The Sun.
London, England, 1844-10-12 00:00:00

THE QUARTER'S REVENUE.

The return of the quarter's r—ranue has one dis-
tinguishing feature of a 7.L.4 cheering description
—an increase in the Castoms, compared with the corre-
sponding period of 1843, on the year, of 1,723,1651., and
on the quarter of 473,3471. This is the true pivot of
our national prosperity, and is the more gratifying when
the bold reductions are considered which the Minister
was encouraged to make when supported by so grand a
reserve as the property. tax. Swift's remark, that in the
arithmetic of the Customs two and two do not always
make four, could not have a more apt and definite appli-
cation. In this case Sir Robert Peel's subtraction has
been turned into addition, and he has proved finance to
be his stronghold, whatever errors are to be found in his
general system of policy. A trifling decrease in the
Excise on the quarter is to be ascribed rather to grow-
ing habits of temperance in the lower orders than to
any diminution of means. It will bear, in fact, no other
construction, for activity reigns in almost all the depart-
ments of trade, and the wages of labour in the manu-
facturing districts have probably doubled in amount
within the past year. It is consolatory also, and another
the
c d
quarter. 82c, o 00 n
T.
ho
e p t
property-
tax, e p year,ert
tax, which shows an increase of 106,4131. on the year,
good omen, to find that the Post-offie, the great accu-
amnudlant
oi onl e s
os pt
he
an
nn ys,
40,0001. has a
onndytha
and a decrease of 89,193/. on the quarter, may be said
to have found its level, and to provoke no remark, except
to hope that under circumstances of such promising
augury we may soon get rid of it. In the present ac-
count is to be seen, moreover, the effect of the judicious
application of the surplus revenue in paying off defi-
ciency bills ; only about 2,500,0001. will be wanted to
meet the charge on the Consolidated Fund for the
quarter just ended. The total increase of the revenue
for the year is 1,395.3491., and on the quarter 520,9441.
But for the disadvantageous effect of the strange item
termed " miscellaneous," which has no proper place in
this account, the increase on the year would have been
returned at about 2,l6o,oool.—Times.

TITE FRENCH RAILWAYS.
(FROM A CORRESPONEENT.)
PARIS, WEDNESDAY EVENING.—The line from Or-
leans to Vierzon has been adjudged to the Company
known as the Paris and Orleans Company, by an ar-
rangement between them and the rival company. The
reduction is only one month below the maximum term of
the lease, viz., forty years.
For the Bordeaux line there were three competitors,
and the prize was carried off by the company of Lau-
rent, Luzarche, and Mackenzie. The term is 27 years,
278 days ; to date from the completion of the works
throughout the whole line to Bordeaux. The law allows
six years at least for such completion and delivery by
the Government, so that in point of fact the term of the
lease is 34 years nearly—a period amply sufficient for
the liquidation of the whole capital by the operation of
a very moderate sinking fund, without taking into the
account the value of the stock, materials, and stores, to
be paid for by valuation, and amounting to at least
10,000,000 f. (say 400,0001.)

By good management in the hands of practical men,
like those at the head of this Company, the line as far
as Tours (seventy miles) will be opened in the autumn
of next year, and yield an ample, a large return, for that
proportion of the capital expended upon it.

THE VOYAGES AND SERVICES OF THE NEMESIS.---
A new, cheaper, and greatly improved edition of this
now standard work, is just published, comprised in a
single volume, and accompanied with a new map of the
Chinese Seas. The volume, while it stands alone as a
complete and ample record of perhaps the most important
series of events that have occurred in modern times, may
at the same time be cited as more pregnant with matter
of general interest and curiosity, and consequently more
rich in entertainment, than any work of the like extent
which has appeared during the last twenty years. The
narrative comprises three several departments ; the first
being devoted to the eight months' " adventures " of the
first iron steamer that ever crossed the line ; the second,
comprising the most lucid and complete retrospective
view extant of the history and causes of the Chinese war
up to the date of the Nemesis' arrival on the scene of
action; and lastly, the third department presents us with
incomparably the most distinct, detailed, and intelligible
account of the proceedings following the arrival of the
Nemesis till the conclusion of the war, that can any-
where be found in print.—New Monthly.
DIABOLICAL OUTRAGB.—Mr. Thomas Steele has,
during the past week, been engaged in endeavouring to
bring some miscreants to justice who bored with an
augur holes in several merchant-vessels belonging! to
Wales, and lying at the quay of Limerick. The Head
Pacificator, with most praiseworthy assiduity, having
obtained a clue to the identification of the scoundrels,
communicated with the Limerick magistrates, and an
investigation was immediately held, and a man earned
Linnane placed in custody. The investigation was to
have been resumed on Monday.—Dublin Packet.
FROST, WILLIAMS, AND ONES.--A memorial re-
cently agreed to at a meeting at Gateshead, was trans-
mitted to the Secretary of State for the Home Depart-
ment, with a view to obtaining the pardon of Frost,
Williams, and Jones ; but Mr. Phillips replied, on be-
half of Sir James Graham, that the Right Hon. Baronet
expressed his regret that there was no sufficient ground
vo Justify him, consistently with his public duty, in ad-
&riving her Majesty to comply with its prayer.