Morning journal and courier., 1881-02-07
Monday Morning, Feb. 2, 1881.
TWO. PROSPEROUS REPUBLICS.


 The revenue returns of France for the
 year 1880 have just been published, and the
 Paris press is discussing the figures with
 much complacency, which is not to be won-
 dered at, as the showing made is a truly
 remarkable one. Since 1877 the excess of
 receipts, not only over disbursements, but
 over estimates, has steadily gone on, and
 that in the face of repeated lessening of the
 fiscal burdens by the remission of taxes.
 In 1879 taxes to the amount of nearly ST.
 100000 were taken of, nevertheless the pub
 lie income exceeded the estimates by $S, 26O,-
 900. In 1880, duties bringing in $5, ,560.Oo0
 were dropped; nevertheless the receipts
 were larger by $15, $40, 900 than the total revenue expected. During the present year,
 the load on the taxpayer is to be frightened by the further remission Aof taxes yielding $15,- 100000. Allowing for this curtailment of his resources, the Finance Minister, M. Mag min, in his budget for 1882, estimates receipts at $567, POO, ,0OO, while he calculates that ex- penditures will fall short of this sum by $3,600,O00. According to present signs, the revenue will again considerably exceed his computations, and the weight and range of taxation will undergo additional alleviations
 It appears that during 1880 in almost every item of the revenue from indirect taxes there has been marked increase over the returns for the preceding year. The sole exception was in the case of duty on indigenous sugar, which, owing to the meagreness of the beet crop, showed a falling off. The yield of the registration duties, oa the other hand, was augmented by $6,Ooo, ,oOO; that of customs by $4 4,600, 900; that of the imposts on li- quors by $3, 600, OeO. The duties on tobacco brought in nearly $2, GOO, ,OOO more than was expected, and the tax on express railway traffic exhibited a surplus of $2, 25O, 900 over the Ministers calculations. Another proof of the advance in the industrial energy and general well-being of France is the greater yield of the postal and telegraph services. After the rates of postage were reduced there was at first a shrinkage in the profit from this source, and in 1878 the receipts still fell $3 OOO GOO short of the returns under the old system. In ! 1879, however, this difference was not only wiped out, but there was positive excess of $46O,0 above the largest previous return, ~s->~ All iOOO OAl5 Of6TD1uS uftu IuCTSdS6d CO | more than $1,6o0,oo0 During the same pe- | riod the profits accruing from the telegraph l service have been increased in similar pro- portion.
 The increase of revenues over estimates ! during the last two years was the more re- because one important national in- ! dustry, the production of wine, was, owing to the ravaoas If tho ,,bv1Iovoro ond 4o 4ba severe weather, much depressed during the | same period. In the twelvemonth which has | just closed the amount of wine produced in | France was 29, ,677 1000 hectolitres. This was | a larger yield by about f 4,O0O, 900 of hectoli- 1 tres than the wine crop of 1879, though it I still fell 22,OO0, GOO below the average pro- duction of the last ten years One other na- tional industry has not shared the recent i'm l pulse given to the general prosperity. It ap- pears that the frosts of 1S79-s0 killed thou sands of apple trees in the northern provinces, and that last years production of cider showed | 3 decline of 5,062, GOO hectolitres as compared | with the average of the last ten years Nev- ertheless, the duties on excisable liquors, taken collectively, exhibit, as we have seen, a arge surplus over estimates during the 'welvemonth just ended.
 There is only one other country on the face )f the globe that can make a financial show ng comparable to that of France, and that s our own, where during the last twelve month the excess of receipts was about louble that accruing to the French treasury. And there is reason to believe also that the people of the United States are in quite as | comfortable a condition as those of France are said to be. A very significant, 1ot to say amazing, indication of the general of the people of this country is furnished by the report of the Superintend- ,nt of Banking in New York, which has just been made to the Legislature. This report 'hows that those who patronize savings banks in the State of New York have, du- ing the past year. added to the deposits in 'uch banks no less than $45, ,OOO, 900 :! Simi- ar reports. come from other States, and it is lear that the people are ''doing well' and aying money here, as they are in France Fhe two great republics of. the world are cer ainly fourishing in an unprecedented man Ter, and can afford Financially at least) to let he people rule for some time longer.