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

(Prom. the Derbyshire °owner.)
- Mr. DiFraeli went down to the lies:Be of Commons on
Monday erseing a Chancellor in difficult: e, woke up on
Tuesday morning and "found himself" like Byron,
" famous." It is too late for us to give an opinfon about
hie .13udget. 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 Ames.
Amore 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
deolarea that he " has nothing to do with the manage-
ment of the national finances," agree in affirming that
Mr. Disraeh'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 moat
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 next to nothing. He feels
that his " strength is to sit and be does so.
Out of the four millions by which the revenue of
the nation is deficient 1,500,0001. is due to the
War Sinking Fund, and 2,000,0001. for the pay-
ment of Exchequer Bonds. Mr. Disraeli recommends
that the arrangement for providing 1,500,000/, for the
War Sinking Fund should be terminated, or at least
suspended fey the present ; and that the payment of the
2,000,0001 of Exchequer Bonds should also be post.
poned. . Ibis may appear to some a rather lax method
of 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, public
works, and the agricultural interest, no less than four
millions steeing. 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 bullion 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
Liverpool 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 dots 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
s3s 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 payitiglyour 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 debts, by sinking fund
loans, mortgages, 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 immediately 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 subtllties of the word-spinning Gladstone who
allowed himself, with the ridicu'ous self-sufficiency of
a dwarf to sneer at the "financial blunders " of Wil-
liam Pitt—the Gianf. Let us rejoice that we have
avoided the fangs of that incapeble visionary, Sir
George Lewis, also a cub! have continued the higher
rate of income-pax, and pro as ly placed on new taxes,
to rupport his only teeories aed crotcnets.
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
sedition 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 baying 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 oppozition, and that the revenue will
gain more than it would by a penny stamp.
Without the slightest ri ference to the party by whom
it is brought forward, we venture then to add our con-
tribution of approval of the Budget of the present Ad-
minietraiion. It is good for the country, and will
strengthen the feeling of confidence in Ministers.
Toere is a general impression now gaining ground, that
they deserve at, the very least, a fair trial.

THE QUEEN'S VISIT TO BIRITLATOHAiIf.

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-hall where a
congratulatory address will be presented by the corpora-
tion, the Royal cortege will be esoorted to the People's
Park, at Asten.
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 iaried, so as to
allow of- the Royal progress being witnessed by the
I.rgest 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 c f 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
Hall 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 ceder a canopy in front of the orchestra. The
design to which we have referred proposes to cover the
whole of the flour with Brussels carpet, of. the pattern
of that used in the House of Lords. Up the oeutre of
the Hall will be laid a broad marone velvet pile carpet,
bordered by rich gold c. loured 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 greao
variety of form and colour will be gained by tVte 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 side, reach-
ing from the floor to the orchestra, it is proposed to
arrange a gnarl display of flowers. It is proposed to
decorate the gallery fronts either with gilding or with a
shaped valance 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
marone cloth, and in front of this screen two
tiers of seats will be ert.cted for ladies. If this design
should be carried out in its integrity, the Hall will
look more, gorgeous, and at the same time elegant
Lean anyvvem in which the Queen has yet been received.
As to the arrangements for her Mei ,sty's recepticn at
Aston nothing is crown teyond the fact that the Mayor
intends to provide a splendid dejeuner, to which her
Majesty will be invited, and also a grand banquet, in
the evening, is the principal visitors to the town.
All the arrangements 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 t 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 ef Chief 114agittrate, it tends to raise the impor-
tance of the borough, and invariably produces oh the
country 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 estimating&
as it has teenduring the last two years. We hear this
repented from all quarters, and the popularity which the
Mayor Lae won for himself must be permanent.
At a meeting of the Town Council, held on Tuesday,
3,0001. were voted towards the expenses for the recep-
tion of her tqsjeity ; but we understand that this will
scarcely cover halt 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.--On Wednesday,
14, at eleven minutes to seven a,rn. a Blight shook
of an earti quake was generally felt throughout this
island, and in some places brought down .the whitewash
and phister of the ceilings of houses, and this was par-
observed in the buildings of the dockyard.
Some few iudividuals assert having also felt a shock at
about five in the morning, and another at eleven the
night preceding. The weather was excessively sultry
and oppressive, and perticularly so during the night'
when au unusual stillneus prevailed in the atmosphere.
fhe sky was very darkened, and eccasionally large drope
of rain fell. Ou Thursday afternoon the sky spill
became overcast, and we were visited fly several re"
fre.thing showers. As rain is much needed at the present
moment by the country people to moisten the parched
soil and assist vegetation, it was hoped that we were
about to have a good fa,ll ; but the clouds soon disar
rared'aithout affording that suprly of the precious
"
element so devoutly wished for, and for which in Me
of the island prayers have been offered up to the
Almighty for same weeks pa't.