141 ( Ireland.)— SIXTH REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS [ Appx. Seized by an Officer of Excife. Examinant is of opinion, that it would be advifable to give Magiftrates the power of feizing every defcription of Malt found with un- licenfed Dealers, not covered by Permit or Certificate, in like maimer as they are now - empowered by Law to fcize unlicenfed Stills, and all Pot- ale Singlings and Spirits found in unlicensed Dittilleries. William B. Swan, Fred. Geale, . - • ' Inip1" Geni of Ireland. Robert Alexander, Cbas. Saxton, Chas. Stewart Hawthorne. - y, d ui No. 6. The Examination of Mr. HILL CLEMENTS ; taken on Oath, the i ft, 4th, 5th, 7th, and 8th of May 1807. This Examinant faith, That he is a Gauger ; that for 14 or 15 years previous to the year 1805, he was in charge principally of Malthoufes; and that fince, or about January lafl, he has been employed in aflifting at the Infpection of Malthoufes in the diftrift of the city of Dublin ; that he has, during that time, made feveral detections of frauds practifedby Maltfters. In fome inftances he has found that they begin to wet before the hour fpecified in the notice, and earlier than the hour prefcribed by Law. In other inftances he has, before the expiration of a notice, found Corn jufl thrown out of the ciftern on the floor, and the ciftern fupplied afrefh without any fecond notice having been given. He has received information at different times, and has reafon to believe that warm water is lometimes ufed in wetting the Corn in ciftern, for the purpofe of fhortening the Time of its continuance in fteep. He is of opinion, that by ufing warm water, Corn might be fufficiently fteeped in 30 hours ; and remembers an inftance where the heat communicated to the ciftern, in confequence of its fituation near the kiln, made it injurious to continue the Grain in ciftern for the 40 hours required by Law, and the Maltfter was therefore obliged to remove the ciftern. He believes, that under the falfe bottoms intended for drawing off the water from the Corn in ciftern, quantities of Grain in fteep are concealed. He has feen citterns fo conftru& ed, that their outer edge has been by two or more inches higher than their inner edge, whilft the altitude was meafured only to the inner edge; by which means in making the charge, in fome inftances a duty, he thinks, on 12 barrels, has been evaded at a wetting. Thefe frauds are facilitated by the opportunity Maltfters have of concealing private fteepings on unregiftered parts of their floors. His opinion is, that if a correct dip be taken, the charge drr. wn from the couch will almoft always exceed the ciftern charge, though the latter fhould be made at the full akitute of the ciftern. He has frequently feen Malt Stock books, and has feldom found the charge made from the couch, which he imputes to the Officers either taking an incorrect dip of the couch, or making a fi& itious entry thereof. He believes Corn privately wetted is generally thrown on the floor during the night, and in order to make room for it, a floor dried off before the Officer's next vifit, fo that when the vifit is made, no increafe in the number of floors is found. He is of opinion, that two floor gauges fhould be taken, one within feventy- two hours after Grain is thrown out of couch, and the other a fhort time before it is ufually put upon the kiln. He believes a great deal - « H: private Malt is brought into Dublin, and is conveyed to Brewers and Diftillers by contriving, under a feriescf Permits, to cover more turns than are warranted thereby, as for inftance, fending three turns under two Permits, or four under three, and fo on; and the Malt is afterwards difpofed of by being con- fumed in their kieves without Per- mits. This Examinant is of opinion, that permitting Brewers and Diftillers toregifter their kieves as Malt Stores, may open a door to extenfive frauds, as, if a Brewer wifhes to confume any extra ftock, or to make room for bringing in a quantity of illicit Malt, he brews without a Permit. If an Infpecting Officer gets Mafhed Malt in a keive fo regiftercd, he cannot feize it till the ftock is firth gauged, and an'Excefs proved, becaufe the contents are declared as a part of the ftock, which ftock in all <- afes, particularly in the moft important, where it is very large, cannot be gauged before the time it will take to draw off the Worts from the kieve, leaving then nothing to be feized but the grains. He believes that the flocks of Malt are very 1 o feldom