The Sun.
London, England, 1844-04-20 00:00:00

THE REVENUE.

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The balance-sheet of the Tear'srevenue is in some respects
satisfactory. When we remember the tremendous " excess
of expenditure over income"—an excess of more than four
millions—which stared us in the face in the beginning of
1843, it is certainly with some relief that we turn to the
gratifying "excess of income over expenditure" to the
amount of 2,095,4271., which closes the public accounts in
April, 1844. We have at least weathered a very ugly point
that was stretching ahead of ns, and we are under no imme-
diate apprehensions of finding ourselves hard aground. At
the same time " deest aliquid oblectationi nostrcu '• ' in the
brightest sky there is apt to be a flying cloud ; and now that
we are fairly on our legs again, we cannot help looking with
some little impatience at a certain very ungainly and incon-
venient crutch by which in our more infirm days we con-
trived to preserve our perpendicular. The neat oblong packet
of paper which contains the return of our " net public re-
venue" puts us in mind of another more vexatious document
of somewhat similar proportions demanding more peremp-
torily to be informed of our " net private income," and hinting
delicately, but not at all ambiguously, at the ill-omened
contingency of a twenty pound fine and treble duty
in default of a speedy answer. Need we say how anxiously
we have scanned each item of the balance-sheet in the vain
hope of lighting upon one whose elastic increase promised to
supersede the necessity of the income .tax ? We are now
nearer the end than the beginning of • the three years which
we bargained for. We are in sight of the goal which the
Premier held before our eyes on the first imposition of this
very unpopular impost, and are beginning to pant for our
liberty. But we perceive, with no ordinary, apprehension,
that the unseemly monster, on its extinction, will leave a gap
of no less than 5,356,8881. in the national receipts. From
what quarter is this to be supplied ? Our income, we have
said, has this year exceeded our expenditure by two
millions ; this is some help towards the desired operation.
Mr. Goulburn promises us the gain of another half million
from his reduction of the Three-and-a-Half per Cents. Here
is another and no inconsiderable assistance. But upwards of
two millions and a half still remain to be supplied—a stiff
and unmanageable sum ; and strain as we will, we can de-
tect in the other items of revenue but little appearance of
that expansive power by which this two millions and a half
is to be annually raised. We turn first to the Customs—
the great source of receipt. We long to see the promised
effects of lowering duties in raising reVenue. Sir
Robert Peel, it is true, was not quack enough to
promise us that immediate effect from his reduced tariff. But
such promises there were, and promises there still are to the
same effect, if we will but "carry, gut the principle." What
do we behold? Alas, instead of the rapid rise which we
were encouraged to hope by the politico 'economical enthusi •
asts, a steady and uniform decline. What was nineteen mil-
lions and a half in October, 1842, has sunk to a little more
than eighteen millions and a half in' October, 1843, and is
now a little less than that sum in April, 1844. The best that
can be said is, that the downward progress is not so fast as
it was. We may hope that we are near the bottom of the
hill, where we may at least jog along without disturbance.
We need hardly say, that this natural consequence is no
sound argument against reduction of duty. But it is a dis-
appointment to any hopes of revenue which we may have
been encouraged to form from the Customs' department of
revenue, and affords little comfort to a mind distracted by
the apprehension of a prolonged income-tax. The unro-
mantic "taxes" preserve their dead level. Nobody expected
anything better of them. Stamps are buoyant. Improving
times have brought with them bargains and settlements, and
have added half a million to the national revenue. But we
fear that tfie most imaginative financier will hardly expect
from that quarter a substitute for the expiring five millions.
The Post-office revenue (heu ! quantum mutatus) exhibits an
insignificant rise of some 30 or 40 thousand pounds in lieu
of fulfilling the bold aspirations of Mr. Rowland Hill. All
that art can do has been done. The corresponding public has
been, or is to be, tried with pink Queen's heads, and scarlet
Queen's heads, and blue Queen's heads, and Queen's heads
with plaster behind them, and stamped envelopes, and
stamped letter-paper—every artistic blandishment has been
put in practice to attract to the Queen's Post-office tke
pennies and twopences of her liege subjects; but, alas, the
public appears to have made up its mind how many letters
it wishes to write, and to be impenetrable to any further
allurement from St. Martin's-le-Grand. An improvement
there is, no doubt, and that improvement will probably con-
tinue, but in so sober and ordinary a way as to forbid all the
enthusiastic reliance on our countrymen's still latent propen-
sities for letter-writing. Mr. Rowland Hill is certainly not
our Deus ex machind for our present purpose. The Excise
revenue is larger than it has been for some time. The re-
turn before us exceeds by nearly a million and a half the
net amount of duty for, the preceding year. This is highly
satisfactory ; this branch of the revenue, as we have often
occasion to remark, being the one which may be taken
as the clearest index of reviving prosperity and increas-
ing comfort among the operatives. But satisfactory as
it may be, it hardly promises to satisfy our present
requirement. And thus we remain in perplexity. Ministry
as yet give no sign ; the Revenue tables afford little consola-
tion; and we have only to comfort our failing hearts by the
recollection of the hopes with which the Premier gilded his
pill two years ago. The prospect is not encouraging. But
it is time we should know the worst, and be informed whe-

ther Sir Robert Peel intends us to have a fresh deficit, or a
continued income-tax, or whether he has some hitherto un-
imagined device in store, which will preserve us both from
one and the other misfortune. Meanwhile, as statistics are
the order of the day, we may perhaps be allowed to suggest
a hope that the extremely valuable information that ought
to be deducible from the income-tax returns, will not be lost
to the public. At present we barely know that the tax has
produced about 5,000,0001., and, consequently, that the ag-
gregate of English incomes exceeding 1501. amounts to about
170,000,000/. But it is plain that a mass of the most valu-
able facts respecting the distribution of this money among
the different classes of society must be in the hands of the
Commissioners, and must be pooducibla without breach of
confidence. Points may be suggested in which the informa-
tion would be imperfect or deceptive; but, with all its de-
fects, it might furnish a groundwork for a more accurate es
timation of the nature and distribution of national wealth-
than has ever been known in this or any other country.— Times,

•
ADVANCE IN THE PRICE OF GLASS.—The manu
facturers of flint glass have agreed to a list of prices, which
has been published, and came into force on the 15th instant.
The increase in the price is from 20 to 30 per cent. We be-
lieve the article has been sold for a long time at a ruinously
low price, but whether the present advance can be obtained
time only can tell.
We have reason to know that the revered bishop
and clergy of the united diocese of Waterford and Lismore—
ever foremost in the cause of their country—have deter-
mined on taking the initiative in that agitation to which the
sentence of incarceration against O'Connell will impart re-
doubled vigour and determination. At the earliest possible
moment after the news arrives of the sentence being carried
into effect, the clergy, headed by their venerated diocesan,
the Right Rev. Dr. Foran, Will assemble to petition the
Queen against the impolicy and cruelty of the proceeding.
It has been resolved also that on the same occasion the re-
newed subscriptions of both bishop and clergy will be for-
warded to the Repeal Association. This noble example, it
is needless to say, will be followed universally throughout
the other dioceses of Ireland —Dublin Pilot.
NOVEL EMPLOYMENT FOR CLERGYMEN.--We have
heard of sailors turning clergymen, and of a ci-decant Lieute-
nant of the Navy becoming an Archbishop; we have heard,
too, of clergymen becoming farmers, hucksters, horsedealers,
magistrates, discount brokers,
mining speculators, and en-
gaging in other money-making occupations; but it was re-
served for the new Earl of Lonsdale to discover that they are
also qualified to perform some of the duties of retired. ship.
masters. The Noble Earl has appointed the Rev. Henry
Lowther and the Rev. John Jenkins, Trustees of the Town
and Harbour of Whitehaven, an office in which we presume
they will have to look after the shipping of Whitehaven, see
that the moorings are in good condition, that the regulations
for putting out lights and fires are strictly observed, and that
each vessel be properly secured without interrupting the
passages. - The Noble Earl has got something from the Mi-
nistry, and he probably contemplates giving them something
in return or securing something for himself. The Rev. Henry
Lowther and the Rev. John Jenkins are faithful friends and
servants of their patron ; and they will use all the influence
he has been able to confer on them, to keep in the hands of
the Earl, and at the service of the Tories, the representation
of the independent borough of Whitchaven.
BRISTOL AND EXETER RAILWAY.—Exeter must
now be considered a railway town, as a locomotive engine
has this week, for the first time, made its appearance within
that ancient capital of the West of England. On Wednesday
last, the 17th instant, the first complete passage of an engine
from the present terminus of the railway at Beambridge to
the new station at Exeter took place, the engine conveying
Mr. Brunel, the engineer in chief, Mr. Fripp, one of the Di-
rectors, and several of the assistant engineers, with Mr.
Hennett, the contractor for the permanent way, on whose
account the engine was engaged for the conveyance of timber
and other materials down the line. The arrival of the en-
gine was hailed with much interest by the Exonians, hun-
dreds of whom were assembled to witness this novel visitor.
In a few days this will become an ordinary sight, as no doubt
is entertained That the public opening. of the line will take
place on the Ist May, as fixed; and there will then (with
the exception of a slight break between Bristol and Glouces-
ter, which will be completed in the' course of a few weeks)
be an unbroken railway communication from Exeter to New-
castle-on-Tyne, a distance of upwards of 300 miles !—Rail-
way Record.
DRURY-LANE THEATRE.--BENEDICT'S OPERA OF
THE " BRIDE OF VENICE."— general general rehearsal of this long-
expected work took place last nig, and from the impression
produced on the amateurs, there can be no doubt of its com-
plete success. It is not the time to enter into a detailed no-
tice of the opera, but we may, without indiscretion, state
that the general character is full of melody, and that the ac-
companiments are of that scientific quality that might be
expected from Mr. Benedict's learning ; but, at the same
time, are not overloaded and heavy: Mrs. Shaw, Miss Ro-
mer, and Mr. Harrison, have each some charming scenes
and airs. The choral department is very full. The finale of
the first act is full of animation, and a chorus of women,
somewhat in the madrigal style, will be very effective. A;
for the stage business, it. is of a novel and striking nature.
The Venetian scenery may be imagined, but there is a double
stage effect, as the last scene is of a most complicated and
extraordinary kind. -
CAMILLO SIVORI s CONCERT.—This celebrated
violinist gave a morning concert' yesterday. at the Hanover-
square Rooms, and met with a most rapturous reception. He
never played more finely. The certainty of his intonation
and the delicate finish of his execution seemed to electrify the
members of the orchestra as much as the company. He
executed the first movement of Paganini's concerto of
variations, and the " Carnival de Venise." In
tre-
mendous difficulty, the prayer from Mose, on the fourth
string, with
all these pieces he displayed varied powers and was tremen-
dously The vocalists were Miss S. Novello,
cheered. There was an excellent orchestra, con-
ductedand Mr. Weiss; but there
'e
selection. Madlle. Frassi
wasikiis
nothing
o.btLyb :ego° InbirebecezAi erfk.a_adblee. Frassi, stshi
sang fearfully out of tune, but that appears to be regarded as
a beauty in these days. Miss Day executed with some talent
Weber's concert Stuck, but it is a work which overtaxed her
powers.
a
The Lancaster and Carlisle Railway Bill was:read
second time last night in the House of Lords.
To-morrow being the first Sunday in Term, the
Lord Ma yor, Aldermen, and Corporation, will go in state to
St. Paul's to meet the judges, sergeants, and counsel, when a
sermon will be preached by the Lord Bishop of London.
Sertce will comineace at a Tarter before three o'clock.