§ The Exchequer balance on April 1 1894 was £5,977,000. This amount included £750,000, which remained owing to the Bank of England, on Ways and Means, for temporary advances to meet the expenditure in 1893–4. The true balance, therefore, was £5,227,000. The balance on March 31, 1895 was £6,301,000. This amount includes the surplus of £766,000, which will have to be paid during the course of the year towards the discharge of the permanent debt. The permanent balances have been increased by repayment of advances to the extent of £308,000. Considering the very large amount which it is now necessary to obtain by way of deficiency advances in the middle of the financial year, owing to the fact that a large proportion of the revenue is collected in the last quarter, it is of considerable importance to take every opportunity of strengthening the balances.