The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-06 00:00:00

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LONDON, MONDAY, APRIL 6, 1846.

THE QUARTER'S REVENUE.
The official return of the net produce of the revenue
of Great Britain for the quarter ending sth April, 1846,
will be found in another column. This return exhibits
n decrease on the year of 2,327,2191., and on the quarter
it decrease of 1,121,5041., and considering the large
~mount of duties which hare been taken off, the distress
existing among the people in consequence of the failure
of the potato crop, and the enhanced prices of ail articles
of consumption, together with the almost total stagnation
of trade and commerce occasioned by the factious oppo-
sition given by the landocracy to those measures of
commercial reform which have been proposed by the
klinister, and have twice received the sanction of over-
whelming majorities of the House of Commons, we are
only surprised that the decrease is not to a larger
amount. There is still, however, a surplus of
revenue over expenditure of 1,783,3081. As might
have been anticipated there is a considerable decrease in
the Customs arid the Excise. The Customs revenue for
the quarter is 3,961,9181.; for the year it is 17,664,618/.;
allowing a decrease on the quarter of 440,588/. and on
ear of 2,512,113/. The revenue from the Excise
15 for the quarter 1,626,4581. ; and for the year
11,886,0851., showing a decrease on the quarter
of 291,027/., and on the year of 338,8221.; so
that by far the larger portion of the decrease on the
:s ear in the Excise revenue has taken place during the
last quarter, and as the amount of the Excise revenue
I;2S always been considered as an indication of the
rate of the working population of the country,
Vlis large decrease furnishes an additional proof that
us provisions increase in price so does the
ilistress of the labouring classes increase; the earliest
indication of the approach of that distress being a fall-
ing-off in the Excise revenue, consequent upon the
inability of the working classes to purchase those
tumble luxuries in which, when in a state of compara-
tive comfort, they are wont to indulge. There is a de-
crease on the quarter, of 56,593/. in the revenue derived
from Stamps, the amount for the quarter being
1,685 8681. The amount of revenue derived from
Stamps for the year, is 7,095,5211., showing an in-
crease on the year, of 380,6811. The rise, progress, and
cessation of the railway fever, together with the present
state of stagnation in trade, will sufficiently account both
for the increase on the year, and for the decrease on
the quarter. The taxes for the quarter amount to
143,140/., and for the year to 4,224,0391., showing an
increase on the quarter of 197/., and on the year of
t;,')01 /. 'the property-tax shows the increase on the
quarter of 53,1711, and a decrease on the year of
19,7071., the total amount of revenue derived from that
impost being for the quarter 1,963,882/., and for
the year, 5,084,74/. The Post-office revenue, we are
reoiced to say, goes on steadily increasing. The
.mount for the quarter is 215,000/., for the year
768,000/., showing an increase on the quarter of 37,0001.,
v,nd on the year of 89,0001. If the principle of the
uniform and cheap postage, conjoined with frequent deli-
veries and proper attention to the public wants and accom-
modation were fully carried out, the increase in the Post-
office revenue would be enormous. If the experiment were
An • Isirly tried, in five years the revenue derived from the
Post-office would exceed that raised under the old
system. The revenue derived from the crown lands is
for the quarter 45,000/., for the year 130,0001., showing
An increase on the year of 5,000/., and on the quarter of
10,000/. Under the head of miscellaneous, the revenue
for the quarter is 91,522/.; for the year 939,7472, show-
lug A docreno on Oa Tarter pf 423,4944) sa4 vn rho