910 Relation hetween the Spcc'tfic Gravities and 



9*28 for its specific gravity at 60". In fact, the real standard 

 of proof spirit has never vet been toleraljly detincd, and it 

 is therefore nuoatorv to talk about it. The languasre of the 

 legislature, hijdrometet proof, perliaps, conveys a more ac- 

 curate idea of it than any other ; for it has hitherto been 

 just what the hydrometer-maker chose to consider it. 



§ IS. The real strength of proof spirit, which was al- 

 ready so indefinitelv described by the act of 2 Geo. III. c. 3. 

 was, however, rendered still more doubtful by a clause which 

 was inserted into a subsequent act (27 Geo. III. c. xxxi. 

 § 17) enacting and declaring, "That, until the fifth day 

 of April one thousand seven hundred and eighty-eight, all 

 spirits shall be deemed and taken to be of the degree of 

 strength at which the said hydrometers called Clarke's hy- 

 drometers shall, upon trial by any officer or officers of ex- 

 cise, denote anv r-uch spirits to be." The meditated inves- 

 tigation of this business, however, did not take place ; and 

 this clause was, after being once or twice continued in con- 

 templation of such a measure, at length made perpetual by 

 41 Geo. III. c. xcvii. § 8. 



Now, if the insU'ument mentioned in the act had agreed 

 with itself, it seems as if the proof as denoted by this hy- 

 drometer would have become the legal standard ; the sub- 

 sequent act being, of course, paramount to the antecedent 

 one with respect to those points in which they might be 

 found to clash with each other. Unfortunately, howevCr, 

 it had long been, in all respects, the worst instrument which 

 had been in use in the spirit trade for these purposes, its 

 indications dift'cring everv where with each other. Mr. 

 Clarke's one to ten, for example, (by which is meant 10 per 

 cent, over proof,) is only between S and () per cent, over his 

 own proof, and some points actually differ in like manner 

 to the enormous extent of 7 or 8 per cent, from the truth ; 

 and, to complete the confusion, there were always two of 

 those instruments made, one for import and the other for 

 export spirit, each of which differed in every graduation 

 from the other- How this came to be the case we are not 

 sufBciently informed : we are told, however, by the pam- 



[ihlet delivered with these instruments, that " the export 

 n-dromcter is used in trying British spirits in the different 

 divisions of distillery, and by distillers in general. The 

 imp'irt is used at the port of London and all the out-porta 

 in tryin"" imported foreign spirits, and by brandy merchants 

 in srencral ; and is a small matter lighter than the export, 

 ancTin favour of the importer. This notice is thought ne- 

 cessary, as some gentlemen have tried instruments with one 

 "" ■ of 



