Appendix, No. Appendix, Nos. 6, 7. FIFTH REPORT of THE COMMISSIONERS [ Excife. more especially to make frequent check Inspections of the Distilleries in his District. These Inspections were generally made about once a Week, but never at Night, unless in Cases of special Information. After taking this View of the Inspector's Duty, we cannot refrain from pointing out the glaring Impropriety of permitting an Officer to receive, under any Pre- tence whatever, a Fee for the Execution of a Duty, the principal Object of which is, to check and controul the Conduct of those from whom the Fee is received. Although Corruption, and Neglect of Duty, seem un- avoidably to flow from such an Intercourse between the Officer and the Trader, we by no Means wish to insist that this Circumsance has in- fluenced the Conduct of the Inspectors, particularly when we reflect, that in a Return made to the Board of Excise and to Government in 1802, and again to the Board of Excise in 1804, this Source of Emolument to the Office of Inspector was distinctly reported ; and till the last Distillery- Act, continued to subsist without meeting either Disapprobation or Correction. A Book called the Minute Book, always remained in the Distillery for the Inspection of the visiting Officers. This Book was divided into Columns for the several Vessels used for containing Worts, Pot Ale, Singlings, Spirits, and Feints, and numbered correspondently; and in these Columns were entered the Dips of the several Vessels. TheDip was taken by the Per- pendicular Immersion of a Rule, and a Reference to the Tabulation Book shewed the Quantity contained in any Vessel, according to the Inches of the Dip. In the Cooler, whose Extent renders a greater Degree of Declension requisite, the Dip was taken in a particular Spot or Average dipping Pia. ce, It was the Duty of the Surveyor to visit the Distillery once every Day, which he usually did before One in the Afternoon, but never at Night. At each Visit he took, from the Dips of the several Vessels, an Account of all jj Worts, Wash, Singlings, Feints, and Spirits, shewn in the Distillery. The Particulars of each Visit he entered in the Minute Book. He was also required to examine and sign the weekly Voucher returned by the Gauger to the Collector, as the Charge on the Distiller. It was the Gaugers Duty to visit the Distillery three Times each Day except Sunday,, when one was sufficient. The Gauger at every Visit, except those made on Sunday, required the Distiller to exhibit all the Vessels or Utensils in the Distillery, and to declare the State of each, whether empty or containing Liquor. He then entered in proper Columns of the Minute Book, the Day and hour of his Visit, the State of each Vessel, and the Dips of such as con, tained Liquor, ascertained by wet Inches; as also the Degree of Fermenta- tion in the several Backs, the State of the Still, whether silent or charged, and if charged, whether with Wash or Singlings 3 and transcribed the Par- ticulars into his Stock Book, which in these Respects was an exact Dupli- cate or Copy of the Minute Book. At his Visits he was required to taste the Worts, Wash, Singlings, Feints, and Spirits, to see that they were such as declared, and that no fraudulent Renewal of the Backs had taken Place. Any accurate Account of Worts taken from the Cooler would fur- nish an important Check upon the subsequent Operations, and the Gaugers, were required to take Dips for this Purpose ; but it seems that this Part of the Duty was almost entirely neglected, under the Persuasion that it would not afford any efficient Check. The daily Charge was drawn, either from the Decrease of Wash, the Decrease of Singlings, the Increase of Spirits, or 14 the L I