220
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Taxes repealed or reduced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Repealed :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Paper duty repealed 1,350.000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Hup duty repealed .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Hop duty repealed :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
