The Express.
London, England, 1866-11-17 00:00:00

[STAMPED, ld. ADDMOZW.I

LITERARY. COPYBIOST.

The following from the pen of Mr. W. Hep-
worth Dixon appears in the A 0401614111 of this day:—
" Finding that during my absence from England the sub-
ject of literary copyright as between our own ootmtry and
the United States has been occupying public attention,
first at the Social Science meeting in where
it was introduced by Mr. Anthony Trollops, after-
wards pretty generally in the London press, I am
induced to say a few words about the state in which
I found that question in the minds of authors, pub-
lishers, and legislators in America, and Fro far
as a man could learn such a fact in travelling ever
10,000 miles of American ground, and mixing with all
classes of the people) how it stands, generally, in the
minds of the reading classes. On the whole, I think, we
are nearer to a bettlement of this question than many per..
sons suppose. The authors, I can say with some confi-
dence, are with their English brethren, to a man. At
Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, I had opportunities
of talking oa this subject with such men se Longfellow,
Agassiz Lowell, Emerson, Holmes, Boker, Bayard Taylor,
Bo ,wles, Richardson, Horace Greeley, and their like. These
eminent men of killers net only feel, as we do here,
the rank injustice done by the literary pirates
on both sides of the Atlantic, but are prepared on all
occasions warmly and stoutly vo urge their views on
publishers and politicians. So far, then. as our lite-
rary fellows are concerned, we may rely on every assistance
being given to us in our quest of justice. The publishers
are not unanimous, though they are very nearly so. Two or
three honsee—l need not name them—still persist in look-
ing at the question solely from the point of view of their
own trading interests. That they &rept= a great
take in in policy, even as regards their advan
I have no doubt after what I have seen ain't heard of the
reprint trade in America,—such a mistake as our own
Cornish people made when elansouring forth, righted wreck-
ing—each as our Norfolk people made when they protested
against free imports of corn ; but, being blind to their
true interests, and taking only the lowest trade view of
their duty, these two or three. houses stand in the way of
a complete unanimity among publishers. Messrs. Lippin-
cott and Co., of Philadelphia, the largest book-distributors
in America, perhaps in the world, are strongly in favour of
a copyright convention. I can assert the same of Messrs.
Ticknor and Fields, of Boston ; and, indeed, of every libe-
ral and enlightened publishing firm in the States. It is
the same with the proprietor* of periodicals. Mr. Leslie,
a very large reprinter of English tales and novels, told me
that he has found by long and large experience that it
would be safer for him, as a publisher, to give the English
writer a good price for his work than to steal it. The curse
of all wrong-doing is, that more than one can ply
the evil trade. Oar wreckers used to quarrel about their
spoil, and would sometimee kill each other for a stolen
article not worth a song. Pirates are proverbial for their
frays and siolences. No thief is ever satisfied to see his
neighbour prospering on the results of a common crime,
and no reprinter can be sure that his fellow in the offence
will not invade his frontier and seek to appropriate his gains.
Thus, to use Mr. Leslie's own illustration, the trade of re-
Printing. from English works is, at best, a gambling transac-
tion. Say be inlys(lor a email sum) from an English novelist
the right to reprint a tale in one of his popular magazines.
Before he has published half of it some one produces
tie tale in full. He never can feel sure of his property
he* his own. Every trade calculation has to be made in
the face of this vitiating element. He can trust nobody,
and he lives in a land where he cannot ask protection from
the law. In fact, be has n 9 property in the work, though
it may be necessary for him to risk upon the reproduction
many thousands of dollars. The return for his risk is
just as uncertain as if he walked into Moraliser's " hell "
and staked his money on the red and black. The clever
publishers of the States are now beginning to see that
even on the low ground of their personal interests—and
many of them, I noed not say, being gentlemen and
scholars, take a far loftier view of this question—the need
for a copyright law which should deal with in-
tellectual property, as the law deals with all
other kinds of wealth, is extremely urgent. The
politicians, so far so I could learn, from Secretary
Seward and Vice-President Foster down to the humblest
member of congress, have no antipathy to a copyright
law as such. They may have doubts whether the reading
classes are yet prepared to give up the use of stolen books.
They may hesitate as to whether, in the present condition
of feeling in America towards England, any attempt to do
an act of justice and favour towards English writers would
be popular. lint they do not argue for a continuance of
the old piratical system on any pretended ground of right
and honour. In face, they admit the wrong, and only
profess to doubt whether ignorant men who like
a bargain can be made to see that robbing an author of his
property is not the best way of getting all the good out of
him which he is capable of yielding to a moral tender of
his work. They sec, however, that a change is coming.
Tho man who likes a bargain and is willing to take it at
his neighbour's cost, is not the best sort of citizen in a free
commonwealth ; hence it is beginning to be seen that his
preference for other people's property is not a passion to
be gratified by the legislature at all times and seasons.
The hr •in of America, it begins to be seen, has some right
to consideration as well as the pocket. That reprint-
ing which was serviceable to the Ohio farmer is clearly
injurious to the Cambridge poet or professor ; and when
the latter rises up in the name of common right and com-
mon sense, his case is one that cannot be gainsaid. But
for the unhappy differences which divide the two govern-
ments in the political field, this question might be set at
rest. In the political circles of the United States—
especially of the New England States—there ia, just now,
a fussing passion of distrust and discontent, the deeper
and fiercer from the love and reverence which it has fur a
day displaced. The causes of this ill will are known to
all my readers; enough that the feeling prevails, and that
it puts an obstacle in the way of friendly intercourse and
legislation. This animosity, I hope, will die away ; when
the old friendly feeling shall have revived, a disposition to
prepare a solution of this question will be found, I confi-
dently believe, among a large majority of the intellectual
representatives of the New England States. In their
hands this question lies."
ist

CONFERENCE OF THE BISHOP OF ROCHESTER
WITH THE CLEKET AND Lairv.—A conference of the clergy
and laity of the dioc,se of Rochester with the bishop was
held yesterday in the chapter-room of Rochester Cathe-
dral, the Right Rev. Dr. Wigram, Bishop of Rochester,
presiding, supported by a number of the most influential
clergymen and laymen of the city and neighbourhood, the
chapter-room being crowded. The subjects on which dis-
cussion was invited were:—" 1. Private charity and the
poor-dew. How to adjust the indulgence and exercise of
Christian philanthropy with the operation of systematic
legal relief. The rule of alnisgiving, especially in relation
to the weekly offertory. 2. Recreation grounds, institu-
tions, lecture and reading-rooms, and benefit societies for
the industrialclasees—how may they best beencouraged and
regulated ? That kind and uniountuf enjoyable relaxation
and friendly intercourse should be recognised and encouraged
amongst neighbours on the Lord's Day!" Each subject was
introduced by a clergyman and layman, Mr. Berney, and
the Rev. C. R. Robinson introducing the first, and the Ven.
Archdeacon Grant, LL.D., and Captain Drake the second,
thevarious speakers following. The secoodsubject appeared
to attract the greatest amount of interest, the various
speakers, both lay and clerical, advocating the import-
ance of establishing reading-rooms, working men's in-
stitutes, asocial clubs, penny readings, concerts,
skittle alleys, and other amusements, all of which
had been found to result in the greatest benefit
wherever tried. With regard to the relaxation to be
observed on Sundays the Veu. Archdeacon Grant, in intro-
ducing the subject, spoke against the attempts to Judaise
that day, which, under the Mosaic dispensation. was sim-
ply one of " rest," and nothing more. Religion and en-
joyment should never be separated, and therefore he spoke
in favour of encouraging friendly intercourse on Sundays,
the opening of rending-roo,ns under certain restrictions,
the holding of religious public meetings, and
ofdproviing
public music of a sacred description. In the course the
discussion which ensued several of the speakers expressed
themselves in favour of the archdeacon's views, while
nearly all condemned the rigid Judaical observance of Sun-
day. The conference lasted between three and four hours,
and was remarkable for the complete accord which existed
between clergy and ',shy on the various subjects under dia.
cession.
THE LATE Mr.. COBPF.N, M.P., AND THE LAND
QEEsTioN.--The following is the copyof a letter forwarded
by the late Mr. Cobden, hI.P., to Mr. It. It. Jones, of the
Temple, a gentleman who endeavoured toforni a company
for the purchase of land in Ireland :—" Midbust, 24th
1863.—Dear Sir,—l am obliged by your offer
to send me your manuscript upon the subject of small
landed properties. It is much to be regretted that you
could not carry out your plan for the purchase and re-
tailing of land in Ireland. There is no doubt that it would
have been useful and profitable. I am a trustee to the
British Land Company, which has bought and disposed of
a great quantity of building land, and I sometimes thick
that it might extend its operations with advantase to
agricultural land. Ido not expect any beneficial legis-
lation on the subject. There never was a time in our
history when the proprietary class was so powerful as at
present. Look at the passing of the poaching bill. The
farmers and the middle-classes of the rural districts are
quite powerless. The large owners rule through the
tenants at will, and the small freeholders have all disap-
pes,ed. It is difficult to see how the tendency to mo-
nopoly in land can be checked.—l remain, truly yours,
RICHARDCOBDIN."
ADMIRALTY, Nov. 16. —APPOINTMENTS. —Lieu-
tenant R. H. Thornton, to the Liverpool. Assistant Sur-
geons E. Victor de Merle encl.!. Wilson, additional, to the
Royal Adelaide. for Plymouth Hospital; J. E. Saunder-
son, C. G. Wordsworth, snd H. Symes, additional, to the
Victory,•for Hasler Hospital.