At the next meeting of the Common Council, two resolutions

are to be proposed, to which considerable opposition is expected to be given,

on the ground that the chartered rights of the citizens of London will be deeply affected by them. They are—lst, " That it is expedient to amend the representation of the citizens of London in Common Council, by adapting the same to the existing state of the population and municipal taxation of the various wards of this City." 2d, " That it is expedient gradually to reduce and ultimately to remit the fine upon the admission of all householders, paying their scot and bearing their lot, to the freedom of the City, with a view to the removal of unnecessary restrictions upon trade; and that the inhabitants may not be subjected to municipal taxation except by representatives of their own choosing." A few days ago, several of the Middlesex Magistrates met the City Aldermen in the Council Chamber in the Guildhall, upon the subject of making a street front Farringdon Street to the Great North Road. It has been long in the contemplation of the City authorities to con- tinue Farringdon Street as far as Holloway, and all that was supposed to be necessary to accomplish so grand an improvement was the co- operatioe of the Middlesex Magistrates. Alderman Wood stated, that he believed very little difficulty would be encountered in the City as to the extent to which the Corporation would go in effecting the improve- ment. The expense of the new street has been estimated at 100,0001. _viz. 40,0001. from Farringdon Street to Cow Cross, the City limit; and 60,000/. from that spot to Holloway. It was suggested at the meet- ing, that a rate of brie farthing in the pound, for some years, would be quite sufficient to .acaomplish the work. It is understood that imme- diate steps will be forthwith taken to carry the improvement into effect.

The usual notice required in such cases has been affixed to the doors of the Middlesex Sessions-house, of an intention to apply to Parlia- ment during the ensuing session for power to form a railroad from. the Commercial Eoad, Liniehouse, to the river Thames at East Ham, Opposite to Wcolwich ; and also a carriage-road to run parallel, or nearly so, with the railway ; also for power to establish a ferry across the Thames to Woolwich; also for forming docks or slips and landing- places on both sides of the river for steam-boats and other vessels, with proper approaches, canals, locks, basins, wharfs, bridges, &e. ; and for power to impose tolls, rates, and duties for the maintenance of the same. It is intended the railroad should pass through Stepney, Lime- house, Poplar, and Bromley, in Middlesex, and East and West Ham, and Barking, in Essex.

A Court of Directors was held at the East India House on Wednes- day, when the following Commanders took leave of the Court previous to departing for their respective destinations. Captain Robert Locke, Duke of York ; Captain J. Dudman, Inglis, Bengal and China; Cap- tain James Kellaway, Bombay, St. Helena, Bengal, and China; Cap- tain John Hine, Marquis of Huntly; and Captain Waller H. White- head, Duke of Sussex, Bombay and China. Captain Robert. Seott was sworn into command of the ship Vansittart, consigned to Beilgal and China.

A meeting was held this morning (Friday) of the proprietors of West India Dock Stock, at which a dividend of 2 per cent. only was

declared on the half-year, instead of 8 per cent., the dividend made on the last occasion of the kind. It produced one of the most sudden and extensive depreciations in value we ever recollect to have occurred - in any similar ues.cription of property ; the stock of the Company, winch was yesterday JIG, having been quoted to-day at 76—a fall of 40 per cent. The fact is in sonic degree creditable to all concerned in the management of the Company, since, had they chosen to speculate on it, by disposing of their shares, for the purpose of buying in at a lower price, the fall v'otild have been more gradual. To the pro- prietors generally such an announcement seems to have been quite un- expected, though what has occurred in other corporations of the same kind should have prepared them for it.— Times City Correspondent.

No fewer than five hundred new hackney-carriage plates were taken out during the first six days of the trade being thrown open.

In the Court of King's Bench, yesterday, the Solicitor-General moved for a rule, calling upon Mr. Chalk, and two others, to show cause why aacriminal information should not issue against them fOr a libel on Mr. M. A. Taylor, M. P. for Sudbury, published in their journal, the Chelnisfird Chronicle. The alleged libel was contained in die report of a speech of Mr. Alexander Baring, delivered at a meet- ing at Braintree, in Essex. Mr. Baring is there made to say, that as to Sudbury, there could not be found a better man than Mr. Wrang- ham ; but that a Whig—as old a Whig as Mr. Western—went to Sud- bury, and the consequence was, thej electors came to poll with con- servative colours in their hats and Whig money in their pockets ; that in no part Of the country had there been greater corruption than was practised by this veteran Whig at Sudbury. Mr. M. A. Taylor, it seems, wrote to Mr. Baring on the subject ; but Mr. Baring neither .distinctly denied nor affirmed the correctness of the report. Mr. Tay- lor then brought his action against the printers of the newspaper. He swore positively that the charge was false and groundless; and after a little demur on the part of the Court—who said that the only doubt in their minds was as to whether the imputation was meant to apply to Mr. Taylor—a rule Nisi was granted.

[This ease ought not to pass unnoticed. If it is correctly reported, the decision of the Court strikes a heavy blow at the freedom of the Press. If the proprietors of the Chelmsford Chronicle are guilty of a libel in publishing Mr. Baring's remarks, because that gentleman in- sinuated in his speech that improper means had been used by Mr. Taylor to secure his election for Sudbury, we think there can be no doubt that every newspaper in England has been equally libellous twenty times over, during the past elections. The publication of Mr. T. Duncombe's letter to his Hertford supporters is libelous ; Mr.

Thornely's speech at Liverpool was libellous; the Post, which pub-

lished a letter charging Mr. Cotes and -Mr.. Slancy with bribery, was guilty of &libel. In short, we could easily mention fifty instances of

such libels as that which is charged upon the.'iu..T.msford Chronicle ;

-but no human being in the Three Kingdoms, exacat Arr. M. A. Tay- lor, ever thought of prosecuting the publish: IS of them. We have no recollection, in our own experience, of a rule haviiig been granted on such insufficient and unusual grounds. It is very cbalr, that the free- dom of the Press in England is a mere mockery, if a maa is liable, cer-

tainly to a very heavy expense, and perhaps to no slight punishment,- for such an offence as that which the Chelmsford journalist is charged' with.]

• The Sheriff§ of Norwich also obtained a rule Nisi for a criminal information against Mr. Teazle, a Common Councilman of Norwich, for a misdemeanour. Mr. Teazle is charged with having knocked down one of the poll-clerks, and run away with the poll-book, on the second day of the election, when the mob pulled down the booths.

Mr. James Farquharson, Alto reported for the Times some proceed- ings which took place at a meeting of the Duke of York's creditors, was committed yesterday to the Fleet prison, for contempt of Court. Mr. Farquharson refused to give up the name of the gentleman who bad furnished him with the information, considering that it would be a dishonourable breach of private confidence to do so.

The cause, Rex v. Mr. Stewart Derbyshire, for assaulting Mr. Long- Wellesley with a horsewhip, was to have been tried in the Court of

King's Bench at the last qiibtings ; but the night before the day ap- pointed for the trial, the- prosecutor withdrew the record. Yesterday, Mr. Barstow obtained a rtde for the costs of the day to be paid by the prosecutor, for not proceeding to trial pursuant to notice.

Mr. Long Welkslers Secretary has written a letter to the news- papers, in which he mentions that all Mr. Wellesley's servants had been discharged, and received their wages in full.