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importation, is to lead to a progressive increase 

 of home produce, and consequently to a pro- 

 gressive diminution of import ; and that their 

 suspension tends directly the other way. But 

 it is said, that although this may be the case 

 when there is no probability of the sudden in- 

 terruption of supplies, yet, in the present strange 

 and melancholy aspect of public affairs, when 

 we must expect the certain suspension of supplies 

 from abroad, it is advisable to throw the grain 

 usually consumed in distillation, into the com- 

 mon market. This I shall now consider. 



II. The sudden failure of supplies from a T 

 broad, may be occasioned either by a deficient 

 season there, or by the shutting of their ports 

 against us in war. With regard to both, I 

 think it may be shewn in the first place, That 

 there is no such probability of either taking 

 place, at present, as to call for any changedn our 

 policy ; and secondly, If they should take place, 

 at a future time, that the best way of preventing 

 their bad consequences is to continue, not to 

 suspend, the distillation from grain, as a gene- 

 ral system. And even if the deficiency should 

 happen during next season, that the forcible sus- 

 pension of the distillery is unnecessary. 



With regard to a bad season in the export- 

 ing countries, it is an accident which we cannot 

 lopk forward to with certainty, any more than, 



