1 JANUARY 1859, Page 15

POSTSCRIPT.

SATURDAY.

The new year has properly commenced with the publication of the ac- counts of the revenue for the year and quarter which both terminated last night. Those figures are interesting. There is an increase on the Quarter as compared with the corresponding period in 1857 of 1,125,4961.; a decrease on the Year of 4,103,3471., due wholly to the reduction of the Income-tax, which shows a total fall of 7,546,8091. We borrow a summary from one of our daily contemporaries- " There is an increase in the Customs on the Quarter of 619,169/. when - compared with 1857, but a decrease of 20,0001. if the comparison be made with 1-856; on the Year the increase as compared with 1857 is 1,627,6481., but 518,000/. only as compared with 18,56. These increases are owingalso in part to a reduction of balances in the hands of collectors ; the net increase arises principally upon Sugar, Tea, Corn, and Tobacco. The increase in the Excise on the Quarter is 235,000/., and 494,0001. on the Year, arising chiefly from the Malt-duty. The results, when compared with 18i6, are less favourable, there being a decrease on the year 1858, as compared with 1856, of 108,000/. As the increase of duty on Irish Spirits was estimated to yield an increased revenue of half a million, the result in this respect is not sa- tisfactory.

"The Revenue from Stamps is more encouraging ; the Quarter shows an increase of 268,000/. beyond the mine quarter of 1857, and of 191,000/. beyond 1886; the increase on the year 1858 as compared with 1A57 is 727,120/., and about the same sum as compared with 1856; the augmenta- tion arises from an improvement in the receipts from the Succession Duty and other beads of Revenue, and from the new tax on Bankers' Cheques.

"The Revenue derived from Land and Assessed Taxes shows a small pro- gressive improvement, owing to an additional number of new houses baying been brought under assessment. The Quarter's increase is 22,000/., and that upon the Year 54,013/. The Income-tax shows a decrease of 261,437/. on the Quarter, and of 7,546,809/. on the Year—a result naturally to be expected from the remission of taxation. The Post-office exhibits an in- crease of 50,000/. on the Quarter, and of 83,0001. on the Year, due mainly to the progressive increase of the business of that department. "The Crown Lands Revenue remains nearly stationary. "The head of "Miscellaneous" shows an increase of 192,264/. on the Quarter, and of 453,895/. on the Year, but these increases are merely owing to the return of moneys into the Exchequer, and cannot be looked upon in the light of permanent revenue."