_ Our Revenue returns form a subject of rather unreasoning
joy to some of our contemporaries. They never give us directly the only thing ,worth asking about, namely, whether the income is exceeding 'or falling short of the Chancellor's expectations; and to rejoice because it is better thin last year without taking into ac- count recent changes is a little childish. It is, however, a very good return, as the following comparison with the Chancellor's estimate shows. We give in one column three quarters of his estimate, and parallel with it the actual return of the last three quarters of last year :—
Three Quarters of A ctnal Revenue of the Chancellord Estimate.' Three Quarters ended list Dee., DOM
Customs ......... ...... 16,952,750 17,699,000 Excise 13,287,500 18,080,000 Stamps 6,750,000 6,878,000 Taxes 2,418,500 2,851,000 Income-tax 6,468,750 6,916,000 Post-office 2,850,000 2,845,000 Crown Lands 225,000 228,500 Miscellaneous 1,875,006 1,727,874 China Indemnity ... 887,500
51,110,000 51,219,874
By this it will be seen that the customs, as usual, much exceed the estimate, while the assessed-taxes and income-tax are a little silo but that will, probably, be made up in the final quarter, as in tax always tends to drop into arrear. All the other items ap the estimate very closely indeed. The China indemnity bably, not yet been received, or if received, not yet taken a of. Unless the expenditure has increased, we may well million surplus, instead of the half million on which Mr. Gladstone counted.
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