The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 14
Finance Accounts of the United Kingdom
Finance Accounts of the United Kingdom.
As usual the official compte rendu of Income and Expenditure for the past financial year is a mystification; and, also as usual, it was not presented until it could be of no use in regulating the expenditure of the current year, even if it were as clear and intelligible as it ought to be—i.e., until Parliament had voted the great bulk of the money demanded by the Government. In this and the succeeding pages an attempt is made to simplify the account somewhat, for the benefit of the taxpayer.
According to the Cash Account, pages 8 to 11, the total ordinary income for 1885-6 was £89,581,301 2s. 2d., making, with a balance of £4,993,206 14s. 8d., in the Exchequer on April 1, 1885, a total of £94,574,507 16s. 10d.—raised by "Other Exchequer Receipts" (which included £25,613,000 "raised by Creation of Debt ")to £133.931,806 19s. 3d. On the other hand the total Expenditure is stated, p. 9, as £92,223,843 14s. 10d.,—raised by "Other Exchequer Issues" to £128,305,863 1s. 3d., and leaving a balance of £5,625,943 18s. 0d. in the Exchequer on March 31, 1886.
In the following attempt to form a Balance Sheet the items of Receipt, &c., are taken as they stand at page 14 of the Accounts; those of Expenditure from the pages specified, which are scattered up and down in ways best calculated to puzzle the inquirer.
Expenditure.
£ | s. | d. | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
XII. | Interest and Management | 19,011,073 | 14 | 2 |
Terminable Annuities | 3,502,133 | 14 | 3 | |
Interest on Exchequer Bills, | 178,478 | 12 | 9 | |
New Sinking Fund (nil) | ||||
Interest on Lords for Local purposes | 478,340 | 6 | 10 | |
Interest and Principal of Exchequer Bonds (Suez) | 199,979 | 0 | 0 | |
Trustee Savings Banks Dcficicncy Annuity | 83,672 | 12 | 0 | |
£23,449,678 | 0 | 0 |
XIII. | Army, including Purchase Commission | 17,027,084 | 10 | 5 | |||
Navy | 12,660,508 | 16 | 8 | ||||
Naval and Military Operations, Vote of Credit | 9,451,000 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Grant to India (Afghan War) | 250,000 | 0 | 0 | ||||
39,388,593 | 7 | 1 |
XIV. | Customs (page 90) | 955,452 | 3 | 8 | |||
Inland Revenue (page 90) | 1,796,211 | 9 | 5 | ||||
Post Office (page 90) | 4,793,744 | 9 | 0 | ||||
Post Office Telegraph Service (page 90) | 1,745,000 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Post Office Packet Service (page 90) | 731,014 | 0 | 0 | ||||
Crown Lands (paid out of Gross Revenue)—(page 20) | 103,384 | 17 | 4 | ||||
10,124,806 | 19 | 5 |
XV. | Class 1. Public Works and Buildings (page 85) | 1,766,717 | 3 | 5 | |||
XVI. | Class 2. Salaries and Expenses of Departments (page 86) | 2,442,861 | 17 | 1 | |||
XVII. | Class 3. Law and Justice (page 87) | 6,235,978 | 12 | 3 | |||
XVIII. | Class 4. Education, Science, and Art (page 88) | 6,268,451 | 11 | 7 | |||
XIX. | Class 5. Colonial, Consular, &c. (page 89) | 673,087 | 13 | 0 | |||
XX. | Class 6. Superannuations, &c. (page 89) | 1,212,361 | 14 | 10 | |||
XXI | Class 7. Miscllaneous and Special (page 89) | 96,305 | 3 | 4 | |||
Marriage Portion of Princess Beatrice (page 89) | 30,000 | 0 | 0 | ||||
17,725,763 | 15 | 6 |
XXII. | Civil List | 410,020 | 2 | 4 | |||
XXIII. | Annuities and Pension | 334,100 | 14 | 9 | |||
Salaries and Allowances | 89,789 | 1 | 8 | ||||
Courts of Justice | 503,058 | 11 | 7 | ||||
Miscellaneous Services (ordinary) | 151,417 | 19 | 10 | ||||
Miscellaneous Services Annuity under Indian Army Pension Deficiency Act, 1885 | 150,000 | 0 | 0 | ||||
1,638,386 | 10 | 2 | |||||
Total Ordinary Expenditure | ‡£92,327,228 | 12 | 2 |
‡ To the official total of £92,223,843 14s. 10d., as stated at page 9 of Finance Accounts, there should be added the sum paid from the gross revenue of Crown Lands, for salaries, &c., according to page 20, £103,384 17s. 4d.