334 THE PUBLIC BREWERY TAXATION RESULT. 



same time their commodity at the fair standard of 

 quality, without a rise of price too considerable for 

 the ability of the great body of consumers. Other 

 measures must then be resorted to. 



Recourse has, in consequence, been had to scien- 

 tific and chemical aid, in order to enable the brewer 

 to find substitutes for the prime material, and so 

 draw a greater length from the usual quantity of 

 malt : in plain terms, to produce a factitious or com- 

 position beer, from the least possible quantity of 

 the most precious article. Of late, the process of 

 adulteration seems to have been in the hands of the 

 publicans of the metropolis ; great numbers of whom 

 have been detected by the excise officers within the 

 present year, and fined one or more hundreds of 

 pounds each, without any hope of mitigation. Bay- 

 salt, sugar, treacle, colouring, copperas, and water, 

 were the chief articles detected. Thus taxed, malt 

 has given place to less salubrious and substantial 

 articles, and to un taxed and potent drugs ; and, 

 unfortunately for the health and habits of the people, 

 the beer of commerce has been, too generally, an 

 intoxicating and stupifying, instead of an exhilarant 

 and nutritious drink ; and to crown the evil, the 

 public taste has been vitiated, and ADULTERATED 

 beer has long since obtained a decided preference 

 over the genuine and simple product of malt and 

 hops. The nature of this composition has generally 

 depended on the skill or ability of the brewer. With 

 some, it has proved a liquor of luscious flavour, im- 

 pregnated with a fiery, inebriating spirit ; with others, 

 a vile, mawkish, ill-flavoured balderdash, to use a 



