel the weight of holy indignation. In 
other words, they are to make war upon 
us, we suppose (what else can the menace 
mean?) for daring, without their permis- 
sion, to acknowledge, by commercial trea- 
ties, the existence of states, already conso- 
lidated by institution and by valour. Not 
satisfied with our having permitted them to 
trample to extinction the hopes, the liber- 
ties and national existence of Naples, of 
Piedmont, and of Spain in the Old World, 
—if we will not sacrifice also our views of 
commercial policy (for we give credit, to 
our cabinet, for no higher motives, nor to 
the continental powers), in all that re- 
gards the New, we are to be put under 
the ban of this political papacy ; and Aus- 
trian hussars and Prussian grenadiers, and 
hordes of Croates and Cossacs and Hu- 
lans, &c. &c. &c.—— Why, what are they 
to do? We must wait till events instruct 
us—and then fill up the sentence. 
In the mean time, an event, of more real 
importance to us than the hostility of 
French newspapers and the Holy Alliance, 
has taken place in our courts of justice. 
On the 14th of January, in the Court of 
King’s Bench, in the trial of a cause of 
pretended libel, Andrew Duncan v. Thwaites. 
and others (that is to say, against the pro- 
prietors, editor and printer of the Morning 
Advertiser), an English jury (and that even 
a special jury) has shewn that it understood 
‘aud 
