DISTILLERS. made from cyder or perry, to charge such distiller with so much low wines as one fifth of the wash decreased shall amount to, and with so much proof spirits as one half of the same low wines shall amount to. 4 Ann. c. 12. s. 4.

Notice of bringing in materials.

Officers may

wash.

And every distiller within the bills of mortality shall, twenty. four hours, and in other parts forty-eight hours, before he re ceives any quantity of wine, cyder, sugar, water, or any kind of fermented wash, give notice to the officer of the quantity and species, and of the time when he intends to receive the same, on pain of 50%. 24 Geo. 2. c. 40. s. 20.

And no distiller from corn shall prepare any wash from me. lasses or other materials, or receive such from any person, till he has distilled all the liquors prepared from corn, on pain of forfeiture for every barrel of corn-liquor found undistilled, 5. 7 & $ Will. 3. c. 30. s. 8.

And the officers may, as often as expedient, take a sample of take samples of such wash, worts, or other liquors, either in the coolers, washbacks, or other vessels, before the same shall be conveyed into the wash-still, not exceeding twelve gallons at one time, from each vessel, on paying 1s. 6d. per gallon. 26 Geo. 3. c. 73. s. 18.

Not to be removed till

charged with the duties.

Corn distillers not to use me

starch.

And no wort, wash, or tilts, or other liquor, or preparation for distilling low wines or spirits for home consumption, shall be put into the still, or removed from the back wherein fermented, until the same shall have been gaged, and the duties charged by the officer; and if any distiller shall remove any such wort cone trary hereto, he shall forfeit 2001. and also pay double duty. s. 16.

And no worts, wash, tilts, or low wines, in the possession of any distiller, shall be removed from his entered distillery, nor shall any worts, wash, or tilts, be deposited in any place whatsoever, with intent to defraud of the duties, and if removed, or concealed contrary hereto, the same shall be forfeited, and may be seized by any officer; and besides such forfeiture, such distil ler, and the person employed to remove or conceal the same, or who shall receive the same, shall forfeit 10s. for every gallon.

s. 20.

If any corn distiller shall make use of any melasses, coarse sugar, honey, or any composition or extract of sugar, in the lasses in making making wash for distillation, or in extracting low wines of spirits, or shall receive into his possession any such materials exceed ing 10lb. he shall forfeit 1001. and every servant and other persou assisting in the using thereof in making wash or extracting low wines, spirits, or in conveying the same into the place be longing to such corn distiller, shall also forfeit 20l. and in default of payment, suffer three months imprisonment. 23 Geo. 3. c. 70. And only one 6. 24. quarter of

wheat to two of other grain.

And if any distiller, in preparing his grist, for wash, shall use more wheat than in the proportion of one quarter to two quar

ters of any other grain, he shall forfeit 501. 33 Geo. 2. c. 9. DISTILLERS.

15.

bited from be

If at any time during the recess of parliament, the price of When spirits wheat shall exceed 48s. the quarter, Winchester measure, for may be prohitwo successive market days, in the port of London, his majesty ing made from may prohibit the making of spirits from wheat, barley, malt, or corn. any other grain, and from meal, flour, and bran,or any mixture therewith, by proclamation, issued with the advice of his privy council, or by order in council published in the Lendon Gazette, during such recess, or until twenty days after the commencement of the then next session of parliament, 33 Geo. 2. c. 9. s. 5.

When any distiller whatsoever, in London or Westminster, or How distillers within any other city, shall be desirous of opening his low wine. ate to proceed still, or of charging his wash-still, he shall give to one of the t open their officers a notice in writing, four hours before he charge such still, 12 Geo. 3. c. 46. s. 11. 26 Geo. 3. c. 73. 8. 8.

still-heads,

cocks, and fur. nace doors,

But if he be minded to open or to charge his still, between locked up in twelve in the night and six in the morning, he shall give the pursuance of notice twelve hours before; and every other distiller not under the act. the survey of the London officers, nor in some other city, shalt give twelve hours notice in writing, at the next office, or to the of ficer, of his intention of opening or charging the still. 12 Geo. 3. c. 46. s. 11. 26 Geo. 3. c. 73. s. 8.

And the like notice shall be given, when any distiller whatsoever shall be desirous to have the furnace door of his still unlocked. 14 Geo. 3. c. 73. s. 6. 26 Geo. 3. c. 73. s. S.

And when any rectifier or compounder of spirits shall be desi rous to have the furnace-door of his still opened, he, if within the weekly bills, shall, twelve hours, and in other parts twentyfour hours before, give notice in writing to the officer. 14 Geo. 3.

6. 73. 8. 6.

Which notices for opening the furnace doors of distillers, and also for charging the wash-stills, shall be given from 29th Sept. to 25th March, between seven in the morning and five in the evening; and from the 25th of March to the 29th of Sept. yearly, between five in the morning and five in the evening. 14 Geo. 3. c. 73. s. 6. 26 Geo. 3. c. 73. s. 8.

And whenever such notices shall be given, the officers shall The officers to attend to unlock and open the said still-heads, charging-cocks, attend agreewash-pumps, and furnace-doors. 12 Geo. 3. c. 46. s. 10, 13. ably to the

14 Geo. 3. c. 73. s. 4, 6.

But when several notices are given at one hour, by different persons, if the officer shall attend at the work-house of any distiller, rectifier, or compounder, according to the notice, or within one hour after, it shall be sufficient. 14 Geo. 3. c. 73.

11.

When the officers attend at the still-house, the distiller or his servants shall turn the discharge-cocks of every wash-still, that the officer may be satisfied that they are empty, on pain VOL. II.

notice.

DISTILLERS. of 50%.; and then, and not before, such officer shall open the stills, cocks, and pumps locked, and shall continue in the stillhouse all the time that such wash-still shall be charging; and when fully charged shall immediately lock as before, all the still-heads, wash-pumps, and charging-cocks, and shall leave them so locked. 12 Geo. 2. c. 46. s. 13.

Not proceeding according to notice.

Penalty on opening the fastening without the officer.

Distillers to give notice

from what

But when it shall be necessary to have still-heads or chargecocks, or wash-pumps open, for repairing, the officers may so do, for all the time the workmen shall be actually employed in repairing the same; but the officers shall lock the same every night when the workmen leave off work; and such officers shall attend at six each morning, whilst such repairs are doing, to open the same. s. 14.

And in case any distiller shall not charge his wash-still at the time mentioned in such notice, or within one hour after, such notice shall be void, and he shall give another notice be. fore the officer shall be obliged to attend the charging of such still. 14 Geo. 3. c. 73. s. 8.

And if by any means whatsoever, any person shall open any still-head or charge-cock, or wash-pump, furnace-door, dis charge-cock, or any fastening on the holes in the breasts of any still after locked or secured by the officer, or shall wilfully damage any lock, &c. such person shall forfeit 2007. 12 Geo. 3. c. 46, s. 17. 14 Geo. 3. c. 73. s. 12.

When any distiller shall give notice, in writing, to the of ficers, of his intention to charge the wash-still, he shall express wash-batches therein the particular wash-batch from which he intends to they intend to charge his wash-still, and the number and mark of such wash batch; and if he neglect so to do such notice shall be void; and he shall be obliged to give fresh notice. 14 Geo. 3. c. 73. S. 7.

Which shall be

into the still.

And if any distiller shall charge his wash-still from any wash. batch, not described in the notice, or shall discharge from any still any feints, contrary to this act, he shall forfeit 100

S. 8.

And the officer shall gauge all wort, wash, and other liquor, gaged after put after put into the wash-still, (either for home consumption on for exportation), and keep in his books true accounts of such still-gauges. 26 Geo. 3. c. 73. s. 19.

Officers may

gage worts from time to time.

And all the officers of excise, may from time to time gauge and take an account of all wash, drink, and liquor, or other mate rials, prepared or preparing for the extracting of low wines or spirits; and in case any officer shall find any deficiency in the gauge of any quantity which the officer had before found of gauged, such officer may charge such distiller with the duty on a quantity of fermented wash, or liquor, of the same kind as the said materials consisted of, or were preparing or prepared from, equal to the quantity missing. 42 Geo. 3. c. 93. s. 11.

And every distiller for home consumption, shall, before he DISTILLERS. begin to draw off any low wines from his wash-still, charge the

same with wort or wash on which the duties have been charged, How stills to be in the proportion of three parts in four of the whole quantity, charged. which such still, including the head, is capable of containing; and every wash-still shall be worked off, within twenty-four hours, from the time of the officer's taking an account of the charge, and every distiller who shall begin to draw off any low wines until his wash-still shall have been so charged, or after charged, shall not work the same off within twenty-four hours, shall forfeit 2001. 26 Geo. 3. c. 73. s. 21. And all low wines shall, within twelve hours after run off And spirite from the wash-still, be conveyed into the low-wine still, aud shall within the next twelve hours be distilled into spirits; on pain of 10%. for each hour beyond the time limited, during which he shall keep such low wines without distilling the same into spirits. s. 22.

And every officer having any still for home consumption under his survey, shall keep accounts in his books of all wash, worts, tilts, and other liquors whereon the duties are imposed, and shall therein give unto the distillers a credit according to the following rates: s. 25.

That is to say, For every 100 gallons of wash, made from malt, corn, grain or tilts, or any mixture therewith, a credit for twenty gallons of spirits, one to ten over hydrometer proof:

For every 100 gallons of cider, perry, wash, or other li quor, made from any British materials, except malt, &c. fifteen gallons of spirits:

For every 100 gallons of wash, made from melasses or sugar, twenty-two gallons of spirits:

And for every 100 gallons of wash, composed of foreign refused wine or foreign cider, or wash prepared from foreign materials (except melasses and sugar) twenty gallons of spi

Tits.

And if on casting up the stock of any distiller for home conTumption (not being also a rectifier), at the said strength any officer shall find the quantity of spirits contained in such stock, to exceed the quantity for which the distiller is entitled to credit, making allowance for the spirits for which permits have been granted, then such excess shall be deemed to have been occa sioned by wash not charged with the duties; and such increase shall be forfeited, and may be seized, and the person in whose ocksuch excess shall be found, shall forfeit 501. s. 26.

And it is further provided, by 28 Geo. 3. c. 46, That if any distiller for home consumption, shall extract more than nine. teen gallons of spirits of the strength of one to ten over proof, for every hundred gallons of wash found in his possession, he sball forfeit 5s. for every gallon so extracted above the properion aforesaid. s. 71.

drawu.

DISTILLERS.

stock every three months.

The officers shall once in every three months, and oftener when occasion shall require, or when directed by any principal

Officers to take officer, or by the surveyor, take an account of the stock of all distillers for home consumption, and also of the raw or unrecti fied stock (such distillers not being actual rectifiers or compounders); and if any excess be found, the quantity so found in excess shall be forfeited, and seized by the officer; and the person in whose stock such excess shall be discovered shall also forfeit 50%. 26 Geo. 3. c. 73. s. 27.

And if any still shall be charged, and at work at the time of such officer's taking account of the stock, all the spirits pro duced therefrom, shall be kept separate from the rest of such stock, till the account of the rest shall have been taken, after which the spirits produced from that charge shall be added to such stock. s. 37.

Moveable casko. And every moveable cask, used for sending out, or keeping to have their British spirits,shall have its full measure in gallons, legibly paint. ed or cut on some conspicuous part thereof, upon pain of 50%.

measure marked.

Taking still gauges,

3. 38.

And if twelve hours previous notice in writing be given by the officer of his intention to take an account of such stock; every distiller, rectifier, compounder, or dealer, shall, within such twelve hours, fill up all his moveable casks not completely filled at the time of such notice (except that one of each sort of spirits may remain on ullage); and he shall also separate all such moveable casks, and the different sorts of spirits, and keep the same so separate for six hours after such twelve hours; to the intent that the officer may take such stock with greater certainty, on pain of 100l. s. 39.

The officers may take still-gauges, as well of spent-wash and feints as of the charge of the wash-still, at any time after the stills are charged, and before come to work, and may take samples after they are charged, and before come to work, and also after the stills are off, paying, if demanded, after the rate of 1s 6d. per gallon for wash, and 4d. per gallon for spent-wash and feints; and if in taking such gauge or samples he shall discover that any wash has been put into any still, except the know wash-still, or into the wash-still without notice; or shall find any increase therein more than can be accounted for by the compare with the decrease, from the wash-batch mentioned in the notices; or if on comparing the quantity of low wines charged, with the spent-wash remaining in the wash-still, he shall find a greater proportion than could arise from the quantity taken an account of in the wash-batches pumped into such washstill; then such increase shall be deemed to be made from some wash-batch not mentioned in such notice, and the officer shall charge such distiller with double duty from the presumptive charge; and no allowance shall be made for any feints, water, or other liquor whatsoever, on any pretence put into such wash