The Sun.
London, England, 1863-01-17 00:00:00

RAILWAY REVENUE LAST YEAR.

It will be interesting to recapitulate the course taken by
the railway revenue of the empire last year. The receipts
for each quarter were as follows, as compared with the cor-
responding periods of 1861:

1867. IF6I. luereabe. Docrofteo.
First quatter..£6,014,697..£6,237,004 .. .. £192,%07
Secondquarter 607,801.. 7,031,702 .. .. 43,811
Third quarter.. 8,068,984.. 7,60,661 .. £468,323 ..
Fourth quarter 7,0?6,710.. 6,82,658 .. 214,034 ..

T0ta1..£28,198,282 £27,752,023 £552,377 £236,118
A general advance was thus established of £445,259 for the
year. These returns do not include the earnings of a few
small lines, but they are sufficiently conclusive to enable a
general idea to be formed of the course of railway affairs
during the two years. The mileage to which the figures
refer was 10,084 miles, Jan. 4, 1862, as compared with 9,846
miles, Jan. 4, 1861; 10,145 miles, April 5, 1862, as com-
pared with 9911 miles, April 5, 1861; 10,274 miles, July 5,
1862, as compared with 9,951 miles, July 5, 1861; 10,485
miles, Oct. 4, 1862, as compared with 10,186 miles, Oct. 4,
1861; and 10,557 miles, Dec. 27, 1862, as compared with
10,186 miles, Dec. 27, 1861. It appears probable that, not-
withstanding this increase of mileage and productive power,
the aggregate receipts last year would have experienced a
diminution in consequence of the depression of trade if the
influence of the Exhibition had not supervened. The year
11 opened pretty well, an increase of £9,017 having been noted
in the week ending Jan. 4, of £6,490 in the week ending
Jan. 11, and £1,281 in the week ending Jan. 18. For the
next 13 weeks, however, there was a continuous decrease—
viz., £18,185, jam 25 , £24,281, Feb. 1; £16,614, Feb. 8;
£13,874, Feb. 15; £11,840, Feb. 22; £17,630, March 1;
£22,434, March 8; £11,485, March 15; £22,157, March 22;
£50,595, March 29 ; £34,160, Aprils; £29,73VApril 12; and
£2,5")1, April 19. The Exhibition was now close at hand, and
an increase of £6,770 took place in the week ending April 26,
In the next week, however, depression again became mas-
ter, and there was a reduction of £1,590. In the week end-
ing May 10 the balances again inclined the other way, and
an increase of £323 appeared. The Exhibition movement
had not yet commenced, and a decrease of £23,539 appeared
in the week ending May 17, of £56,951 in the week ending
May 24, and of £19,681 in the week ending May 31. At
last, however, the tido decisively turned, and increases were
recorded as under :—£45,525, June 7 ; £27,134, June 14 ;
£16,177, June 21; £37,444, June 28 ; £42,213, July 5 ;
£26,799, July 12; £25,220, July 19; £23,024, July 26;
£35,310, Aug. 2 ; £33,918, Aug. 9 ; £39,866, Aug. 16;
£36,260, Aug. 23; £39,258, Aug. 30; £49,264, Sept. 6 ;
, £14,771, Sept. 13 ; £36,793, Sept, 20 ; £35,619, Sept.
£15,286, Oct. 4; £26,489, Oct. 11; £16,116, Oct. 18; £954
°
Oct. 25 ; and £17,980, Nov. 1. The influence ofethbeeen
Exhi-
bition now ceased, and it might, perhaps, have
This, vex-
pected that the increase would have ceased
a
how-
ever, was not the case, an augmentationNofof. 22 ; £14,090,,443 appearing
Nov. 8 • £14,800, Nov. 15; £18,095,
' Nov. 29; £17,756, Dec. 6; and £12,719, Dec. 13. In the
exdecrease of £4,260, but the final week
nest
ftht week
yearethere was a
presented the satisfactory increase of £36,000.
Thus, in 18 wok of the year there was a decrease, and in
34 an increase. It is interesting to notice how steadily rail-
way receipts
rise as the year advances and more genial wea-
the Thus,
r encourages travelling,
--us, in the first week of Jan.,
1862, the amount acquired was £463,265 ; in the first week
of Feb,, £172,171; in the first week of March, £466 290 ; in
week o
the first week of April, £191,720; in the first 'f* May,
£529,860 ; in the first week of June £76 474 ; in the first
week of July, £579,332; and
in the
first week ofAugust,
£641,513. As the days began to shorten, so the receipts
began to decline, falling to £634,588 in the fist week of
Sept., £612,666 in the first week dOct , £559,960 in the first
week of Nov., and £515,030 in the first. week week of Dec.
It must lie admitted that the fluctuations indicated by the
returns represent pretty accurately the state of the country.
Thus, the reason why the figures for last autumn compared
favourably with those for the corresponding period of 1851
was that the depression caused by the American troubles had
ceased then to exert any comparative effect, being common
to both periods ; while in the spring of 1861 it was little felt,
and the traffic statements for the spring of 1862 consequently
did not constrast well with their predecessors. It is satis-
factory to note that, notwithstanding the continued inter-
rOption in the ordinary courses of industry, the now year
his opened well. The absence of the Exhibition stimulus
this year cannot but tell upon the receipts of 1863, but if
the American complications could be adjusted all would
go well,
•