of Smith's connection with the college. The im-
position of octroi duties on food coming into the
city was still the principal means of raising municipal
revenue in Glasgow as in most other towns of Scotland.
But the students of the University were so far exempt
from the tribute that they were allowed at the begin-
ning of each session to bring in with them as much
oatmeal as would keep them till the end of it. In
1757 this ancient privilege was contested, and the
students were obliged by the "tackman" of the meal
market to pay duty on their meal. Smith and another
professor were sent to the Provost to protest against
this infraction of University privileges, and to demand
repayment. At the next meeting of the Senate, "Mr.
Smith reported that he had spoken to the Provost of
Glasgow about the ladles, exacted by the town from
students, for meal brought into the town for their own
use, and that the Provost promised to cause what had
been exacted to be returned, and that accordingly
the money was offered by the town's ladler to the
students."

The intellectual level of the professors and lecturers
in the University of Glasgow was already high when
Smith joined them, and the place was free from the
monopolistic spirit which dulled and enervated the
universities of Oxford and Cambridge. In 1752, a
year after his arrival, Smith took part in founding
what was called the Literary Society of Glasgow.
Besides the professors a number of outsiders were
admitted -- David Hume, Sir John Dalrymple the
historian, John Callander the antiquary, Robert Foulis
the famous printer, and others. In one of the first
papers read to this society ( January 1753) Adam

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