The Sun.
London, England, 1868-04-02 00:00:00

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Tes—_p T. 72

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THE COLLECTION OF INCOIMILA' ..'-- . i
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Mr. Mill has addressed the following letter Aht ic.-edit_;.L,L,/
of the Daily News :—" Sir, there has been somMlisclA
sion in this day's papers on the unsatisfactory character of
the revenue returns for the financial year just expired, so
far as regards the income tax, the proceeds of which are
said to be short by £663,000 of what they ought to be, if
the additional penny imposed on account of the Abyssinian
expedition had not been countervailed by a general falling
off in the produce of the tax. But, if I may judge
from what has taken place in my own neighbourhood,
the amount of income tax collected up to the 31st of
March is no test at all of the real produce of the year
just expired. It is well known how anxiously Govern.
ments used to exert themselves to get in every farthing of
revenue that could be collected on the very last day of
each quarter, in order that the quarterly, and still more
the annual statements might exhibit the most favourable
aspect possible. So far, however, is this course from
having been taken en the present occasion, that neither
I, nor, I believe, any person in this district, have yet
been called upon for any income tax whatever on the year
just expired, repeated inquiries at the collector's office
having been met by the answer that he had not yet
received the papers from the Income Tax Commissioners.
It is not likely that this district is single in being thus
dealt with. Is there a desire, not, as usual, to make
the returns appear favourable, but to make them
appear unfavourable, in order to obtain a readier
acquiescence in additional taxation? At all events, it is
fair to conclude that the apparent failing off in the pro-
ductiveness of the income tax is in part, if not wholly, a
fallacious appearance, caused by the omission to collect
the tax before the financial year had expired?'

THE W BATHER DURING MARCH.

The past month was remarkable for its mild and dry
weather and high temperature—rather a contrast to last
year, when we were visited by easterly winds for 23
days.,
~This yeax the wind was not easterly from the llth
of January till the 27th of the month. The greatest
height of the barometer occurred on the 29th, it reading
on that day, at 9 a.m., 30'612in. (barometer corrected for
temperature, and reduced to mean sea level). The lowest
was on the Bth, at 9 a.m., when it stood at 29'103 in.
corrected and reduced). The mean atmospheric pressure
was 29'990in. (corrected and reduced), it being 0.230 in. in
excess of the corresponding month of last year, and 0.063 in.
above the average mean of the last six years ending 1866.
The greatest heat (in the shade) was on the 31st, 59'0 deg.
being registered on that date. The greatest degree of
cold occurred on the 25th, when the thermometer
was at 29.3 deg. The greatest diurnal range was
on the 31st, the maximum temperature being 59'0 deg.,
and the minimum 33'8 deg., shewing a range of 26 deg.
The mean temperature was 44'3 deg., 2'6 deg. above the
average mean of the last six years ending 1866. The mean
temperature of the dew-point (taken from two diurnal
observations) was 39.4 deg. Assuming saturation at 100,
as deduced from Mr. Glaisher's tables, third edition, the
mean degree of humidity (also taken from two diurnal
observations) was 83 deg., exactly the same average mean
of the last- six years ending 1860, Frost was registered on
two nights. The greatest fall of rain occurred on the 25th,
on which day 0 '4lin. was registered. The rainfall, which ex-
tended over eighteen days, was 1.12 inches, it being 213
inches below the corresponding month of last year. The
total rainfall for the last three months was 6.00 inches, and
the corresponding month of last year 7'07 inches. The
prevailing winds during the month were the equatorial
winds, which arc from S. to W. inclusive. The greatest
force of wind during the 24 hours was on the sth, front
\V.N.W., 13silb. pressure being registered on the square
foot; and the accumulated force of wind was from W. S. W.,
84;1b. on the square foot. The polar winds were equal
to 441 b. to the square foot. The transitions to polar winds
were equal to 1721 b. The equatorial winds were equal to
25111 b., and the transitions to equatorial were only equal
to 21b. The amount of horizontal movement of the air
shown by Robinson's cup anemometer, during the past
month was 6,032 miles, at the rate of 1971 miles in the
24 hours, equal to a continued pressure of 5/oz. on the
square foot.