4o ( Ireland.) — S1XTH REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS [ Appx monthly the ftock of dry Malt, and to enter the ftate of the Houfe at each vifit in a Specimen- paper which is'kept in the Malthoufe. _ The Maltfter is required to give a written notice when he means to wet any Corn j this notice ought to be given to the Officer, or left at his houfe 24 hours before the time of wetting in places where an Officer refides, and in all other places 48 hours. The date of the notice, and the time of the wetting, fhould be alfo entered by the Maltfter in the Specimen- paper. In the Diftrid of Dublin, the Gaugers daily make entry of all notices received by them, in a book kept in the Gaugers Entry Office at the Cuftom Houfe, for the purpofe of giving information to the Infpectors and Surveyors of the refpective times of wetting, but it has been this Exaininant's prac- tice to require the notices to be daily lodged with him by the Officers. It is the Gauger's duty to attend as foon after the time of wetting as poffible, and to dip the ciftern, and'to continue his dips till the Corn is out of the ciftern, and to examine whether the Grain has been wetted according to notice. He is expe& ed alfo to take one gauge of each wetting on the couch, and to examine it in the fame manner as that in the Ciftern, and one gauge of each wetting while on the floor; and at every vifit to examine the feveral floors, and to compare the growth of each, in order to difcover if any mixture of different wettings has taken place. The Specimen- papers Ihould contain the dimenfions of the ciftern, and couch- frame, and the quantity of Malt re- maining over from the preceding month, and entries of the ftate or dip of the ciftern ar each vifit, as likewife the couch and floor- gauges of each wetting as taken by the Officer. The fpecimen paper fhould alfo contain an account of the quantities of Malt brought to charge, and of the quantities from time to time permitted out during the Month. Thefe Specimen- papers are returned quarterly to the Examiner of Surveyors and Gaugers books ; a tranferiptof the feveral entries in the Specimen- paper is made into a Stock- book, which is in the cuftody of the Gauger, and fhould contain befides thefe entries, the amount of the beft ciftern and of the beft couch- gauge ; the former ufually gives the beft gauge, juft before the Corn is caft from the ciftern, and the latter at the time when it is permitted to be thrown out on the floors; the beft of thefe two gauges is entered in a column of the Stock book appropriated to that purpofe. The amount of the floor gauge, as the vege- tation proceeds, is conftantly varying; and ( where more than one is taken) fhould not be entered until the Gram is put upon the kiln ; and of the gauges taken in thefe three llages of the procefs, that which gives the greateft amount fhould make the charge againft the Maltfter. In keeping an account of the Maltller's ftock, if he finds any increafe beyond the credit, he is to charge the fame, and if he finds it to be lefs than the credit, to decreafe it accordingly. At the clofe of the month, the quantity permitted out is deduced from the Maltfter's credit. When the Charge for the month is drawn out, it is entered in a voucher, which fhould be afterwards examined by the Surveyor of the Walk. It is the Gauger's duty alfo, at the end of the month,, to make up a Permit Voucher, which fhould contain an account of the Permits granted during the month, the monthly increafes, and the ftock on hand.— The Gauger, in the execution of this duty, is checked by a Surveyor, who is required to make frequent check vifits, to enter the particulars of each on the Specimen- paper, and examine the depending proceffes in the fame manner as the Gauger. It is likewife the Surveyor's duty to examine the Stock- books, previous to their being returned to the Examiner of Surveyors and Gaugers books, which is done monthly in Dublin, and quarterly from the other Diftri& s, and to fee that tranferipts from the old books ate corredtly entered in the new ; it is likewife his duty to examine and fign both the Permit and Excife Duty vouchers ; he is required alfo to keep a diary, which fhould contain an account of the duty daily performed by him, a report of the condutf of the Officers under him, and of any other occurrences worthy of Remark. This Examinant be- lieves, that the notices given by the Maltfters generally contain an account fhort of the quantity put into the fteep at each wetting ; but the Officer never charges lefs than the full content of the ciftern. In the Country, where the Officer's duty is lefs ftridtly performed, he has dete& ed inftances of wetting without notice, and believes the practice to have been frequent. Examinant is of opinion, that confidemble fraud is committed ir. the firft ftage of the procefs, by wetting the Corn feveral hours before the time mentioned in the notice, and ufing warm water ; by this means, the Malt- fter is enabled to take two wettings out of the ciftern within 72 hours ( the utmoft time for which Corn is allowed to remain in fteep), and, by drying off his floors rapidly at particular periods, contrives to make room for fraudulent fteeping. Frauds are com- mitted fometimes by mixing, and fometimes adding to the floors ; the adding, he con- ceives, takes place much more frequently than the mixing; but he thinks that neither 1 ' of