The Sun.
London, England, 1869-04-08 00:00:00

THE BUDGET.

The house then resolved itself into a committee of ways
and means, and
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER rose to
make his financial statement. Having asked the indulg-
ence of the house during the long and intricate statement
which it became his duty to make, he might say at
the outset that it would present no element of difficulty or
embarrassment. Ile would eliminate from his observa-
tions all that with respect to Abyssinia, as the funds had
been voted for the payment of the expenditure, and the
doing so would contribute to its clearness. The estimate
that had been made by his predecessor of the gross revene
for the year was £73,153,000, but the actual re-
ceipt had been £72,592,000, giving a deficit of
£558,000. There had been a falling off in most
of the sources of revenue, but the Post-office receipts had
increased. The articles consumed by the wealthier
classes held ground pretty well, but he re-
gretted to find that iu those consumed by the
poorer classes there had been a large falling
off. The gross revenue had been £72,592,000, ani the
expenditure for the year amounted to £72,972,000, which
gave a surplus of £3BO, 00 expenditure over receipts.
The right Lou. gentleman then proceeded to compare the
estimates of the Government for the present year with those
of the Government of the year 1868, and concluded that
portion of his subject by saying there had been a saving
effected in the present year—thanks to the heroic
efforts of the right hon. gentleman at the head of
the War Department and the right hon. gentleman
the First Lord of the Admiralty—of no less a
sum than £2,261,000. (sear, hear.) The not increase
in the income for the present year amounted to £263,000,
and had the Abyssinian item been out of the way the
surplus would have amounted to no less than £4,632,000.
He believed the whole expenses of the expedi-
tion would be covered by £9,000,000, as ho
yesterday received a telegram from Mr. Turner, in India,
which gave the estimated result of the whole of the ex-
pedition - comparing that with the sum voted they found
they were better off than they expected by the sum of £l7O.
(Laughter.) Taking the whole of the matter into view,
they had just enough to pay the whole of the expenses of
the year, but they had no surplus, and the balances were
exceedingly low. Ile did Lot think that it was wise to have
the balances at so low an ebb, and that it would be wise
to make some tax which would enable them to have a rea-
sonable surplus at their hands—(hear, hear)—instead of a
deficit of £iiBo,ooo. There was ft set of taxes called
Laud cud Assessed, which he would just refer
to. The dog tax had been most productive to the
Government, and showed the advisability of having
paid over unpaid collectors, because the paid collectors
had actually levied and received the tax on COO,OOC dogs
who had hitherto evaded this duty. (Loud laughter.)
The mode of collecting the whole of the assessed taxes
was very bad, and he thought that if the aid
of the Excise were called in to collect the money
a great deal of time was lost, because the collector had to
go twice a year for the money, but if a system of compound-
ing end making the payment in ono sum was carried out a
great improvement would result. lie begged to recommend
that anti •ct to the consideration of the house. the same
fault applied to the col:ectian of the income tax, and if
they c.eret adopt the mode adopted iu Scotland a great
improvenomt would resins. if these taxes were collected
but once in a year there would saving of at least, £.OO 000.
Government proposed to convert the assesed taxes, apart
from the inhabited house tax, into a kind of license, which
should be collected by the Excise, and thus a person would
have to make out a list of taxable article:, such as
horses, ac., and a license granted at a set sum,
and then forthwith paid. With respect to the
taxes for 68-69, no alteration in the system would be made,
but on the Ist of Jan. 1870, the excise licenses should
issue, the time allowed before the alteration would enable
the systetn to 'creme into work without inflicting any
hardship. With respect to the Land and House tax
they proposed that the usual mode should go on fur
taxes already levied, but that on the Ist of January, 1870,
these taxes should be collected by the Excise, and the same
course they proposed should be made with respect to the
income tax, namely, the whole cf the year's tax made
payable at the beginning of the year—(hear, hear)—
when the books of trade and commerce was made up.
The effect of such an arrangement would be to greatly in-
creose the yield of the tax and to lessen the cost of col-
lection, which would be a public saving. The Government
had made certain concession with respect to the transition
and would forbear from the October collection. The
change from the custom of being two years in arrear, to
being called upon to make prompt payment, would
cause some inconvenience, but he hoped when the first
pressure had gone off the result would be that the system
would be so beneficial that
We shall continue our report in a later edition.

CEN7RAL CRIMINAL COURT—(this Day.)

OLD COURT.
James Sharman and Richard Spraggs were indicted for
feloniously setting fire to a house with intent to defraud
the Fheenix Assurance Company of London, also for
unlawfully attempting to obtain by false pretences £293
4s. 7d., the moneys of the said company with intent to
defraud ; and also for unlawfully conspiring together to
obtain by false pretences the above sum from the com-
pany.

Sharman pleaded guilty to the charge of obtaining
money by false pretences, but Spragg pleaded not guilty.
The house was situated in the Lefevre-road, Bow, and a
fire occurring a claim was sent in for the amount of the
policy which had been taken out in the Phcenix Fire-office.
The officer, on account of certain suspicious circumstances,
refused to pay the :policy, and Spraggs brought an action
to enforce them. The trial resulted in a verdict for the
defendants, and from certain matters that were proved at
that trial the present indictment was preferred against the
prisoners. . .

•
Tho prisoner Sharman was admitted as evidence against
Spraggs, from whose statement it appeared that, being
about to engage in a law suit, and being short of •
funds, Spraggs told him the way to get the money
was to insure his house in the Phoenix,
and then burn it down and get the amount of the policy.
Spraggs told him he would do all that was necessary, and
he (Sharman) assented. The house was accordingly in-
sured and then set on fire. Sharman further stated that
Spraggs had told him that on a former occasion he had
done the same thing for a man named White, and that
£5OO had been made by the transaction.
The case is not expected to conclude to-day.