29 APRIL 1865, Page 2

Mr. Gladstone gave a very encouraging view of the growth

of our Revenue, stating that whereas between 1840 and 1852 it was only 1,030,000/. per annum, between 1853 and 1859 it increased 1,240,000/. per annum, and between 1859 and 1865, 1,780,000/. per annum. He surprised the House much by an assertion that our imperial expenditure is, instead of less, considerably greater than that of France. The French accounts of expenditure include,- he said, many local charges which we should never think of including in our imperial expenditure, and excluding them, in 1863 the French imperial expenditure was only 60,815,000/., against an English expenditure of 70,352,0001., showing an excess on our part of more than 9,000,000/. in that year.