The Sun.
London, England, 1855-01-06 00:00:00

The Revenue Returns for the financial year
quarter, and three-quarters, are once more before
us. The latter, as we have already stated, is a
new, it may also be described as a varying, fea-
ture. It dates from the sth of April, the com-
mencement of the financial term at which fiscal
changes generally,, although not invariably, come
into operation. It is the time at which the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer usually issues his principal
Budget, and from which a strict comparison may
enable close observers to discover the tendency and
effect of the fiscal operations during the Parlia-
mentary Session. Thus at the termination of the
last quarter comparison was taken for the half-
year; now it is for nine months, or three quarters,
that being the time which has elapsed since the
sth April. Next quarter, the year being termi-
nated, this element will altogether vanish from the
return. It might be an improvement to show
on every occasion the comparison of the corre
sponding half-years, as well as of the years and
quarters. Under the present alteration we shall
only have the half-year once, namely, on the 10th
October, and the three-quarters once, viz., on the
sth January. For in July the quarter's, and in
April the year's, return will give all that is promised
We are satisfied that in directing Mr. GLADSTONE'S
attention to this matter we are doing all that is
necessary. Widely as we may differ from him in other
respects, we have always rendered him justice in
reference to the great ameliorations which he has
introduced into the national bookkeeping, anti his
desire to get rid of the "mystification" that pre-
vailed to so great an extent as to prevent all but
" the enlightened few" from being misled by the
apparently simple returns, which, like " juggling
fiends," kept " the word of promise to the ear,"
only "to break it to the hope." The fact that it is a
complete document, comprising the whole United
Kingdom, and not keeping Ireland in the back-
ground, is another beneficial alteration, for which
the Right Honourable Gentleman is entitled to
the thanks and gratitude of the community. The
result of Mr. GLADSTONE'S exertions is, that we
now have a national balance-sheet on which re-
liance can be placed, and it certainly affords some
proof of his own conviction in the efficacy of his
measures, that he affords the people, or at least
those who will take the trouble of searching for
themselves, the opportunity of discovering whe-
ther there really is anything wrong, and of ex-
posing the error to the community.
We must now direct attention to the state of
affairs disclosed by this very interesting and im-
portant array of figures—which affords the beat
and most authentic view of the financial con-
dition of the country—for whatever glossing
over, whatever disguise there may be on other
points, there can be no " gammon" in the state-
ment of the sums actually received, and for
which the parties making the returns are charge-
able. We find that the net increase on
the year is 2,291,3561., on the three-quarters
1,928,3161., and on the quarter 1,440,5671.
This would appear very handsome to a superficial
observer, who was satisfied to. look to the returns
merely without reference to the anticipations that
had been indulged in ; but when we consider that
we have had not merely a doubled but an extended
Income Tax, comprising all persons receiving one
hundred pounds per annum within its grasp_
that we have had a large addition to the Malt
Tax, and the Duties on Sugar and Spirits, we must
reluctantly confess that if the Ministerial organs
are satisfied, and find topics for congratulating
the community, we cannot do so. On the con-
trary, we must regard these figures as supplying
conclusive and unquestionable evidence of the
imprudence of bearing too heavily on the present
generation for the sake of posterity—of withhold-
ing " the straw," in the shape of a circulating
medium adequate to the wants and exigencies of
the country ; and still requiring the full or rather
an extended " tale of bricks."
Having thus stated the general results, we shall
now look to the particular items. First in import-
ance comes the Customs—partially indicating the
amount of our foreign trade, and the extent of our
transactions with other nations. It has shown a
gradual improvement ; for while the deficiency on
the year has been 125,0211., and that of the
three-quarters 75,6551., the increase on the
quarter has been no less than 584,072/. This
greatameli oration has been mainlyproduced bysugar,
the corn of the tropics, which has given 440,000/.
more than in the corresponding- quarter of last
year. Thanks to our magnificent harvest,
there has been a diminished importation
of corn to the extent of about one million
of quarters, representing 50,0001. sterling
in the returns. There has been a loss on tea, but
only to the extent of 100,0001., or thereabouts,
the same being far more than compensated for
by the increase under other heads, such as fruits,
spirits, and tobacco.

In the Excise there has been an increase on
every point, on the year of 792,1201., on the
three-quarters of 866,2941., and cn the quarter
of 602,9521. We must, however, remember,
the large increase in the duties on Scotch and
Irish spirits, and on malt ; the former giving
more than 500,000/., the latter about 150,0001.
According to the anticipations of Mr. GLADSTONE
they ought to have produced far more, malt particu-
larly ; and even that is deteriorated by a drawback
of
7°'°°°/*on l'oPs.
points out the An incident that forcibly
disadvantages of increased inaposts,
and the probability of the Financial Minister
finding "a Roland for his ment which he Oliver" in every move-
makes in that direction.
In Stamps, too, everything is apparently
deur de rose. The increase on the year is
102,5901., on the three-quarters 121,137/., and
on the quarter 79,439/. For this we may thank
the Legacy and Succession duties—which :ought,
however, to have realised more—and the really
Ijudicious and politic attractions in the si amps ou
bills of exchange, and the general penny re-
ceipt stamp. What has already taken place
in bill stamps seems to point to the propriety of
a further advance in the direction which,. has al-
ready been so auspiciously entered on.

The Taxes enter on the opposite side of the
/
ledger. There is a decrease on each of thq) three
periods of 113,3201., 201,1531., and 114,0581.
respectively. The Property Tax, on the other
hand, shows decided improvements, of 1,867,8531.
on the year, 1,338,'722/. on the three-quarters,
and 483,9321 on the quarter. But let any per-
30a look to any of Mr. GLADSTONE'S financial