The Sun.
London, England, 1849-01-02 00:00:00

THE REVENUE.

There is still a week to run before the tabular re-
turns of the quarter's revenue can be published. ; A
whole week's receipts have yet to be added to the pre-
sent quarter—to be published on Saturday next, be-
fore a strictly accurate estimate can be made of the
comparison of the present quarter and year with the
corresponding period ending the sth of January,
1848. There is enough known, however, ,to allow
us to make a close approximation to the probable re-
sult, and to institute a comparison which, we are happy
to say, will be a favourable one. It is satisfactory in
the highest degree to find that the falling off in the
revenue of the country which was observable at the
close of 1847 and the commencement of 1848 has at
length received a wholesome check, and that our or-
dinary resources begin again to show a buoyant and
upward tendency. The Customs' revenue is expected
to exhibit an increase over the corresponding :quarter
of last year little short of half a million. We are
sorry toladd, that the other most important indication
of the state of trade and of employment, the Excise,
will not answer so favourably the wishes of
the public. In this important item the receipts will
vary little from those of the last January quarter.
The only other item from which an increase is ex-
pected is that classed under the head of " Miscella-
neous," which is expected to yield more than 200,0001.
in this quarter; 80,0001. of which, however, is the
last payment on account of the Chinese ransom,
which was referred to in the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer's estimate last session. The other items,
stamps, taxes, property-tax, &c., will be scarcely as
good as last year. The most considerable falling off
is apprehended in the stamps, which is expected to be
about 200,0001., a great part of which is accounted
for by the transfer of the carriage duties from the
Stamps to the Excise. In noticing the Excise reve-
nue as one of the great tests of the condition of the
we may remark that the duties on malt—the
in amount as well as the most important in
largestpeople,
marking the ability to purchase on the part of the
labouring population—are in a much more favourable
state than they were at this time last year. The Post-
office shows little difference. The amount of falling
off in the property-tax in the quarter is not much
of a criterion, since that impost is collected with
more or less uncertainty in the different quarters of
the year—by much the larger portions being received
in the April and October quarters. The gross re-
venue for the year will also show favourably in com-
parison with the corresponding period ending the sth
of January, 1848. But a still more correct criterion
of returning prosperity is to be found in the fact
that the nine months, counting from the sth of Apia],
counted
advance over the corresponding nine months
"uary,
1548, to the present time, exhibit a considerable
from the sth of April, 1847, to the sth of Jos
that
still so happily observable, it is fairly a:s u
1848. From this, and from the activity
thhaed ehee-
the conclusion of the financial more satisfactory and
next will find us in a much reef;
on the sth April
prosperous condition than we war
of the
Chancellor the anticipations
last, and will fully bear oeur
Chancellor of the Ehxcth nsr at
dntrade,
April
i which he made for
was justified in the These calculations, it is
the year that was t
sion, on which,
- completely borne out, and
now found, will be
upon
review of our entire financial and commercial
pros-
pects,a
able to improvement
we are te the country upon
with
chaee.cqukutirtwaol:t:sitgehe chloes
then
oe fn
rogressive
a steady and —Observer.

To
rTt hu en
at recent
Ton EARL or ABERDEEN
attreacanteedhol
withsi Et
171:1AND TH 6 SCOTCH
y universalshipwrecks
cond on the
coast of Scotland have
classm ol f fishermen, for the great
periodical suffering which results therefrom. We are
glad, however, to announce that the general sympathy
has, at least in o
neinstance, been shown in a practical
shape, and that
the noble and benevolent Earl of Aber-
deen has gi • ven orders to Mr. West, the well-known
optician of the Strand, for a first-rate barometer, to be
placed
in a solid block of granite, and to be fixed in a
conspicuous and accessible spot on the coast, near Aber-
deen, for the sole use and advantage of the fishermen of
that neighbourhood. The instrument, which is fitted in
a Gothic case made of solid carved oak, surmounted with
the Earl's coronet, has the advantage of the double ver-
nier for registering from one observation to another. It
is the opinion of numbers of old and experienced seamen
that many of the accidents occurring from storms at sea
arise from the want of due observation of the barometer,
and if the same attention were paid to the indications of
the coming gale given by the barometer as was observed
on board Lord Collingwood's ship, we should not have
to record so many grievous disasters to our intrepid but
careless seafaring population. In Lord Collingwood's
ship, we are told, it was the custom of every officer of
the watch to take a register of the barometer on going
on duty, and it was generally remarked that by so doing
they frequently, by reducing sail, &c., were enabled to
guard against accident. We have no doubt that this
very appropriate and handsome present of the Earl of
Aberdeen will be duly valued by his Lordship's tenantry;
and we are sure that the hardy and fearless race of
fishermen will not fail to evince their gratitude to the
Noble Earl by strictly attending to the indications of
the barometer, and thus save their property and their
lives from destruction, and their Wives and families from
destitution.