Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-10-01 00:00:00

THE REVENUE.

The accounts to be made up this evening will show a
falling off in most of the principal sources of revenue as
compared with the corresponding quarter of last year
Nevertheless, when we take into account the large reduc-
tions of taxation which came into extensive operation in
the intervening period, the forthcoming returns will exhibit
no diminution of the productive buoyancy in our national
resources, which for some years past it has been our agree-
able and unvarying duty to record. We proceed to anti_
cipate the principal features of the accounts, which will
be published in a more formal and accurate manner to-
morrow.

For the quarter, the Customs department will show a
net decrease of about £500,000 as aompared with the
quarter ending this day twelve months. This is about the
amount whicti m;ght have been calculated upon, in
consequence of the reduction of duties upon coffee, tea,
and sugar. The falling off principally arises from the
last-named article, with respect to which the diminished
consumption, caused by high prices, has probably not been
without its influence upon the revenue.
In the Excise the decrease on the quarter will not
exceed £150,000, or thereabouts. In the malt tax alone
the deficiency anticipated was about £1,000,000, and the
actual falling off will be about £BlO,OOO, but the increased
consumption of malt and spirits, and a heavy receipt on
account of hop duty, which, properly speaking, ought to
belong to a previous quarter, compensate for the falling
off to an extent which makes the total decrease in the
Excise not more than the sum we have mentioned.
Under the head of Stamps we believe there will be found
little or no variation in the receipts of the present as
compared with previous quarters. The change, if any, is
likely to occur in the shape of increase, owing, no doubt, to
the gradual expansion of the receipts from the legacy and
succession duties.

The Property Tax returns will exhibit a deficiency on
the quarter of about £400,000. This, we nee. not say,
altogether arises from the reduction of the tax from 161
to 7d. in the pound. It may be well to remark, however,
that this decrease occurs under the head of dividends and
official salaries only. The receipts from all other sources
of income upon which the tax is not so promptly paid
continue at the increased rate prevailing up to the let of
April. The great diminution of revenue in this tax may
be expected to bs felt in the accounts for the quarter which
commences to-morrow.

In the Post Office we may anticipate an increase of
about £85,000, altogether owing to the progressive activity
and consequent productiveness of the department.
Crown lands, which may be regarded as a fixed charge,
show no variation worthy of remark.
Under the head of Miscellaneous there will be fonnd an
increase of something like £120,000, a casual increment
attributable to the sale of old stores after the conclusion
of the Russian war.

The net decrease on the quarter will be about £900,000
an amount considerably under that which was anticipated.
The revenue for the year will exhibit a decrease, but
one much slighter than that of the quarter. This cir-
cumstance is at once accounted for by the fact that many
of the reductions in taxations did not actually come into
full play until late in the year. Even in the present
returns we continue to feel the benefits of the war income
in the shape of the Property Tax.
The Customs for the year will, in all likelihood, exhibit
a small increase. Not withstanding the loss of revenue
caused by the reduction of the duties of tea, sugar, and
coffee, which msy be estimated at about £500,000, we
find the increased consumption of corn, currants, tobacco,
wine, timber, and other articles more than sufficient to
make up for the falling off.
In the Excise the decrease for the year be will not far
from £340,000. The loss on malt would be about
£1,200,000, but it is counterbalanced to a considerable
extent by the increased receipts under other heads—prin-
cipally spirits, hops, and piper
In Stamps the year will show an increase of about
£200,000, to be ascribed to the improved working of the
Legicy and Succession Duties.

As regards Taxes, there will scarcely be any variation,
there being no legis ative reason to affect this source of
revenue.

The decrease on the Property Tax for the year, will not
be more than about £lBO,OOO The smallness of the falling
off is to be attributed to the continuance of payments at
the war rate of 161.

The Post Office will show a increase of about £160,000
on the year, while Crown Lands and Miscellaneous, will
exhibit scarcely any change.
The total net decrease on the year may be let down as
about £200,000.

As regat;ds the generally favourable character of the
returns, we shall only say, that in, we believe, every single
instance, the receipts have exceeded the official estimates,
framed at the time of reducing the various duties existing
at the time of the war.—Cilobe.