The Sun.
London, England, 1866-01-27 00:00:00

z.‘vi.ef,f,.

ture and to the Treasury. The augmentation frait#,l-414-'
that source joined with the produce of the tax ripQn•LE-
buildings would add about 125 millions annually to the
revenue. A reform of that nature in the taxation of
landed property upon revenues from land, and upon
buildings, would enable the Government to withdraw
the plan presented by their predecessors for levying
taxes upon doors and windows. The sums thus pro-
duced would not be sufficient to effect the desired
equilibrium in the Budget, and therefore it became
necessary to deal with the indirect taxes. Among
thtse-taxes that which science and experience had
proved to be most equitable and most advantageous
was the tax upon production. During the preva-
lence of the oidieuz Italy produced annually 20
million hectolitres of wine, but before the appear-
ance of the grape disease the production was double
that amount. Taking a medium quantity-30
million hectolitres----as a basis of calculation, and -
a tax fixed at If. 50c. per hectolitre, the produce to
the Treasury would be nearly 45 millions. The
next point to be referred to was, said Signor Scialoja,
the most disagreeable portion of the Statement.
His predecessor had proposed a tax upon the grind-
ing of corn. He himself shared in the dislike with
which many deputies regarded that tax, but he
thought its unpopularity depended in a great mea-
sure upon the manner in which it vas levied. For
the present the Ministry would leave the subject of
a grinding tax open for discussion, and possibly some
practical result might in the end be arrived at. In
the:MeZt-ntime the Government must ask the Cham-
ber to .conscult T'.-posing the Government duties
upon oil, corn, and Tf the Chamber should
grant the demand the x.c.icji I.N-) an addition
of 30 millions to the revenue. up all the
figures which he had previously giv;. f,eneral
result would be as follows :—The total • %\ as
represented by a sum of 265 or 268 millv,;ts. I,Aa
the 541 of savings ; or, in other words, there
a deficit of 211 millions, to which must be added
'66 millions from a tax upon movable property,
which must be considered as never having existed
before, and which must be incorporated with the
new tax upon revenue and with the tax upon build-
ings. There was thus a sum of 277 millions
to be covered. To meet that sum an amount of
115 or 120 millions might be expected from the tax
upon incomes, 20 millions from the increase in the
registration and stamp duties, 45 millions from the
tax upon the production of wine, and 30 or 35 mil-
lions from the Government tolls upon oil and flour.
Those sums together would amount to 210 millions,
from which must be deducted about 10 millions
which would be lost by the operation of consoli-
dating the tax upon landed property, and by the
diminution in the produce of tolls upon certain ar-
ticles of production. There would then still remain
a balance of 80 millions to be provided for. As to
the means of meeting that deficiency, he believed
this would te found in the continual development
of the national wealth, in the consolidation of the
national credit, and in the rapidity of the national
progress. When they had succeeded in bringing
the Budget to an equilibrium the destinies of Ital y
would be certain and secure.

Metropolitan Board of Works.

--4.. -

Yesterday the ordinary weekly meeting of the
Metropolitan Board of Works was held at their
offices, Spring-gardens, Sir John Thwaites in the

chair.