108 



Aware, however, that should any change of circumstances open our 

 communication with the rest of the world, this measure might be rendered 

 unnecessary in the view just stated aware that, although in the event of 

 a deficient crop this year, the distress would be greatly increased, if accom- 

 panied by a deficiency in our usual foreign supplies ; yet, that in the event 

 of a superabundant harvest, the proposed restriction might be found very 

 hurtful to the agricultural interests of the kingdom aware that the return 

 of peace might relieve the West India Planters from their present distress, 

 and that probably some measures may be devised, which may alleviate 

 that distress, before the period to which it is proposed to limit this suspen- 

 sioa shall be concluded, your Committee recommend in the strongest man- 

 ner, that any bill to be brought in, in consequence of this Report, should 

 contain a clause, granting a power to the King in Council, upon a sufficient 

 notice, to do away the supension, and allow the distillers to carry on their 

 trade in the accustomed manner. 



When it is considered how very small a portion of the barley grown in 

 this kingdom is consumed by the distillers, it is scarcely possible to think 

 that the proposed measure itself can bear very hard upon the grower. It 

 is calculated that 1,200,000 acres are used for that purpose, of which about 

 80,000, or one-sixteenth, are sufficient to grow the whole quantity from 

 which the spirits consumed in England are produced. The quantity of 

 barley and bere grown in Scotland does not, in all probability, bear a much 

 less proportion to that consumed in a similar manner. There are doubtless 

 many parts of the country in which the substitution of a different crop 

 could be attended with no disadvantage, and might eventually be attended 

 with profit. In the most cultivated parts of Scotland, in which a practical 

 knowledge of agriculture exists in as great perfection as anywhere, such a 

 substitution has been found actually to answer. It is to be remarked, that 

 although it may be deemed disadvantageous to substitute any other graia 

 in the room of barley, yet that the prices of grain mutually operate upon 

 each other, and that a rise or fall in the price of any one kind must have a 

 corresponding influence on the prices of the rest ; and that any alarm which 

 might be created by this measure can only operate prospectively as to next 

 year's crop, from an expectation that the same suspension will again be re- 

 sorted to. 



Your Committee trust, that on a full consideration of the subject, all ap- 

 prehension will be done away by the power proposed to be vested in the 

 King in Council. They are sensible that they shall not have fulfilled the 

 duties imposed on them by the House, unless they proceed to consider every 

 possible mode of relief for the proprietors of West India estates ; and they 

 trust that they shall be enabled to suggest measures so permanently benefi- 

 cial to that body, as to render it unnecessary for them again to apply for 

 the interference of Parliament, even should the present anomalous state of 

 our foreign relations be protracted. 



Your Committee are persuaded, that the permanent adoption of this 

 measure would be attended with great evils to the agriculture of the coun- 

 tr ^ ; they feel it incumbent on them to state, that nothing in the evidence 

 before them could induce a recommendation to that effect ; they conceive 

 that its frequent repetition would be still more hurtful ; and nothing but 

 the strong case so clearly made out by the West India interest, coupled 

 with the loss of our trade with the countries from whence we derived a 

 great proportion of our foreign supply, could prevail upon them to advise 



