The Sun.
London, England, 1840-10-13 00:00:00

SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS.

FROM THE DAILY PAFERS OF YESTERDAY.
(From tha Globe.)

The nature of the documents transmitted by the
French Government to our own has been misun-
derstood and exaggerated by some amongst 0117 contem-
poraries. A note, dated the 3d, and a memorandum,
dated the Bth, have been received ; the former of
which declares, in an unreserved manner, though
in general terms, the views espoused by France
in favour of Mehemet Ali. The latter is an
answer to Lord Palmerston's memorandum, and is
expected to be made public within a few days.
We hope that pacific results may be aided by these
documents ; as we hope that such results may be aided
by the fullest possible knowledge, on both sides, of
all that can seriously be advanced and ,avowed " from
authority." The fact that France now declares, with
less diplomatic reserve than formerly, the nature of
the position which she thinks fit to assume on
this question, may tend to facilitate whatever adjust-
ment is practicable of the opposite interests. The
Examiner and Spectator, of yesterday, have each
exceedingly able articles on the Eastern question, which
we may praise with the less appearance of par-
tiality, as they do not favour the policy of the Four
Powers, any more than of France. But we should
have little fear of aggravated misunderstanding with
our sensitive neighbours, if they appeared to have any
public instructors," equally capable of dispassionate
judgment. This is a testimony which no difference of
opinion on the facts of the question could justify 113 in
withholding from the reasonings of our Weekly Con-
temporaries, which we are sorry the state of our columns
does not permit us to lay before our readers.
(From the Courier.)
_ _ _ _

However little we may be inclined-to undervalue the

indisputable resources of this great empire, it must be
conceded that under any, and how much more under
present, circumstances, a decrease of revenue at the
rate of four or five millions sterling in the year, as
estimated by the one quarter, affords matter for serious
reflection, if not misgivings. Further reference to the
comparative receipts under the head of Excise, for pre-
ceding quarters of the present and last year, do not serve
to reassure us that the actual defalcation is temporary
only and likely to be compensated hereafter, and in no-
wise progressive. The Excise returns are ever appealed
to as the unerring test of the prosperous or adverse
condition of the nation, financially and economically.
Yet in the gross amount of Excise revenue for the year,
not only is there a deficit of 166,7041., notwithstanding
an increase of taxation bearing en the half of one and
the whole of another uarter's returns, but a general
tendency to decrease. Thus stand the returns for corre-
sponding quarters of the two years in round numbers :
January return 1839 £3,627,000
id....
April
id
July
id.
October
id.
The increase in July 1840 over July 1839 must be
taken as apparent only, for were the amount of the
supplementary five per cent. tax deducted from the
half quarter, the difference between the two would
be about balanced ; whilst the extraordinary falling
off in the October quarter this year, with the whole
addition of the tax, as compared with that of last
year without the tax, cannot fail to attract attention.
The Treasury Journals, in pitiable plight, endeavour
to account in confused style for this disadvantageous
state of financial affairs by the " rounds" of the col-
lectors being delayed for some three days, and by their
bills paid into the Exchequer not being yet due, and
therefore not taken into the quarter's account. All this

is absurd trifling with a matter of grave import. The
collections for the quarter may be all as well and amply
performed in one and the last " round" as in two ; and
we presume that the amounts of their collections
are not remitted to the Exchequer in bills, at .six, or
three, or even one month after sight. The deplorable
result of this financial exhibition, after all, can only be
attributed to the wretched system upon which financial
affairs have been conducted and tampered with for
some years past.
(From the Standard.)
The revenue accounts for the year and quarter
respectively, ending on Saturday, present a decrease
on the year of 676,856!., on the quarter 531,0671.
This, it is to he remembered, is a decrease from a term
which was inadequate to the public expenditure, and
a decrease, notwithstanding an addition of five per
cent. to the taxes, that addition being in force for more
than a quarter. This would be a disheartening view of
our financial condition, if there was the least reason to
suppose that the decrease is the result of diminished
ability among the people, or of anything but an inju-
dicious and unjust distribution of the public burthen.
That the financial ability of the people generally is
not impaired, however, and that the distribution of
the public burthens is most injudicious, we have the
clearest proof. tVe need not rest upon the pro-
blematical statement that the millotvners of
Manchester have, in a few years, accumulated 1
more wealth than the whole aristocracy of the
United Kingdom ; we. have better evidence in the
indisputable fact that sixty millions of capital have,
as it were since yesterday, been sunk in railroads;
while schemes of colonisation and of commerce have,

within the same time, been undertaken upon a scale of
magnitude without example in the history of any
country. All this is doubly good—good as proof of
the resources of the country, and good as laying the

foundation of a vast accession to these resourecs.

But satisfactory as it may ba to contemplate
this prodigious outlay, as the seed of wealth

to come,— it is demonstrative testimony that
the public burdens are not judiciously and fairly dis-
tributed, when we fiad, concurrently with this outlay,
the mass of the people unable to support the taxes that
they have been accustomed to pay. Redundant riches
on one side, and growing poverty on the other surely
must remove all doubt that capital is augmenting at
least as rapidly es is wholesome for the country ; why,
then, ought not. capital to bear its due share of taxation