The Sun.
London, England, 1867-07-01 00:00:00

LONDON, MONDAY, JULY 1, 1867.

The Quarter's Revenue Tables, happily for this
country, are seldom looked for with much anxiety.
Quarter after quarter, year after year, we find
ground for confidence and satisfaction in the

The quarter's revenue for the three months just
ended was £17,781,925, showing an increase on the
corresponding quarter of last year of £318,261.
This increase was as usual mainly due to the Cus-
toms, which produced 2228,000 more in this June
quarter than in that of 186 G. The sum total of the
quarter's receipts from this profitable source was
close upon five millions and a half, and their steady
increase speaks well for the general prosperity of
the people. In the year ending June 30 the increase
is over a million and a quarter, so that in spite of
the general grumbling it seems that we have been
buying tea, sugar, tobacco, wine and spirits, and
other articles of pleazunt luxury, at a greater rate
than we have done before. The Excise last June was
more than usually profitable, and the quarters im-
mediately succeeding were also very productive. We
must bear this in mind when we find the principal
decrease of the quarter coming under this head. The
decrease in the quarter from the Excise is £1.16,000,
but the year shows an increase of £487,000, so that
there is no reason for uneasiness at the temporary
diminution The Post-office is certain to be found
in the " Increase" division, and it does on at a
steady rate of progression which is almost marvellous.
The quarter give us an increase of £86,000, the
twelvemonth of £200,000. It may very fairly be
asked by the public whether in face of this large and
increasing income the Post-office might not give a
little of the benefit to the public by reducing a few
of their charges. The " Penny Post" leaves
no room for conipttint, but there are
many exceptional charges which are vexatious,
and many minor points an which the administration
of affairs might be improved. The time has cer-
tainly come when the public may in fairness ask
that a portion at least of the large surplus yearly
derived from the Post-office may be returned to
them indirectly by the improvement of the service
itself. The Stamps show an increase of £64,000,
and the other items are not noticeable. The sum
total of the returns is highly satisfactory, and,
unless• the remainder of the financial year grievously
disappoints the promise of the first quarter, we
may look forward with;confidence to the production
of a Budget which shall lighten still further the
burdens of the people.

Mr. GLADSTONE appeared to full advantage on
Saturday, when he presided at the anniversary
dinner of the Newspaper Press Fund. The speech
which he made in proposing the chief toast of the
evening was most interesting, and he fully entored
into the spirit of the affair. First of all, the right
hon. gentleman was able to congratulate his hearers
upon the success which this institution has met
with, although it is one of the youngest of our public
institutions. In pursuing this theme, Mr. GLAD-
STONE said tha'., the interests of the public were
bound up with those of the press. "We have lived
into times when the newspaper is a great social,
political, and moral power, one so great that it can-
not be overlooked by any of. those who would com-
prehend the character of their country, or the
nature of those processes by which the movement
of a mighty nation is directed." It seems to follow
then, as a matter of course, that those who are in-
timately connected and associated with this great
undertaking are deserving of encouragement, and
the purpose of this institution is a laudable one, for
it aims at establishing more perfect ties of goodwill
and of interest in the members of this profession,
and likewise to afford an opportunity to others not
exactly connected with them of showing interest
and to further its progress and success. It needed
not Mr. GLADSTONE'S powerful reasoning to show
the advantages of such a society, nor his great
eloquence to advocate its cause, but still it is satis-
factory that he should have done so in many re-
spects, for there are many who, from ignorance
and inattention, are unaware of the nature of
these institutions, and they are more likely to be
persuaded into recognising merits they have
hitherto ignored if their claims are put forward
by those who have high standing in society, and
and great reputation in the ranks of dis-
tinguished men.

It is meet and honourable, as the Chairman said,
for the members of classes to unite together by con-
tributions that are given by individuals in the day
of their prosperity, and which are intended to meet
the wants of those who may occasionally fall into
want, and thus a chance good is effected ; for not
only is individual necessity relieved, but the dignity
of the class is preserved, and its independence also.
This feeling of independence, as the right hon. gen-
tleman impressively declared, is one eminently
characteristic of English society : it pervades all its
classes, and duty and inclination will combine to
make a man feel that he must bear his own burden,
and not cast it upon the shoulders of his brethren.
We think that the members of the profession must
be sensible of the manner in which Mr. GLADSTONE
stated the requirements of the institution, and we
hope that his allusion to those who have passed on
from its ranks to more lucrative positions in society
will not be unnoticed, as he says in many cases it
is a profession of transition. " How many are
there among the eminent, the most eminent
men of our day and generation, who have
passed one stage at least of their lives in the
profession of the newspaper reporter. This is not,
as the Chairman observed, a profession in which
all prizes are generally to be obtained, but it is one
beyond which many hope to pass. Those who
have passed from it to the highest places in society,
literature, and the State, cannot forget the strong
ant " undeniable " chitus urged upon thou.
People are very prone to overlook what is immedi-
ately before them, and hence it was not now neces-
sary for Mr. Gissns-rcilsE to remind his hearers, and
through them the I üblic, that one of
the marvels of our age is to reflect upon
the flood of instruction and delight that flows
constantly through the newspaper press. From
having been the privilege of the educated class the
press has now, as Mr. GLADSTONE emphatically
reminded the assembly, " become the patrimony of
the people." In the most candid manner did the
right hon. gentleman express his sense of the
special duty which he was discharging, feeling, as
he said, that it was especially incumbent upon all
whose lot is cast in public life to bear testimony
to the debt they owed the press of their country.
These also know that through the agency of the
press the task of governing is greatly lightened,
because the community feel that they com-
prehend far more than they used to do of the

information which otherwise could not easily be
obtained. After declaring his conviction that the
moral tone of the newspaper prers had improved
since it first became a power in this country, Mr.
GLADSTONE concluded his speech by an eloquent
appeal to his hearers to let fair play be given.
" Therefore in recognising the existence of this
great 'power, of this new power among 114, let us
give it a hearty welcome; do not let it be grudg-
ingly admitted within the circle of trt institutions
and ideas; let us hail it as a new benefit, which, in

the progress of affairs and institutions, it has pleased
Providence to confer upon mankind. Let us take
every fair opportunity of showing that we sympa-
thise with it, and that we desire to aid it in its work,
and let us acknowledge that kindly feeling with
which we desire to recognise institutions such as

this." This admirable address was received with
every mark of genuine approbation, and it reflected
honour alike on the speaker, and upon the cause
whose interests he so ably advocated, and whose
merits he so fully appreciated.

Not the least remarkable part of the revelations
before the Sheffield Commission is the manner in
which the members of the Trades' Unions allowed
their money affairs to be conducted. They appear
in many instances to have openly countenanced a
systematic falsification of the books, passing en-
tries which were evidently inaccurate, and allow-
ing the secretaries so wide a latitude that there is
good reason to believe some of the BROADHEAD
stamp have made a good thing out of their dignity.

It is worth noticing how men can be led on step
by step to tolerate the most extravagant and
unjust proceedings which they would have
indignantly denounced if they had been suddenly
introduced to them. We know, unfortunately,
that murder, arson, and 'robbery were not thought
very serious breaches of propr:ety by the extreme
Unionists, and it now seems that forgery is another
of their accomplishments. It scans that at a meet-
ing of one of the Unions a question was raised about
the sum of £7O which had been invested in the sav-
ings bank in the name of four persons, and the
names of three of them were necessary to
get it out. It had been taken out, and one of
the persons complained that his name had
been forged ! Nothing could be discovered about
the money, how it had been got out, or
where it had gone, and the meeting apparently
receiving some intimation that it was better not to
inquire too closely, passed the following resolution :
—" That after a great deal of investigation we are
of opinion that the £7O was drawn out of the bank
for trade purposes, but at the same time we
deprecate the manner in which it has been drawn
out, and hope in future the committee will be very
particular in the mode of doing their business."
This is a tolerably mild censure for the offence, and
the secretaries or managers of such concerns must
have an easy time of it if they may draw out £7O
in false names with impunity. If the working
men like their hard-earned money to make to itself
wings and fly away after this myzterious fashion
all well and good ; only we think we should hear a
little less about the low rate of wages and the high
price of necessaries, unless indeed a Trades' Union
be a necessary of life.

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS.