The Sun.
London, England, 1853-07-06 00:00:00

INCOME.

Customs •• • •
Excise ....
• • •• 00
Taxes o • •
Property Tax ............
Post-office
Crown Lands ....... ................
Miscellaneous •
Imprest and other Moneys • • ........
Produce of the sale of Old Stores ....
Repayments of Advances . • • .....

To cash brought to this account from
savings on the Consolidated Fund..

4,522,251

3,452,902
1,628,84 e,
‘7,503.707
1,056,991
230,000
60,000
202,189
54,518
158,169
216,452

13,084,205

200,000

13,284,205

4,962,924
3,801,041
1,675,t48
1,510,483
1,053,027
251,000
200,888
90,537
61,141
195,618
424,573

14,229,380

300,000

14,592,380

THE RETEIVUE.

( From the Timm)

The returns of the quarter's revenue, after all the ex-
planation that take from their really surprising charac-
ter, we still think the most favourable that we have had
for many years. In the Customs of the quarter we have
an increase to the amount of 441,1731., mainly owing to
the increased consumption of foreign articles, as may be
seen by the monthly trade returns. Some of the in-
crease, indeed, is owing to the increased entry of tea
for home consumption, after the suspense of the pre-
vious quarter ; but, with regard to other articles, the
suspense still continues, and but for it the improvement
in the Customs would be still more remarkable. The
Excise shows an increase of 352,1011., notwith-
standing the abolition of the duty on soap, the
anticipation of which has led to a clearance of
stocks. The sale of stamps is once more dis-
turbed by the prospect of remissions, but they never-
theless show an increase of 48,3221. Taxes and
the Property-tax exhibit no material change ; the
former, an increase of 6,7761. ; the latter, a decrease of
3,9641. ; the Post-office returns, 21,0001. increase; the
Crown Lands, 140,888/. ; while, under the last head of
" Miscellaneous," we find 111,652/. decrease, owing to
the extraordinary amount of that head in this quarter
last year. The above items constitute the ordinary
revenue, and on summing them up we find that the
total increase on the quarter is no less than 894,6441.
On our taking into account imprest and other monies,
increased by 44,0711., and repayment of advances, in-
creased to the very gratifying extent of 111,6521., upon
a large increase last year, it results that the total im-
provement of the quarter's revenue is no less than
1,146,636/.

The comparison of the year with that before ie of less
consequence, inasmuch as it is the result of figures
already given to the public. But, as few readers carry
these figures, or any approximation to them, in their
heads, the results will be not only information, but even
a surprise. In the customs, owing chiefly to the sus-
pended entries of tea and other articles promised a reduc-
tion of duty, there is a decrease of 57,4121. ; on the
other hand, the year's excise shows an increase of
531,1951. ; stamps, 474,487/. ; taxes, 51,345/. ; pro-
perty tax, 225,169/. ; Post-office, 25,000/. ; and crown
lands, 172,888/. ; while, under miscellaneous items
we have a decrease of 143,0861. Thus the ordi-
nary revenue of the year is greater than that of the
previous year by 1,279,5861; and, when the extraordi-
nary sources of revenue are taken into account, it ap-
pears that the total increase is no less than 1,922,9541.
—a fact so great and so pleasant as to dispense with
explanations or recommendations, and to speak for it-
self alike to the dull and the sceptical.
Such is the condition of the revenue in a nation which
has now for twelve years been engaged in reducing the
public burdens that seem to press more especially on the
industry of the people and the growth of the national
resources. There cannot be a better commendation
of the principles on which our finances have been ad-
ministered during that period. No other people in the
world, however free, however enlightened, can show a
like result. There are people who are governed by
themselves in the purest forms of delegation that human
ingenuity can devise ; there are nations which, within a
few years, have over and over again selected their own
rulers from their old dynasties—from their philosophers
—from their armies—from themselves—from strangers ;
there are countless millions under the paternal govern-
ment of despotisms, where no class, no rank, dare to
raise its voice against the promptings of Imperial bene-
volence ; but neither in these nor in any other form
of government can an instance be found of a nation, la-
bouring under such unparalleled burdens, quietly, deli-
berately, and perseveringly removing those burdens, ounce
by ounce, from the shoulders of the working man
to those of every wealthier class, and taxing even the
brains of the author to save the sinews of the labourer.
Nor can any other nation, for these many years, point
to a revenue which, in the face of continual reduction
and disturbance, yields in one year nearly two millions
more than it did the year before.
Another reflection forces itself upon us rather pain-
fully, on looking at these otherwise gratifying returns.
We should be the last to place, as the old satirist says,
post nummus virtus, and to look for a code of morals in
the balance-sheet of the revenue ; but the thought
of such painful and such successful economy of the
public resources may well make us careful how we
throw it all away on a miserable quarrel. We meet
people every day talking of war as if a circle of fire
round the whole continent of Europe, from the
Baltic to the Bleck Sea, was as trifling an affair as the
passage of a bridge on Virginia Water, or any other
bloodless deed of arms done on Chobham-common.
At all events, let us not rush into war with a positive
zest for that worst of amusements, that most ruinous
of all gambling, that most demoralizing of all excite-
ments, that most debasing of all intoxications. There
are miserable necessities that we approach, as it were, in
sackcloth and ashes, with grievous pain and dark pre-
sentiment. War assuredly should be one of them. Once
so engaged, we should find—and it would be the least
wretched consequence—that our millions saved by judi-
cious economy and financial wisdom were as drops in the
ocean of a bottomless expense. We should have to
meet expenditure on all sides with fresh taxes and a
declining revenue, while our only consolation would be
that we suffered in purse what others were suffering in
blood, in alarm, in the capture of their cities, in the de-
vastation of their fields. Honour, indeed, as we said
before, is a first necessity of States, and to be bought
with our life's blood ; much more with our substance
and our store. But counting the cost may serve to mo-
derate the impetus of some warlike dispositions, and in-
duce them to weigh beforehand what they may repent
of too late. We have given them a text to start from.
Would it be a trifling affair to pass at once from a
revenue increasing by millions annually to a state, which
some of us still remember, when the nation could only
keep itself afloat by the addition of thirty or forty mil-
lions in one year to the National Debt ?

THE POLICE STRIKE AT MANCHESTER.---A number of
mill hands on strike took advantage of the disorganised
state of the police force on Monday night to commence
a riot at Messrs. Turnbull's cotton mill, Manchester,
but a sufficient force was got together to disperse them,
after some windows had been broken. A meeting of
shopkeepers took place to remonstrate with the autho-
rities on the same evening for resisting the demands of
the police, while the feeling among the operatives was
in its present uneasy state. Under these circumstances
the Watch Committee came to a resolution to advance
the wages of the constables 2s. per week. About 238
out of 378 had resigned, and the authorities, in making
the advance, acknowledged themselves to be influenced
by the public feeling in favour of the men, and by the
fears arising out of the uneasiness which has resulted
from anticipations of a more general strike among the
factory operatives. A considerable number of mills are
already on strike, as also are the hands of Messrs. Fair-
bairn, the machine makers.

CORNWALL.—There is a vacancy in the representation
of the western division of this county, consequent upon
the death of E. W. W. Pendarves, Esq. It is confi-
dently stated that, in compliance with the wishes of a
large portion of the constituency, Mr. Michael Williams,
a gentleman extensively connected with the mining and
trading interests of the county, and a decided Liberal,
will offer himself as a candidate.

RAPID SAILING.—The brig Dromo, Captain William
Derecourt, has just arrived in the London Docks from
Africa, having completed four entire voyages from Lon-
don to Cape Coast Castle and home again in the short
space of 26,4 months, in which period is included the
loading and discharging eight full cargoes, trading on
the coast, lying in harbour, and repairing in dry dock ;
being the four quickest passages ever accomplished by a
sailing vessel.