THE DISTILLATION ACT.

Colonist, Volume XII, Issue 1175, 29 December 1868, Page 2

THE DISTILLATION ACT.

An Act, of some importance to brewers, and wholesale dealers in spirits and wines, was passed last session of the Genera] Assembly; and as it comes, into operatiou on the Ist of January, (Friday next,) it would be well for those more immediately interested to study some of the leading provisions, with a view, by a conformity to the law, to avoid those somewhat numerous penalties which under the act are exigible.l The principal portion of the act has, of course, reference to the distillation of spirits; but, incidentally, it also includes provisions affecting brewers and wholesale dealers in spirits and wines, as well also as public-house keepers who retail beer or ale that is adulterated. Section 125 of the Act, provides thai; every brewer shall cause his name to be registered by the Collector of Customs, or at theoffico of the Chief Inspectorof Distilleries^ and shall also cause to be registered a particular description of the premises in which the business is carried on, from and after Ist Jan. liext. Certificates of such registration shall be produced, and a license fee of £l per annum paid. Application for registration by persons living five miles distant from the office of the Collector of Customs, must be made to the Clerk of the Patty Sessions- of their district, o; to the Clerk of the nearest Resident Magistrate's Court. "Wine and spirit merchants have also to be similarly registered, and must take out a license for which the same fee of £l is payable to the Collector of Customs. Omission to comply with tins provision renders the defaulter liable to a fine of not less than £10, nor more than £50. Brewers must not sell wine or spirits on their brewing premises, nor within a hundred yards of the same, under a penalty of £50. Brewers who mix beer or "worts" with deleterious drugs are liable to a penalty of £200 for the first offence, and one of £500 with the addition of two years'imprisonment, for the second offence, and the forfeiture of all such, beer, ale, or porter. The deleterious drugs are thus enumerated: —" Cocculus indicua, nux voraica, tobacco, tobacco-juice, opium, aloes, fabaatnasa, grains of paradise, cannabis indicus, or any extract, decoction, infusion, or preparation thereof, respectively." Any brewer having such drugs or preparations thereof in his possession shall be fined £50; any person selling such drugs or peparations of the same to any brewer shall be liable to a penalty of £50; and (to this we direct the special attention of beer retailers) any, person (Section 1340 who shall knowingly sell or dispose of, or upon whose premises" shall be found any spirits, ale, beer, or porter, in which shall be mixed any of the deleterious drugs or preparations above enumerated, shall be liable to a penalty of £50. The' Act is very stringent respecting offences, but it generally adopts the provisions of the law regarding brewing and distillation in,force in England. Sunstbokr.—We lenrn with regret that a'° little daughter of Mr. N. T. Lockhart, a child of ibout two find a-half years of ago, died last night from tho [ effects of sunstroke, undergone, we believe, on Sunday I week, when the symptoms were first observed. Parents cannot, in the present hot, weather, be too careful or peremptory with their children, in peeing that they do not go out of doors with uncovered heads. Ik is said that there is a case in the hospital which exhibits symptoms of sunstroke. The hottert p*rt of the season is approaching, and we recommend tho greatest caution on the part, of old and young. Tea Pabti at Biwaka.—On Thursday. Dec. 24, the children of this school and district, enjoyed a most excellent entertainment provided for -them by the Local Committee of Education , assisted by very libeml subscriptions of the inhabitants. They asiembled in the schoolroom at three o'clock, and after an ample feast, playei merrily upon the green. Their parents and elder brothers and sisters then sac down at the quickly replenished tables, most kindly and courteously attended by the members of the committee. There was music and dancing on the lawn, and in the schoolroom. The committee exerted themselve admirably to please their guests, and everybody was delighted. More than two hundred ?isitors were present, and it was, indeed, a pretty and pleasing sight; the menry, well dressed, well behaved children, the anxious, yet pleased parents quietly rejoicing in the happiness of the young ones. 'I have never seen a more successful attempt to give harmless. and reasonable pleasure,—Cow»row»«;af«*. Alkanaoks fob 1869.—We have received" copies of Messrs. Lucas and Son's Nelson Almanack for the ensuing year, and ofthe'Nelson Goldfieldt Almanack and Directory, and can speak of them as very creditable works. The Nelson Almanack is mttch better got up than the issue for the year about to close; the information is varied and useful, and thenarrahZe, ™.entL haT* been Tei7 w«111 »nd carefuily'compiled. The Weit Coast issue is remarkably creditable to its publishers, Messrs. Bead and Co., of the West* TQrtTimis\ office, and contains an itinerary;vdiwc, tory,^tariff, law items, and the important dantes of the Mining Companies. Limited Liability Act, and