The Sun.
London, England, 1866-10-01 00:00:00

us, the rule with the national revenue, and amid
many temporary causes of anxiety and depression
we have much reason to be thankful for the con-
tinued buoyancy of the finances. The reduction of ,
taxation has been going on rapidly during the last
few years, and that fact might very well account
for any unexpected deficiency, seeing that it is not
always easy to calculate beforehand the precise
effect either of the imposition or the reduction of a
tax. But so far from such being the case the esti-
mated deficiency has usually been greater than the
actual loss, and Mr. GLADSTONE has kept so well
within the limits of probability as to give the public
an agreeable surprise at the and of the quarter. It
was supposed that the great reductions in last year's
Budget, when a large proportion of the income-tax,
the tea duties, and the fire insurance duty
were given up, might very probably affect
this year's revenue as well, though further
reductions on a lesser scale have taken place in this
year's budget. However, the tables now before us
show an increase of over a quarter of a million
as compared with the corresponding quarter of
last year ; and on the half year we have an in-
crease of £345,000, as compared with the
corresponding half of 1865. The three principal
divisions of the tables are the Customs, the Excise,
and the Income-tax, and on all of these the returns
are highly satisfactory. The income-tax, though
now only fourpence in the pound, has produced in
the year the astonishing sum of £5,595,000, thus
showing a rapid increase on Mr. GLADSTONE'S
estimate of £1,300,000 for every penny of the tax.
The customs on which, as we have said, there is an
increase on the quarter of £252,000 return
in the year ending September 30th, in spite
of all reductions, the sum of £2,162,000. The
Excise, with an increase of £lBB,OOO in the quarter,
shows an increase of £716,000 on the year. The
Stamps, owing to the partial remission of, the Fire
Insurance Duty, show a decrease of £197,000 in the
quarter and £130,000 in the year; but the Post-office
continues its unvarying course of prosperity with a
quarter's increase of £15,000 and a year's increase of
£155,000. The only remarkable item is the sum of
£854,483 under the head of miscellaneous receipts,
which is explained by the repayment of £500,000
from New Zealand. This has been a useful assist-
ance ; but, as we have shown, the satisfactory state
of the returns is independent of any extraneous aid,
and is solely and entirely due to the elasticity of the
Revenue. It has often been proved that a wise
and liberal lightening of the bn,rdens of a people
is in the end the surest means of replenishing the
national coffers ; and certainly no more powerful
commentary on the blessings of Free-trade could be
found than in the periodical returns of the British
, revenue. However much the public may justly
complain of official neglect or mismanagement in
other departments of the public service, Mr. GLAD-
. STONE, at least, has good reason to be satisfied with
the results of his guardianship of the national ex-
chequer.

During a long political career, in which he has
often displayed great intemperance, Mr. BRIGHT
has never committed himself so much as he
did at Manchester the other day on the occa-
sion of the Reform demonstration. lie will not
be allowed to forget it in a hurry, and we are glad
that he has met with a censor in the chief news-
paper of France. The Debats contains a very able
article on the subject, which is much to the point,
and exposes alike the fallacies of his arguments and
the errors he commits by his violence. In the first
place, the French critic takes him to task for
his impatience and the excitement he gets into
because all cannot be done at once. The
organisation of the English electoral system is
not the fruit, it is said, of "a theoretical conception
and a meditated plan, but the complex and change-
able work of time." Although this organisation is
not like those which were formed by ancient legis-
lators, as MINERVA issued all armed from the brain
of JUPITER; but it does not follow that things
should go the worse for that, for those constitutions
which are made all of a piece very often are over-
turned at a blow ; while others remain which are
constantly improved and modified. " Certain mo-
dern Reformers in England are perhaps not suffi-
ciently penetrated with that idea," exclaims the
writer, with great justice. Very true also arc the
strictures passed upon this agitator for the extraor-
dinary way in which he perverts things when he
addresses public meetings. After dwelling on the
anomaly of so many citizens being unrepresented,
Mr. BRIGHT exaggerates, and is taking a wrong
course when, after having shown that of the present
number of electors the counties furnished 750,000,
and the boroughs 550,000, he adds that the repre-
sentation of the counties is not a popular one in the
right acceptation of the word. This is, however, a
sort of clap-trap to which Mr. BRIGHT is very prone,
and to which he often resorts on occasions similar to
that which took place at Manchester. He
forgets, or pretends to do so at any
rate, that he is paying a poor compli-
ment to those whom he proposes to serve
NN hen he stoops to such modes of advocating their
cause. As the Debats says, "The interests of the
working classes may be defended on higher
grounds." Mr. BRIGIIT looks upon the representa-
tion of the counties as a dead body attached to the
living suffrage in towns, and accordingly he may
go on until he makes the suffrage the privilege of
the resident in boroughs. It really is what he is
driving at, in all probability, we should say, and as
it is the constant theme of his discourse to drag and
depreciate all that appertains to the counties,
it is not unreasonable to imagine that he seeks to
exclude them from what ought to be their true

position in the State.
Tho concluding passages in Mr. BRIGHT'S speech
are very forcibly touched upon by the Debats. First
of all, there comes the ridiculous notion that the
present Government cannot introduce a Reform
Bill unless it be a "vile and dishonest" one. Such
intemperate language is very apt to defeat itself in
the end ; but as, in the meanwhile, some ignorant
parties may be led away by it, it is satisfactory to
find it explained. Mr. BRIGHT, in winding up, pro-
claimed to his Radical auditors that he did not
know bow long a time it might be before it
might be necessary to resortto fsotractee.s
There-
upon the Dcbats very properly
that—
" We are often told in France that the freedom of
the tribunal and the press exists among our neigh-
bours only because none ever think of availing
himself of either to disturb order and attack the
Constitution ; it is difficult to reconcile those
assertions with the exhibition Mr. BRIGHT is just
now giving to the world." We do not think that
any one in this country could have taken a clearer
which
morei\ir. BRi
view of the case than this French critic has done,
o
powerfullyoirr' exposed the fallacies with
s speech abounds. Were e
half so sincere in the cause of Reform, half soe
anxious to secure the rights of the people as he
professes he would regret the error into which he is
led, but as it is we believe that he wishes more to
make a grand display of his powers of denunciation
than he seeks to gain a particular object. Were
the present Government to concede all he asks for,
what would he do? His occupation would be gone.
We hope that one good will arise out of this recent
affair At Nancliegter, and that many will be led to