The CASE of the Company of DISTILLERS of London, in reference to a Bill, Entitled, A Bill for encouraging the Distilling of Brandy from Corn, and for laying several Duties upon Low Wines.  
Which Bill will in Reality prevent the Distilling of Brandy from Corn, Diminish the King's Revenue, and Ruin the Trade of Distilling in England, and set up the same in Foreign Parts.  
THIS Bill seems to be designed for the Consumption of Corn, and by the Title it is intimated, as if it were intended for increasing Their Majesty's Revenue, whereas in Truth it will hinder the Consumption of Corn, as well as lessen the Revenue, and will be of advantage to no Person in England, save such as are Importers of French Brandy, of which Brandy there is now in London about 4000 Pieces; and if a great Duty be laid on the Materials which the Distillers' use for making English Brandy, they will in effect be prohibited the use of such Materials, And the price of Brandy which is already advanced from 30 l. to 60 l. a Tun will rise much higher.  
Note, That French Brandy is now but 8 l. a Tun in France, and if the Imposition by this Bill designed, be laid on the Materials now used in England, 'twill make ●he French Traders run all manner of Hazards to bring in French Brandy for so v●s● a Profit, and no Industry or Integrity of the Officers will be able to keep it out.  
Spirits or Brandy made from Corn is not so palateable or grateful to the Stomach as Brandy made from Molosses or Sugar, whereas Brandy made from Molasses or Sugar almost equals Foreign Brandy, and consequently brings down the Price of it; and by the Distillers' Skill in mingling Brandy made from Molosses with Spirits made from Corn, they have occasioned the sale and consumption in Kind of several thousand Tun of Brandy made from Corn which otherwise could not have been consumed in kind, and therefore the Importers of Foreign Brandy have used all Industry to prohibit the Distillers the use of Molosses, and if this Bill pass 8 d. a Gallon is thereby intended to be laid on Low Wines extracted from Molosses, which with the Duty already thereon will amount to 23 l. a Tun upon the Spirit, which is so great a Duty that the Distillers cannot use it, and then the Importers of Foreign Brandy have their Ends, but Their Majesties and the Nation will be injured for that the Revenue and the consumption of Malted Corn will thereby be lessened.  
The Distillers do now use many Thousand Quarters of Corn in a Year, and do make as good Brandy from Corn as can be made by any Person whatsoever, and if they had encouragement could make much greater quantities than can be consumed here and in Foreign Parts, yet this Bill lays open the Trade to every unskilful pretender; which will put Their Majesties to much greater Expense in Collecting the Duty and encourage the making a bad Commodity for the maker's profit, who are under no regulation or punishment if they so do. The Consequence whereof will be the preventing the consumption of Corn, and ruin the Distillers, whose Company first invented the making of Spirits from Corn, and who for these many years past have born a proportionable part of the Expense necessary for the support of the Honour and Government of the City, and are now increased with their Apprentices and Servants to be very numerous.  
The Duty laid on Spirits made from Mollosses by this Bill is so great that it cannot be used here, therefore the Merchants will be forced to send their Mollosses to Holland, where it is made partly into Sugar by Refiners and Sugar-Bakers, and partly Distilled; and both those Trades were till lately either not known, or rarely practised there, but are since grown considerable; and if this Bill passes, will both be much advanced, and the Dutch will not only in Foreign parts under-sell us, but by Vessels laid near our Harbours for that purpose, supply all our Outward-bound Ships with the Spirits made of Mollosses as cheap or cheaper than we can with Spirits made of Corn, tho' that be much worse than what is made of Molasses, because we pay a great Duty and they none.  
There are several other parts of this Bill which tend not only to the Destruction of the Distillers' Trade, but of Their Majesty's Plantations, and the lessening Their Majesty's Revenue, and will promote the Interest of Foreigners, and other Mischiefs which the Distillers are ready to make appear if they may be permitted to be heard thereunto.