The Sun.
London, England, 1846-03-06 00:00:00

A CONTRAST.

THE REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE OF ENGLAND
AND FRANCE,

By THE BARON CHARLES LUPIN.

In 1816 the British Government, in perfect peace, victo-
rious, and tranquil, spent 86,000,0001. sterling, no part of
which was applied to the extinction of the national debt.
In 1814 its expenditure still exceeded 67,000,0001. In
1844, the latest period to which the accounts have been
completed, its expenditure was reduced to 55,000,0001.
In 1816 the interest of the national debt amounted to
83,500,000/. ; it is now reduced to 26,000,000/. and 4 000,000/.
of temporary annuities, which are gradually disappearing
year by year. Whilst Great Britain was obtaining these
splendid results she was effecting a vast reform in the manner
and extent of her public burdens.
Between 1815 and 1841, a balance being struck between
taxes increased and taxes diminished, this power has abo-
lished an amount of 24,000,000/. of taxation, and last year
has suppressed a further sum of 6,000,000/.

The taxes abolished are those especially which paralyse
induitry, and oppose obstacles to the superiority of British
commerce over that of other nations.

In effecting this, do not imagine that England has ab-
stained from carrying out gigantic enterprises, sustain
ing mighty struggles, and defending her wide spread domi-
nions with an armed hand. She possessed in India, in the
year 1816, 80,000,000 of subjects ; she now numbers
100,000,000. Canada revolted ; the revolt was suppressed
by force. Her will was contested in the Syrian question;
her ships decided the matter. China resisted the odious
commerce in opium ; an expedition after the fashion of
Cortes subdued the Celestial Empire. Two seas existed, the
entrance of which was not under the command of England,
the Chinese Ocear. and the Red Sea. Aden and Singapore
have completed the chain of forts which bind the commerce
of the world. I admire this at the risk of being accused of
Anglomania, the more that these results have been accom-
panied by a wise reduction of expenditure and taxation,
dating from the peace to the present moment.
In 1816 England was, without exception, the state most
heavily burdened by the weight of taxation. She is now, in
proportion to her wealth, less taxed than France.
Thirty years ago England spent 80,000,0001. sterling, while
we spent but the half.
In 1844 England spent 55,000,000/., whilst we have ex-
pended 57,500,0001.
Let us observe, at the same time, from one single fact, the
enormous difference in the resources of the two countries for
the supply of such heavy public burdens ! Looking still at
1844, as a means for comparison, I find that the commerce of
England, favoured by a skillful system of taxation, is so great,
that the mere amount of the produce of the soil and industry
of Great Britain sold to foreign nations, in eleven months, is
equal to the total annual expenditure of the Treasury.
On the other hand, in France, we only behold an unlimited
increase in the taxation, and we have reached a point at
which it would require the amount of 23 months of the sale
of our produce to foreigners:to pay our expenditure, whilst
eleven months only suffice to the English.