No. 12,] , - ON FEES, GRATUITIES, kc.~( Exci/ e.) • Diftillery in cafe they & ould be- unfeafonabiy vifited by a Superior. The Quantity in fuch Racks as are . in a State of Fermentation, generally exceeds confiderakiy the Quantity of Worts declared in the- fiift Dip. The Officers in charge of the Dif- tillery ufually accommodate their Vifits to the Wifhes of the Di. ftiller, who has his Work reguiated according to the Time of their Vifits, but if the Officers fhould happen to come at an inconvenierit Time, they will poftpone their Vifirs to another- Hour; the evening Vifits entered in the Minute and Stock Books are feldom made. Previous to the la ft Regulation which took place in June, from a Still of 540 Gallons, which is chargeable with 2,075 Qallons of Spirits weekly,- he has frequently drawn 5,. 300 Gallons in one Week, he thinks however 5,000 to be a fair Average. This Increafe of Spirits was ufually put into moveable Cades in the Spirit Room, fometimes turned on end to appear like empty Cafes, and remained there till a convenient Opportunity offered for fending it out. Part was removed in Jars of the Size allowed by Law, but ic was principally done by . Means ofPermits. The Diftiller tirft find3 out a Purchafer, who has an opening in his Stock for a Quantity of Spirits. The Gauger fills up a Permit for the Quantity, which covers the Spirits to thePurchafe. r, but does not then fill up the Duplicate of his Perjpit Book, the Pcmit and Tickets are brought back to the Diftillery, and havingbeen originally filled with an Ink prepared for the Purpofe, the Writing is difcharged, and the Permit refilled with a Quantity to a regular Pur- chafer, agreeably to which the Duplicate is then filled up in the Permit Book, and the Tickets are correfpondently altered ; the Officer ufually conceals himfelf till the irre- gular Permit is returned. He has known Entries written in the Minute and S: ock Books to be difcharged, and new ones inferted in the fame Manner. He ufually made Spirits about 14 per cent above Proof, by Saunders' Hydrometer. Spirits exported by him at from 12 to 14 per cent, above Proof, by Saunders and Hyatt's Hydrometer, were charged in London at from 24 to 26 Gallons per cent. Before he fent them to the Cuftom- houfe for Exportation, he either reduced them with Water to Standard, or drew them at that Strength from the Still. To every Six Gallons of flrong Spirits, One Gallon of Water was added in the Diftillery, which reduced them to the Strength ufual for Exportation. The reduced Spirits are per- mitted to the King's Warehoufes, and the Diftiller given a Credit for a Decr& afe of Stock, equal to the Quantity fo permitted, by thefe Means he has One Gallon of private Spirits to dilpofe of, for every Gallon of Water mixed with the Spirits export- ed ; befides this, the Diftiller draws back the Allowance given in lieu of the Malt Duty, on every Gallon of Water added ; when he warehoufed Spirits, with the Intention of afterwards ufing them for Home Confumption, he left them at their full Strength. The Rectifying Diftiller gets Spirits from the Common Diftiller at 14 per cent, above Proof, and he runs them through the Still to about 24 per cent, above Proof, this gives him, with hi? Feints, a Credit in his Stock of about Ten Gallons in every Hundred, . to be replaced by a frrfh Supply. Befides which he may difpofe of a great deal in^ mail Quantities by Retail, and by Law is allowed to fend out 150 Gallons for every 100 permitted to him, on the Suppofition that the Spirits, when made up by the Rectifier, will be reduced fo much ; thus he is enabled to take off large Quantities of private Spirits from the Diftiller, managed by Permit fraudulently iffued in tfe Manner before defcribed. The Rectifying Biftillers had fo. me Time back a great Advantage in making Shrub, in confequence of being allowed a Credit in their Stock, for the Quantity of Water luppofed to be ufed, for which they obtained a Permit from their Officer, end under Cover of it conveyed private Spirits from the Grofs Dif- tiller to any Perfcn they pleafed, or at other Times brought private Spirits into their own Stock, which were covered by the A'lowance above mentioned; but, he believes, this is now in fome Meafure checked. The ufual Rate of Fee he paid to the Gauger was Ten Guineas per Month for a 500 Gallon Still, and Twenty Guineas for a 1,000 Gallon Still; he has however fometimes paid Twenty to the Gauger for a 590 Gallon Still, befides One Guinea for every Pun- cheon of private Spirits removed under Cover of a Permit, in Manner before defer ibedi In Addition to this, he paid the Gauger at the Rate of Sixpence for every Permit legally granted. The ufual Quantity of private Spirits permitted each Week, in the Manner before described, was from 20 to 25 Puncheons. The accuftomed Fee to the Surveyor was 20 Guineas per Month, to prevent him from too clofely examining or enquiring into the Conduct of the Gauger; The Fee to " the Infpedor was 40 Guineas for each Time the Still was meafured, which muft be done as often as the Still is repaired, which is generally Two or Three Times a Year, and ' fometimes oftener. This happened but Twice in his Diftillery in the Courts of the laft Year, but 44- 1 P he