The Sun.
London, England, 1866-05-03 00:00:00

VOTERS AT DEVONPORT.

Mr. MONK asked tho Secretary to the Admiralty when
the return of dockyard workmen 'who claimed to vote at
the last general election, and who would be disqualified
by clause 16 of the Representation of the People Bill,
would be laid before the house ?

Sir G. GREY said it was quite impossible to make any
promise in the matter.
THE JAMAICA COMMISSION.

Lord STANLEY asked when the report of the Jamaica
Commission would be laid on the table.

Mr. CARDWELL said the report was very voluminous,
and, with the utmost speed, he did not think it would be
possible to lay it on the table for three weeks.

CHURCH RATES.

The CHANCELLOR of tho EXCHEQUER said that
to-morrow ho should move for leave to introduce a bill for
the abolition of compulsory Church-rates.
TEE BUDGET.

The house then went into Committee of Ways
and Means.

The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER
then rose to make his financial statement, and in
doing so said he had no such surplus revenue at
his disposal as there had been for the last three
years. He should, however, in the course of his
observations, have to make certain proposals which
he thought not so extensive as those he had the
honour to make on previous occasions, but
which would be attended with great inte-
rest to a large body of the community.
The hon. gentleman then proceeded to refer to the
gross expenditure of the year, which he said
amounted to £65,420,000, whilst the revenue re-
ceived was £67,812,000, which was £1,420,000
beyond the estimate. The estimated loss in tea in
consequence of the reduction of the duty last
year had come very near the actual loss,
and under all the circumstances it was
gratifying fact that it was not greater. The loss
upon the income tax by the reduction of last year
was over a million, and although such was the fact
it was gratifying to notice the growth of that tax,
and the penny on that tax, which a short time ago
produced about £700,000, was now equal to
£1,400,000. (Hear, hear.) The malt duty during
the last year had been very favourable ; it bad been
estimated at £5,850,000, whilst it had produced
£6,410,000. British spirits had been estimated to
produce £10,300,000 ; the actual produce had been
£10,450,000, and Colonial spirits had been set
down at £3,295,000, while the actual amount re-
ceived was£3,sos,ooo,making a total of £13,950,000,
or in round numbers £14,000,000, the largest sum
that was ever raised by an indirect tax on one article
in any country. The right hon. gentleman then
proceeded to point out the chief features of the esti-
mates for the year, which had been set down at
£67,575,000, and which, after all deductions, left a
surplus of £1,150,000, and it was as to the disposal of
that surplus he should have to direct the attention of
the house. Therefore, proceeding to deal with the
surplus, the right hon. gentleman referred to
the foreign treaties, and said that the treaty which
had been entered into between England and France
had been remarkably successful, and the fact was
all the more gratifying as it had been prophesied
that little good, if not actual harm, would be the
result of that measure. The Government proposed
to repeal the duty on timber and to equalise the
duty on wine in bottle to wine in the wood. The
repeal of the timber duty would date from March,
1866, and the loss from that source would be
£307,000. The duty on wine up to a certain
strength was 2s. 6d. per gallon in bottle and Is. in
the wood, but they now proposed that the duty on the
two should be uniformly ls. (Hear, hear.)
This would cause a loss of £71,000.
The next article upon which the Government
proposes to remove the duty was pepper. (Laughter.)
Pepper was used largely in Ireland—laughter)—and
otherparts of her Majestys' dominions, and although
it might be looked upon as a trifling matter in some
quarters, yet there were other places where pepper
was regarded as an article of great importance.

LEFT SPEAKING.]

CALCUTTA AND CHINA MAILS.

SOUTHAMPTON, May 2.
The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer
China, with the heavy portion of the above mails,
passed the Needles at 2.10 p.m. to-day.

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE. —This Day.

LEY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.
GRAVESEND, Thursday Morning.
Arrived—Caroline, from Cimbritsham.
Sailed— Seine, steamer, for Boulogne; Leal, steamer, for
Lisbon.
DEAL, Thursday Morning.
nd
Passed, May 2—Susan and Anna, of Dartmouth,
Louisa, of Arundel, from the west, foonr
rom L don, for Calcutta.
Passed, May 3—Nagpore, f

___—__•7.-----_
THE NAvY CLUB.--The members of the Navy
Club dined together on Tuesday evening at Willis's Rooms
St. James's. Vice-Admiral Sir Alexander,
King-street,
Milne, K.C.8., Presided. There were present the Marquis
of Normanby (visitor), Admiral Sir Geo. Lambert, G.C.13
Admiral the Earl of Shrewsbury, Admiral the Hon. Sir
Frederick W. Grey, G.C.8., Vice-Admiral Sir Sidney
Dacres, K.C.8., Vice-Admiral Lord Edew.Baro.:llßviliee.tria,srsv-eAlilea,mel..,ik.BrCda...l,.
Admiral Sir G. Rodney Mundy,
T. B.
Ice_Adnairai
Vice-Ad-
miral ii.lal
li William
Erskine, Ramsay,
Admiral
Blake,
C. 8., Rear_Admiral the Hon. James R
Rear-Admiral Hastings George G. Wellesley,
al W. J. C. Clifford, C. 8., Captain Morris'
cD.rl37Reruoanrd-A, Cdm.Bi.i,.
Captain Thomas Hope R. Yelverton'
,Captain P. Martin, Captain.
Rowley Lambert, Captain,B
Captain Hand, j'allgt,li Captain A. Lyons, Captain
Derriman,
Edmond§tone, Captain
F. Campbell, Captain D'Areypticn