The Sun.
London, England, 1826-07-08 00:00:00

.THE 1.014D0N JOURNALS.
DAILY EXTRACTS FROM THE MORNING PAPERS.
JULY 8, 1826.

[' wry .TINES.]
We observe no answers given (though 'there, be much
talk) to the observatiOne which we presented yesterdayon
the official returns of the last year's and last quarter's re-
venues. The return of the last quarter particularly, there
fore, we ate justified in saying, has been swelled inv..
petulance by unfair means, or casual wind-falls. A sen-
sibie evening paper banters hippily enough the idea of
assuming heavy taxation as a criterion of affluence. How-
ever, it must be allowed that large tuxes easily paid are
an evidence of public wealth:- but there are two, clauses
in this proposition, and a Government which, by itself or
it agents, should only prove large taxes to be paid, would
do no more than go half way in proving public prospe.-
toy. We turn now to the consideration of the in-
come and charge of. the Consolidated FUnd, having
omitted that yesterday for want of time and room.—
Any Minister who shall simplify and reduce to. clear
intelligible 'order the public accounts of the revenue,
will confer a real benefit on the coriutry. As they are
now presented, there is not a merchant, in this " nation
of merchants," who would • not discharge from his
service as ; inefficient the book-keeper who executed
his functions in so slovenly a manner. He might, per-
haps, be able to form a conjecture (we speak with diffi-
dence even on 'this point), whether he was growing
richer or poorer, but to what extent, or. the exact place
where " the shoe pinched;" it would baffle all his
endeavours to ascertain. There would he no difficulty
in a eonitlete reform in this respect, unless an intention
exists to blind the people to their teal situation; fits
supposing the Treasury Clerks to be abtiolittelpberiumbed
in intellect by long adherence to a perplexed and vicious
system, hundreds of merchants and hankers are to be found
at a moment's notice, any one of whom, with half a dozen
assistants, end with the labour of a single week, would
prepare and present to the public at the close' of eta+
financial period, a " balance-sheet" which every child
could comprehend, and to which .it would hardly be re-
quisite to annex the qualifying clause of " errors excepted."
It is curious to remark how apt a coineidence there is in
the affairs of those two great public bodies, the Bank And
the Government. One presents no accounts at all.; the
other accounts which no one can comprehend. By diffe-
rent ways both arrive at the same point. The machinery
of the consolidated fund ist one of the great obstacles in
the way of simplicity and order. It may be useful to
keep up the distinction in the hooks at the Treasury or the
Exchequer, but the stockholder does not require to be re-
minded, as each quarter revolves, that certain branches of
income have been set apart as security for the regular
payment of the dividends. lie knows, in fact, a much
better thing—that the honour and resources of the nation
generally are pledged for the fulfilment of the obligations
entered into with him and that, if these fail him, all
other security is a ni llity; while the public at large,
mainly through the persisting in this absurd form, are
precluded from a knowledge of their real situation.—
Another defective arrangement is the placing on one side
of the account monies actually received, and on
the other monies to be paid, the very amount of which is
a matter of uncertainty while the practice is, commer-
cially speaking, wholly irregular and inconvenient. These
ere sins of commission ; but to prove that there ate others
of omission equally flagrant, we need only advert to the
present account, in which no notice is token of the pro-
ceeds of the last loan or funding, of the general account
with the Bank, of the Exchequer bills in circulation; nor
even, as distinct items, of the expenditure incurred for the
army, navy, and ordnance, with other omissious too nit-
meroua to be recapitulated. But, to examine the official
return, and to make the best we can of it, in the form
which, by established usage, is adopted in presenting it
to the public. What cruel mockery it is to assume a
surplos on the Consolidated Fund of 1,bb3J82/.,
with• at stroke of the pen, there is taken from it immedh•
afterwards' o' on account of the supplies: granted for
the service of the years lts2s and 1t30," the larger sum of
2,082,4514, leaving, in feet, a deficiency of 199,233/. instead
of a surplus on the consolidated fund for the current quarter!
There is, however, one feature of novelty in the present
retinal which it is incumbent on Ministers, or their satel-
lites, for them to explain. it has been the custom here-
tofore, to carry a portion only of the produce of the Cus-
toms to the credit of the Consolidated Fund. In sthe
July quarter, for example, of 1825, the Customs produced
3,935,6411.; but no more' than 2,031,1071.—1e5s than the
iiret Stiln by 1,004,5341.—was put down as imimue under
that head. In the last return the Kraut* of the
Crtst-
'e was 3,708,82f9/., and the whole sum within 4,0001.,
i. e. 3,704,828/. is curled to the Consolidated Fund.. I low,
are those departinente to be supplied, which forte
branches 'of this public expenditure apart from the Con-
solidated Fend, and to which this. proportion of the
Customs' duties has heretofore been devoted ? The
increase in the amount, of deficiency hills, charged on
the growing produce of the Consolidated Fund for
the October quarter, is the sum befure stated as the
balance against that fund, viz. 19t1,2331: and the
total sum to be advanced by the Bank for the pay-
ment of the dividends is 6,638,020/. This formidable
item, which, until clearer accounts are produced, must
1.4 assumed as the true Wilma, against the country,
het increased 5,000,000/. within the last eighteen
months, and the failure to reduce its amount now, by the
application 'of part, at least, of the money produced by
the laar loan, is sa disgraceful, raised it was flu the
purpOse, altnriat wholly, of lessening the debt to theßank,
that Ministers, we think,' are plaited in the dilemma of
having been compelled by necessity to appropriate it to
other purposes, or of having committed a direct breach of
faith with We public.;--The exact sum paid in by the East
India Company, for the duties those the Ist instant, was
'78J,243/. Our statement relative to' this payment has
been 'Much disputed, Some. denying the feet altogether,
tuid others asserting, that it is no anticipation of revenue,
because it is the proceeds of the duty from the March
sale. Of the fact we no longer entertain any doubt, and
we have some reasons to show that our infsrence front it
was right also. The practice at thfi East India House is
for the purchasers of ten at their sales to make the prompt,
4 e. the payment in tUll, two months afterwards; and the
proceeds of the March sale would consequently be realized
during May it the latest. ,As regards the Government,
however, it has been thin custom to make. the duties on
the March sale payable •on the 14th of July. The pay-
ment of those ditties, then, on the Ist is en anticipation
of the revenue of another quarter.' This is all we have
ever contemplated proving,—A correspondent has sent us
a View of the Consolidated F'und, -which differs in some
eipttrlti fionu our mini, bat which may aid in unravelling
the intricacies of that aecount.

The death of the Postmaster-General naturally pre,
a favourable opportunity for altering the adrainistmtio,:lobi
the office, and introducing important improverne
without casting blame on the conduct, or interfering ivnittsl;
the prejudices, of any individual.' Nor are we Without
hopes that !fl 'Majesty's Ministers will redress the coli
plaints of tie mercantile body, and clan into effect the r..
(!-
commendations of the public, when they can tieetnnplish as
popular object without opposing an existing influene,,, at.d
wittiont materially diminishing their future patronage.
We have frequently alluded to existing abuse& and pro,.
lecad improvements, Avbiehi on the present occasion, 1111%
deserve a more particular notice. The provision of foreign
paacts, old the arrtingement of their periods of sidling,
depend upon the administration of the Post-oflice ; and
the mismaliAgernept connected with this part Orli& adtriillls-
- has been Oequent)y and justly tlie subject of coni-
plaint, The departure of a packet hats been often vapriciously
delayed after its regular and appointed day of sailing had at,
rived,andmereltants have thus been compelled to wnte three
or four Letter 4, and to pay for three or fimr postages, when
ender a different system oue would,_ have anbweregl the