The Press. — London, England, 1855-10-06 00:00:00

OCTOBE I R 6, 1855. THE PRESS. THE REVENUE. 1.-THE NET REVENUE. Quarter ended 1 Year ended ~...--.L.--...„ I . ...-----2-.-...... Sept. 30, Sept. 3 0 , Sept. 30, Sept. 30, 1854. 1655. I 1854. I 1855. 4 A I 4 4 CUSTOMS EXCISE STAMPS 1,707,509 1,604,165 1 6,984,076 7,084,548 TAXES PROPERTY TAX POST OFFICE 343,000 201,757 1,305,000 1,158,181 CROWN LANDS 61,572 68,516 321,572 275,516 MISCELLANEOUS :54,394 1815,557 940,658 935,867 TOTAL IL-COMPARATIVE STATEMENT. Quarter ended Half• Year ended Year ended Sept. 30, 1855. Sept. 30, 1855. Sept. 30, 1855. „.---.-1---.., ......---t----..... ~.......--1 . ....-.......„ Increase. Decrease. Increase. Decrease. Increase. Decrease. A C 4 4 1 4 CUSTOMS EXCISE STAMPS 103,344 48,402 1 100,472 TAXES PROPERTY TAX POST OFFICE 81,243 175,978 206,819 CROWN LANDS MISCELLANEOUS 33,963 I TOTAL 2,396,920 472,796 3,376,1841 445,485 8,841,184 I 496,403 41,921,124 /2,929,699 18,344,781 Net Increase. Net Increase. Net Increase. lII.—EXPENDITURE AND RECEIPTS. (From all Sources.) Surplus Balance beyond the Charge of the Consoli- dated Fund for the Quarter ended June 30,1835, yia., Great Britain Ireland 1390,907 1390,907 Net Income received in the Quarter ended Sept, 30, 1855, as shown in Account I. Amount received in the Quarter ended Sept. 30, 1856, in Fart of the Loan of 816,000,004; 5,568,000 Amount of Exchequer Bills (Supply) issued in the Quarter ended Sept. 30,1855, to the Commissioners fur the reductio: of the National Debt, to redeem Ways and Means Bills held by them 2,700,000 Amount received in the Quarter ending Sept. 30,1855, in repayment of advances for publics works, titc 209,444 L 96,399,816 Balance, being the deficiency on the 30th September. 1855, upon the charge of the Consolidated Fund iu Great Britain, to meet the Dividends and other charges payable in the Quarter to December 31, 1845, and for which Exchequer Bills (deficiency) will be issued in that Quarter 853,442 X 27,253,258 OUR LEGISLATORS ON THE WAR. MEMBERS of the Legislature, in different parts of the country, are beginning to express their sentiments on the present aspect of the war, and their opinion on what should be the policy of this country. As yet, however, there is great reserve in the language spoken, and in but one instance—the exception is illustrious—do we find the slightest attempt to guide public opinion, or to run counter to what is supposed to be the popular desire for the prosecution of hosti lities. At the Nithesdale Agricultural Society, last week, the DUKE of Buccmuctr, in proposing the t )ast of the "Army and Navy," paid a well-deserved tribute to the memory of the late Lord Raglan, and concluded by expressing his hope that peace might soon be concluded. His words were remarkable : He hoped no attempt would be made to force on Russia an ignominious peace; such a peace could nut be a lasting one. He hoped that an honourable peace would speedily be attained—a lasting peace, not only to this country, but to Europe ; and that the balance of power would be arranged in such a spirit as that the country would not for long be again engaged in such a war. The sentiment here expressed will remind the reader of an acute observation by Lord Mahon in his "History," that though the most remarkable treaties of peace in our annals have commonly been received with great popular dissatisfaction, yet that no peace is likely to be lasting which is not based on moderate terms, as a nation which feels its power impaired by a cession of territory, and its honour degraded in the eyes of its people, will only observe the peace forced on it, until it can collect resources, and form alliances, to renew the struggle with better chance of success. Though not immediately con nected with our subject, we are happy to quote his grace's feeling and eloquent tribute to Lord Raglan's talents and virtues : Attempts had been made to show that the wants of the army bad been neglected by the commander, and that the troops were discontented with their leader. But from the highest authority he could state, without fear of contradic• Lion, that no man was more beloved, respected, and looked up to by an army than was Lord Raglan.. It had been in• Amount applied out of the Net Income for the Quarter ended Sept. 30,1855, to Redemption of Exchequer Bills (deficiency) for the quarter endedJune3o, 1555 .. 63,306,433 Amount applied to redemption of Ways and Means Bills issued in the Quarter ended June 30.1855.... 1,740,100 Net amount applied out of the Consolidated Fund to supply Services in the Quarter ended Sept. 30, 1855 14,024,840 Charge of the Consolidated Fund for the Quarter ended Sept. 30, 1555, viz.:— Interest of the Permanent Debt 65,582,506 Terminable Debt Interest of Exchequer Bills (De ficiency) Ditto, ditto (Ways and Means) 19.231 The Civil List Other Charges on Consolid. Fund 327,307 Advances for Public Works, &c 432,270 7,861,400 Surplus Balance beyond the Charge of the Consoli dated Fund for the Quarter ended Sept. 30,1855, viz. Great Britain lreland £27,253,258 sinuated that a coolness had existed between Lord Raglan and General Pelissier ; but he gave a positive contradic tion to such insinuations, and could inform them that General Pelissier looked up with the greatest respect to Lord Raglan, and felt for him the personal affection of a friend. These insinuations were false. (Cheers.) Like other great commanders, Lord Raglan had been assailed by the attacks of discontented spirits in the Crimea, and unmerited anonymous slanders had been poured out on him in this country. He (the Duke of Buccleucb) felt strongly on the subject. He considered it to be the most dastardly offence a man could commit to issue an anony mous article, and, by dark and insidious attacks, attempt to blight the fame and character of brave men. Those who presumed to lead public opinion ought to have been careful how they gave circulation to base slanders in their papers. (Loud cheers.) It was an easy matter to injure even the brightest character ; people were too ready, too willing to hear a:tacks on the fair fame and reputation of others; but often it was a long time before a refutation of the slanders, to which they had given too ready credence, reached them. Lord Raglan's death was lamented by the whole force in the Crimea, and no less in this country, when the truth was known. When too late, people in quired into the truth of the unjust attacks made upon him. He had known him personally, and a more honest, upright man never lived. He was a man who never made an enemy, nor sought to court a friend. A more single minded man never existed. From his earliest military career, the Duke of Wellington—a keen inquirer into character—had the highest opinion of his talents. He re gretted that Lord Raglan had not lived to hear the shout of triumph over the rains of Sebastopol. It had been truly said his disease was nine•tenths mental and one-tenth bodily. He was a man of sensitive mind, and could not hear of the attempts to disparage his fair fame without feeling wounded in spirit. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER presided at the meeting of the Radnorshire Agricultural Society on Monday last, and spoke at some length on the Sebastopol expedition, but carefully abstained from saying one word on the present situation of affairs. He rather seemed, however, to claim credit for the Government that they had " broken off" the nego tiations for peace : The course which was taken by this country in the ne• gotiations at Vienna was pursued with steadiness and con• sistency throughout. No change took place In the terms 95 which were offered by this country and France to Russia. Those terms were refused, and others were offered on the part of Russia. The result of those conferences was that her 'Majesty's Government, looking at the circumstances of the contending powers —to the position of the armies at Sebastopol, and to the duty which they owed to their country—thought no good would arise from their con tinuance, and they were therefore broken off. (Applause.) Since that time the war with Russia has been prosecuted with all the vigour which this country, with its great re sources, could command ; it has been prosecuted with all those more extensive military resources which the great population and the great military organisation of France puts at the disposal of her Government, and the result we all know. The sufferings and privations of the army last winter were, he said," such as scarcely any civilised army was ever before exposed to," but he attributed them " to the inherent difficulties of the expedition and the failure of immediate success," though be " did not mean to exculpate all the persons who were concerned in the government of that expedition." The distinction is curious. We are to infer probably that only the members of the late Government who withdrew were culpable, while those who still remain in office are blameless. He deprecated any attempt to disparage the merit of our army in the attack of the Bth of September, or to draw invidious compari sons between the achievements of our soldiers and those of our allies, as the French themselves so generously acknowledged the services rendered by the British troops on that day. On other topics Sir G. C. Lewis maintained the official reserve which he probably thought becoming his station. MR. VERNON SMITH, at the Northamptonshire Agri cultural Association, broadly stated his opinion that the Vienna negotiation would have been disastrous if brought to a successful termination—an odd admis- sion to come from a member of the Government which opened and conducted that negotiation, though it may help us to understand how it was that the nego tiation was so abruptly " broken off." Mr. Vernon Smith seems to have thought that he should be on safe ground in roundly attacking the friends to peace : The British public had most consistently borne its part in the prosecution of the war. He was sorry he could not say as much for the British Parlii.ment. Occasionally in that body men arose who were indisposed to the prosecu- tion of the war—some were for peace at any price, and some were for war at half price. But war could not be had at half price, for if the war were starved it was impossible for success to follow. Others, again, high in power, were for war while it was prosperous, but shrank from pursuing it when it was disastrous, and did not hesitate to call upon those whom they had plunged into war to extricate them by what he (Mr. V. Smith) must ever consider would have been a moel disastrous peace. MR. BAXTER has addressed his constituents at Montrose in most warlike terms. Russia was to be warred with as " the champion of despotism whose voice had been potential on the side of tyranny and misrule in every part of the world." The diplomatists of Vienna, with whom his " unaccountable friend Lord John Russell" was willing to agree, were a set of "old humbugs," and it was to Lord Palmerston that we must mainly attribute it that the country had not made "an ignominious peace." In the midst of much raving some sensible observations occur, as that, had the Cabinet of Lord Aberdeen acted with proper decision, hostilities never would have broken out ; and even after their commencement, had the struggle been carried on with all the resources of this great nation, the Cabinet of St. Petersburg would have yielded ere now. The general purport of his speech was, that the war must now be waged to extremity, and that peace must not be thought of until the power of Russia was completely broken, and she was willing to accept such conditions as men of Mr. Baxter's Liberal sentiments were willing to grant her. THE CAMP GROUND AT ALDERSHOTT is to be stir rounded by a pallisade, to inclose the entire space of ground taken by Government for the incampment. The object of this inclosure is to keep the public from getting into danger by strolling across the rifle practice-grounds. The artillery are to have a practice ground apportioned them as soon as the inclosure is completed. Some opposition is being made by the residents of adjoining villages, as the proposed inclosure will atop up some public roads. The per manent buildings at Aldershot for 10,000 men are progressing rapidly towards completion. THE Swiss LEGION have received this week about 300 recruits, who are at present encamped under the Western Heights at Dover. POLITICAL OFFENCES AT NAMES, by an official list lately published in the capital, are shown to have been very numerous of late years. From 1848 to May, 1854, 839 persons had been condemned to different punishments. Of 47 of those condemned to death 26 were commuted to the Ergastolo, and 21 to heavy irons. Among the condemned were 57 priests, and 34 of the prisoners had died. This list does not include the number of persons arrested by the police, and retained in custody without trial br examination.