§ Well, now I come to the head of general stamps. The general stamps were estimated to yield £5,280,000, an increase of £75,000 on the receipts of 1893–4. They have, in fact, exceeded the estimate by £568,000, and are £643,000 in excess of the produce of 1893–4. The main part of this increase was realised in the last six months of the year, and is due to the head of "Deeds and other Instruments," which alone gave an increase of £590,000. Fully half of this great increase is due to the London Stock Exchange alone, where the receipts from stamps on transfers during the year have nearly doubled. The chief cause is the great activity in the mining market. Another item, though not large in itself, is worth noticing, as an indication of reviving business. This is the companies' capital duty, which is £26,000 more than last year, showing an increase of £26,000,000 in new capital subscribed during the year. There has also been a large in-increase in the yield of contract notes, which have brought in £110,000, as against £80,000 last year. The loss sustained from the abolition in 1893 of the adhesive stamp on fugitive securities has thus been recouped. The other heads of general stamps show little variation. There is a decrease of £32,000 in bills of exchange, from £647,000 to £615,000.