It appears from the returns published in the beginning of
the week, that the public revenue of 1851 has fallen short of that of 1850 by rather more than half a million. The receipts in the first and third quarters of 1851 were greater than in 1850; in the se- cond and fourth they were less ; but the fourth has been the most unfavourable. In that quarter, the decrease in 1851, as compared with the corresponding period of 1850, is 713,5471.
The decrease on the year has taken place principally in the Stamps, Taxes, and Property-tax. Tile falling-off in the receipts from Stamps (162,0921.) may be clearly traced to the working of the new Stamp Act (which has lightened the burdens on the-tilde- fer of property) ; and the falling-off in' the receipts from Taxes (796,2164:) to.the circumstance that the Window-taxhas ceased to
be levied before the House-tax has Come into phiY.. • '
• In the Cuatoms, there is an increase 'of 146,189/. on the year; in the Excise, of 89,2091.; in the Post-office, of 244,0001. The in- crease in the last item has been attributed in a great measure to the Industrial Eihibition : perhaps the falling-off in the receipts from Customs (37,1931.) and-Excise (162,9501.) during the last quar- ter of the year may proceed from a reaction among the spending part of the community—a disposition to economize in order to make up for-the extra expenditure immured by jaunts to the Crys-
tal Palace. • •
