NATIONAL FINANCE.
The expensive war with Russia entailed its costs long after the first outlay and havoc passed away. The financial returns for the year ending with March, 1856, were, however, most encouraging, and proved how great were the pecuniary resources of England for war or peace. The following is a brief abstract of income and expenditure:—“The public income for the year ending the 31st March, 1856, amounted to £70,552,145 against £64,091,571 in 1855, and the expenditure to £93,149,310 against £70,236,817 in 1855. Thus there was an excess of expenditure over income in 1855-56 of £22,597,165, and an excess of £6,145,246 in the year 1854-55. The customs (in 1855-56) yielded £35,635,552; the excise, £5,210,384; stamps, £7,063,610; the assessed and land-taxes, £3,136,077; the income-tax, £15,159,458 against £10,922,267 in the year ending the 31st of March, 1855; the post-office, £2,767,201; and crown lands, £421,715. The duties on spirits and wines remained very stationary; those on malt, coffee, tobacco, snuff, and sugar increased. The house-tax yielded £728,689, and land-taxes £1,157,525. The expenditure in 1855-56 included £2,863,353 for collecting the revenue; £28,112,825 for the public debt; £1,695,052 for the civil government; £3,192,420 for law and justice; £366,443 for diplomatic salaries; £47,461,188 for the army, navy, and ordnance (against £28,321,707 in the preceding year); and £4,200,000 for the vote of credit (war with Russia). The army cost the country £17,395,059; the navy, £19,654,585, and the ordnance, £10,411,544. The civil list, privy purse, the salaries of the royal household, and the payments of the queen’s tradespeople included the sum total of £371.808.”