The Press. — London, England, 1857-02-14 00:00:00

158 TO CORRESPONDENTS. It la impossible to seknowleige the mass of letters we receive. Their insertion is often delayed owing to a press of matter and when omitted. ft is frequently from reasons quite inde pendent of the merits of the communication. We cannot undertake to return communications of which we do not avail ourselves. Commutation, should always be legibly written. and on on e side of the paper only. If long it iticremies the difficulty of finding space for them. Whatever is intended for insertion must be authenticated by the name and address of thu writer, not necessarily for publics tion, but as a guarantee of his good faith. Advertisements sent from the country must be accompanied by a remittance or a reference fur payment in town. MIES OF SUBSCRIPTION FOR ( STAMPED) Per Ana= .. Half Yearly.. Quarterly .. gbt Press: .. A 1 8 0 .. 0 13 0 .. 0 6 8 PAYABLE IN ADVANCE. Subscribers are requested to send their orders through News ♦pants ; if direct to the Office, accompanied by a remittance. Advertisements also must have a reference or remittance. Money Orders to be made payabie to Mr. ALFRED IVE, 110, Strand, Loudon. Vitt 21 1) rtgg• LONDON,SATURDAY,FEBRUARYI4,IBS7, POSTSCRIPT. THE PERSIAN WAR. The Paris correspondent of yesterday's Morning Post (second edition), in his letter dated Thurs• day, writes : I have reason to believe that Russia will not continue in advising Persia to resist the demands of England. It is quite possible that despatches will shortly reach the Per sian envoy in Parts of a conciliatory character. France desires peace, and Russia wishes to be on good terms with this co3ntry, for reasong easily imagined. The Nord of Brussels affirms that Russia has not abandoned ber views in favour of the union of the Principalities; and that the assertions of the Eng lish press on that point are without foundation. Ittuoiia, it gays, maintains, and will persist in main taining, the opinion on the subject pronounced by her representatives in the Congress of Paris. Intelligence from Naples, February 11, states that theorisation of a free port, and the complete revision of the Customs Laws, have been decided in Council by King Ferdinand. The Madrid Gazette, February 2, announces the discovery of a depot of arms and ammunition in the Theatre des Varieties. The director of the theatre has been arrested. The reactionary party have triumphed in the provincial elections, by the inter ference of the Governmental authorities. The ru mound dismissal of General Concha from the Go vernorship of Cubs is contradicted. Marshal Espartero has rent to the Queen his resignation as member of the Senate. LAST NIGHT'S DEBATE. HOUSE OF LORDS.-FRIDAT. CHINA. The Earl of DERBY gave notice that as soon as the papers relating to the operations in China were laid on the table he should bring forward a definite motion on the subject. The other business was of no public interest. Adjourned at seven o'clock. HOUSE OF CONINIONS.—FRIDAY. PERSIA. On the motion for going into committee of suPPIYI Mr. LATARD adverted to the anomalous circum stances under which war had been declared with Pet sia. He intimated his intention of challenging a formal debate on the subject on some early day. Lord PALMERSTCN stated that negotiations had begun, and were still pending, of which the Persian ambassador in Paris was the intermediary. Any debate at the present juncture would, he submitted, tend to interrupt the hitherto favourable progress of diplomatic efforts to bring about a pacific solution of the present controversy. Mr. Rosacci remarked that while negotiations were pending, they were warned against inter meddling; and after the event, their interference was too late. THE PRESS. Lord JOHN RUSSELL agreed that the discussion would at the present moment be premature, but looked forward to some early termination, one way or another, of the pending negotiations, and when, he observed, there would be no plea for further for bearance. Mr. GLADSTONE concurred in this view, observing that the Ministers had undertaken the war on their own responsibility, and would be required to justify their conduct in the face or the Legislature. Mn. DISRAELI held that the Government were bound to show that the alleged negotiations had been seriously ent2rtained, and were likely to result in a favourable and pacific issue. THE BUDGET. The house having gone into committee of supply, The CHANCELLOR 0f the EXCHEQUER rose to make his financial statement. He reminded hon. members that this was the first day on which he could have laid his statement before the house. Last year he estimated the revenue of the country, for the year ending April next, at 71,740,0001. The whole receipts had not yet come in, but he anticipated now that it would be a little more—that, in fact, it',would amount to 71,885,00(1/. The expenditure for the year he estimated at 82,113,000/., leaving a deficiency of about 10,500,0001. To meet that deficiency, he had bor rowed, and had power to borrow, about 11,000,0001., which power lie had exercised to the amount of about 8,000,000/. The total revenue of the year, by revenue and loan, amounted to 79,384,000/. The actual expenditure did not quite come up to 78,000,0001., so that there was a balance in the Exchequer of 1,384,0001. He then enumerated the extraordinary expenses of the year, which he contended could not be considered as a year of peace, and he reminded the house, also, that in the course of the year the war tax on malt had been remitted. To show that the war had not diminished the industrial resources of the country, he stated that the value of our exports for last year had in creased beyond all preceding years; that they. were 20,000,0001. over 1855, and 17,000,0001. over 1853; that they had doubled since a year so recent as 1849, and that they had tripled since the first year of the former peace in 1810. The imports had in creased in the same proportion, of which he might only mention that the imports of raw cotton amounted to 747,000,000/., while in 1850 it increased to nearly 879,000,0001. British shipping bad greatly increased, arid the demand for labour had not diminished. He proceeded next to explain to the house his estimate of the cost of the war. Taking the expenditure of the three last years of peace, and comparing them with the three years of war, he found that the aggregate ex penditure of the first was 154,000,0001., while the cost of the last was 220,000,0001. The total difference was 76,398,0001., which he set down as the total charge of the war. The estimated expenditure for the ensuing year was 65,474,0001. This included a sum of 5,000,0001. for the collection of the re venue, and the repayment of debts to the extent of 2,250,0001. He referred to the army and navy estimates, pointed out the extent of the reductions, defended the Government from the charge that they bad not reduced them still further, and re minded the house thatithey could not return to apeace establishment by magic. The civil service had increased about half a million over that of last year, chiefly arising from the abolition of fees in county courts and their payment from the Treasury ; from the payments to the county constabulary ; from the increase in the education vote ; from the new Go -1 vernment offices, .to. In connection with this sub. ject of increase of expense, be said he could confirm to the letter Mr. Gladstone's antithetical observa tion on the first night of the session, that the country was impatient of taxation, but careless of expenditure. There was no real danger to the Ex chequer in the present day from personal jobbing or corruption ; the real danger lay in the public spirit and philanthropy of parties anxious to realise their schemes for the good of the country. Appli cations had been made to him for money to realise projects, which a revenue of 120,000,0001. would not supply. He then referred to the million required for the Metropolitan ;Board, for parks, museums, and other expenses, which would of themselves have exhausted the country's revenue. Sir G. C. Lewis afterwards adverted to the additional debt which the war had thrown on the country. The addition to the funded dent was 30,000,000/. The Exchequer Bonds were 7,000,0001. ; the Ex chequer . Bills were 15,000,0001.; making an ad ditional annual charge upon the country to the extent of 1,460,0001. This should be borne in mind when it was proposed to return now to the settlement of 1853 with respect to the income tax. And that was not all ; for there were, besides, pay. ments to be made in the nature of a sinking fund to the amount of between two and three millions a year. Then, also, there hal been a reduction of several taxes since 1853 ; so that while the expenses had increased, the sources of supply had diminished. The loss arising from the remission of taxation SATURDAY, since 1853 amounted to 740,0001. He thought, therefore, the house could not consider itself tied down to the arrangement of 1853, under all these changes of circumstances. Sir G. C. Lewis thou said he intended to deal only with the taxes imposed on account of the war. Of these a permanent increase in the excise on spirits produced 1,500,0001. annually, and would be left untouched. There remained the income tax. As at present appointed, the tax would remain at 16d. until April, 1858, dropping then to 51 for two years longer, and ceasing altogether in 1800. He proposed to continue the income tax at Td. for three years. Incomes of 150/. and over woul then be subject to the same tariff originally levied by Sir R. Peel ; and upon those of less amount he intended to impose a rate of sd. After this surrender of income, which be estimated at 9,000,000/., he could not afford to concede the whole amount of intended reductions in the duties on tea and sugar, for which he proposed a new scale of descent by smaller gradations and at longer intervals than had been arranged when the schedule was revised. The total revenue for the year 1857 8 would then remain as follows .—From Customs, 22,350,0001.; Excise, 17,000,0001.; Stamp., 7,450,0001.; land and assessed tax, 3,150,0001.; income and property tax, 11,450,0001.; Post-office, 3,000,0001.; Crown lands, 365,0001.; miscellaneous, 1,600,0001. The gross receipts would thus amount to 60,365,0001.; which, as set against an estimated expenditure of 05,474,000/., would leave a surplus of 801,0001. The whole amount of taxation now to be remitted was 11,571,0001., from which, however, the Exchequer would only sustain a loss of about 7,500,000/. during the ensuing year. The right bon. baronet concluded by moving a formal resolution granting 2,000,0001. to her Majesty to redeem the that series of Exchequer Bonds. Cursory remarks upon various details contained in the Finance Mmister's speech were made by Mr. GLADSTONE and a large number of members. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER replied. The house resumed, and the Chairman on re porting progress obtained leave to sit again on Mon day. grtlantr. The election for Downpatrick has resulted in the contested return of Mr. Johnston, who declined to go to the poll, and rested his claim upon the show of hands. The election for Bandon took place yesterday. The Hon. G. 0. Callaghan has published a printed address to the electors of Tipperary. The Attorney-General has appointed Mr. Henry Devitt supernumerary Crowu Counsel for the counties of Wicklow and 'Wexford, in the room of Mr. Peter Barlow, resigned. gabal anb yililitarg ,ntellignut. His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge on Thursilay inspected the garrison at Colchester. Lieut.-Gen. Sir Charles Pasley inspected Chatham garrison on Wednesday. The Army Estimates for the year 1857.58 amount to 11,225,5331., of Rhic.► 8,993,6581. goes for the ef. fective, and 2,231,8751. for the non-effective. The number of men rtquired for the service of the year 1857 58 is 126,706, against 246,710 last year— equivalent to a decrease of 119,920. The original estimate of last year was the same as the revised, as regards the number of men. The Navy Estimates for the service of the year 1857.58 were issued on Wednesday. They are com prised in seventeen distinct votes, and amount in all to the snm of 8,109,1681. This is a net decrease of 7,702,9 a/. upon those of last year, which were 15,812,1271. The estimate for the Post•OTice Department (packet service) for the year 1857.58, separated from the navy estimates, but prepared by the Naval Department, is 983,0841., being a reduction of 208,5771. LADY FRANKLIN has addressed and published a letter to Lord Palmerston, seeking to engage the sympathy of those in power in the despatch of an expedition in search of the remains of the Franklin patty. She endeavours to show that the proposed search may be made with slight hazard of life and very small cost, and observes :—" This final and ex hausting search is all I seek in behalf of the first and only martyrs to Arctic discovery in modern times, and it is all I ever intend to ask." THE REGISTRAR-GEM:AL% RErunNs for the last week show a remarkably high rate of mortality. With the highest average allowed for increase of population the deaths should only reach 1,998; they amounted to 1,368. The Registrar General attzi. hates it t 44 the severe cold. The births reached 1,891.