Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1871.djvu/256

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GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND.

8,851,230?. in 1865, 1,897,9852. in 18G6, and 2,654,172/. in 1867. But in the year ending March 31, 1868, there was again a con- siderable deficit, namely, 1,636,024/., which increased to 2,380,835/. in the year ending March 31, 1869, the deficit of both periods being due entirely to the expenditure of the expedition to Abyssinia. The financial year 1869-70, to make up for these deficits, showed the vast surplus of 6,569,500/., representing the largest ever known.

During what maybe called the surplus period, there has been an un- interrupted reduction of taxation. The details of the changes made in taxationinthe eight years from 1861-2, to 1869-70, were as follows: —

Years, ending Mar.31

Taxes repealed or reduced

Estimated Amount

Taxes imposed

Estimated Amount

Customs : —

£

Customs : —

£

Repealed :

Chicory, raw or 1 kiln-dried. J ' Excise : —

15,000

Hats or bonnets 1 of straw. J

285

Paper, books, 1 and prints. J

29,743

Duty on chicory -^ increased from |

Reduced :

5s. Qd. to 8s. Qd. J

Hops.

5,372

per cwt. ; licen-

1862

Wine. . Excise :

244,158

ces to retail spi- > rits in bottles,

5,000

Paper duty repealed 1,350.000

table beer, and i

Property tax re- 1 duced. J

1,060,000

methylated spirits. . J

Total.

Stamps : — imposed. Total.

60,000

2,689,558

80.000

Customs : —

Excise : —

Hup duty repealed. Excise :

9S,671

Brewers' licences: ^ — increased. J

230,000

Hop duty repealed :

250,000

Victuallers' occa- \

1863

Stamps.

5,000

sional licences Duty on chicory : f

increased. ) Stamps: — increa- 1

sed or imposed. J

Total.

2,000 20,500

Total.

252,500

353,671

( iustoms: —

Customs : —

Duties reduced :

Duty on Chicory : ")

Tea. . .1,641,541

— increased. J

6,811

Tobacco. . 7-1,055

Excise: —

Charges on bills

Chicory : -increased

1,000

1864

of Jading re-

180,723

Stage carriages

11,000

pealed

Beer dealers :-ad- ~| ditional licence J Beer retailers

Total.

2,000 10.000

Property tax re- ) duced . 5

2,750,000

Total.

4,646,319

30,811