FINANCE. The Imperial British system of finance is applied to Ireland in practically the same way as it is to the other parts of the King dom. In the union with Great Britain, Ireland became burdened with a share of the responsi bility for a large national debt, which it had had no hand in making. The Irish generally maintain, and many financiers admit that the burden which the Imperial revenue inflicts upon the country is out of proportion to its wealth, and this claim constitutes one of the most serious grievances of the Irish Nationalists. According to the royal commissioners' report (1S96) on the financial relations of Ireland to Great Brit ain. the taxable capacity of Ireland was only one-twentieth that of Great Britain or less, whereas the revenue collected was about one eleventh of the amount raised in Great Britain. A comparison of Ireland with England and Wales shows that the per capita receipts from the in come tax in the latter is about three times that in Ireland. Assuming that the income tax re turns are a fair test of the relative financial capacities of the two countries, the injustice wrought by the indirect taxes is striking, since the per capita amount of these is only a little less in Ireland than in England and Wales. The proportion of the direct to the indirect taxes in England and Wales is as 48 to 52, whereas in Ireland it is as 27 to 63. The figures given below indicate the great importance of the excise duties. It is this item particularly that seems to he over-burdensome. A comparison with Eng land and Wales for the fiscal year ending in March. 1899, shows that while the proof spirits consumed by those Countries amounted to 4.60
gallons per capita, in Ireland it. was only 2.85 per capita, while the duty per capita paid in England and Wales was 16s. 10d. against 14s, 10d. in Ireland. In other words, the varieties of spirits most consumed in Ireland are those upon which the highest rates are paid.
The following figures give the amount of the Imperial revenue collected in Ireland in the fiscal year ending in 1901: Customs. £2,798,000; ex cise, £3.364.000: estate. etc.. duties, £732.000: stamps, income tax, 075,000: post office, £729.000; telegraphs, £174,000: Crown lands, £33.000; miscellaneous, £116.000; and a lo• cal taxation revenue amounting to £294.000. The Imperial expenditures in Ireland for the same year were: Civil government. £4.545.000; collection of taxes. £244,000; post-office. £1.061,000; paid to local taxation accounts, £1.054.000: "from local taxation revenue," £402.000. The taxes on real property are the principal source of local revenue. In the fiscal year 1898-99 the local receipts were as follows: Rates, water, gas, and electric light, £3.234.011; tolls, dues. etc.. £491.166: rents. in terest. etc.. £126.304; Government contributions, 1475.384; loans, £592.303; and miscellaneous, £322,874. The principal branches of local ex penditures for the same :•ear were: Town and municipal authorities, for police. sanitary works. etc., £1,597.96S; unions and parishes for poor relief, £1,135,334; county. rural. sanita'•y, and road authorities, £1,550,599: harbor authorities, £577,968.