But what shall we say about this Order, affecting the newspaper press especially:--"_Wednesday, 5th Sept._, 1655--At the Council at Whitehall, Ordered by his Highness the Lord Protector and the Council, That no person whatever do presume to publish in print any matter of public news or intelligence without leave of the Secretary of State"?
The effect of the order was that not only the indecent publications purporting to be newspapers were suppressed, but also a considerable number of newspapers proper, insomuch that the London newspaper press was reduced thenceforth to two weekly prints, authorized by Thurloe, viz.
Needham's _Mercurius Politicus_, published on Thursdays, and _The Public Intelligencer_, a more recent adventure, published on Mondays.

Just after the order, I note, the _Mercurius Politicus_ enlarged its size somewhat, to match with the _Public Intelligencer_, and in the first number of the new size (Sept.

22-Oct.

4, 1655) the Editor speaks with great approbation of the Order of Council "silencing the many pamphlets that have hitherto presumed to come abroad." Needham seems now to have assumed the editorship of both papers; and after the twenty-third number of the _Intelligencer_ (March 3-10, 1655-6) the publisher of it, as well as of the _Mercurius Politicus_, was Thomas Newcome.

The newspaper press of the Protectorate was thus pretty well consolidated by Mr.Thurloe.There were two papers only, under one management, or rather there was a single bi-weekly newspaper with alternative names.[1] [Footnote 1: Council Order Books of 1655 and 1658 _passim; Merc.
Pol._ and _Public Intelligencer_ of dates given.] It was part of the duty of the Major-Generals to assist, so far as might still be necessary, in the execution of the Ordinance of Aug.
1654 for the ejection of scandalous and insufficient ministers and schoolmasters (Vol.IV.p.564 and p.