12 FEBRUARY 1859, Page 11

A deputation from the Anti-Taxes upon Knowledge Association waited upon

Lord Derby yesterday to urge the repeal of the paper-duty. The Premier said he had never concealed his opinion of this onerous tax. All he could say was that the state of the public finances at the present time is the only thing that stands in the way of relieving the country from a tax which he admitted to be an objectionable one. He was not, how- ever, in a position to say what the Chancellor of the Exchequer might be able to do. But he would be much surprised, and he might add gra- tified, to find that he would be enabled to remove any of the burdens from the country this year; in fact, he should be glad to find that there was no necessity for him to impose new ones.