The Sun.
London, England, 1858-07-01 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY, JULY 1, 1858.

The Revenue Returns fur the financial year and
quarter ending yesterday have been duly pub-
lished, and will be found in another part of this
day's impression. They indicate the fiscal diffi-
culties bequeathed to the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer by his predecessor in office--diffieulties
which have been strenuously denied and emphati-
cally repudiated. Sir G. C. LEWIS fancied that
because there were assets sufficient to make both
ends meet, when ho was evicted from Downing-
street, all should be couleur de rose with his suc-
cessor, and complained of, being held at all
responsible for any embarrassments that
might arise during the progress of the present
and the following year. l‘lore than twelve months
since we explained that there must inevitably be
a heavy deficit, in consequence of the policy pur-
sued by Sir G. C. LEWIS, although it would not
be perceptible for some time. Oar predictions
have already been verified, although we fear
that still more distinct evidences of our accuracy
will be forthcoming.
Looking to the exact figures, we find that there
is a decrease on the year of 5,188,1051., and
on the quarter of 101,19e1., which would be
greatly enhanced in both instances, but for
the increase in the Miscellaneous, which
cannot be considered as a permanent source.
Indeed a private individual might as well
congratulate himself on an increase of income
arising from the sale of a large proportion of his
wardrobe, furniture, or jewellery, at a fifth of
the cost price. It was the late Government that
resorted to this laudable mode of recruiting the
national exchequer, and the present. Financial
Minister has, as far as possible, reduced the prac-
tice, the increase for the year being 642,3391.,
while that for the quarter was but 79,588/.
In the Customs, the great indicator of our
foreign trade, the falling off on the year was
! ;67,6741., and on the quarter 270,310/. The
corresponding quarter of last year was, however,
very productive. The reduction in the tea, coffee,
and sugar duties came into operation at the com-
kneneement thereof, and dealers refrained from
increasing their stocks, which they permitted to

dwindle to the lowest amount, in order that
the parti es might obtain the full benefit of the
anticipat, 3d change of tariff. This alone would
account for more than double the value of the
reduction.,

In the I Iccise, the infallible indicator that shows
the amoun t of comfort and prosperity enjoyed by
the working bees of the national hive, the increase
on the year is 277,000/., and on the quarter,
119,0001. Malt, hops, and spirits have been
the chief agents in producing these results, but
there are minor improvements on other articles

of consumption.
In Stamps there is also a decided improvement
—that on the year being 284,9811., and on the
quarter 233,879/. The id. on cheques promises
to prove fully as productive as had been antici-
pated. In the Assessed Taxes, too, there is an
addition of 57,013/. on the year, and of 2,000/.
on the quarter. These imposts in a great degree ,
dep'nd on the stringency of the way they are
levied. They do not therefore greatly show the
prosperity of the parties paying. Money collected
by distress, with all the cost of warrants, brokers,
d:c., will look as well as that which has been
freely and willingly brought in without any
undue pressure.
The great falling off, however, is in the Income
and Property, which exceeds both on the year and
quarter the entire decrease ; it being, for the
former, 5,838,5611., and for the latter
1,255,9531. These are, however, fortunately the
effects of a reduction of taxation, rather than a
diminution of the sources of revenue. The war
9d., as it was termed, should be an equivalent
for at least 9,000,0001., but there were consider-
able arrears collected during the year, so that the
deficiency was only 5,838,5611., in place of being
neatly three and a quarter millions greater, which
will be the case next year, when the public will
receive the benefit of the full reduction, and the
additional 2d. will also come into operation.
In the Post-office there is an improvement of

165,0001. and 90,0001. respectively, while in
Crown Lands there is a falling off on the year of
8,2031., the quarter remaining in state quo.
We have already alluded to the 21iscella-
neous. On the whole, the returns are as
good as could have been expected under ex-
isting circumstances ; but still they show
slue for grave apprehension, unless the Exche-
quer remains under the control of a prudent and,
at the same time, vigorous administrator, such as
IMr. DISRA.ELI has proved himself to be.

We direct attention to an article from the Times
of this day, suggestive of a plan for carrying off
the Thames sewage by a set of iron pipes, which
may be continued to and even into the sea.
We may remark, at the same time, that the
same idea had been suggested to the proper
quarter on Monday last, with other hints for a
temporary but prompt alleviation of the present
nuisance.

Immediately before the last delightful article
n the July number of Blackwood there is a capi-

tal political skit (worthy of particular attention
at the present moment), entitled The Great Im-
posture. It is, as we have intimated, for the
current month, Maga's penultimate contribution
—the concluding paper being a wonderful piece
of banter called " Mr. DUSKY'S Opinions on
Art," a perfect delicious morsel of artistic plea-
santr3 , in regard to the authorship of which say
we aut AYTOUN cut Diabolus. It will be very
long, we fancy, before Mr. RUSKIN hears the last
of it—this exquisite specimen of perfectly well-
tempered but destructive and even deadly ridicule.
The mere application to the " Notes" of the fami-
liar couplet from " Rejected Addresses"—

" I'm a blessed Glendoveer,
'Tis mine to speak, and yours to hear"—

the reference to the High Commissioner from the
Court of Nature : the parenthetical regret ex- I
pressed that " the pitch dark of a winter's night,
it would be difficult for any one, in the present
state of art, to place satisfactorily on canvass :"
the scrupulous exactitude of the allusion made to
the particular state of the atmosphere existing in
the month of August, "from about five minutes
before two to about twenty minutes after,"
together with the next comment upon the picture
which had evidently been painted rather earlier
._—" (about five-and-twenty minutes before two
is the time I should assign to it)"—all these
touches are perfect of their kind : we can scarcely
read on for our laughter. So, too, is it with the
reproachful lamentation immediately afterwards,
that in all the various galleries of the year,
" Amid all the rendering of grass and flowers
there is not a single dandelion"—not one group
of toadstools—not a solitary daddy-long-legs—
above all (pathetically this last) " nowhere any
frogs :" closing—after a heraldric reminiscence of
the lording of those reptiles—with " Let us have
some frogs next year I" Can any
fail
lto
grin one, even a
with
delight
ollvuesrk.i.nhiethetPillotrgit signumofl:" The painting of the nail
brush, showing where friction has worn away and
channelled the bristles in the middle?" Or over
the whole generalised commendation of that in-
dubitable Paul Veronese (somewhere) —to
which is subjoined " I would particularly note
the third hair from the top of the right whisker
of the cat in the corner, the painting of which is
very precious 1" To say nothing of two amazing
entries, to wit—" No. 24. This is directly imi-
tative both of TITIAN and GEORGE CRUIKSIIANK,
with SMITH'S handling, and BROWN'S manner,"
and further on " No. 40. The sky
weak and heavy, the distance too hazy, the mid_
dle distance absurd, and the foreground like a
cartload of bricks ready for use. However—on
the whole-1 consider this the leading picture of
the year." Absolutely, from first to last, nothing
could possibly be more delightful than this exam-
ple of Mr. DUSKY'S Opinions. It will do Mr.
RUSKIN a world of good—or, at any rate,
his readers—supposing Mr. DUSKY himself to be
incorrigible.

But there is the immediate precursor of this
artistic skit—the political skit, already particu-
larised as the paper entitled " The Great Impos-
ture." In this age of imposture—some may
wonderingly inquire—what possibly can that
mean 7 Which of all the Giant Humbugs, of all
the colossal b'agues, of all the stupendous shams,
can reasonably claim for itself the prerogative of
of being regarded as " The Great Imposture."
The answer comes now, through Maga, somewhat
opportunely--WinocizaY. Read it, free and
enlightened Electors and non-Electors, one and
all. Here you have "The Great Imposture" in
a state of coma—cf collapse—blown—burst up—
shelved—cushioned. Listen to the writer for
one brief interval. " What isWhiggery ?' said I
once to a bluff Radical, who has a sincere abhor-
rence of the sect. 'Jobbery,' was the curs reply.
'Jaw and nothing else,' was the answer of a
second. 'Selling British folks to foreigners,'
cried a third ? and more than once I have been
assured that ' bosh' was the proper synonyme.
For my own part I have been compelled to aban-
don iu despair the attempt at any solution beyond
a negative one. But sure and certain am I that
Whiggery is not Liberalism." That is the one
inevitable conclusion. It is the conclusion at
which the true and independent Liberals in the