PABLIAMFNTARY PUBLICATIONS.

An Account of the Income and Expenditure of the British Museum, &c. (Sir Ro- bert Peel.) For the year ending Lady-day 1851, (the financial year hitherto has been from Christmas to Christmas,) the sum to be asked for is 45,3291. The ac- tual expenditure for 1849 amounted to 41,7911. ; of which 22,0251. was paid to salaried officers, assistants, and supernumeraries ; 1,778/. for house ex- penses; 11,151/. for purchases and acquisitions • 5,365/. for bookbinding, cabinets, &c. ; 1,376/. for printing catalogues, Making casts, &c. ; and 961. under the head of "miscellaneous." The number of persons who visited the Museum during the year is 979,073; being about double what it was in 1844.

Return of the number of Stamps issued for Newspapers in 1849; and of the Ad- vertisement-duty paid, &c. (Mr. Brotherton.)

Return of the amount of Duty paid upon Paper for the last ten years. (Mr. Brother- ton .)

The revenue derived from the issue of stamps at a penny, and of supple- ment-stamps at a halfpenny, is 350,288/. Of this sum, English newspapers contribute 297,142/. ; Scotch, 26,627/. • Irish, 26,519/. Of the advertise- ment-duty, London contributes more than all England, three and a half times more than Scotland, and six times more than Ireland. The figures are—London newspapers (160 in number), 66,458/. ; English Provincial (232), 62,605/. ; Scotch (94), 18,0761.; Irish (117), 11,0261. The expense of "stamping" the newspapers and collecting the stamp-duty appears from Mr. Scholefield's return to be 6,169/.,—not 2 per cent on the amount re- ceived.

In 1849, the paper-duties yielded 876,121/. ; England contributing 649,914/. ; Scotland, 176,8151. ; Ireland, 41,164/. This is a growing source of income. In 1840, the amount collected was less by 240,0001.

Window-duty. (Sir George Pechell.)

From 487,411 houses assessed in 1848-9, 1,813,6291. was realized ; being an average of less than 4/. each house. Of the twelve English provincial towns selected as paying the largest amount of duty, Liverpool stands at the head, its contribution being 28,856/.showing an average charge of 2/. 10s. on each house rated ; Bath is next, 21,2781. ; average 51. 141. ' - Manchester, 20,5751., average 2/. 138. ; Brighton, 17,572/., average 4/. 168. ; Birmingham, 14,9861., average 2/. 14s. ; Cheltenham, 6,7671., average 4/. 16s.

Return of all Grants or Loans for Public Works, Belief of Distress, or other pur- poses, in Ireland, during the last ten years, &c. (Colonel Sibthorp.)

This is the return for which Colonel Sibthorp made an outcry. on Thursday fortnight in connexion with the bill for making a further advance to the distressed Poor-law Unions in Ireland. During the ten years ending the 5th January last, 8,751,226/. has been advanced for certain public works, drainage, relief of the destitute, &c. ; and 3,276,206/. has been contributed by way of " grant " or gift. Of the eight-and-three-quarter millions ad- vanced, more than three millions have been repaid ; and the actual balance due is about five millions and a half. It does not follow that this is " arrears," because the process of repayment is gradual. During the ten years, 3,194,7211. has been given by way of " grant " through the Commissioners of Public Works ; and "advances" amounting to 1,983,580/. have been made through the Public Works Loan Commissioners. Persons who consult such accounts are apt to get bewildered among these separate Boards.

An Account of all Guano imported in the years 1841 to 1849. (Mr. Scholelield.)

The imports have been variable. In 1841, the quantity was 2,881 tons; in 1845, it was 283,300 tons ; in 1849, 83,438 tons. In 1845, the maximum year, the supply was drawn from the Western coast of Africa ; but that source having been exhausted, Chili and Peru are resorted to.

Accounts relating to Trade and Navigation, for the month ending 5th March 1850. (Presented by command.) Of wheat and other kinds of grain the imports continue to fall largely short of what they were in the corresponding month of last year. The only branch of agricultural produce on which an increase is shown is that of eggs. The imports of boots, shoes, boot-fronts, gloves, and manufactured silks, are progressively increasing. The exports for the month have a declared value of 4,801,971/. being 556,746/. more than the value for March 1849. The in- crease is chiefly in the cotton, linen, woollen, and silk departments.

Copies or Extracts of any Despatches relating to the admission of Foreigners into the Island of Malta. (Mr. Hume.)

Elueidatory of the circumstances under which Governor O'Ferrall deemed it necessary to put the laws of the island in force in reference to the de- serters and refugees who arrived (in 1848-49) in the port of Malta from Na- ples, Sicily, Rome, Ancona, and other districts where revolution was rife.

Return of the Prices of Wheat, stated in English money and measure, from 1844 to 1849, at certain foreign ports. (Mr. Slaney.)

The details comprise quotations from the corn-exporting seaports of Rus- sia, Prussia, Belgium, Hamburg, France, Italy, Spain, Austrian Italy, and the United States. Montreal was included in the inquiry, but no return has been made. If reliance can be placed on the figures, this return should do something towards determining the price at whiehbonft fide purchases were made at -the ports enumerated. The quotations for 1846 and 1847, the years of scarcity are of course the highest. The lowest 'prices prevail at Odes- sa. At 'Dantsne, great difffirenee in quality must-exist, for the range shows a difference of from 12s. to 18s. in the value of the English quarter. As a -specimen-of the information which this return supplies, the following de- tails maybe taken : they exhibit the average of the "highest and lowest" -quotations (per :English quarter) for the lag week in December 1849 ; and for the purposes elf contrast the "'weekly" average of prises in England is added.

Odessa. Dantsie. Homburg. Marseilles. /Meant. Trieste. New York. England.

als. 5d. 318.84. 31s.,0d. oDs. ld. 40s. 2d. 26*. 84. 41s. 38s. 9d.

Return of the (lost ofring for Pilbhcation, and of Printing and Publishing, the " Monuments Historica Britenmev, or Materialsfor the History of Britain." (Mr. Mutt.) An unprofitelde speculation in two ways,—in loss of money, and in loss of the advantage which might have sprung from gratuitous distribution. The editorial department cost 6,671/. ; the printing, payer, and binding, 3,071/. ; making a total cost of 9,7421. for 750 copies ; being at the rate of iv. for each. The per contra shows a sale of 46 copies at 51. 58. each ; 58 were presented to the Record Commissioners, certain libraries, and various indi- -viduals; 36 were given away by the Record Commissioners; and 610 remain for sale.

Report 'bythe 'Registrar of Joint Stock-Companies for 1849. (Presented pursuant to act IT and 13 'Viet.) The year 1849 was not fruitful in speculative joint stock companies; but that did not arise from any indiaposition ou the part of ingenious persons to blow up the embers. Amongst the temptations were—the Californian Gold and Trading Company ; 'Company of Adventurers for exploring the Gold Dis- tricts of California ; California Gold Mining, Streaming, and Washing Com- pany ; 'Californian Gold Mining and Trading Company.; Gold Mines, Lands, and Rivers of California Company. Beyond "provisional" registration, however, none of these promising schemes were able to emerge. Of joint stock companies of all description; 165 were provisionally registered; 134 did not advance further ; 68 were "completely " registered. In this last number, some companies must be included which were projected previous to 1849.

Return of Increase and Diminution of Pensions and Salaries in Public Offices, during the year 1849. (Mr. Dome.)

Under the head of "increase," 700 persons and a sum of 75,879/. arc stated. Of the large number of persons, 638 are for service in the Post-office ; 34 in the Convict establishment ; 5 in the Privy Council Office ; 15 in the War Office. Of the sum specified, 47,3841. is far " retired allowances." Under the head of "'diminution," 1,002 persons and 143,6541. are stated. Of the officers so reduced, o43 belonged to the Customs, 397 to the Excise, 26 to the Ord- nance ; 14 to the Victualling-yards. No pleasing prospect this to the ex- pectants of easy employment in Government offices.

Returns of the number of Editors of the Public Press Expelled from the Ionian Islands in 1849; of the number of Persons Tried, and the Sentences, ite. (Mr.

Hume.) The number of exiled editors is 3 ; of persons tried by courts-martial, 65 ; of whom 44 were sentenced to death, but 21 only were executed : 80 persons were flagged, the number of lashes ranging from 6 to 50.

Return of Sums Voted for the Royal Palaces. (Colonel Sibthorp.)

The sums " voted" for 1848, 1849, and 1850, amount to 130,9531. ; and the expenditure to 102,314/. The balance is expected to cover all contem- plated expenses ; so that no additional vote will be required for 1851.

Returns relating to Railway Accidents in Great Britain and Ireland, from the 1st June to the 31st December 1849. (Presented by command.)

In the six months ending the 31st December, 106 were killed, and 112 hurt. The number of passengers conveyedamounted to 34,924,469. Of the killed, 11 were passengers,—a ratio of one in every 3,000,000 ; of the hurt, 64 were passengers,—a ratio of one in every 500,000. Of the others who lost their lives, 64 were persons connected with the lines, 28 were tres- passers, one warn child, and two were suicides. Of the persons hurt, other then pr.ssengers, forty were connected with the lines, seven were trespassers, and one was a child. With only two exceptions, and they refer to persons connected with the lines, the accidents which proved fatal are attributed to want of caution or misconduct on the part of the sufferers themselves : half of the casualties short of death are ascribed to the same causes. The miles of railway in full qperation at the close of the six months were 5,996,— being an increase of 549 miles over the previous half-year.