The Express.
London, England, 1863-04-17 00:00:00

charges which caused an increase in expenditure.
It was certain that with the expenditure itself
them grew up a spirit of expenditure which per-
vaded the country, and even extended to the ad-
ministrators of the public service. It was not on
the part of the government that he made this
statement ; all he had to say for the government
was, that in making the increase in expendi-
ture, they certainly did not outrun, but rather
fell abort of public opinion. The result was that
the finances of the country had been kept in a state
of tension for the last four years, and he would
make the admission that this tension was occa-
sioned by the policy of the government. Coming
to the consideration of the balance-sheet of the
jeer, he drew attention to the mode in which the
estimatesi were framed last year. He submitted
the estimates last year with particular re-
serve, and presented an estimate of income
and expenditure which just balanced each
other, and this was done with reference
to circumstances which might disturb, and that
unfavourably, the balances. The estimates he now
had to make were hopeful, but they must be taken
with regard to special circumstances, such as the
condition of Lancashire. Passing a glowing eulogy
on the moral and social attitude of the people of
those districts, he proceeded to dwell on the melan-
choly state of the material condition of Lancashire.
The calculation with regard to that condition last
year was founded on the supposition that the
absence of manufacture might be taken at the point
at which it then stood, but experience had shown
that the price of cotton, which was then Bd. a lb.,
had now reached to 2e. a lb., and therefore the dis-
tress in Lancashire bad reached to a state of the
utmost stringency, and it was with reference to the
state of this the wealthiest part of the community
and the most prosperous body of workmen in the
county that the balance-sheet of the year had been
prepared. Another cause of the depression was the
distress in Ireland, of which he believed that the
country had formed no adequate idea. The govern-
ment had received a statement of the agricultural
position of Ireland. It referred to the crops
of 1860-61 and 1862-63 as compared with the
previous four years, namely, from 1856 to 1860.
It appeared that the average value of the wheat,
oat, and potato crops, and the live stock in Ireland,
amounted from 1856 to 1860 to 39,439,0001 ; in
1860431 it was 34,893,0001. ; in 1861-62,
it was 29,077,000/., showing a decrease
of
some ten millions and a half ; and in 1862-63, it
amounted to 27,327,0001., or a decrease of twelve
millions or one-third of the value of the agricul-
tural products of the country. These circumstances
tended necessarily to diminish the general revenue,
sad must be taken into account The
revenue of last year was estimated at
70,108,0001., and the expenditure at 70,040,0001.;
but the actual expenditure had amounted to
69,301,0001., making a difference of 1,301,0001. A
comparison between the expenditure of former
years and last year stood thus : in 1862-63 it was
69,301,0001. ; in 1861.62 it was 70,838,0001. ; in 1860-
61 it was 72,504,000/., being more than 3,000,0001.
over that of last year ; and in 1859-60 it was
70,007,0001., being 715,0001. above that of last
year. But this was not the real decrease, for in
1862-63 them was a charge of 1,100,0001. which ex-
isted, but did not appear in the estimates of pre-
vious years, so that the real decrease last year •waa,
as compared with 1861-62, 2,621,0001. ' • with
1860-61 of 4,270,0001.; and w ith 1859-60, 1,840,0001.
His estimate for the year was 70,790,0001., which
had been subject to a drawback on the duty on
hope ; and, taking that into account, the actual
revenue was 70,603,0001., leaving a difference of
153,0001. between the estimate and the receipt.
There had been an increase on the customs in the
year of 484,0001. On the excise there had been a
decrease in the estimate of 4185,000/., the prin-
cipal items of decrease being malt and spirits.
In this there was nothing to compare, as these
items were proofs of the depression in the condi-
tion of the working classes. Although the estimate
on spirits had fallen short, yet, as compared with
the three previous years, the falling off had not
been so remarkable. As compared. with the pre-
vious three years, and taking the increase in the
duty into consideration, there had been no essential
falling off in the receipts of the duty while the
illicitdistillation of last year had never been so small.
Any falling off in this duty was also to be attributed
to a change in the taste of the country for milder
and leas inflammatory beverages. Comparing the
revenue of last year with that which immediately
preceded it, it would be found that in 1861-2 it
amounted to 69,724,0001. gross, while deducting
1,747,000/. for certain items under the bead "mis-
cellaneous" and the China indemnity, the real
amount was 67,927,0001. In 1862-63, the gross
amount was 70,603,0001., from which 2,813,0001.
was to be deducted for "miscellaneous" and China

indemnity to make the net amount. In 1861-62
there were items in the income tax at 10d. in the
..und, and loss on paper and hops amounting to
1,0001. ,which must be deducted from the revenue of
1861. The result was that the net revenue in 188142
was 66,985,000/., and that of 1862-63, 67,890,0001.,
being an increase in the latter year of about 800,0001.
The reductions which had taken place in customs'
i duties had caused somechange, but in 1862-3 the re-
I venue from that source was equal to that which it was
four years ago, notwithstanding reductions in the
tariff of over two millions. He now came to the
estimate of expenditure and revenue for the
ooming year. Including the charge for in-
terest on funded debt, consolidated fund,
army and navy, and miscellaneous, which latter
were not quite settled, the items of
packet service, and contemplated conversion of
stock, the total estimate of expenditure would be
67,749,0001. He had not included any estimate
for fortifications, for which parliament had made
other provision. His estimate of the revenue for
the ensuing year was taken at 71,490,0001., in-
cluding 24,118,0001. from customs, 17,600,0001.
from excise, and if he was asked why he estimated
the return from this source at a greater amount
than it prodrced last year, be would say that in
last year it was subjected to the lose of the hop
duty, while the corresponding duty on malt this
year would be better than that of last year.
Stamps were estimated at 9,000,0001., taxes
at 3,160,0001., income tax at 10,500,0001.,
which, with Poet-office, crown lands, mis-
cellaneous, and China indemnity, made
71,490,0001., and the expenditure being estimated
at 67,749,0001., there was a difference of 3,741.0001.
It would probably be thought that the government
should proceed to diminish taxation under these
circumstances, and not speak of augmentation,
but there were always anomalies in taxation to be
removed. There bad already been a diminution in
the tobacco duty. It was proposed to raise the duty
on chicory so as to equalise it with that on coffee.
He should propose to pass a resolution to that
offset at once. It was an anomaly that liquors sold
in clubs were sold without any license duty ; and
it was proposed that clubs should pay the same duty
on liquors as the keepers of hotels and coffee-
houses. (Great sensation.) It was intended that a
person who arrived at the possession of a beer
license through the medium of first taking
a spirit license should pay the same
duty as one who obtained it without that process.
He should give a license at a charge of 11. to
wholesale beer merchants to sell in quantities under
two dozen bottles, or 44 gallons of beer. Carriers
would be subjected to one-half the duty now paid
by stage-carriage proprietors. Railway companies
did not now pay any duty on excursion trains, while
they paid 5 per cent. on ordinary traffic ; and it was
proposed to do away with exemptions and to com-
mute the duty paid by railway companies to •
general charge of 34 per cent. The duty
on charitable legacies in Ireland would be
assimilated to that in England. He pro-
posed to do away with the exemption from
income tax of endowed charities, though it would
be continued so far as buildings and sites were con-
cerned. The income of voluntary societies would
not be in the least affected by the proposed change.
It was calculated that this change would produce
75,0001. on the revenue of the present year, which,
with other items, would be added to the surplus.
The question then arose, what was to be done
with that surplus ? The charge of a penny on
packages on goods inwards, which was imposed in
1861, and which had proved inconvenient, would
be dispensed with after the Ist July. With this