Thomas County cat., 1890-05-01
Liquor and Tobacco Pay the Revenues OF
an Empire.

Mr.. Goshen, chancellor of the ex-
chequer, presented the budget in the
house OF commons It shows that the
expenses exceeded the estimates by
Ell, 600, and that the receipts exceeded
the estimates by over 100000. The
duty on alcoholic beverages aggregates
95,SOO,OOO. The beer duties exceeded
the estimates by e27O,0OO. The duty
on foreign spirits exceeds the estimates
by s421,OO0, and on wine e120,000.
| The total receipts from alcoholic beyer-
ages, both foreign and domestic, ex-
ceeded the estimates by e1,S00.000.
The duties on coffee, cocoa, and chick
~ show a decrease of Ell, 500, while the
duties on teas showed an increase of
100000
Commenting on the gross revenue
from alcoholic beverages, 1866, 900,
Mr.. Goschen said that the figures
showed universal rush to the beer
barrel, the spirit bottle, and the wine
drinker, everybody. seemed bent on
toasting the national prosperity and in
creasing the revenue. It was circum-
stance that must be deplored. He had
taken pains to discover who drank the
rum 1t was drank mainly at seaports.
The increase from rum had been II per
cent; from British spirits, Z per cent;
from wine, 10 per cent; from beer,
per cent; from brandy, 6 Per cent. In
of Il {ob
reached 245, 100000; in 1889, 275,0CO,-
| 600. 1t was an extraordinary fact that
in the years 1875 and 1876. the greatest
| drinking years recorded, there was pre-
cisely the same rush and precisely the
same proportion OF revenue from diff
ferent spirits. Increased prosperity,
therefore, meant great increase in the
consumption of alcoholic drinks. The
exact surplus reached f3,221, ,000. He
said he was glad to give good account
of the reduction of the national debt.
The total surplus for 1889 reached the
sum of 9S, 295. .000 This amount, added
to the reduction of the previous two
years, made grand total of f23, 232,-
/ coo. This amount was the largest ever
paid in reduction of the debt during
the same length of time. Proceeding
to the estimates for the coming year.
he said he estimated that there would
| be an expenditure Of ESQ, $4,000.
AS to the disposal of the surplus OF
f3, 100000. he said he proposed to allot
100000 to military barracks, and to
devote 100000 to the equiprent of
volunteers. The tipplers, who had
largely produced the surplus, would
have a chance to redeem themselves,
owing to the reduction of the tea duty
| I'd per pound. (Cheers.) He SAID he
was opposed to the total abolition of the
| tea duty because it was the only vehi-
Gle whereby the non-smoker and nom
| drinker could contribute to the reve-
nue.. The increased beer duty Temporal
rily imposed in 1889, would be taken
of. The inhabited house duty would
be reduced, and all working classes, ter-
ements under 92O rental. would be ex-
empt from house tax. Cheers. Turn
ing from imperial to local finance, he
proposed to raise revenue for county
council purposes by an increased duty
of Cd per gallon on spirits and Sd per
barrel on beer. "Hear, hear" and sOh,
ohr'l This would yield s1O0,O0O,000
He hoped the friends of temperance
would be satisfied, and that the repub-
licans would take broad view of the
question.
In conclusion. Mr.. Goschen said he
| trusted that the budget would be rec
ognized as an endeavor to afford relief
in various directions, without resorting
| to violent measures.