10] 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1812. 



thing to show that the clause was 

 not a direct breach of the act of 

 Union ; and intimated, that al- 

 though the Irish might not be in- 

 jured by the present measure, such 

 an encroachment might make a 

 precedent for future injuries. 



The Chancellor of the Exche- 

 quer made some animated remarks 

 on the objections raised by Mr. H. 

 and lord F., and contended that 

 ever)' thing had been done with 

 the best intentions with respect to 

 Ireland. The bill was then read a 

 third time, and passed. 



When it was introduced into the 

 House of Lords, on February 3, 

 it called forth some observations 

 from lord Lauderdale, who said 

 he did not mean to oppose it, but 

 blamed ministers for not having 

 taken the earliest opportunity, after 

 ascertaining the deficiency of the 

 late harvest, of counteracting the 

 evil, either by assembling parlia- 



ment, or stopping the distillery of 

 grain on their own responsibility. 

 Earl Bathurst, in reply, defended 

 the conduct of ministers, and said 

 that stopping the distilleries by 

 the executive government was a 

 measure that could be justified only 

 by the most urgent necessity. Lord 

 Grenville concurred in this opinion, 

 and stated some reasons why he 

 should not oppose th? present 

 measurei though liable to objec- 

 tions. The bill went through the 

 committee, and afterwards passed 

 into a law. 



It is proper to observe, that the 

 scarcity of grain in Ireland, of 

 which alarming reports were given, 

 caused at length a similar prohibi- 

 tion from distillation to be extended 

 to that country in this session of 

 parliament, after several discus- 

 sions in both Houses, which it does 

 not seem important to particu» 

 larize. 



CHAPTEH 



