The Sun.
London, England, 1844-04-05 00:00:00

tr

LONDON. FRIDAY, APRIL 5, 1844.

QUARTERS REVENUE.

The returns of the revenue this year have been made
a day earlier than usual, owing to Good Friday falling
the sth of the month. They are, on the whole, satis-
factory-. The Customs and the Excise, the two great
sources of revenue, show a considerable increase,
thereby evincing an improvement in trade and in the
comforts of the people. The total revenue for the
year is 50,396.9771. In the Customs there is an in-
erease'of 658,335/. on the year, and an increase of
384,910/. on the quarter ; and for this the country is
probably indebted to the attention of the Government
being called to the nefarious robberies which have for
years been committed in that department. Next
year, when, we hope, the Commissioners of Customs
will he compelled to attend to their duty, we may
'expect a still more favourab'e result. In the Excise
the increase on the year is 474,6071., but the increase
on the quarter, as compared with the Customs, is
very small, being only 85,3161. On Stamps there is
a decrease in the year of 12,699/., and an increase on
the quarter of 45,885/. The Taxes show a decrease
of 73,0641. on the year, and an increase of 1,9871,
on the quarter. .The increase in the Income-
tax for the year is 2,900,5991., and for the
quarter 107,627/. The Post-office also shows
a considerable increase, being 15,0001. for the
year, and 30,0001. for the quarter. This is a proof
of the briskness of trade, and we hope, also of the de.
sire of the Post-office authorities to carry out the
penny postage system in accordance with the original
plan. Much, however, yet remains to be_done to
render justice to this great improvem?nt in all the re-
lations of commercial and priN ate intercourse • and the
public would rejoice to see Lord LONSDALE or any
other public officer who may be at the head of the
establishment, direct his attention, not so much to
revenue or the.convenience of th . individuals under
him, as to the great. interests oF the public. In the
-Miscellaneous, there is an increase of 336,7031. on the
year, and a decrease of 500,264/. on the quarter,
caused, no doubt, by the want of Sycee silver, but
next quarter probably show a different return ;
another instalment 'from the Celestial Empire will
restore the balance. The total increase for the year
for the quarter 825,2981., and taking
4,700,669/.,
the decrease into account, there remains an increase
in the
total amount for the Post-office during
the year is 622,000/. On the whole, these returns
hold out bright prospects, and taking into account the
revival of trade, and the reduction of the Three-and-
a-Half per Cents, the public may look forward with
some hope to the abolition of the Income-tax.

It was our purpose to have commented to-day, on
the very inconsiderable amount of legislative business
transacted in the House of Commons from the
first hour of the preent session to its adjourn-
ment on Tuesday last fur the rpeess. But we should
have suspended thetommentary we had to offer on
the sins of.outi.ision..to be charged against the least
emphatic of Governments,—(we have no better de-
signation wherewith to characterise its singular lack
of -moral force),—could we, even now, in the 'evi-
dence of the past, detect any indications auspicious to
the future, .But a careful revision of the " sayings "
of Ministers evokes no latent " doings" from the an-
nals of Parliamentary statements and discussion. By
the lime appointed for the repauerabling of the two