The Sun.
London, England, 1860-02-11 00:00:00

PRIVATE BUSINESS.

The following bills were read a second time :—Marl-
borough Branch Railway, and Northleach and Witney
Railway.

SILK MANUFACTURES.
Mr. BRIGHT said he had to present a petition which
bore on the subject to bo brought before the house this
evening. It was signed by 18 or 20 of the silk manufac-
turers of Manchester, and prayed for a removal of the re-
strictions on silk fabrics introduced into this country, in
conformity with the principle of fres trade. (Cheers.)
HARBOURS OF REFUGE.
Sir JOHN PAKINGTON asked the Chancellor of the
Exchequer, whether it was the intention of her Majesty's
Government to take any steps in the present session with
a view to carrying out the recommendations of the Har-
bours of Refuge Commission.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said that,
as soon as it was possible, Goveriment would adopt the
necessary steps in reference to the subject.
MISSION TO THE lONIAN ISLANDS.

Mr. MAGUTRE asked the First Lord of the Treasury
whether he had any objection to produce the papers relat-
ing to the mission of the Right Hon. IV. E. Gladstone as
High Commissioner to the lonian Islands ; and, if it was
the intention of the Government to produce them, at what
time they were likely be laid on the table of the house ?
Lord PALMERSTON said it was not intended to pro-
duce the papers, as such a proceeding was quite unneces-
sary. (Laughter.)
HOUSEHOLD CAVALRY.
Sir HENRY STRACEY asked the Secretary of State
for War, as officers promoted to the rank of major-general
from the household cavalry receive one pound nine shillings
and twopence per diem, and officers promoted to the rank of
major-general from the infantry of the line received one
pound five shillings per diem, why cavalry officers of the
line promoted to the same rank, and who had been re-
quired, to attain that rank, to expend for the regulated price
of their commission one thousand six hundred and seventy-
five pounds more than the sum rqquired as the regu-
lated price for the same commission of the infantry
officer, should receive the same pay only, i.e., 11 5s per
diem ; and, the principle of higher pay for greater outlay
being recognised in the instance of the officer promoted from
the Household Cavalry, why it was net applicable to the
cavalry officer of the line, who had been required, to expend
for his commission £1,675 above the sum required of the
infantry officer of the line.
Mr. S. HERBERT said that in the cases alluded to the
rate of paj had no reference to the purchase money.
THE TREATY WITH FRANCE.

Lord J. RUSSELL laid on the table the commercial
treaty with the Emperor of the French.
THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT.

On the motion of the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER,
the Speaker left the chair, and the House resolved itself
into committee upon the Customs Acts.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, who was
again greeted with loud cheers, addressing the Chairman
(Mr. Massey), said,—Public expectation has long marked
out the year 1860 as an important epoch in British finance.
It was well known that in this year, for the first time, we
were to receive from a process not of our own creationa very
great relief in respect of our annual payment of interest of
the national debt—a relief amounting to no less a sum than
£2,146,000—a relief such as we have never known in time
past, and such as I am afraid we never shall know in time
to come. Besides that, other and more recent arrange-
ments have added to the importance of this juncture. A
revenue of nearly £12,000,000 a-year, levied by duties on
tea and sugar, which still retain a portion of the additions
made to them on account of the Russian war, is about to
lapse absolutely on the 31st of March, unless it shall be
renewed by Parliament. The income tax, from which
during the year we shall have derived a sum of between
£9,000,000 and £10,000,000, is likewise to lapse at the same
time, although an amount not inconsiderable will still re-
main to be collected in virtue of the law about to expire.
And lastly, an event of not less interest than any of these,
which has made public feeling thrill from one end of the
country to the other—l mean the commercial treaty with
France which has been just laid on the table—rendered it a
matter of absolute necessity for the Government to request
the House to deviate under the peculiar circumstances of
the case from its usual, its salutary, its constitutional prac-
tice of voting the principal charges of the year before they
proceed to consider Supply, and induced the Government
to think they will best fulfil their duty in inviting atten-
tion on the earliest practicable day to those financial
arrangements of the year which are materially affected by
the treaty with France, and which, though they reach
considerably beyond the limits of that treaty, yet, not-
withstanding, can only be examined by the House in
a satisfactory manner when examined as a whole. (Hear.)
This must be our apology, if any apology be needed, for
asking the houso to take into its earliest consideration the
matters which lam about to submit to it. Every considera-
tion both of gratitude for the kindness of the house to my-
self and of the public duty likewise will ensure that, if I hav
an extensive field to traverse and many subjects to open and
discuss, I shall not, at least, make any wanton trespass on
the time and attention of the house. (Hear, hear.) The
results of the finances of the last year, inasmuch as it has
not positively reached its close, can only be presented in a
form founded partly on account and partly on estimate. At
the same time they will be given in figures on which the
house may place reliance as being perfectly safe. It is ne-
cessary for me here to remind the house that, as is not usu-
ally and commonly the case, circumstances have occurred
during the latter portion of the financial year which tend
materially to influence its results. The expedition to China
.has made it necessary to enlarge the proposed military and
'naval expenditure of the year, even beyond the liberal scale
'of provision made in the last session ; tied the arrangements
likewise accruing or coming into force under the commer-
cial treaty with France—in case the treaty shall receive the
sanction of the house—will act materially upon the Cus-
toms revenue for the residue of the year. I will, therefore,
with your permission, just present to the committee the
state of the account as it stood, entirely apart from these
disturbing causes, and I will then in a few words show the
committee how, since these causes have come into action, it
is likely to stand. The results of the year in a financial
point of view—at least, so far as receipts are concerned
—have been eminently satisfactory. (Hear, hear.) The
Customs revenue, which I estimated at £23,850,000, and
which I estimated at that amount so lately as the
month of. July last, will:produce—apart from the causes' to
which I have referred—and I beg the house to bear this
parenthesis in mind—L24,750,000. (Hear, hear.) The
Excise I estimated at £19,310,000 ; it will produce
£19,724,000. The stamps alone show a small deficit, having
been estimated at £8,100,000, while they will produce only
£8,000,000. The Land and Assessed Taxes were estimated
at £3,000,000 ; they will produce the same sum. The In-
ekeme -tax was estimated at £9 940 000 • it will produce
£9,894,000. The Post-office revenue' 'was estimated at
1;3,4:Z0,000 ; it will produce that sum. The Crown Lands
were estimated at £280,000 they will about fulfil that es-
tiraate.• The miscellaneoue revenue was estimated at
£1,530,,100, it will produce £1,480,000. The general result
will be .tis:—The revenue was estimated to produce
£0,460,000 yam] it would have / roduced 170,578,000.
(Hear, hear. ) On the other hand, looking at the side of
expenditure, we should have stood as follows :—The inte-
rest ,of the ',ended and unfunded debt, estimated at
£28,600,000, wi, N amount to £28,638,000 ; the Miscellaneous
and Consolidated FAnd charges amount to £1,N0,000 ;
the Army was s :mated.at £13,300,000, and it would have
ati
cost £13,550,000,4
consequence of an excess of expendi-
ture from the pre
''dingyear. The •N avy was estimated at
e\.
uld have cost £12,630,000. The Civil
llaneous—exp£l2,7B2,ooo; it wo enses were estimated at
Service—called mime.
'1 have cost £7,700,000. The Revenue
£7,825,000; they won),
Department was esti/nit ed '
at £4,740 000 ; it would have cost
£4,447,000. The total re salt is that whereas the estimated
charges of the year were A
'9,270,000, the total expenditure
£6B 953 000. (Hear,
Would have been somewhat 1, than
I