This is but a gloomy page in the commercial annals.
The amount of the duty on Candles has been, for the year ending 5th of Jan. 1826, 491,236_l._; 1827, 471,994_l._; 1828, 492,622_l._; 1829, 503,779_l._; 1830, 495,138_l._
The rate of duty on the above articles is--On hard soap, 3d. per lb.; soft soap, 1¾d.; candles, tallow, 1d. per lb.; wax and spermaceti, 3½d. These duties are payable by law one week after the accounts are made up; but as the accounts for the country include the operations of six or seven weeks alternately, the period allowed for payment depends upon the locality of the traders, as those resident where the collector attends latest upon the round have a proportionally longer credit; the time allowed for payment may be stated generally at from fourteen to twenty-eight days. Within the limits of the chief office the duties on candles are paid weekly; but those on soap have, by custom, been extended to fourteen days after the account has been made up.
Amount of Stamp Duties on Newspapers and Advertisements in England and Scotland, during the five years ending January 5, 1830:
_Year_ | NEWSPAPERS. | ADVERTISEMENTS. | _ending_ +-----------+----------+-----------------------+ _Jan. 5. | England | Scotland | England. | Scotland. | | £. | £. | £. | £. | 1826 | 425,154 | 24,419 | 144,751 | 18,708 | 1827 | 429,662 | 22,013 | 135,687 | 17,779 | 1828 | 428,629 | 29,929 | 133,978 | 18,400 | 1829 | 439,798 | 33,556 | 136,368 | 18,939 | 1830 | 438,667 | 42,301 | 136,052 | 17,592 |
In Ireland the total number of Newspaper Stamps issued has been, in the years ending 5th Jan. 1827, 3,473,014; 1828, 3,545,846; 1829, 3,790,272; and 1830, 3,953,550.
It is our intention to condense a sheet of extracts from the above volume, upon the plan adopted by us on the appearance of the previous portion of the work. Our publishing arrangements will not, however, advantageously allow the appearance of this sheet until next Saturday week. In the meantime, a few extracts, _per se_, may gratify the curiosity of the reader, and not interfere with the interest of our proposed Supplement.
"Rose at five. Crossed the mountains to Montbovon on horseback, and on mules, and, by dint of scrambling, on foot also; the whole route beautiful as a dream, and now to me almost as indistinct. I am so tired;--for, though healthy, I have not the strength I possessed but a few years ago. At Montbovon we breakfasted; afterwards, on a steep ascent, dismounted; tumbled down; cut a finger open; the baggage also got loose and fell down a ravine, till stopped by a large tree; recovered baggage; horse tired and drooping; mounted mule. At the approach of the summit of Dent Jument[1] dismounted again with Hobhouse and all the party. Arrived at a lake in the very bosom of the mountains; left our quadrupeds with a shepherd, and ascended farther; came to some snow in patches, upon which my forehead's perspiration fell like rain, making the same dints as in a sieve; the chill of the wind and the snow turned me giddy, but I scrambled on and upwards. Hobhouse went to the highest pinnacle; I did not, but paused within a few yards (at an opening of the cliff.) In coming down, the guide tumbled three times; I fell a laughing, and tumbled too--the descent luckily soft, though steep and slippery; Hobhouse also fell, but nobody hurt. The whole of the mountains superb. A shepherd on a very steep and high cliff playing upon his _pipe_; very different from _Arcadia_, where I saw the pastors with a long musket instead of a crook, and pistols in their girdles. Our Swiss shepherd's pipe was sweet, and his tune agreeable. I saw a cow strayed; am told that they often break their necks on and over the crags. Descended to Montbovon; pretty scraggy village, with a wild river and a wooden bridge. Hobhouse went to fish--caught one. Our carriage not come; our horses, mules, &c. knocked up; ourselves fatigued.