Georgetown weekly news., 1855-06-14
TFrom the London Chronicle.
The Cost of the War.
FINANCES OF FRANCE AND ENGLAND.

Almost contemporaneously with the pre-
sentation of the Budget to the British Par
lament, the official return Of revenue and
expenditure for the year 1856 has been
published in France, in the customary form
of a report from a committee Of the Corps
Legislatif, who were specially charged with
the duty'of investigating the financial condi-
tion of that country The two programmes
offer many points Of curious and suggestive
comparison. First, it is noticeable that the
French government has contriyed to pro
vide for the war expenditure. so far as all
probable outlay is concerned without show
ing any deficit requiring to be filled up by
a loan. Secondly. we remark that the
whole charge occasioned by the war seems
to be far more under command, as well as
Of far less inflated amount, among our allies
than our own government can cOntrye to
make it.
Sir G.. C. Lewis is forced to confess a
much larger outlay, and at the same time to
cover possible errors and cxcesses by very
considerable margin. His expense sheets
includes a sum of nearly G79,000,000 ster-
ling, made up of Items that are reckoned IS
certainties; and, in addition, he demands
credit of G3,000000 on the military ser
vices, and a further surplus Of more than
e4,000.000 on the general account to meet
contingencies. The estimated charge was
stated by the English Minister to be-FOr
the army, 9l6.2l4.000; for the navy, 9l6.-
$4,000; and for the ordinance, G7808, 600,
during the current year. Including the sup
elemental vote of credit he put down the
gross anticipated charge for military pur
poses within the year at something more
than 3,500,000.s In 1884, the last year
of peace, we are reminded that the military
departments cost US under Ell 100000, and
last year the outlay presented total Of lit
tie over $3O,0G0,00O.
In France the gross charge for the army
during the current year is estimated at 340,-
100000 fr., or G13,000O00, for which sum
military force, comprising 1891 men,
and 10000 horses, will be kept on war
footing Under the head of marine and col
onies, the outlay is computed at 323 100000
francs, or something less than G5,OG0000
sterling. In addition it should be remem-
bered that in the distribution of charges a
a large mass of pensions and allowances, an
nuities to members Of the Legion Of Honor,
and other provisions which replace in the
French system the sums voted for half pay,
Greenwich and Chelsea Hospitals. and 9th
er "ineffective services" by the House of
Commons, are carried to the account of the
Minister of the Interior. By so much, there
fore, must the French estimate be augment
ed in order to justify comparison with our
own. But even after making ample allow
ance for these items Of charge, it will appear
that the whole military expenditure of
France falls within G20G00,0G0 annually,
in the present time Of war, while that Of
England is expected to exceed $43,000,000.
The general statement of the French Ex-
chequer exhibits a gross outlay under every
department of about G64,O0O0OO sterling,
or little more than the sum which Sir @.
&. Lewis expects to raise in England from
the taxes bequeathed by his predecessor in
office. The interest of debt in France oc-
casions charge of only 454000,000 francs,
or about 9l8,000,00G sterling. Our own
debts of every description entail charge of
927 100000. On the other hand. the
French treasury is charged with a multitude
mel, are betrayed out of local taxation; and
the public balance sheet also contains items
both Of expenditure and revenue, that are
incurred and received upon account Of the
communes. The gross total, on both sides.
is thus fctitiousl y augmented; but the nett
result remains that the amount required for
supply services all war expenses inclu-
siVe-is less than One-half the aggregate de-
manded by our own Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer. Must it be added to this dispar-
aging contrast that, while the Committee of
the Corps Legislative ella m to have recon
quered the military and political preponder-
ance in Europe, at the cost of the enhanced
outlay which France has undergone, we, on
our part, shall have nothing to show for our
money but a compromised administration
and discredited department.