5 MARCH 1836, Page 7

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A meeting of the Court of Common Council was held on Wednes- day, and a petition to both Houses of Parliament adopted, for the re- peal of so much of the Act of the 9th George IV. as makes it neces- sary for Municipal Officers to declare that they will do nothing which tends to weaken the Protestant Church, or to disturb the Clergy in the possession of their privileges as by law established. It was con- tended that this declaration was wholly unnecessary, and offensive to many and the petition seems to have been agreed to with very little opposition. The Court reassembled on Thursday, and adopted a petition to Parliament against allowing railways to be formed within the City and liberties. Mr. Wire then propdsed a petition to Parliament for the entire abolition of the Newspaper Stamp-tax. Ile said it was the intention

of the Chancellor of the Exchequer to reduce the duty from 4d. to Id.; but that would not cure the evil complained of—the prevention of the diffusion of knowledge among the humbler classes. Mr. Richard Taylor seconded the motion. The present tax esta- blished a monopoly in the hands of a few persons ; and Mr. Taylor instanced the conduct of the Morning Chronicle in suppressing accounts of meetings to petition for the removal of the tax, as a proof of its being in the hands of monopolists. Sir Peter Laurie ridiculed the idea of a man getting useful Warn-

tion from the columns of a newspaper : if he wanted knowledge, he would go elsewhere to look for it. Out of 240 members of the Common Council, not more than 50 or 60 could be got together on this question, which showed how little interest it excited.

Mr. Alderman said—" There is only one Alderman present." The Lord Mayor—" Then there is no Court : it has been noticed, and I am compelled to say we are adjourned."