As little, my lords, am I affected with the merit of the wonderful
skill which the distillers are said to have attained: it is, in my
opinion, no faculty of great use to mankind, to prepare palatable
poison; nor shall I ever contribute my interest for the reprieve of a
murderer, because he has, by long practice, obtained great dexterity
in his trade.
If their liquors are so delicious, that the people are tempted to
their own destruction, let us at length, my lords, secure them from
these fatal draughts, by bursting the vials that contain them; let us
crush, at once, these artists in slaughter, who have reconciled their
countrymen to sickness and to ruin, and spread over the pitfals of
debauchery such baits as cannot be resisted.
The noble lord has, indeed, admitted, that this bill may not be found
sufficiently coercive, but gives us hopes that it may be improved and
enforced another year, and persuades us to endeavour the reformation
of drunkenness by degrees, and above all, to beware, at present, of
hurting the _manufacture_.
I am very far, my lords, from thinking, that there are this year any
peculiar reasons for tolerating murder; nor can I conceive why the
manufacture should be held sacred now, if it be to be destroyed
hereafter; we are, indeed, desired to try how far this law will
operate, that we may be more able to proceed with due regard to this
valuable manufacture.
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