REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE.

333

The financial accounts for each year are not finally adjusted till after the lapse, of two or three years, so that, the estimates being framed with great moderation, there is usually the item ' surplus ' among the sources of revenue of each budget.

The 'Colonial surplus' for 1869 is explained in a more detailed manner in the Netherlands India accounts for the year, which are kept distinct from the budget of the kingdom. In the following statement the summary is given of the Netherlands India estimates for the year 1869 : —

Guilders

Expenditure in Netherlands 18,471,759

India 84,943,947

Total expenditure

Eeceipts in Netherlands { f P er ce f P roduce f lea \ r [ 1 per cent, repayments J

j n- J 80 per cent, taxation "|

I 20 per cent, produce sales J

Total receipts .... Deduct total expenditure

. 103,415,666

56,865,410

62,168,614

119,034,024 103,415,666

Colonial surplus for 1869

The financial estimates for the years 1868 and in tabular form, show that the largest source derived from excise duties, producing about one- receipts of the state, while the largest branch of for the national debt. At the commencement of national debt was represented by a capital of 96 or 80,642,409/., divided as follows :—

. 15.618,358 £1,301,529

1869, given above of revenue is that fourth of the total expenditure is that the year 1869, the 7,708 7 ,914 guilders,

Division of Debt

Capital

Interest

Guilders

Debt bearing interest at the rate of 2|-

per cent.

653,143,702

16,328,592

,, „ » 3

„

98,752.712

2,962,581

H

„

13,828,000

478,730

4.

,,

191,984.500

7,679,380

Debt bearing no interest

.

10,000,000

Terminable annuities in 1868 Total ....

• {

—

127,854

967,708,914

27,577,137

£80,642,409

£2,298,095

The rest of the sum of 28,073,638 guilders, or 2,339,469/., set down in the budget of 1869 as expenditure for the national debt, went towards a sinking fund for ihe same. The entire reduction of the national debt, from 1848 to 1869, amounted to above 188,000,000 guilders, or 15,750,000/.— (Communication of the

Royal government to the Statesman's Year-book.)