The Sun.
London, England, 1863-03-05 00:00:00

The French Supplementary Credits.

The following are extracts from the report of Al'
Segris on the supplementary credits of 1862, just
distributed to the members of I he Legislative Body
"An important event—the expedition to Mexico—fr,ok
place after the vote of the financial law regulating Ile gene-
ral budget of receipts and expenses of 1862. PL is in conse-
quence of that fact that the bill on the supplementary credits
of 1862 was presented to the Chamber on May 5, 1862. The
supplementary credits necessary for the services, both ordi-
nary and extraordinary,comprised in the rectificatory budget,
were fixed by the Chamber at 178,371,382 fr., with the pre-
visions of resources recognised as sufficient to secure the
equilibrium, In the amount of those supplementary
credits, the Ministry of War was comprised for a sum Of
43,512,190 f. ; that of the Marine for 67,690,816 f, caused in
part by the extraordinary armaments imposed on them by
the Mexican expedition. The expeditionary corps at that
time only amounted to 5,225 men and 865 horses. A cir•
cumstance quite unforeseen rendered necessary, even before
the rectificatory budget was voted, the opening of fresh
credits to those two Ministries.

The report then briefly recapitulates the circum-
stances connected with the disruption of the alliance
between France, England, and Spain, which event,
the document states, caused the French Government

to decide on going on alone, and led to the presen-
tation of a bill for 15 millions, voted d'urgence on
the 23d June, 1862. But the expenses went on in-
creasing es fresh reinforcements were called for,
and other credits became urgent. The report goes
on to say :
" It is in consequence of that situation that there was
submitted to us a bill which opens, on the estimates of 1862,
credits amounting 38,046,452 f., intended to complete those
already opened by the finance law of June 28, 1861, and by
other laws already mentioned. That sum of 38,046,452 f. is
applicable to the wants of five Ministries, and is divided
between them in the following manner :—Ministry of Jus-
tice, 300,000 f. ; Interior, 710,000 f. ; Finance, 11,382,000 f, ;
War, 8,020,000 f.; Marine, 17,033,161 f."

After observations of some length on the propriety
of avoiding additional expenses and of meeting
them when by chance they arise by means of trans-
fers, the report says :

" The task of the committee would have been terminated,
if it had not been obliged to examine as to what influence
those new supplementary credits will exercise on the aggre-
gate of the Budget of 1862, and on its final zettletnent. It
results from the documents which have been laid before us
at our request that,taking into account some new supplemen-
tary credits, those opened by laws for 1862 will amount to
the total sum of 234,832,999 fr., and that if, after deducting
probable annulments and credits remaining or to remain free,
the surplus of receipts of the primitive budget, such as they
were regulated by the law of June 28,1861, and all the produce
of the new taxes obtained in the last six months of 1862, be
added up, the probable surplus of expenses will amount to
24,925,909 f. If, by giving a. retrospective glance, a judg-
ment is formed of the successive developments of the Bud-
get of 1862, it will be seen that it had been at first settled
with a surplus of receipts of more than 4,000,000 f. , that at
the moment of the vote of the rectificatory budget and of the
special credits of 15,000,000 f, for the Mexican expedition in
June, 1852, the equilibrium appeared to be secured ; that
the same hopes still existed in October last, to end at
length, in presence of new supplementarycredits, comprised
in the bill which is submitted to your examination, in a
deficit of more than 34,000,000 francs, which our floating
debt can assuredly support. To what cause is such
a result to be imputed ? Certainly, your committees
on the Budget have not been wanting in either
patriotism or foresight in properly supplying the different
services; the new financial regime does not the less
remain a considerable progress on the former one ; it is,
therefore, not less necessary to follow up with perseverance
the task so nobly undertaken by the Minister of Finance to
restore our credit and to inaugurate a system the first word
of which was, No more deficits I Is it not, in fact, manifest
that the Budget of 1862 would have realised all our
hopes, and that it would have been balanced by a consider-
able surplus of receipts, if it had been placed under normal
conditions ? It has however found itself in presence of
one of t hose facts of war to which, as regards expenses,
no human foresight can calculate either the limit or
the extent, and which disarrange the best com •
bined financial systems. It has been necessary to
provide for the requirements of an expedition carried
on at a distance of 2,000 leagues from France; necessities
which have successively developed themselves under the
influence of circumstances assuredly most unexpected, and
the expense of which, chargeable on the budget of ]862, do
not amount to less than 83,000,0001 r. Every one can ima-
gine what power our finances will recover on the day, ire-
patiently looked for, when France shall hail the return and
the glory of her soldiers, to afterwards devote all her re-
sources and all her force to develop, by works of peace, the
era of prosperity opened for her by the Emperor's Govern-
ment."

The report terminates by declaring that the com-
mittee proposes the adoption of the bill with a re-
duction consented to by the Council of State of a
sum of 60,000 fr. in the credit of the Ministry of
Justice.

Banquet to Rear-Admiral Sir James Hope.

The members of the United Service Club gave a
splendid entertainment last evening at their noble
clubhouse in Pali-mall, to Rear-Admiral Sir James
Hope, K.C.8., late commander-in-chief on the East
Indies and China station, on his return home from
China, and in compliment to his eminent services
while in that naval command. Field-Marshal his
Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, K.G.,
kindly consented to preside on the occasion, and Vis-
count Palmerston likewise accepted an invitation
to dine with the gallant company. The banquet,
which was of a sumptuous description, was served
up in the coffee-room, and covers were laid for 124
persons. His Royal Highness the Duke of Cam-
bridge, attended by Col. Clifton, arrived early and
joined the company in the library. Viscount Pal-
merston did not reach the club until late, so that
the dinner was not announced till after eight, when
the members and friends descended to the banquet-
ing-room. The D ake of Cambridge presided, Admiral
Sir J. Hope on the right, and Viscount Palmerston on
the left, supporting his royal highness. The Duke of
Somerset,First Lord of the Admiralty, Sir H. Parkes,
Commander Douglas, R.N., Hon. F. A. Kinnaird,
M.P., and Mr,Ashby, naval secretary to Sir J. Hope,
were visitors on the occasion, Major-General A.
Anderson, Lieut.-General E. Gascoigne, Captai❑
George S. Hands, R.N., Vice-Admiral R. H. Man-
ners, Captain John Seccombe, R.N., and Captain
Sir W. S. Wiseman, R.N., discharged the duties of
vice-presidents at the different tables. The
following were amongst the members of the club
why were present at the entertainment :—Lieu-
tenant-Colonel George G. Alexander, Field Mar-
shal Lord Clyde, Rear-Admiral Lord Clarence
Paget, Vice-Admiral Sir Michael Soymour, Captain
B. J. Sulivan, R.N., Lieut.-General the Hon. Sir
James Yorke Scarlett, Lieut.-General Sir F. Smith,
the Earl of Selkirk, Vice-Admiral the Earl of
Shrewsbury and Talbot,- and Rear-Admiral the
Marquis of Townshend. After dessert was com-
menced, the Duke of Cambridge proposed " The
Queen," followed by " His Royal Highness the
Prince of Wales and the Royal Family." His Royal
Highness after these loyal toasts gave "The Navy
and the Army" and other toasts. Admiral Sir Jas.
Hope, the Duke of Somerset, Lord Palmerston,
&c., were among the speakers.

DEATH OF MR. F. CALCUTT, M.P. FOR CLARE.—
The Dublin Freeman announces the decease of this gentle-
man at his residence at St. Catherines, county Clare. He
had been in a bad state of health for somo time past.

It is said that Victor Emmanuel will commence
his tour through Italy next month. He intends to visit
Bologna and Florence, in company with the Prince Royal,
and afterwards stop a month at Naples.

A story is told concerning the late Mr. Douglas
Jerrold, which may serve to illustrate the reason
why Robert Browning, confessedly one of the most power-
ful poets of the day, is by common consent the least popular,
Worn out and wearied by the incessant labours of jour-
nalism, Jerrold had taken a holiday ; and was resting on
his sofa one day, when a packet of books was brought to
him. Listlessly opening the first that came to hand, he
commenced its perusal. His wife, who sat opposite, saw an
expression of wonder and bewilderment stealing over hi,
face. The plain fact was that Jerrold could not in the least
understand what he was reading. A man who lives by his
brain is naturally apt to be somewhat nervous as to its
health ; and the sudden terror startled Jerrold that hie own
was radically diseased. Impatiently he passed the volume
to his wife, and asked her what she thought of it. She
read for an instant or two, the keen eyes of her husband
watching her intently all the while, and sho exclaimed :
" Why, my dear, I can't understand a word of it 1" "Then
I'm not mad 1" cried Jerrold in delight. The obscurity
was not in his own intellect; it was in the book itself.—
The Critic.

The two men in custody on a charge of haring
been concerned in the daring robbery at the Bank of Man-
chester were, yesterday, committed for trial,
VICTOR HUGO ON CAPITAL PUNISIIMENT.—In
recent letter to a Belgian association for the aboli-
tion of capital punishment, VietOr Hugo says :—" The
abolition of the punishment of death is henceforth certain
in all civilised countries. The inviolability of man is the
starting point of every principle ; it will be an honour to
the nineteenth century to transform this philosophical
truth into a social reality, and to wipe away the stain of
blood frOUI the august sorehead of