MELBOURNE FINANCE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1230, 3 May 1864, Page 3

MELBOURNE FINANCE.

From the Herald,, of the 9th instant, we take the following abstract from the quarterly returns of revenue and expenditure:~ Commencing with the statement of revenue received during the quarter ended the 31st ultimo, we find that the gross payments into the Treasury during that period amounted to 645,190/. —fractions omitted. This sum was made up as follows: Customs, 272,967/. excise, 9,004/.; territorial, 152,639/. ;r public works, 144,212/.; ports and harbors, 6310/.; postage, 30,371/.; fees, 14,368/.; fines aud forfeitures, 4020/.; miscellaneous, 10,935/. The expenditure proper in the same time was in the gross 607,022/., leaving a balance to the credit of the Treasury of 38,168/. From the comparative statement of the estimated and the net revenue for the quarter. We obtain the following results:— Total estimated revenue* 743,250/.; total net revenue, 587,363/.; total net decrease, 155,886. A decrease upon the Treasurer's estimate is shown under all the important heads of revenue. The Customs receipts estimated at 273,500/., realised 272,521/.; Excise, estimated at 9500/., realised 5449/.; Territorial, estimated at 255,050/., realised 132,791/.; Public Works, the estimated income from which was 143,000/., yielded 119,346/. Under the head of Ports and Harbours there is an increase on the estimate the figures being respectively 5425/. and 6303/. Postage gives a small balance to the Treasury, the estimate being 30,000/., and the receipts from this source 30,162/. The revenue from fees also shows in excess on the estimate, which was 9,437/., the realised amount being 12,931/. Tines and Forfeitures were estimated at 6350/., while only 3506/. was obtained. Under the head of Miscellaneous, the net receipts were greatly below the estimate, the amounts being 10,987/. add 4350/. The net revenues of the quarter and year, both ending 31st March, compared with those of the same periods of 1863, indicate an increase in favour of the quarter of the current year of 13,941/., and a decrease against it 0f416,257/. The amounts are composed of the balances of the following sums: —Customs' increase on the quarter, 20,485/; decrease on the year, 6078/. Excise —decrease on the quarter, 8634/.; and on the year, 12,277/. Territorial —decrease on the ! quarter, 14,443/.; and oil the year, 499,364/. Public Works —Increase on the quarter, 12,523/.; and on the year, 78,309/. Ports and Harbours —Increase on the quarter, 562/.; and on the year, 2790/. PostageIncrease on the quarter and year respectively, 1775/. and 4548/. Pees—lncrease on both periods, 2129/. and 2575/. Pines —an increase of 1293/. and 1131/. respectively. Miscellaneous —a decrease on the quarter of 1748/.; and an increase on the year of 12,108/,

Under the head of Excise, there is an increase in the revenue from spirits distilled in the colony of 1671/. on the quarter and 2670/. I on the year. The falling off on the quarter in this division is mainly attributable to a decrease of 9120 Z. in the receipts from spirit merchants' licenses. The land revenue shows a decrease on the quarter of 9987/.,andonthe year of 447,355.. There is a decrease on the quarter in the gold export receipts of 5454/., and of 48,9261. on the year. The railway income shows a comparative increase of 11,844/. on the quarter, and 88,842/. on the year. Under the remaining heads of revenue, excepting an increase of 3679/. on the quarter in the receipts from " all other fees," there is nothing calling for particular reference.