A. D. 1699; G. 4. 3 Anno Regni Gulielmi III. decimo & undecimo. CAP. IV. An Aft to prohibit the excefllve diftilllng of Spirits and Lovsr Wines from Corn, and agalnft the exporting of Beer and Ale, and to prevent Frauds in Diftillers. WHEREAS it is found by Experience, that the drawing, diftilling and making of Brandies or Spirits from Malt' is one Caufe of the prefent Dearnefs of Corn, efpecially of Barley, in this
- Realm, and by Reafon of the great Scarcity of Corn in Foreign Parts, and the Reftraints which are or
- may be made there of diftilling Spirits from Corn, great Demands are and may be made of Spirits drawn
- from malted Corn in this Kingdom, to fupply the Occafions of thofe Foreign Parts, which muft needs
- tend to a further enhancing of the Price of Corn here, and prove a great Grievance to many of his Ma-
- jefty's good Subjefts, if a fpeedy Remedy be not provided :' Be it therefore enafted by the King's moft
Excellent Majefty, by and with the Advice and Confent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this prefent Parliament aflembled, and by the Authority of the fame. That no Perfon or Perfons whatfoever, from and after the laft Day of "January in the Year of our Lord one thoufand fix hundred ninety-eight, and before the Firft Day oi February which fhall be in the Year of our Lord one thoufand fix hundred ninety-nine, fhall direftly or indiredly draw, diftill or make, or caufe or procure to be drawn, diftilled or made within the Kingdom of England, Dominion of Wales, and Town of Ber- wick upon Tweed, any Brandy, Aqua Vita, Spirits, or Low Wines whatfoever, other than fuch Quan- tities as are allowed by this Aft, and under fuch ReftricSions, and in fuch Manner and Form as are herein prefcribed, from any Malt, Corn or Grain, or from any Wafh or Liquors, produced or to be produced from any Malt, Corn or Grain whatfoever, under the Penalties and Forfeitures herein after mentioned Penalty on diftU- (that is to fay) that all the Brandy, Aqua Vita, Spirits and Low Wines, fo made or drawn, fhall be ling greater forfeited, and that every Offender and Offenders therein fhall forfeit and pay the Sum of ten Shillings for Quamities^f every Gallon of Brandy, Aqua Vita, Spirits, or Lov*^ Wines, which fhall be drawn, diflilled, or made, ^""^J^'^^f'^^^ contrary to this Aft, and moreover, that all the Stills, Backs, Cafks, and other Utenfils and VefTels ty^this Aft> employed in the diftilling, drawing, making or keeping the fame, or any Part thereof, fhall be forfeited; the Moiety of all which Penalties and Forfeitures fhall be to the King's Majefty, his Heirs and Succef- fors, and the other Moiety to him or them that fhall difcover, inform or fue for the fame ; and the faid Penalties and Forfeitures fhall and may be recovered in the fame Manner, and by the fame Means, as any Penalties and Forfeitures by any of the Laws and Statutes for the Excife now in Force, for any Offence or Offences againft the fame, are or may be recovered : And that all Servants and others, who fhall be wittingly or willingly aiding or affifting in the making of the faid Spirits or Low Wines contraiy to this Aft, and being thereof duly convifted in any of his Majefty's Courts of Record at JVeftminJier, or at the General Quarter-Seffions of the County, City, Riding, or Place, where fuch Offence fhall be committed, or where fuch Perfon or Perfons fhall be apprehended or arrefted for fuch Offence, fhall fuffer Imprifonment by the Space of fix Months without Bail or Mainprize. II. Provided always. That it fhall and may be lawful for any Perfon or Perfons drawing Spirits, Bran- Yeaft may be dy, or Low Wines from any Foreign Materials, or any Endijh Materials, other than fuch as are prohi- ufed forFermcn- bited by this Aft, to make ufe of a reafonable Quantity of Yeaft for the Fermentation of their Wafh, in tacion of Waih, order to the diftilling of the fame ; any Thing in this or any other Aft to the contrary notwithftanding. ' III. And whereas it is found by Experience, That his Majefty hath been very much defrauded of his
- Duties upon Low Wines and Spirits by many Diftillers and other Perfons, who keep or fet up private
- and concealed Warehoufes, Storehoufes, Cellars or other Places, or private or concealed Stills, Backs
' or other Veffels for the making, preparing or keeping Wafh, Low Wines, Spirits or other Materialg
- fit for Diftillation, and by private Pipes and Stop-cocks, and other private Conveyances, have Commn-
- nication between their private and publick Backs and other Veffels, by which they do privately convey
y their Wafh or other Liquors fit for Diftillation from one Back or other Veffel to another, by Means
- whereof the Officers cannot take and keep a true and diftinft Account of fuch Wafh and other Liquors
- fit for Diftillation, nor of the Low Wines and Spirits made or drawn from the fame : And whereas the
' Gaugers and Officers of Excife are not fufficiently impowered by Law, upon Sufpicion or Knov/ledge
- of fuch Frauds, to enter the Houfes or Places where the fame are praftifed without Confent of the Pof-
- feffors thereof, or upon Entry and Difcovery of fuch Frauds, cannot find out or difcover the Perfon or ^
- Perfons concerned therein, by Reafon that the true Owner or Owners, of fuch Warehoufes, Siore-
' houfes. Cellars or other Places, Stills, Backs or other Veffels, Spirits, Low Wines, Wafh or other
- Materials fit for Diftillation, will not appear or claim any Intereft therein, but frequently difown the
' fame ;' Be it therefore enafted by the Authority aforefaid, That every Diftiller having and keeping any Private Pipe private Pipe or Stop-cock, or other private Conveyance, by which any Wafh or other Liquors fit for Di- Stop-cock, ftillation may be conveyed from one Back or Veftel to another, or from any fuch Back or other Veffel to ^^ " *"* their Still or Stills, or into any other Place, fliall, before the Eight and twentieth Day oi February one ° "^' thoufand fix hundred ninety-eight, take up or demolifh every fuch Pipe, Stop-cock, or other private Conveyance, and fhall alfo flop up every Hole in every fuch Back or Wafhbatch, by which any Wafli - cr other Liquors fit for Diftillation may be conveyed into or out of fuch Back or Wafhbatch, or any of them, and that no Diftiller, from and after the faid Eight and twentieth Day of February, fliall have or p 2 keep
