A Hundred Years Ago " THE SPECTATOR," JANUARY 11TH, 1834.
The published accounts of the Revenue to the 5th January, exhibit a decrease on the year as compared with 1832, amounting to 442,4941; on the quarter, of 91,5471. The falling-off is in the Customs, which have yielded less this year than the last by 612,8941. But then, the produce of the Excise has increased by 183;7411., and that of the Post-office by 63,0001. There is a decrease on the quarter in the Assessed Taxes, of 94,1221.: thus demonstrating the incorrectness of those statements so confidently put forth in the inisterial journals, that the opposition to the collection of the House and Window Taxes was trifling, and that in point of fact their arrears were less than usual. This affords a tolerably fair specimen of the value of semi-official assertions. * * * *
A poor ill-clad little boy was placed at the Police bar last week, on a charge of stealing a mat from a door in St. Andrew's Square, Glasgow. To the question, " How many times did you steal the mat ? " he replied, " Four times." He had stolen it from one person and sold it to another ; stolen it from the person to whom he sold it, and disposed of it to another ; stolen it from the second purchaser, and sold it to a third ; and stolen it again, and detected. Baillie Muir ordered him to be sent to his parents. This is doing a good deal of business with a very small stock-.
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