The Sun.
London, England, 1858-04-29 00:00:00

THE BUDGET.

(Prom, the Derbyshire Courier.)
Mr. Disraeli went down to the House of Commons on
Monday evening a Chancellor in difficulties, woke up on
Tuesday morning and "found himself," like Byron,
famous." It is too late for us to give an opinion about
his Budget. The country has already pronounced a
decided verdict in its favour. Practical, sensible, satis-
factory, judicious, sound, business-like, and so on, has
been reiterated by all parties in all parts of the country
—from the Manchester Guardian down to the Times.
A. more striking dissimilarity than that between the
Chancellors' Budgets of 1852 and 1858 cannot be con-
ceived. One all imagination, the other all reality; one
as intricate as a Chancery suit, the other as simple as a
butcher's or baker's bill ; one all fiction, the other all
fact. The country gentleman who " does not under-
stand accounts," and the Lombard-street Banker who
declares that he " has nothing to do with the manage-
ment of the national finances," agree in affirming that
Mr. Disraeli's statement is lucid and intelligible.
The Budget has also this peculiar merit—it is adapted
to the times. Just escaping from the effects of a most
disastrous commercial crisis, the country cannot sustain
a fresh load of taxation, and abominates all fiscal changes
and derangements. With a deficit of 3,990,000/. the
Chancellor contrives to do nrxt to nothing. He feels
that his "strength is to sit sill,' and be does so.
Out of the four millions by which the revenue of
the nation is deficient 1,500,000/. is due to the
War Sinking Fund, and 2,000,000/. for the pay-
ment of Exchequer Bonds. Mr. Disraeli recommends
that the arrangement for providing 1,500,000/, for the
War Sinking Fued should be terminated, or at least
suloended for the present ; and that the payment of the
2,000,000/ of Exchequer Bonds should also be post.
polled. This may appear to some a rather lax method
id getting out of a financial difficulty. But under
the circumstances of the country it is unquestionably
the most sensible and practical. In 1793, after a
commercial crisis, Mr. Pitt brought in a bill to
direct the issue of five millions of Exchequer-bills "to
restore confidence and invigorate commerce." Two
millions and a half were actually issued, and had, in a
short time, the desired effect. The prosperity of the
country was restored. In 1822, a period of severe dis-
tress, Lord Liverpool issued in loans to parishes, publie
works, and the agricultural interest, no less than four
millions steleing. Prosperity was brought back ; but
only to be succeeded, when the circulation was violently
contracted, by the panic of 1825.
We are now under somewhat different circumstances.
By the gold discoveries, bullion is largely provided as
an extended basis for our circulating medium, and the
obligation, by the Bank Charter Act, of the Bank to
buy bulion without limit, is as this moment laying a
foundation for cheap money, an extended circulating
medium, and the revival of speculation. In the mean-
while Mr. Disraeli does not issue, as Mr. Pitt and Lord
Liverpo )1 did, Exechequer Bills or State Money, but he
allows the bonds already created and falling due to con-
tinue'out ; he make no additional pressure by. increased
taxation on the rprings of national industry. And in
thus acting, he doss what the emergency of the case and
the circumstances of the country require.
We entirely agree with what Mr. Disraeli says as to
sinking funds in general, being "false in principle and
most injurious in practice." The wonder is how any
sys em so fallacious, absurd, and expensive, can so long
have maintained its ground against the common sense of
the country. There is but one way of payinglyour debts.
Live within your income, and employ the savings of the
year to lessen the debt incurred in former years. There
is no new way of paying old dcbte, by sinking fund
loans, mortgagee, or any other subtile device that is so
cheap, so certain, and so wise, as the old fashioned
method by which, whenever you have an odd ten thou-
sand in your pocket, you rush off immedistely to Mor-
decai or Overstone, and liquidate to thee xtent of your
ability. Disraeli's budget is one of common sense. Let
us be thankful that we are delivered from the fine-spun
financial subtilties of the word-spinning Gladstone who
allowed himself, with the ridiculous self.sifficiency of
a dwarf to sneer at the "financial blunders "of Wil-
liam Pitt—the Giant. Let us rejoice that we have
avoided the fangs of that incapable visionary, Sir
George Lewis, who would have continued the higher
rate of
.income-tax, and pro Al ly placed *a new taxes,
to support his only theories acid ci °tenets.
One word about the new taxes. The equalisa-
tion of the duty on Irish spirits is a reasonable
and just project. There will be some' opposition
to the placing a penny stamp on Bankers' Cheques.
We look upon cheques as forming a most useful
addition to the circulating medium of the country.
They are daily increasing in number, and serve to
economise the currency, and facilitate the inter;
change of commodities, We should be sorry to see
any measure passed tending to restrict the use of
Bankers' Cheques. We think the plan of an uniform
stamp better than that of having a smaller charge for
trifling amounts. But why should the stamp be a
penny ? We suggest to Mr. Disraeli that it should be
a halfpenny ; and we incline to think that it will then
meet with little opposition, and that the revenue will
gain more than it would by a penny stamp.
Without the slightest reference to the patty by whom
it is brought forward, we venture then to add our con-
tribution of approval of the Budget of the present Ad-
ministration, It is good for the country, and will
strengthen the feeling of confidence in Ministers.
There is a general impression now gaining ground, that
they deserve at, the very least, a fair trial.

THE QUEEN'S VISIT TO BIRIIINGHALIL

We are now able to state that the Mayor will receive
her Majesty at the Railway Station, and after conduct-
ing the illustrious visitors to the Town-ball where a
congra'ulatory address will be presented by the corpora-
tion, the Royal cortege will be escorted to the People's
Park, at Aston.

It is, we believe, the intention of the General Pur-
poses Committee to propose Dale-end, Stafford-street,
and Aston-street, as the route to be taken by her Ma-
jesty in going to the Park, but there is a strong feeling
that on her return the route should be varied, so as to
allow of the Royal progress being witnessed by the
• largest possible number of spectators. The General
Purposes Committee will not be able to submit to the
Corporation a complete sketch of the arrangements until
her Majesty's approval has been obtained. For the
principal decoration that of the Town-hall artists have
been invited to compete, but the design of Mr. J. W.
Ingram, of Birmingham, by whom the permanent de-
corations of the hall were executed, if adopted, will ren-
der the Queen's reception a most imposing ceremony,
It is already decided that the Queen shall enter the
Hail by the centre door in Paradise•street, and at once
pass into the ladies' cloak-room, which will be fitted
up as a reception-room. From this room her Ma-
jesty will enter the Hall by the centre door, and pro-
ceed to take her place on the throne, which will be
erected eider a canopy in front of the orchestra. The
design to which we have referred proposes to cover the
whole of the floor with Brussels carpet, of the pattern
of that used in the House of Lords. Up the centre of
the Hall will be laid a broad marone velvet pile carpet,
bordered by rich gold coloured fringe. This carpet will
lead to a semi-circular dais, which will be raised three
steps from the floor. On the dais will be placed the
Throne and a chair of state for the Prince Consort.
Above all will rise a superb canopy, surmounted by a
royal Crown, and draped with the richest violet Utrecht
velvet, lined and trimmed with white silk. The upper
part of the canopy will be dome-shaped, and great
variety of form and colour will be gained by the use of
tastefully-shaped vallances, by a mysterious upholstery
operation called "tufting," and by the use of gold-
coloured silk cords and fringes. On the silk lining" of
the canopy will be emblazoned, in gold, the royal arms.
Behind the canopy will be grouped, in graceful folds,
the royal and national standards, and the flags of na-
tions in alliance with England. On either aide, reach-
ing from the floor to the orchestra, it is proposed to
arrange a grand display of flowers. It is proposed to
decorate the gallery fronts either with gilding or with a
shaped valiance of crimson velvet ; and it is also pro-
posed to hang festoons of drapery from pier to pier of
the pilasters which rise from the galleries'. The space
beneath the galleries is intended to be screened off with
maroce cloth, end in front of this screen two
tiers of seats will be erected for ladies. If this design
should be carried out in its integrity, the Hall will
look more gorgeous, and at the same- time elegant
than any room in which the Queen has yet been received.
As to the arrangements for her Majesty's reception at
Aston nothing is known-beyond the fact that the Mayor
intends to provide a splendid elejeuner, to which her
Maje-ty will be invited, and also a grand banquet, in
the evening, to the principal visitors to the town.
All the arrangeineots are proceeding satisfactorily.
Seldom has energy, so great, been shown as is now
manifested by the spirited and truly worthy Mayor, Mr.
John Ratcliff, who does honour to the town, and whose
liberal disposition has been so strongly exemplified, both
in the first, and now in the second year of his mayoralty.
When such gentlemen are selected to fill the important
office eif Chief etagi,trate, it tends to raise the impor-
tance of the borough, and invariably produces on the
c itntry at large feelings respect. Such has been by the
example of the present Mayor, and we may venture to
say that Birmingham was never held in such estimation
as it has been during the last two years. We hear this
repeated from all quarters, and the popularity which the
Mayor has won fur himself must be permanent.
At a ineetieg of the Town Council, held on Tuesday,
3,000/. were voted towards the expenses for the recep-
tion of her Majesty; but we understand that this will
scarceiy cover ball the expenses, as the Mayor, with his
usual liberality, is determined to carry out the arrange-
ments to an unusual extent of grandeur.

•
ANOTHER EARTHQUAKE IN MALTA.-00 Wednesday,
April 14, at eleven minutes to seven a,m. a slight shock
of an earti quake was generally felt throughout this
i,land, and In some places brought down the whitewash
and plaster of the ceilings of houses, and this was par-
ticularly observed in the buildings of the dockyard.
Some few individuals assert having also felt a shock at
about fiveece
di
g the morning, and another at eleven the
night
preceding. Tae
cveather was Excessively sultry
r
and oppressive, and pi.rticularly so during the night,
when an unusual stianeAs prevailed in the atmosphere.
Th., sky was very darkened, and cocasionally large drop.
of rain fell. On Thunday afternoon the sky again
became overcast, and we were visited by several re-
fre6bing showers. As rain is much needed at the present
moment by the country people to moisten the parched
oii and assist vegetation, it WE, hoped that we were
.oout to have a good fall ; but the clouds soon disap-
Fared without affording that supply of the precious
element so devoutly wished for, and for which in most
f the Island prayers have been offered up to the
Almighty for some weeks past.