133 / 374
DRINKS,
133
resolved
itself
into
a
committee
on
Feb.
23,
Sir
Joseph
Jekyll
moved
the
following
resolutions
:
(i)
That
the
low
price
of
spirituous
liquors
is
the
principal
induce-
ment
to
the
excessive
and
pernicious
use
thereof.
(2)
That
a
discouragement
should
be
given
to
their
use
by
a
duty.
(3)
That
the
vending,
etc.,
of
such
liquors
be
restrained
to
persons
keeping
public
brandy-
shops,
victualling
houses,
coffee
houses,
ale
houses
and
inn-holders,
and
to
such
apothecaries
and
surgeons
as
should
make
use
of
the
same
by
way
of
medicine
only
;
and,
(4)
That
no
person
keeping
a
public
brandy-shop,
etc.,
should
be
permitted
to
vend,
etc.,
such
liquors,
but
by
licence
with
duty
payable
thereon.
These
Resolutions
were
agreed
on
without
debate.
On
March
8,
Mr.
William
Pulteney
affixed
a
duty
of
205.
per
gallon
on
gin,
on
the
grounds
of
ancient
use
and
sanction,
and
of
its
reducing
many
thousands
of
families
at
once
to
a
state
of
despair.
Sir
Robert
Walpole
had
no
immediate
concern
in
the
laying
of
this
tax
on
spirituous
liquors,
but
suffered
therefrom
much
unmerited
obloquy.
The
bill
was
presented
by
Jekyll
from
a
spirit
of
philanthropy,
which
led
him
to
contemplate
with
horror
the
progress
of
vice that
marked
the
popular
attachment
to
this
inflammatory
poison.
The
populace
showed
their
disapprobation
of
this
Act
in
their
usual
fashion
of
riot
and
violence.
We
are
told
in
Coxe's
Walpole
that
numerous
desperados
continued
the
clandestine
sale
of
gin
in
defiance
of
every
restriction.
The
duty
of
205-.
per
gallon
was
repealed
16
Geo.
II.,
c.
8.
On
the
28th
of
September,
1736,
it
was
deemed