The Sun.
London, England, 1863-02-13 00:00:00

HER MAJESTY.

WINDSOR CASTLE, Feb. 12.
The Queen, accompanied by her Royal Highness
Princess Louis of Hesse, drove in the Home Park
this morning.
His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, at-
tended by Lieutenant-General Knollys and Major
Teesdale, went to London, and returned in the
afternoon.

The Marchioness of Salisbury has issued cards
for assemblies on Thursday, the 19th instant, and on Wed-
nesday', the 25th instant, at the family mansion in Arling-

on-street.

The Earl of Dartmouth leaves town to-day to
join her ladyship and family at Patshull, Shropshire.
Viscountess Palmerston has issued earth for
assemblies on SE, turby next and on Saturday, the 21st
instant, at Cambridge House.
Viscount and Viscountess Enfield have arrived
at their residence in Charles-street, Berkeley-square, from
a tour of visits.

Lord and Lady Stanley of Alderley entertained
at dinner on Wednesday evening, at their residence in
Dover-street, the Earl and Countess Grey, the Earl and
Countess of Airlie, Lord and Lady Wodehouse, Lord Chief
Justice Cockburn, Mr. Oliphant, &c.

Lord and Lady E bury are expected in town early
next week from Moor Park, Herts.

Sir Edward and Lidy Caroline Kerrison have
arrived at their res deuce in Piccadilly from Brome Hall,
Norfolk.

The Right Hon. Benjamin Disraeli, M.P., has
issued cards for Parliamentary dinners on Saturday next
and Wednesday, the 18th instant, at his residence, Gros-
venor-gate.

TESTIMONIAL TO 111 R. G. W. MARTIN.

We Lave much pleasure in recording that a handsome
and well-merited testimonial was pre-ented to Mr. G. W.
Martin on Monday evening, at the Hanover. square Rooms,
by the members and patrons of the National Choral Society,
over whose concerts he so ably presides. The offering was
two-fold, and consisted of a well-executed bust of Mr. G.
W. Martin, and a purse containing 100 guineas. The pre-
sentation was prefaced by the following speech from Mr.
Oliver, hon. secretary to the testimonial committee :--

" We have met together this evening to give expression
to our great respect for you, my dear sir, in testimony of
your private excellence as regards your uniform courtesy
and kindness manifested to those who have the honour of
knowing you. As a composer of English music we need
not say one word, because your compositions speak for
themselves ; and the musical public are greatly indebted to
you fcr having opportunities of hearing the magnificent
productions of Handel, Mendelssohn, and other composers
at a moderate cost. But this meeting is specially convened
by the members of the National Choral Society for the pur-
pose of requesting your acceptance of a purse of gold con-
taining 100 guineas, with a bust of yourself, subscribed for
by the members of the National Choral Society."
Mr. MARTIN, in returning thanks, remarked upon the
progress the society had made since its commencement, and
the good it had achieved amongst the working classes by
providing concerts of a superior character, at a moderate
cost, within the reach of all.
In addition to the presentation by the members of the
National Choral Society, a deputation from the pupils of the
Blind School, St. George's Fields (a number of whom, as
well as the inmates from other blind asylums in London,
are always invited by Mr. Martin to the performances of
the Society), presented him with the following letter, ac-
companied by a very splendid tug, containing 14,450
stitches, worked expressly for this occasion by the pupils :
" School for the Blind, Southwark, Feb. 9, 1863.

" Respected Sir,—To those deprived of sight music in-
deed hath charms; and in affording us the opportunity of
realising this enjoyment, we believe it has been gratitying
to you. We beg to tender our best thanks for kindly
allowing us to participate in the performances of the Na-
tional Choral Society at Exeter Hall, and request that you
will please accept the accompanying rug, made by the
blind, as a trifling acknowledgment of the same.—With
the best wishes for the success of your Society, we remain,
yours respectfully,
_ _

" THE PUPILS OF THE SCHOOL.

" G. W. Martin, Esq."

PUBLIC REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE.

A return ordered by the House of Commons on the 6th of
July last, containing an account of the whole public in-
come and expenditure for the two years 1861 and 1862, has
just been printed. By the aid of this document it is pos-
sible to trace and compare the am unts expended under
every head, and discover the items on which there has been
an increase or diminution of the figures. The account of
the revenue is comps eased into one page, but that of the ex-
penditure occupies a dozen, the sources of income being
much fewer than the channels through which it is carried
away and dispersed. Both sides of the account for both
years are made up to the 31st of March. Beginning with
the gross revenue of the country, the return shows that on
each of the two years there was a considerable deficit,
though in 186 it was something less than in 1861. The
excess of expenditure over income in 1861 was no less than
£2,474,670; in 1862 it was £2,250,929. The difference in
favour of 1862 was £223,743. The total revenue for 1861
was £70,569,998; that of 1862 showed a diminution, being
£69,900,857.. Among the items of the gross income on
which was an increase are the spirit duties, the duties on
sugar and tea, though the favourable difference in 1862 was
not very important in amount, being less than £ 133,000. In
the revenue derived from the duties on malt, hops, and wine
there was a decrease, principally on the article of hops. The
very slight duty levied on the imports of corn amounted in
1862 to an aggregate sum of £800,896. In the previous year
it was something more, having been £868,526. The largest
hole in the revenue of 1862 was made by the removal of the
excise duty on paper. The Exchequer lost £1,000,000
on that year by the change, the amount of revenue from
that article standing at £349,269, instead of the greater sum
of £1,342,186 received before the abolition. The different
items on which increased consumption or importation pro-
duced an increase in the revenue from them in 1862 did not
make up for the loss of the paper duty, nor was it expected
they would do so. One of the most important sources of
revenue remained almost at the same amount in both years.
The duties on t ibacco and snuff produced £5,606,488 in
1861, and £5,596,211 in 1862. The difference is remarkably
small on such a large total, but it such a shade of variation
can be taken into account at all, it indicates that the legal
importation of tobacco was not increasing. As there is no
evidence of decreased consumption, there is probably a con-
traband supp'y to be accounted for. The stamp duties, an-
other of the great sources of revenue, the produce of which
is reckoned in millions, showed a decided increase. They
amounted to £8,368,869 in 1861, the succeeding year they
rose to £8,590,654. On the other hand the assessed and
land taxes moved in !he opposite direction, and decreased in
the amount paid by £lO,OOO. In the tax of all taxes, the
greatest contribution to the national revenue, the
duty on income and property, the movement was the same
way, towards a decrease. It produced in 1861 the sum of
£10,957,061, against £10,471,208 in 1862. The Post- office
revenue in the same period was increasing, and shows a
difference on the right side of £140,000. The gross amount
in 1862 was £3,552,096. The Crown lands also brought in
£5,000 more in 1862 than in the previous year. The sum
derived from them was £417,408.
Of the 70 millions of the revenue more than one-third is
disposed of by the interest of the national debt, a charge not
liable to any important variation. It was less by £89,412 in
1862 than in the year betore. But the difference is very
slight on such a sum as £26,142,606. The armed force of
the country is the next great channel of expehditure. The
army in 1862 absorbed £15,570,869, an increase of £399,000
over its cost in the previous year. The navy requirea
512,
598,04'2 in the same period, or £733,626 less than iu
1861. Together they account for more than £28,000,000 of
the public expenditure. The naval and military operations
in China figure in both years of this return. In 1801 they
drew from the Exchequer £3,013,896 ; and in 1862 a further
sum of £1,230,000, The votes of money for fortifications tell
rather heavi yin the accounts of last year. They rose sud-
den y from £50,000 in 1861 to £970,000 in 1862. And we
have nut yet cleared off the score of the war in the Crimea,
which appears in the return of last year as requiring a sum
of £53,431, to discharge some " extraordinary expenses"
connected with it. There are small variations, both of re-
duction and increase, dispersed through an immense num-
ber of items, but when the gross sum they absorb is reckoned
up the difference between one year and another is scarcely
worth noting. Thus, the expenses of the 27 departments
and offices of the Civil Government show an increase in the
charges for the Treasury, a decrease on the Home Depart-
ment, a greater decrease on the Foreign-office, an increase
for the Privy Council-office and the Board of Trade. But
in the total charge for the whole number of Departments
the difference is only £1,968 between the two years of the
return. The amount voted for them was £716,496 in 1861,
and £714,528 iu 1862. There is a more reparkable varia
tion in one item, which shows a great and sudden increase.
The convict establishments abroad, which required only
£1 4,238 in 1861, in the following year received no less than
£222,590. Under some heads, as that of hereditary pen-
sions, the amounts are stationary, and time does not seem
to affect others as much as might be expected. The ser •
vants of their late Majesties King George 111., Queen
Charlotte, and Queen Caroline, still appear as the recipients
of pensions to the amount of £2,621. On what branches of
expenditure reductions can be made is always a matter fur
careful consideration. In most of them it requires constant
vigilance to prevent an increase, and in some an increase is
keeps peace with the progress of the
unavoidable, as it only
uatiGn.