Distillation Act 1698

III. Recital of Inconveniences arising from the Use of Private Stills, &c.

Distillers keeping private Conveyances, before 28th Feb. 1698, to take up and demolish the same, &c; Distiller, after 28th Feb. 1698, keeping private Conveyance,; Penalty £ 100.

And whereas it is found by experience That His Majesty hath been very much defrauded of His Duties upon Low Wines and Spiritts by many Distillers and other Persons who keepe or sett up private and concealed Warehouses Storehouses Cellars or other Places or private or concealed Stills Backs or other Vessells for the makeing preparing or keeping Wash Low Wines Spiritts or other Materialls fitt for Distillation and by Private Pipes and Stopcocks and other Private Conveyances have Communication betweene their Private and Publick Backs and other Vessells by which they doe privately convey their Wash or other Liquors fitt for Distillation from one Back or other Vessell to another by meanes whereof the Officers cannot take and keepe a true and distinct Account of such Wash and other Liquors fitt for Distillation nor of the Low Wines and Spiritts made or drawne from the same And whereas the Gaugers and Officers of Excise are not sufficiently impowered by Law upon Suspicion or Knowledge of such Frauds to enter the Houses or Places where the same are practised without Consent of the Possessors thereof or upon Entry and Discovery of such Frauds cannot find out or discover the Person or Persons concerned therein by reason that the true Owner or Owners of such Warehouses Storehouses Cellars or other Places Stills Backs or other Vessells Spiritts Low Wines Wash or other Materialls fitt for Distillation will not appeare or Claime any Interest therein but frequently disowne the same Be it therefore enacted by the Authority aforesaid That every Distiller having and keeping any Private Pipe or Stopcock or other Private Conveyance by which any Wash or other Liquors fitt for Distillation may be conveyed from one Back or Vessell to another or from any such Back or other Vessell to their Still or Stills or into any other Place shall before the Eight and twentieth day of February One thousand six hundred ninety eight take up or demolish every such Pipe Stopcock or other Private Conveyance and shall alsoe stop up every Hole in every such Back or Washbatch by which any Wash or other Liquors fitt for Distillation may be conveyed into or out of such Back or Washbatch or any of them and that no Distiller from and after the said Eight and twentieth Day of February shall have or keepe any Private Pipe Stopcock or other Private Conveyance by which any Wash or other Liquors fitt for Distillation may be conveyed from one Back or other Vessell to another or from any such Back or other Vessell to his or her Still or Stills or into any other Place nor shall have or keepe any Hole in any such Back or Washbatch by which any Wash or any other Liquors fitt for Distillation may be conveyed into or out of such Back or Washbatch or any of them on Paine to forfeite for every such Pipe Stopcock Conveyance and Hole the Sum of One hundred [X1 Pounds]

Editorial Information

X1 interlined on the Roll.