The Sun.
London, England, 1825-01-07 00:00:00

[THE TIMES.]

An official conuoication is said to have been
made by this Government to all the other Eu-
ropean States, of our intention to form treaties
of commerce with the trans-Atlantic States,
severed from Spain and Portugal. Without
such a declaration, we might have beet)
charged with stealing a march in advance upon
our commercial rivals ; though in any case it
is c!ear that we were at liberty to act towards
the new American Republics as we pleased, be-
ing bound by no treaty to the contrary, and be-
ing no participators in the Holy Alliance. Other
states, we think, would now do well to follow
our example—not for our good, but their own ;
for the longer they hang back, the better for us.
It is said also, that the only recognition of the
sovereignty of the states in question, which Great
Britain will make, will be her treaties of com-
merce with them. We are not much averse to
this process, if the dissatisfaction of the parent
kingdom may be soothed by it. Give us
but the substance of the advantages result-
ing from the recognition, and we will not
press the formal act. Of this also we are
certain, that the solid benefits resulting to the
newly emancipated States from a free trade with
England, will form a much more powerful ar-
gument against their returning to their ancient
bondage and a fettered commerce, than any
parchment recognition of their independence.—
They will not argue, 66 How can we plunge
again into our ancient thraldom, when England
66 6 has written us down ' free?" but they will
both feet and argue, " How can we replunge into
" servitude and poverty, when we see our streets
" thronged, and our citizens enriched, by British
" commerce?"

[NEW TIM ESJ
We yesterday gave a general view of the pro-
perous state of the Finances ; and this day we
enter at large into the details. Of these the Ex-
cise affords the most interesting results. The in-
crease on the Quarter, which we stated to ex-
ceed 600,0001. does in fact approach 800,0001.
Of this sum na less than 386,6591. arises from
Spirits British and Foreign, 130,1551. from Malt,
a" 994271. from Tobacco and Snuff, all articles
of luxury orcomfort to the lowest classes of the com-
munity. •
W i••tu -out enterint be taken into calculation
gintoa sta tementkof the cir-
eurnstance w hich-sho
in comparing the result tii
c
1823 and 1824, sect, as
of the Revenue for the year
as the Receipts from Aus-

tria, the Repeal of Taxes and Duties, and the
time of such Repeal coming into operation—
the following statement is made in reference to
the Estimates of the Chancellor of the Exchequer,
in forming which all such circumstances were of
course duly considered, and it is presumed that
the increase on those Estimates may be considered
as the real surplus and improvement.
By the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Speech on
23d February 1324, the produce for 1824 was
estimated at - - £57,385,000
And at the same time he proposed to
repeal Duties on Rum, Coals,Wool,
and Silk, equal to an annual decrease
of 1,063,000
Estimated Produce £56,323,000
The Revenue for Great Britain ac-
tually produced, is 50,546,092
The Revenue for Ireland, taken only
at the produce of 1823 - - - 3,508,545
The Trustees of Pensions - 4,620,000
58,674,637
Surplus for 1824, beyond the amount expected
and required according to the views and plans 2,351,637
of the Chancellor of the Exchequer -
--To this there should be an addition of
2,351,6371. for the surplus of Ireland for 1824,
compared with 1823, the above calculation hav-
ing assumed no increase, although the Revenue
of Ireland is known to have improved.

[BRITISH PRESS.
The official returns of the late Quarter's Re-
venue are now before the public. They will be
found as favourable as the most sanguine could
expect them to be. The total amount of the
Revenue for the year ending on the sth of Ja-
nuary, 1824, was 49,478,401/. ; that for the year
ending on the same day this year, was
50,546,0921.; the actual increase on the year
being 1,067,6911. In those branches of the
Revenue in which no duties were lowered or re-
pealed, the increase was very considerable. In
the Excise it amounted to 1,156,8161., and in
Stamps to 590,476/. We accounted yesterday
for the seeming decrease of the Customs, and ex-
plained that, allowing for repayments on account
of silk on hand, and remissions of duties, there
was, in fact, a very large increase on the re-
maining items of Revenue. The duties remitted
in the Customs yielded 1,150,0001., yet the net
produce of this year is only 166,7911. less than
that of the year preceding. The returns for the
quarter are still more satisfactory. Every branch
of the Revenue is improving. On the Customs
alone there appears to be a decrease, from the
causes we have above stated ; but it will be ob-
served that even that decrease is itself propor-
tionately decreasing ; this quarter it amounts but
to 38,5041. The Excise, compared with the cor-
responding quarter of last year, exhibits an aug-
mentation of 793,4311. In Stamps the increase
is 79,2221., notwithstanding the repeal of the
Law Stamp Duties. The Assessed Taxes have
also produced an additional sum of 41,9641. The
total increase of the net revenue on the late quar-
ter, as compared with the corresponding quarter
of the year before, amounts, according to the of-
ficial statement, to 146,0001. But if, as we ought
in fairness, we deduct the re-payment by Austria,
which is included in the corresponding quarter of
last year, we shall find that the increase on the
quarter just ended really amounts to 912,667.—
This result is indeed calculated to make us feel
proud and happy ; and taking into consideration
all the circumstances of the empire, civil and po-
litical, never was there an era, in the brightest
days of its history, when its power and pros-
perity were at a higher pitch than at the com-
mencement of the sixth year of the reign of
George I V.

[MORNING POST.]

We gave yesterday a general outline of the im-
proved state of the Revenue according to the Re-
turns for the Quarter. We this day publish the
accounts for the whole year, from which it will
he seen that notwithstanding the large remission
of duties which took place during the last twelve
months, the public income has continued progres-
sively to increase, so as not only to cover the
amount of those remissions, but to surpass it by
upwards of a million. The total produce of the
Revenue for 1823 was 49,478,4011., that of
1824 is 50,546,0921., making a net increase of
1,067,6911. On comparing the various items the
result is still more gratifying, for the augmenta-
tion in various branches of the Revenue during
the course of the year is 2,570,9581., and this
would be the surplus on the whole, had not Duties
been remitted to the amount of 1,503,2671. which
being deducted from the increase reduce it, as we
stated before, to 1,067,6911. The produce of the
Revenue for the Quarter ending the sth of Janu-
ary, 1824, was 13,425,0551. that for the Quarter
ending on Wednesday, 13,571,055/. being an aug-
mentation on the Quarter of 146,000/. The in-
crease in the Excise for the Quarter just ended, is
793,4311. (or at the rate of more than three mil-
lions a year.) On the Stamps (notwithstanding
the repeal of duties on law stamps) there is an
increase of 79,222/.; the Post-office has produced
5,0001. more ; the Taxes 41,9641., and the Miscel-
laneous 31,5541. The only deficiency is in the
Customs, 38,5041. and has been occasioned by
the remission of Silk Duties, and the repeal of
taxes on Wood, Silk, Coal, &c. to the amount,
within the year, of 1,150,0001. The increase in
the Excise, for the quarter just ended, is on
Auctions, 14,6521. ; Beer, 57,7811. ; Bricks
and Tiles, 48,2131. ; Candles, 4,637/.; Glass,
12,422/. ; Hops, 34,593/. ; Malt, 130,155/. ;
Paper, 31,2951.; Printed Goods, 44,5671. ;
Soap, 11,6781.; Spirits, British, 310,2081. ; Fo-
reign, 76,4511.; Tobacco and Snuff, 90,7291.;
Tea, 1,5581. The articles on which there is a
decrease are 67,187/. on Licenses, 16,9281. on
Salt (owing to repealed duties) and about 2,000/.
on Cyder, •Perry, Starch, Sweets, and Wire.—
The Income of the Consolidated Fund, for
the Quarter ending the sth January, 1824, was
13,484,7781. and the Charge, 10,367,2461.
leaving a surplus of 3,117,5281. The Income
of the Consolidated Fund for the Quarter
ending on Wednesday, is, 13,571,0131., and the
charge 10,475,0001., leaving a surplus of
3,517,196/. These are not evidences of a mo-
mentary increase in our income produced by ac-
cidental circumstances. They are of a nature
which proves that the prosperity which they dis-
play is permanent. They arise from the im-
proved condition of the humbLer classes of so-

ciety, which enables them to consume a greater
quantity of produce and to become larger pur-
chasers of manufactured goods. As there is nothing
to check further improvement in the condition of
the lower orders, but, on the contrary, as it is
likely to continue to a vast extent in the midst
of peace, reduced taxes, revived agriculture, in-
creased manufacturing activity, and expanding
commerce, so there is nothing to set bounds to
our prosperity. Its basis is not the luxurious-
ness of the rich, or the fickleness of fashion ; it
is the general comfort and ease of the people. It
is therefore founded upon a rock, and shall not
fall, as long as the affairs of the Country shall
be managed with that wisdom, and her dearest
interests consulted with that attention and zeal,
that have brought her to her present pinnacle of
unrivalled strength and greatness.