The Naked Truth of the Distillers CASE, Humbly offered to the Consideration of the Honourable House of Commons, By a VVell-wisher to the Distillers and the Nation.

I. IF this BILL is Passed for the Prohibiting the Distil­ling of Spirits or Brandy from Malt, they will suf­fer some Damage by the Houses and Works some have Built, to the greatly inriching of themselves, as they connot but own.

II. They must also confess (that notwithstanding whate­ver Pretences they make) their great Working of Malt hath occasioned the Dearness of both that and Wheat; the Farm­ers having turned their Lands, to improve Barley, which was before imployed for Wheat.

III. They also know well, that if this BILL pass, That Tillage will not suffer; for then more Beer will be Brewed, to the Increase of Excise and the Expence of Malt, and the help of those Poor who are now forced to drink Water and eat Grains.

IV. That rather then to have this BILL pass, they will be contented to have 20 l. per Ton Duty on Brandy distilled from Malt; for then they will gain much more Money than the Brewers; although it be retailed at the Price it hath been and now is, as appears by the Calculate here-under:

If good Malt cost 30 s. per Quarter, 17 Quarters will make L 25-10-00
a Ten, or 252 Gallons of Spirits, which will cost —
Admit it paid Duty — L. 20-00-00
And Charge of Working, as Fire, &c. is — L.02-10-00
So a Ton will cost — L. 48-00-00

This sold by the Distillers at 4 s. 4 d. per Gall. amounts to 54 l. 12 s. so their Grain is about 6 l. 12 s. per Ton of a quick Return and Ready Money Commodity.

The Midling Tradesman may sell it to the Retailer for 5 [...] per Gall. and get 8 or 9 l. per Ton.

The Retailer may sell it as they do now, for 2 d. per quarter of a Pint, which is 71 l. per Ton, and get 8 l. per Ton, and if for 2 1/2 d. per quartern, their profit will be 20 l. per Ton; but the former Profit is enough for a quick Return, and what the Brewers would be glad to have.

V. They Distill form Malt at present, not less then 150 Ton per Week; which would produce almost 150000 l. per Annum to the King, and might raise a good Fund to be appropriated as this Honourable House shall think fit; this would do good, and hurt no one.

VI. That an effectual way to Prohibit the Exportation of Malt Spirits, is to lay a Duty thereon for a time, and take off the Bounty Money.

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