The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-02 00:00:00

THE QUARTER'S REVENUE.

The Quarter's Revenue will not be made up un-
til Thursday night next, the sth inst. There is
still, therefore, very nearly a week before the quar-
ter's accounts can be completed. Enough, how-
ever, is known to enable us to congratulate our
readers upon the very satisfactory condition of.the
financial resources of the country. The buoyancy
of the national revenue still keeps up in the facp of
so many reductions of taxation, and of some ad-
verse circumstances, such as uncertainty about
peace and war, defective harvests, &c.
In the year just ended the receipts of the
ordinary revenue will exceed by a considerable sum
the receipts of the year ending sth of January,
1853 ; and what will prove more satisfactory still,
this increase will show itself in almost every lead-
ing item. The Customs will be some 300,0001.
better than last year. The Excise will be not far
from 200,0001. in advance of the very prosperous
result of 12 months back. The Post-office will be
better, showing the gradual and steady develop-
ment of this department—and the Stamps will ex-
hibit an improvement of between 100,0001. and
200,0001. over the preceding year, in spite of the
considerable reductions that have come into opera-
tion in the latter part of the present year. These
are all the leading items, and those that give the,
soundest indications of the permanency and ad-
vance of the national prosperity. The increase alto-
gether may be expected to be little short of
1,000,0001. on the year.
If the comparative sum on the corresponding
quarters shall not turn out to be quite triumphant
in favour of the present quarter over the quarter
ending January 5, 1853, the reason will at once be
obvious to all. The soap duties are entirely re-
pealed, involving a positive loss of 12,0001. a year,
but which is greater in this last quarter than in
any other, owing to the operations carried on so
much more extensively in that manufacture in the
winter months. The loss on this item alone may be
set down at 500,0001. in this winter quarter, when
the repeal is in full operation. The buoyancy of the
Excise receipts will, therefore, be checked by this
very material loss, and will show a reduction, which
itis hoped will not be vory large, on the present quar-
ter as compared with the corresponding quart er of last
year. The reduction of the duties upon tea and
sugar, still in progress, and the entire repeal of
the duties on so many articles of import, may pro-
bably exhibit a slight falling off in the Customs'
returns for the quarter, as compared with the
quarter ending the sth of January last.
The property-tax keeps up, and will probably
show a slight increase. The Post-office, too, exhibittl
an increase of some 50,0001., which must be looked
upon as a most satisfactory proof of the value of
this great national convenience at the " small charge
of Id." Tho stamps will show, in the falling off in
this quarter, the effect of the reductions of the last
session, which are not, as yet, compensated by the
" duty on successions to real property," which has
not yet had time to come into operation, being in
its nature somewhat slow in being brought to book
for its contribution to the general fund. On the
whole, the account will prove most satisfactory,_ in
spite of deficient harvests, strikes, rumours of war,
and other material drawbacks. Every new quar-
ter's account confirms the wisdom of our ne w finan-
cial policy, and displays the increasing buoyancy
of our Imperial resources.—Sunday Paper.