The Sun.
London, England, 1852-07-06 00:00:00

THE QUARTEIt'S REVENUE.

The Revenue returns for the financial year and
quarter ending the sth July instant, are of a very
satisfactory character, affording the most conclusive
evidence of the general welfare and prosperity. It is
true that there la a falling off in the ordinary sources
of revenue, both on the year and quarter, but these
are
immediately explained\ by the reductions that
have already taken place in the stamp duties and the
taxes on light and air, while the alterations in those
on sugar and timber have produced no perceptible
effect, or at least have not led to any diminution in
the Customs' receipts. We may reasonably anticipate,
too that these favourable indications will be continued
for some time. Thanks to the gold discoveries in
California and AuatraliP, we have at length a circu-
lating medium adequate to the wants and exigencies
of the country. The industrial machine is therefore
continued in motion. Men able and willing to work
are tolerably certain of obtaining employment at fair
themselves and families the humble comforts which
shouldalway
wages, and being through it enabled to provide for
sbe within their reach. And as, after
all, the working man is the chief contributor to the
national exchequer, whenever he is well off and in
constant remunerative occupation, the effects become
speedily perceptible in the increased produce of the
national taxation.

In the Customs we find that there is an improve-
ment on the year and quarter—on the former of
296,7021., and on the latter of 183,946/., and this
notwithstanding the reductions on the sugar and tim-
ber duties, already referred to.

There has also been a smaller quantity of corn im-
ported, in consequence of the abundant harvest of last
whichnearly supplied the home markets with
produce. The improvement on the other
tyr
items
he ea mh,
oe
is,therefore, the more remarkable, and a new
illustration is afforded of the almost miraculous elan.
ticity of the national resources.

In the Excise there is a diminution on the year of
13 2051., but an increase on the quarter of 23,7061.
The former may partly be accounted for by the fact
that large arrears of hop duties were collected in the
former year which could not fairly be considered as
parts of the ordinary annual revenue. There is,
however, nothing to abate the gratification which
arises at the improvement on the quarter, of what
has been most justly termed " the index to the
prosperity of the working classes,"—an improvement
the more remarkable when we consider that the cor-
responding quarter of last year included the two fiat
months of the Exhibition, and the month preceding
that event, when the greatest activity was required for
the necessary preparations.
In Stamps there has been a decrease on the year of
37)3894, but an increase on the quarter of 101,3341.
It must be borne in mind that after the Stamp Act of
1850 received the Royal assent, the several distri-
buters suffered their stocks to run ;very low in order
to take full advantage of the remission. The conse-
quence was that the quarters ending the 10th October,
1850, and the sth January, MI, were exceedingly
productive. There must have been great activity in
trade and commerce to account for the very large
improvement on the last quarter.
In the Assessed Taxes there is of course a large
falling
the subititution of the house-duty for the window-
of} on both periods. It was estimated that
tax would occasion a loss to the revenue of two-
thirds of the receipts, or, in round numbers, about
1,200,000/,
accurate., as We find the falling off on the year to be
1,172,9791. This estimate proved more than usually
1 While that on the quarter—which, how_
ever, in this instance, may be regarded as the
half.
year—is 541,524/. It will thus be seen that the
compensating
we have no principle
is already in operation, and
doubt that when the houses now building
are assessed to the duty, the loss will be very consi-
siderably reduced.
In the Property.tax, there is an improvement on
the year of
for Mlle time past we bve had toDetect ststeady
10,48 a. This is the more satisfactory, as