The Sun.
London, England, 1849-04-06 00:00:00

Tina

LONDON, FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 1849.

THE QUARTER'S REVENUE.
The Revenue Returns for the financial year ending
the sth of April instant will be found in another
part of our impression. They are not, we regret to
say, of so favourable a character as those to which
we directed the public attention on the 6th January
last, but on the whole they are, perhaps, not worse
than we had reason to expect, and we must, it appears,
be contented with maintaining our former position.
We cannot hope for any great or permanent improve-
ment until our monetary code is placed on a satis-
fa;tory footing, and the nation is afforded the blessing
ok a currency adequate to its wants and exigencies.
There is an improvement on the entire year of
867,289/., of which 805,823/. are on the ordinary
branches of revenue. When, however, we consider
the panic that prevailed in 1847, the total cessation of
credit, and the commercial paralysis that ensued, the
fearful depression under which every branch of trade,
manufacture, and commerce laboured during that
period, we cannot congratulate ourselves very highly
r'n such a result. There is a slight and almost imper-
ceptible falling off on the quarter, the deficiency, how-
e r, being only 2,4911. on the ordinary branches of re-
venue ; it, however, amounts on the whole quarter to
no less than 264,093/. ; this was produced by the un-
expected receipt of 455,0211. China money in the
beginning of 1848—an item which can never again
appear in the national balance-sheet. In the other
extraordinary branches of revenue, there are con-
siderable improvements. The Imprest and Other
Monies show an excess of 179,909/. over the corre-
sponding quarter last year—and the Repayment of
Advances, an increase of 13,5101. These are not, how-
ever, matters of great importance beyond the amounts
they represent. They afford no indication whatever
of the social and financial condition of the country.
In. the Customs there is an improvement both on
the year and quarter. On the former, of 1,169,5541.,
on the latter, of 200,4691. This may to a certain ex-
tent be regarded as proving that trade has revived
in some degree, and that there is greater commer-
cial activity. We must again, however, remind our
readers of the vast exertions that were made to bring
gold into the country to the exclusion of almost every
other commodity. Indeed the low prices that ruled
during 1847 and the beginning of 1848 discouraged
any speculative importation. The Customs duties
were, therefore, much below what they ought to have
been, and the present improvement only indicates a
gradual recovery from the former depression.•
,
The Pacise, which is usually looked upon as the
barometer of national prosperity, does not exhibit so
favorable an aspect. It is true that there is an ap-
pP.rent improvement on the year of 569,6321., but
that is ascribable to a piece of financial legerdemain,
which, by a single sweep of the magician's wand,
transferred the produce of the carriage and other
deities from the department of Stamps to the Excise.
In return, therefore, for the nominal improvement in
the Excise, we have a more than proportionate falling
off in the Stamps, which are deficient on the year by
719,5811., or 149,9491. more than the increase
in the Excise. The quarter, however, shows a
lamentable falling off in both Excise and Stamps—
on the former of 182,0261., and on the latter of
69,4971. The Property- tax, which indicates the posi-
tion of the middle and upper classes, as the Excise
does of the less wealthy, also continues the deplorable
failing off we formerly alluded to ; the decrease on
the year being no less than 142,1251., while on the
quarter it is 30,1211., thus showing that more than
5,000,0001. per annum has been cut off from the
homes of our merchants, traders, and professional
men. This painful result is mainly ascribable
to the contracted state of the currency, and
'the consequent forced inactivity for' want of an
adequate medium of exchange, or proper repre-
sentative of value. On all the other items
tie.re are improvements on the quarter, generally
coupled with deficiencies on the year. Thus, on Taxes
there is a deficiency of 28,6681. on the year, but an
increase of 4,1991. on the quarter In the Post-office, a
deficiency of 77,0001. in the year is followed by an im-
provement of 13,0001. in the quarter. Great improve-
ments, however, have taken place in this department
and additional facilities have been afforded for the
transmission of correspondence, which more than
;,;counts for the deficiency, while we may congratu-
late ourselves on the recent increase.

The Crown Lands show an increase both on the
year and quarter—on the former of 39,000/., on the
latter of 19,0001. This will, however, be little in
comparison with the great improvement that may
safely be anticipated when proper reforms are intro-
duced into the management, when we Inv look
for an annual return of at least 500,0001., in place of
100,0001. only, as it was during the past year.
The Miscellaneous, the only remaining item, shows a
decrease of 4,989/. on the year, but an increase of 42,485/.
on the quarter. On the whole, it will be apparent that
the improvement has been (with the exception of the
Customs) on the less important items, while the fall-
Co dr on the quarter, on the Excise, Stamps, and
... roperty-tax, indicate a very unfavourable condition of
the country, and calls for some great and comprehen-
sive monetary reforms to afford some reasonable pros-
pect of renewed national prosperity.

The Member for Dublin is entitled to great credit
for his efforts to abate that grievous nuisance, the
proceot of attachment in certain cities apd towns is