The Express.
London, England, 1863-11-10 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE.
(THIS DAY.)

EQUITY COURT.
(Bekaa Vice.Chanc•Bar Sir W. P. Wood.)
DOCCICAULT e. DILATIZLD.—DIULIIATIC COPTIIORT.
The Vice•Chaneellor gave judgment ht this gam which
was argued before him early in the present year, and which
pre nee to a peatiou under the International Copyright
Act under the following circumstance. :—Mr. Boneacault,
all the world knows, wrote, published. and acted The
t'ollern Bairn. The defendant did not write, but published
sod acted the same drama in one of the provincial theatres of
the north, of which he is manager. Thereupon Mr. Basel-
melt filed his hill, moved for end obtained an interlocutory
injunction, and the defeadant'a audience knew The Colleen
DU Inure. But the defendant, though repulsed, was not
vanquidied ; the suit went on, and in time came to a
beanng. Then it appeared that Mr. Boucicault bad
performed The Colleen Boon ira America prior to his
taking his sens.tion header in the face of
the British (Adelphi) public, and, this fact ones made
manifest, the defendant craved the benefit of the loteroa-
ttonal Copyright Act of the 7th year of the Queen, which
act, being for the benefit of authors and iu aid of copyright,
ceverthekes, with the proverbial wisdom of our lepilation,
afforded the defendant the means of benefitting Mr.
Soucicault and improving his copyright by acting
his play without his knowledge and against his moment.
Argumeeta, many and various—technical, legal, moral, and
immoral—were brought to bear on the matter at the hear-
ing. and now
His Honour said that the matter rested wholly upon the
coostructiou of the 19th section of the Interna-
tional Copyright Act, 7 Viet-, c. 12, which enacted
that the author of any dramatic piece which should
after the pawing of that act be first published out
of the Queen's dominions should not have any copyright
therein, or right to the exclusive representation thereof,
otherwise than such as he m4ht become entitled to under
that act. There waa no ground for holding that the plaintiff
bad acquired any copyright under that eat, that was admitted
on all sides, and, that point disposed of, the words of the sta-
tute were express, mod no amount of argument could take
away from their directness and effect. Mr. Boncicault
therefore failed in his legal right, and, falling in that, the
bill must be dismissed. and with oasts.
Mr. Southgate and Mr. Manatee were for the plaintiff ;
and Mr. Wilcock sad Mr. Harting for the defendant.

COURT OF COMMON PLEAS.
Sit/lap la Nam --(l3Mfar• Lord Mg Justice Erie and
Justices Williams. Byles, sad Besting.)
UNFOUNDED CRAWS AGAINST AN ATTORNEY.

In November, 1861, two youths, Ti•reii leTting and
Storey, were severely is and in an accident that happened on
the °messiah line, sad after a lapse of some time Mr. Joha
JOO6ll, an attorney, was employed to sae the railway tom.
pony for compeer/Amt. The proceedings were compromised
by the company paying Mi. to cover all exporter, casts,
sod &Intact, and that &menet was banded to Mr. Jame.
On the 26th April last a rule was obtained by the railway
company which called upon Mr. Jove to show cause why
he did not render • full account of all monies re-
ceived by him in the actions, and pay over the baleen. found
due. It was suggested that Mr. Josses bad oat properly
accounted for the money he had received, and some kind of
collusion wee suggested between him and the medical man
who had attended the injured parties. The map
ter was referred to one of the masters of the smart, who
now made his report, detailing the circumstances sad finding
that there was no collusion between the medical man
and Mr. Jame, and that Mr. JO9lB bad fully amid pro-
perly applied all monies received on amount of time no-
tans, and that there was no Wanes due from him. The
matter sow came on opal cease being shown against the
rule being made absolute.
Mr. M. Chambers, Q.C., appeared to show muss ; and
Mr. O'Malley, Q.C., we. for the company.
It was admitted by Mr. O'Malley that he could not
'import time rule ; and the court, without hearing Mr.
Chambers, discharged it with costs.
Rule discharged.

COURT OF RILCHIKKTIR.
muop in lisooo.—(Before Lord Mkt Baron Pollock, sad
Bare= lksomell, Cbaossil. and Pigott.)

TB! ATTORNIT42IMAL V: SILLIOL;-TH2 aimuie OF TH2

The Soßettor-General at the sitting of the wart this
morning salted the learned heroes whither it woeld be con-
testant for them to take the case of the Alexandra on Tues-
day next.
The Lord Chief Bares—Yee ; it will be quite ocamnient.
Mr. Bares Bramwell said that Wednesday was special
paper da, and it ought to be understood that if the case
d the Alexandra was taken as Tuesday, it should go on
di is diem until geished.
The Lord Chief Baron asked whether shorthand Dotes of
1110 trial were taken independently for the Grown and the
defendant

The Solicitortieneral laid he was sot in the case at that
into, bat he believed they were so taken.
The Lard Chief Baron said he was well aware that a
shorthand sate was ham, and to that note be bad never
objected. On the contrary, he had recognised it ; bet what
In wanted to know was whether a note was taken on both
aides. He Maid now to state that he objected to the bill
of exceptions which was tendered in the first instasee,
and on the same ground on which he motioned to object to
it up the present monteet. He did so before the jury left
the box, and his reason for not then immediately arguing
the question or pointing out the difficulty was that
there being a shortnd writer's note of the whole propped.
up, and every word uttered having been taken down,
there could be no mistake whatever as to the facts. But
be said that the Crown could tender a bill of exceptions if
they wished, on the understanding that it should be altered
comformable to the facts. He only meant that he would
sompt such a bill of exceptions as would be warranted by
the evidence, and he wished that to be distinctly and pub-
licly known.
The Solicitor-Geoeral—Of course, my lord, there eon be
so misunderstanding now as to the rule for a new trial hay
ing been substituted for a bill of exceptions.
The Lord Chief Baron—There inn be no doubt about it ;
and you will agree with me, Mr. SolicitorGeneraL, that the
proceeding by a rule is far more beasficial to the crown than
• proceeding by a bill of exceptions alone. Indeed, I was
as the eve of suggesting to the late Attorney.Geoeraltrod
I believe I actually did make such a suggeetioa to him—the
propriety of bringing forward the whole matter in this

golinitor-Geseral—Your lordship did make sugges-
tion to that offset.

The Lord Chief Itarou—Then it is quite agreed between
ma that the fa:ta are unchangeable, end have never been
changed from that moment to this.
It was then agreed that the case should stand for Tees-
day nest, when cause will be shown by the defeedsnts.