The Sun.
London, England, 1854-10-11 00:00:00

A REMARKABLE "PROPHECY."

The public journals having lately announced the reli-
gious exactness with which the Emperor of the French,
Napoleon 111., is dispensing the bequests of Napoleon I.
to his old soldiers, and other legatees, this seems a suit-
able occasion for recording a passage which I met with
lately, containing a prophecy which, standing above
All suspicion of havim.T been made for the occasion,
appears to me to be perhaps as singular a coincidence of
anticipation with event as history furnishes.
The London Magazine for January, 1823, in the "Ab-
stract of Foreign and Domestic Occurrences," records
the death of Letitia Bonaparte, commonly called " Ma-
dame Mere," with the remark that—" Her last words
were singular, and, asit is not impossible that they may
one day turn out prophetic, we give them a place in our
record fur more purposes than mere amusement.
The narrative then goes on to state that the evening
before her death she called together her household, and
one after another gave them her hand to 'kiss ; and
among the rest—" To Martha Belgrade, her waiting
maid, she said—' Go to Jerome, he will take care of
thee ; when my grandson is Emperor of France, he will
make thee a great woman.' "
She then called Colonel Darley to her bedside. He
had attended her in all her fortunes, and, in Napoleon's
will was assigned to have a donation of 14,0001. "`You,'
said she, have been a good friend to me and my family.
I have left you what will make you happy. Never for-
get my grand-son. And what he and you may arrive
at is beyond my discerning—but 3ou will, both be
great.' "
When she had dismissed her servants, sbe then de-
clared that she had done with this world, and demanded
some water, in which she washed her hands :
" Her attendants found her dead, with her hand under
her head, and a prayer-book on her breast."
So far a narrative to which events have given a cha-
racter of mysterious significance. It would be desirable
to ascertain if any of the parties indicated in it, besides
Napoleon 111., still survive ; and one would like to
know if their faith in the prediction stood the shocks
of the last 30 years : for Losis Napoleon himself, it is
well known that, through all the improbabilities of
the case—through the ludicrous failure at Boulogne—
the desperate attempt at Strasburg—and the' dreary
captivity of Ham—he always held, and avowed his
own belief, that he had a yet unfulfilled mission to ac-
complish.—From "Notes arid Queries."

PRICE or GoLD.—The quotation of gold at Paris is
about 3 per mule discount (according to the last tariff),
which, at the English Mint price of Si. 17s. 101 d per
ounce for standard gold, gives an exchange of 25.091 ;
and, the exchange at Paris. on London at short being
25 081, it follows that gold is about 0.04 per cent. dearer
in Paris than in London. By advices from Hamburg,
the price of gold is 4241 per mark, which, at the English
Mint price of 3/. 17s. 101 d. per ounce for standard gold,
gives an exchange of 13.48 ; and, the exchange at Ham-
burg on London at short being 13.41. it follows that
gold is 0.06 p i
leer cent. dearer in London than in Ham-
burg. The course of exchange at New York on London
for bills at GO days' sight is 110 per cent., and, the par
of Exchange between England and America being
109 23-40 per cent., it follows that the exchange is nomi-
nally 0.42 per cent. in favour of England ; and, after
making allowance for charges of transport and difference
ofinterest, the present rate leaves a profit on the impor-
tation of gold from the United States.
[A.DvERTISE3IENT.]—The Era of Saturday next, with
a Gratuit.nis Supplement of Sixteen Columns, will con-
tain all the Gazette Is'xtraordinary of the Glorious Battle
of the Alma, Letter from an Eve-Witness, Admiralty
Despatches, List of Killed and 'Wounded, Storming of
SelYistopol, and all Latest News from the Seat of War
—The Qoarter's Revenue—A Word for Innkeepers and
Hotels—lmportaut Meeting agatust the Obnoxious Sun-
day Beer Bill —Theatricals, Literature, and Music—
Winners for Warwick Races, by "Touchstone," who,
in !ILA week's Era, prophesied the first and third horse
f;;;ocr,cCo.e,sla(r)eccrt,i)tic,:l ,1r tTafz,keetisn;_or,N ll Racing, ort of
Cricket.Newmarket A cp.ltic,,iginal Report
of. all newsagents; or
ai:tt ,p(driti4 file
Ocardtehrerme.
street, Strand.
Nseondexsitxrapcohstaia-ggee, tparr epe Gtdo.T,

TIIE IVATIONAL BALANCE-S,ELEAT.

From the Daily News.

We are now in possession of the Revenue Returns
for the quarter and the year ending yesterday, the
10th of October. The document itself is given in
another column, and fully confirms the anticipatory
statement we made on the 27th ult. The details, in
fact, show even more vigorous life in the national
resources than we had reason to hope for.
The Revenue for the quarter shows a net increase
of 550,188/. ; and for the year, 16,5801. The increase
in the Quarter is made up of Excise, 354,9121. ;
Stamps, 12,0961. ; Property tax, 569,6861. ; Post-office,
109,000 ; Crown lands, 11,5721. ; total, 1,056,2661.
Against this we have to set off a decrease in the Customs
of 140,1071. ; in the Taxes, of 12,5391. ; in Miscellane-
ous, of 20,7411. ; of Imprest and other Moneys,
15,5431. ; of Repayments of Advances, 307,1481. ;
total, 506,078/. ; leaving a net increase of 550,1881. in
the quarter.
In the Year the increase in the Excise is 128,1631.
in the Property-tax, 1.351,2411. ; in the Post-office,
999,0001. ; in the Imprest and other monies, 25,423/. ;
total, 1,803,8271. Against this we must set oft the
decrease, in the Customs, 839,255/. ; in the Stamps,
68,1481. ; in the Taxes, 16,4451. ; in Crown Lauds,
131,3161. ; Miscellaneous, 36,143/. ; Re-payments of
Advance, 695.9401. ; total, 1,787,247/. ; leaving a net
increase of 16,5801. in the year.
Both .on the quarter and on the year it will be
noticed that there is a great decrease in the repay-
ments of advances, deducting which, and deducting
the imprest monies, the total increase of the ordi-
nary revenue was in the quarter 872,8791., and in the
year, •687,097/. It will also be seen that the principal
increase in the quarter and in the year is in the
Excise, in the Property Tax, and the Post-office, and
the principal decrease is in the Customs. Our readers
will recollect thrt in 1853 the Property Tax was ex-
tended ; in 1854 the rate was raised, but none of the
produce of the increased rate, which only begins to be
due now, comes into the present returns, and the great
sum of 1,351,2411., the increase in the year, is wholly
the result of the extension of the tax in 1853 and of the
Succession Tax then imposed, It was estimated to
yield 750,0001., and the produce therefore exceeds ex-
pectation
As to the increase in the excise, the new spirit duties
were in full operation in the quarters both of 1553 and
1854, and all other duties were in both alike. The in-
crease in the year and the quarter of the cise revenue is
a gratifying proof of the increasing power of consump•
tion on the part of the people. The Post-office, ofwbich
the service has been continually extended, and which
has become more expensive, and of which the servants
have been better paid, bears the same testimony. There
is no part of the revenue the increase of which is a surer
sign of the activity and of the enjoyments of the people.
`The only diminution of income is—as we have seen—
in the Customs. The reduction of 4d. per lb. on tea opera-
ting for half a year, on a consumption of 60,000,0001b5.
will account for 500,0001. in the revenue of the year,
and for 250,0001. in the revenue of the quarter. Then
there has been abolished in the present year a number
of small cu-torus duties, all of which gave something
to the revenue. A disease in the grapes and currants
has led to a diminution in the consumption of wine,
spirits, and dried fruits. The war lia4 enhanced the
price of tallow, and led to a diminished consumption,
its place being supplied by oils, which pay no duty.
Last year also the condition of our own harvests led
to very large imports of grain in the quarter, while an
excellent harvest this year has checked the import—
these circumstances making in the quarter a difference
in the duties collected on grain of nearly 90,0001. We
anticipated a greater reduction in the Customs revenue
from the disturbance of war, but the increased consump-
tion of cocoa, sugar, tea, timber, tobacco--all speaking
of the well-being of the people—have kept up this
branch of the revenue.
The difference in the yield of the stamp duties and
of the taxes, both in the quarter and the year, is too
small to merit attention ; but the diminution in the
former may. he in part dne to the agitation which the
subject has lately- undergone, which has checked per-
sons from buying stamps in advance to the customary
extent.
The Expenditure of the quarter, it will be seen,
amounts to 20,906,9951. This includes a sum of
3,148,0911. of deficiency bills for the preceding quarter,
part of which went to supply revenue that had been ap-
plied to pay off debts, and the amount to be issued in
the ensuing quarter is 2,460,5821., or 687,5121. less
than the quarter just expired.
The Income of the quarter, including 2,324,762/. as
instalments from Exchequer Bonds, is actually
18,446,4134, ' If in future quarters the expense of our
military armaments does not exceed the present expense,
the increasing revenue we may expectfrom the increased
rate of the property tax, and the increasing sum which
will be yielded by the succession tax, will go far to pay
all our increased expenses.
We must say a few words about the very much
improved form of the accounts. The old form was
not merely incomplete, it was perplexed and mis-
leading. Referring to the last return for the illus-
tration, it will be seen that the revenue for the Cus-
toms in the quarter ending July 5, 1854, is stated
twice over and differently—in the first table as
4,575,8431.. and in the second as 4,597,8021. So
with the Excise ; in one it is 3,624,0081., in the other
3,633,7991. Thus in the second table the amount of
the revenue of the Customs and Excise for every quarter
was stated differently from the amount in the first table ;
and this was the more perplexing, inasmuch as the other
item of the two accounts were the same, except that in
the one the imprest and other monies were mingled with
the produce of old store, and separated in the other.
In every quarter's return there were these manifest con-
tradictions, occasioned by some payments made from the
revenue in the course of collection being excluded from
the first table and included in the second. This is now
remedied, and the Customs and Excise revenue for the
quarter is put down at the same SUMS in both the Srst
and the third tables, and constitutes an essential im-
provement.
Then the present returns are made more complete by
including Ireland. The late form must have .been
adopted when the two countries had different Ex-
chequers, and till we had rails and telegraphs there
might have been a plalisible justification for not pub-
lishing in London on the 10th of October the revenue
which had accrued in Ireland to that day. Now
there can be no pretext for any delay ; and only the
slowness of the Civil Service to recognise and adopt
the improvements made by practical men of business,
can explain the facts that the accounts of the national
revenue have been published every quarter to the last
sth July, and have excluded the revenue of Ireland.
Henceforth this, to the amount of about 4,000,000/ ,
will bo includ,!ti in th' rinarterty retnrhs. and then public
will Not 100 nuzLicti to cobjectu:a- wily the national in-
come shouid appear, as published on July 5, as
51,185,073/,, and as published in the balance-sheet, a

fortnight later, as 54,439,2511. This is another example
of old slovenliness, or old mystification, now happily got
lid of.

The present returns are also made more complete
by exhibiting in the third table all the heads of ex-
pense. Till now the sums appropriated by Parlia-
ment to the payment of other public services than
those charged permanently on the Consolidated
Fund were omitted. No account was rendered in
the quarterly returns of the money applied to sup-
ply services, and after stating the permanent charges
on the consolidated fund, there appeared an item
called "surplus," no less than 6,164,5311., and might
make the the public fairly fancy that a huge sum was
annually misappropriated. The balance-sheet published
generally a fortnight after the revenue returns, explained
the circumstance, but only by one public account flatly
contradicting qhe other. The present accounts, includ-
ing the total revenue, also include the total expense,
and, so far as we know, nothing is kept in reserve; a
complete debtor and creditor statement of all public
monies received in the quarter, and of the appropriation
of the same." We are not inclined to Compliment pub.
lie men for their zeal in introducing improvements. It
cannot, in fact, be too continually impressed on the
multitude, not being public men, that almost all
improvements originate outside the sphere of the
Government, which, being Conservative, or at-
tached by nature to the past, is always in hos-
tility to change, and always slow to adopt, in
its administration of affairs, the improvements made by
society at large. We have no doubt, therefore, that the
authors of the present change have not been educatedi in
the Government offices, and that they have met with
great opposition even in procuring the adoption of the
obvious and just improvements now made. Knowing
what they had to contend against, we look with much
satisfaction, and some admiration, on the zeal and cou-
rage of those who have overcome the via inertia of the
subalterns of the Exchequer. It is a great improvement,
too, that the returns are now printe I, and-the Govern-
ment has considerately sent two printed copies to each
journal, in place of the old pen-and-ink statement, the
blunders of which we had occasion more than once to
expose.

lII.—Au Account showing the Net Revenue and other Receipts of the Quarter ended 10th October, 1851; the Application of the earns, and the Charge of the
Consolidated Fund for the said Quarter, together with the Surplus or Deficiency upon such Charge.
Surplus Balance beyond the charge of the Consolidated Fund, for the Quarter ended .X Amount applied out of the Net In,ome for the Quarter ended October In, 1854, to £
July 5, 1854, viz.: redemption of Exchequer Bills (Deficiency) for the Quarter i rid -el July 5, 1854,
exclusive of £861,196, the surplus charged to the Sinking Fun 1 for the said Quarter,
Great Britain £ similarly applied 3,148,094
Amount applied to pay off Excheq er Bills (Ways and Means) issued in the Quarter
Ireland
166,555 AMount applied :o Supply Services in the Quarter ended October 10, LSS4 :
Out of the Consolidated Fund £9.106,975
Out of Exchequer bor:Lis
Balance of Instalments of Exchequer Bonds anpropriated by Parliament to Supply
Services, remaining unissued on July 5, 1854 85,000 Charge o! the Consolidated Fund for t'e Quarter ended October 10, 1854, viz.:—
Permanent Debt £5,846,194
Income received in the Quarter ended October 10, 1854, as shown in Account I. .... 15,870,096 To! ornahle Annuities 1,365,66 d
Interest on Deficiency Bids
Instalments received in the Quarter ending October 10, 1854, for Exchequer Bonds issued 2,324,762 Sinking Funt
The Civil List
Amount of Exchequer Bills (Supply) issued in the Quarter ending October 10, 1854 .... Nil. Other Charges on Consolidated Fund ••••• 470,280
Advances for Public IVorks. &c. ••• • ...... ..... • . ...... 553,408
18,449,413 8,637,801
Balance of Instalments of Exch, quer Bonds appropriated by Parliament to Supply
Services, remaining unissued on October 1 ?, 1451
• Surplus Balance beyond the charge of Ilia Consolidated Fund, for the Quarter en_ed
Balance, being flie deficiency upon the (barge of the Consolidated Fund in Great Britain, Cctober 10, 1855, viz. :
arid for which Exchequer Bits (D. tHency) will be issued, but reduciole by the Great Britain ........ „.. , .... ... ~,• • „ „
,
amount of the Sinking Fund (£264,6 i 0) included in the said Charge, to the Ireland .......... ..... ~,
sum of £2,195,912 2,460,582 ---- 134.363
. -- --
20,906,995 1 20,906, 95

moved, taxes reimposed, consumption and importation
rising and falling as may be. If we are amonu the fore-
most to proclaim the remission of a tax, a welcome boon
to the country, we cannot in consistency pretend that
the imposition or increase of a tax is an indifferent affair.
No. It must be admitted that we have lately taken
bold steps in ..:113 taxation of the higher and middle
classes, fir that which, in the shape of indirect taxation,
used to fall on the people at large. But, whatever
drawbacks there may be in the method, it is, at all
events, very clear that we are able to keep up the re
venue, and probably to pay out of it the expenses of the
war, without retracing our steps in that course of cam•
mercial emancipation which has brought us to our
present pitch of prosperity. To that prosperity we owe
our revenue, and to that revenue we owe that we
can carry on a war unparalleled in the distance
and magnitude of its operations, without adding to the
debt or even to the general taxation of the country.
The table before us is the record of a financial victory
not less formidable to the enemies of this country than
that recently won by the valour of our soldiers and the
skill of their chiefs. We have before us the assurance
that in the industry of this country, and its great natu-
ral resources, there will ever be found the means of
maintaining our fleets and our army in any cause we
may think proper to embrace ; and the history of this
nation leaves uo reason to doubt that when we are once
compelled to undertake a cause we shall not be in a hurry
to lay it down.

THE ADMIRALTY KISSING. THE TOE
THAT KICKS THEM.

( _Prom the Daily News. )
Yesterday evening two despatches from Lord Raglan
were, by order of the War Minister, the Duke of New-
castle, published in the London Gazette. Yesterday fore-
noon two despatches from Admiral Dundas, and one
from Vice-Admiral Boxer, were, by order of the Admi-
ralty, published in a third edition of a daily paper. By
thus giving the journal in question a priority in the an-
nouncement of public news—news about public affairs
obtained at the public cost—the Admit alty have jobbed
away what has been procured by the expenditure of the
people's money. Perhaps we shall be told that it was
intended to communicate the despatches to all the morn-
ing papers, and that to this end the journal in question
Was instructed to impart the news to the rest. But the
Admiralty must know—and, does know, for the subject
has been mentioned more than once—that such commu-
nication of the despatches to all papers alike could only
be effected by first putting the documents in type, and
then sending " slips" of them to the other newspapers.
In this case the despatches got into type and into circu-
lation—as it was known they would do. In fact, the
third edition of the journal in question was sent to the
City, and the " slips" of the despatches to the other office.:
at the same time. The cause of this favouritism is
obvious: it has its origin not in love, but in unmanly
cowardice. On Saturday the journal we refer te at-
tacked the Foreign and War-offices, for publishing Lord
Stratford de Redcliffe's despatch in a Gazette, instead
of seeding it to a newspaper. On Monday this blow
was followed up by an onslaught on all the Ministers
who are out of town, and by a superadded
hypocritical; calumnious inuendo, again' t her Majesty
herself. This bullying has had its effect upon the de-
prtilient confided to Sir J. Graham, which seeks to buy
off the wrath of this journalist by supplying him with
early intelligence at the public expense ! It is neither
inure nor less than bribery out of the public money for
libelling the Queen. Nor perhaps is this the meanest
feature in the case. In the paper thus propitiated, Ad-
miral Dundas was yesterday directly accused of sloth,
cowardice, and incapacity. Was the favour shown by
Sir James Graham's department meant to repay this
service—this libel on Admiral females I The Knight of
Netherby has ere mow dealt backhanded blows to forme)
friends, and it may be worth while—when space permits
—to call some of these traits to light again as illustra-
tions of the spirit and way in which Sir J. Graham's
department seem now prepared to use the public de-
spatchea entrusted to them.
The Duke of Newcastle, greatly to his honour, has
placed the news of the war at the earliest possible mo-
ment before the whole public, through the London Cia-
zette, br by rapid communications to all journals alike ;
just as an upright Minister ought to do. The Admiralty
has followed the old corrupt plan of sending public news
through one channel—" for reasons best known" to
those guilty of this gross abuse of their public position..
The plan of the Duke of Newcastle ought to be followed
by all public departments, and if the Cabinet are wise
they will take this matter into their special consideration
with a view to the correction of the abuse we point out.

Prom the Morning Chronicle.
We regret to have to complain that the Admiralty
have yet to learn that simple rule of justice and fair
dealing, in its communication of important documents to
the public press, which has been so honourably adopted
by the War Department. While the Minister of War
—acting on the broad and plain principle that public
despatches belong to the nation, and not to a
particular nerivspaper—gives copies of all such docu-
ments simultaneously to all the metropolitan daily
journals, the Admiralty systematically selects one
of our contemporaries as the sole recipient of its com-
munications. All despatches given to the public by that
department are sent exclusively to. one journal ; and
though it is understood that, as soon as they are in type,
slips shall be transmitted by the journal so favoured to
its contemporaries, it will readily be perceived that the
time necessarily occupied in printing the documents
gives a most unfair advantage to the newspaper thus
singled out for the private whim of a Government
officer. Some recent Arctic despatches were, in this
manner, made, during an entire day, the private pro-.
perty of one journal ; and the important despatches from
Admiral Dundas, which we published yesterday in a
Third Edition, were, as usual, given exclusively, in the
first instance, to the same journal, to be communicated,
at its leisure, to ourselves and our other contempora-
ries. We shall never cease to denounce this pitiful sys-
tem of favouritism or unfairness ; and should it be con-
tinued,. the Parliamentary representatives of the Admi-
ralty may find themselves called upon to explain to the
House of Commons by what right they employ the ma-
chinery of a Government department in promoting the
private interests of particular newspapers.

MOUSTACHES FOR THE MARIN/M.—The following
a3slttylbBehsean issued
4;_ingTheh :adL---c:ru`dußsdoeyeraolmentAa
nnisisi:-
srliiii:iternleoOrsrffiaolcifdeu,
tmhOsohAoasbdemrj:
&ration the circular memorandum from the Horse
Guards, dated July 21, 1854, notifying her Ma-
jesty's permission to the army to wear the mou-
stache, are pleased to extend this permission to the
corps of Royal Marines, whether on shore or afloat, from
the desire that there shall be no distinction between the
British soldier aid the marine, who are constantly joined
in the same service and share the stone hononrs and
ilang.)rs. 'rile colonels connimmlant v. ill ti.ierefors
gig
nay the plea,ure of their lordship) to their respective
divisions accordingly. —Sem UEL R. WESLEY, A, A G.
The Colonels CoMmandant Royal Marines."