The improvement made in the form of the tables showing
the state of the revenue commences with the present quarter, and it renders the national accounts much clearer for the reader. The improvement is threefold. First, the tables are no longer confined to Great Britain, excluding about four millions of the Irish revenue ; but they give the figures for the whole of the United Kingdom. Secondly, besides the comparison of the quarters, the tables now give a comparative view of the progress for the part of the financial year which has expired. Thirdly, instead of showing only the income and charge on the Consolidated Fund, omitting the corresponding statement for Ireland and the disposal of monies not charged permanently to the Consolidated Fund, the tables show the whole of the expenditure as well as the whole revenue, and thus present a complete debtor and creditor account of public monies within the quarter. The account is now so complete and clear that explanation is scarcely needed to bring out the sound and satisfactory state of our finances.
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