The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-01-23 00:00:00

GRE.4T EQUESTRIAN UNDERT.4KING.

CLA I 7.:S
OE THE TWO UNIVERSITIES AND THE KINE'n
PATEN FEL tt l'l/N I'. I'll IH:I9HZES AND
SELLERS OF BIBLES AN D PRAYER-BOOKS.

The match to do one hundred miles in twelve huurr, with
a 6411 r smiler fifteen hands, (tilde' taken his weeks since by
Me. 1411,A1. Underwood, of Tottenlimn, the animal to he
10)na fiet, his prnperty, came on yesterdsy. The match was
for Iwo hundred guineas, lint tie owner had backed the
horse heavily. The start took place two miles from Ball's
P I-gate, yesterday, dua n the Houtingdon-road, slid
finished nn the level between that place and Cambridge, the
agreement bring to go over sixty miles of 111111 l 01 out. The
follnaim~ is the time :—The lion thirty miles occupied three
hours. and the horse halted list( an hour, and was fed. The
next twenty nide+, making half the &dance, WWI dune in
Iwo hours and Ivor minutes, twenty inionlcy under half the
time, whim it fecal. seven stone yuittli relie%rd the first rider.
The seventy-five miles, after feeding a seeidul time, was
Anne in eight hours and thirty-fire minute,. The horse 111,4.1
hept steady at nine miles an hour the next .wri hours, and,
after feeding again, seven miles was left fur the last hour,
which was dune cleverly.

mu hication *title by theStilicitor (we understood him
to say) of the Plaintiffs, at a trade niertir.g. lest
night. What did the retire... Motive of the Cott:whit I"-
ants come forward last night to offer to you, to the
1 plenitude of his mercy and loving kisoluers ?—or by in
Lest night is ,Nfeetisig of the principal Publishers, truth hr tell% yon lie will caliae ell further proceed-
Booksellers, end othera sti the metropolis, waa held jogs to hr stayed. But, Griotleinesi, are you swore
of the f :lido. Tavern, Fleet-street, in consequence that all his (Oriels are rumtoleed ? the iiijunctiou
of the following advertosenteld : has been gromird. mid mail you your.elveti dissolve
It, it must bon{; over your heeds to ..:ternity. Ile
° To the Publishera, Itookeettert„ statitiners, and others
iliterrsted in the -ale of the Holy Seripto“,..—A •potlic I also tells you that in some instauces the coma shall
Mertine of the ehtive body will be held at the tool's Tavern, be mitigated—in others, oleilllllMell altaaellie-.
Fleet-street, etas evening, to take into em.pi,•,,etion the
recent attack made to r the trade as relate. to the wile of 'Phis gentleman emielusled Is). moviiig that time
Report he receivial.
Biblea and Prayer•llooke. The Chair will he taken at six
Mr. 110:4E here rose and wished to address the
o'clock fur seven, when a fell Sleeting (and more especially
of those who hive been served will. injosictions, or who have !Sleepily ; but the OtAIRM AN intimated to loin,
iocaatiously entered into any compromise) is most earnestly I that it would he more regular to postpone any in-
requeeteel." I formations lie hod to snake until the Resolution)
I
At seven o'clock the hall-room was crowded to were put. .
excreta, nod Mr. LEIGH wits called to the Chair. Mr. IlloSir. claimed to be heard ut present it. a
Mr. Maxwe.t.i. then proceeded to open the htiti- matter of right, there heing a question before the
loess of the 4leeting, by stating that a Committee Mretiiig. .
of the London Retail Booksellers had lire') con- I AIN BaLtawt a said, the motion for receiving the
veiled in consequence of the extraordinary attack Report was an open question, on which any Gen-
which had been made upon their rights ;us that tlemen had a right to otwak. Mr. Splatisivotale,
Committee hold prepared it Report, which folly who was near him, hod first Hultman:lf to 5111th ti is
developed their views, he thought the brat course , heeling. and tiering'. the (7hairtnati would allow
he could take would he, with the consent of the I hips the present opportuhile.
Meeting, to read the Report of the Committee. . I Th. CHAIRMAN retilittl, I haat he wished to give
The worthy Gentletna II then read the Repor.t. I every moo a fair oppoi Imlay of hoeing heard.
which was of considerable lengths, anti (110,11 tip : ,lr. SpoT•riswoune said, obit stone personal
with gi eat ability. The following is the substance allusions had b-ell made to him He Agent to otie
of it : I respect for both theism...tries aott for the King's
"It has appearrd to your Committee, that for two or three ; Printer, in colosetiotoce of a comilionicniion which
years past Bain in Chatics•ty bare been filed, and silently he made last night at a Nleet,„l, iii the Trade. Ile
operating agaitsst tra slain iudieioloahr, especially in the coon- i
' ee6lorded the Treile of Bookseller's mid Pohlisliert,
try, tinder the direct• of a patentee, against those retail
dealers who may have accidentally sold Edinburgh copies ; owl when well lied "I""ght It a "wit i'liP"rt."'t
of the Pocket Bible, and also of the Common Brayer. I butanes; in every view in wliirlt it operated upon
These separate bills have in many cases been compounded : the interests of society. His object now was, to
privately, through the grief sod terror of distracted fami. I correct a mistake
lies. Mill to the too small injury of the public. Poring tht •, , , , IA had , ~
1 login sato. lee orett represented as golog
last year prosecutions commenced in London awl its sub-
urbs—abont one I deed sinning lac* Term, and shout ; to that Nleetaig with mil laniard proposals.—
ninety for the present The persalla QPlletally served arc , This was an emir, for lie wits not invested with
the retail dealer, the article in some installers previously : oily authority to make oil explit it iiropesititiii to
la
and distinctly ordered by some friend of the informer : iid as laeeid ,
ig. Hni e rrely went to acv
lost night
They do not approach, but very rarely, the wholesale : , ,
would hat the Universities
d, aier, who send such articles daily into the country ; they i "St "e llo`v relit', I
turn :heir chief aneatiou to the Middling, the industrious / and the King's Piiiiter, in the proceeding% lately
toadesman. i alluded to, were actuated by the most lilotrai feel-
" 111. the hettierlinr, they confined themselves, chiefly, to ! 'lugs—(Some disapprobation.)—He aaid he was
Bibles printed ire Edinburgh, w Wei, might have recitlentaily , prepared for this sort of reception, hut he would
been purchased, in 1.0.01 collections of sccoud-hand *conga;
I notion assert, that were the feelings of those bodies
but at the present muntent, they attack person,' selling ;
Bibles, Testaments, or Common Prayers, with notes or a i known to the Meeting thee; %could lo• universally ep-
commentary. , predated. He would (11.11 nutty deny, that the
° The Patentee claims by this instrument the right of : parties whom hr was said to represent hail the
printing and publishing ALL BIRLF.II, TESTAIIRSTS, AND ; slightest desire to suppress lht,!es with Comments-
COSMOS PRAYIR, Is THT ENOLISH TONGUE, OR ANT !
ries. They had neither the *cult nor the power to
oTHSR TONGUR WHATSOILVIR—OIe ANT TRANSLATIOY, .
WITH NOTES OR WITHOUT NOTTS. Stich are the liiiiiin : 41° to. The worthy Geialeituiii then rend, from a
prescribed by. this carious document—reel' die limits by ; written paper, the following /11).1/f vatioti 1111011 what
which hereafter you must direct your future conduct. 1 he was represented to loose said ou the previous
"The individaataserved with these processes are generally i oi,,h, ,
ignorant of Chancery room—plait:,
simple, and industrimm !
i "If I sold that persons were authorised to sell Bibles
logo—and bring its a panic of I. inn', they go to the Fain :.n. prior. ;
,41 many years I must
brier berror,
Ise in for dint
licitor, who confes.es the hardship of the rave ; hut, is. his .ago,
is what the law alone can dir. I merely wished to suite that
great clemency tens them—THAT COSTS wave errs IN-
CURRYD—that he ma stay toners din m e—nod oh. y ass nth. II.allielli:
I. .of that kind were sou likely to be those which
for whom I appeared, were likely to manifest any
out their case in a leiter, confess what they have sold of , 'e lijarti.''desire to prosecute."
tine Bible% ur Testaments, and be will represent the case 1
to his employers—a correspondence immediately commences, The CHAIRMAN —" Am I correct in supposing
iu whirls pardon is promised upon condition that all officio. I that the lawn( prosecutions are withdraws' ?"
vit,whicli they haven-am/dos sworn to and subscribed. The 1
(Heat, hear.)
individual thus becomes nuwittingly his own accuser It is
Mr. SPOTTISWOODE—" I am certainly invested
to this affidavit that we wish to direct your serious and at-
tentive consideration. , wills ho authority to answer this question in the
"It does appear to us, that two objects are to be coined affirmative. All I can say is, that the proceedings
by these vindictive methods of persecuriem--one, the fort One of the Universities will he in this case, as they have
of the Solicitor; the other, the enlargement of a patent, no* been in all other., guided by the best principles
overgrown, wild, and luxuriant-aa patent, the limits of which
of humanity."—(Joan disapprobation./
have street yet, end perhaps uever can, be accerstely &lilted. I
The profits of this patent are already too large, and ought 1 The CHAIRMAN—" Have you any proposition
to be hunistled within narrower limits. The isictease of pu: I to snake to this Meeting ou the subject of the de-
putation—the present state of society—the
progress of '
pending prosecutions ?"
" I have not ; I am hete
knowledge-. 4111111 more especially the increasing circulation Mr. SpoTTtswonne
of the Italy Scriptures, appear to lie I. demand a more par_
Imolai. and public examitiatiou of the privileges attached to quite distinct from the Meeting; and ell I Ileac to
the patriot. Gentlemen, we conclude this Report without ad. wish is that you will consider the subject calmly,
sealing to the sentiments of Mr. Reeves, who is one of the and that where any thing has hero done wrong,
Royal Patentees, and who always exercised this right with i
I you will go the right way to remedy it ; and I
prudence and modest' . In the preface to his Bible, di , ,
came here to set one part of your Report
aided into sections, he makes this disiinction that all the I merely
authorised Bibles published by the King's Printer, and the right."
two Universities, are wholly without explanatory notes.' Mr. IlosE said, that as Mr. Spnttiswoode (to
oWe shall only tre,pass, a few moments longer, while we whom he paid some complimentary expresehms)
rehearse the opinion of Lord Clare, as Chancellor of Ireland, I
seemed about to withdraw, lie wished to nddresa a
toil one of the greatest friends of the Crown. and we think the •
paragraph ought tr. be printed and placed in every book. I querticui or two to him in the first matinee, Flom
oilier's shop at the present day. Upon an application for an what quarter dial these prosecutions originate ? It
iiijunction, in the instance of Mr. Miriam', King's Printer, ! was impottutit to know whether they commenced its
against Jackson, fur printing an edition of the Bible in i it quarter legitimately entitled to institute them...—
numbers, with prints and notes, lii• Lordship dins expresses
(//ear.)--The Universities claim an exclusive right
himself:—• I can conceive (says his Lordship) that the King, 1 .
as the Head of the Church, may say, that there shall be but
, to the printing of Bible,. The King's Printer put
one man who Minn mint Bibles and books of the Common I lit the same claim, and so did other. to whom a de-
Prayer, fur the use of Churches and other particular purposes, 1 legated authority had been given. Now these
but I cannot conceive that the Kin: less any prerogative parties were by no means upon the same footing ;
to grant a monopoly as to Bibles for the instrublion of man- ; end he wished to ask whether the King's Printer had
kind in the led religion. If he had, it would hare ;
soy part in these proseciations ?
been in the power of the patentee to Lave put what price t
he pleased sumo the hook, and thus prevent the instrocouts Mr. Srotriswooug re-plad that this was a (pes-
o' men in the true religion. Hever there was a time winch 1 tion which he sirstlier could nor was prepared to
cans Mond for the dissemination of religions knowledge,it i• answer. He could only refer the gentleman to the
is this ; and, therefore, I should with great relu nce cta e.
I Chancery tninutes for the information which lie
cite in favour of such a monopatv as thin, which most 1
necessarily contioe the circulation of the book. A. to very I sought.— (Some murmurs.)
pailicitlar purposes, I have no doubt that the patentee Ilia I The question was agioin pressed upon Mr. Spot-
an exclusive right to print Bibles and Prayer Books ; but I tiswoode, both by the Chairman and Mr. (lope,
unless I sm hound down very strictly, 1 will not determine . when
upon motion hest no 111111 but the King's *Hinter has a right i at ir. M
a
to paint inch Walks es these.' I " 1 came here without wishing to enter into or teke
The Report Veil alludes to the lengths which a I
a part in crituitootitoi or red:union! ttttt , but merely
particular prints* can go in the publication of :
to co-operate with others is' the adoption of the
works ohnoxioul to true religion atid morality ; and
best measures to get rid of these abominable pro-
state"' that—
" A umnerons body of peaceable, loyal, end Mug. secutiona ill the manner they have been stated.
Wong mull, obedient to the laws, and desirous not to 1 I firmly believe that these prosecutions have guile
offend, arc tore to pieces with anxiety, by vexatious Prose- 1 to an extent which watt never contemplated by tlos
colonic, Rola compelled to submit, without any inquiry or I Bodies in whale tionie they were brought. 1 ilorili
examination, and that for selling Bibles, Testumeuts, and
I 1 can speak in this respect of the • t d 1.6 I
ins 1111 I efil
Common Prayers.
" They have pursued this inquiry through many obstacles I views of the University s,lCunibridge, with which I
noel ;feat hest?, hot they have perm 'wed, and they will, at I am connected ; and my conviction is so strong that
your command. still persevere. tat a unity of interest 1 the moment the Hl)llita are nettle known they will
beget a entity of et...Tuatara. Let your cooduct this even- I be rembed. „,,,i the injon, ii,,, abandoned. I
ine bnd
Ire distiegasett for moderation amid firmness, for uua.
uni now twit:teal to reconitio oil ihat this Meetilig,
ninsity and liberality, end prove to your fellow-countrymen, I .
Una the retail Cooksellere of London are n liberal, intlepend- I Ilt"teHti CA' eviwgitin "14'11 "l'i" which Citt'''
I not be here it,' tialactori ly ittli n,: tot, a ill at otter
rut, and eulighteried Body."
proceed to the appoint mein of a Commit toe,
After this Report was read, Mr. OFFER Came I
and then leave to that Committee the stloptitm
forward to state, that to his knowledge a variety of !:
1 of the steps which shall appear moat neceasary.
Chancery proceedings hail been instititted tigainst
poor and liclislees persona, who were obliged to soh- I upon a cool end enlarged view of the ruse. If this
mat to ally comproinise, rather than bring down on i course were taken, It was his decided oioto, that
at the next' public meeting convened lay a Coin-
their heads the weight stud rein of a Chancery milt. It
miner, they won't! hear tio more of those Chancery
Those people were compelled to wear that they :
"
would never take any steps, directly or indirectly, I iiiiiiiictions. (flear, hear, hear.)
to dissolve the midaiction.—They rate obliged to dr- I Alt. Tutu read a letter to she* that Mr. Struhan,
dare and licknoeledw- their liability to arcount to the King's Printer. was one of the parties who hail
instituted the prosecutions which were the present
the patentee* for what they have sold, nod also to I.
'my the coots of the proceeding+ inatituted against I subject of conaideration fur the Meetiog.
tlwm. The worthy Gentleman commented with Ott the motion of Mr. TLun, seconded by NIG
much indignatiott upon the terms of this rffidavit. WILSON. the Report was received awl agreed to.
Ile then alluded, in the foller.sing manner. to a cent- 1 A LiENTI-EMAN then stepped forward on the part

•
of the Pawithrokers, and complained that that (-lasi
of traders, though little noticed in the trans/actions
whirls gave rise to this Meeting, were vet very
great sufferers by the prosecutions. This (ientlem-in
entered into nu able defence of the conduct of the
Pawnbrokers, and !pointedly alluded to the pre-
judices which they had to encounter in a
greater dere!: t!taii • ally other class in satiety.
lie stppeeled in their !jrhalf to the protection of this
Meeting. nisi' wished to ask the Gentlemen (Mr.
Allawrineti) who had spoken so erat•ifally atvl leelsoglr
onc-
e nn the ot•i•o‘toio, Wlotior hr auppits..tl
10..... would be generally Ihr grorv,
deter will rendered manifestly notorteits to the bodies
ill whose tosines they had heel' Otit:oned.
Mr. NI Alrst.lN replied, that he was sore the re-
lief would hr a. getierAl ns the infliction of the in-
pry. Ile edited, "I am soconscious that these
pitteeedoigs have been instituted without env
idea of 'tinseling the tejiiNes which have resn'il-
*el from them, that I son pertolunled the momet.t
they are kttoosii the 111,0 prompt steps will hr takeu
to p:rve••t the results ;Lore said to have erisert
from Ott m. i have alrendiorttienoto the limiter
authwur. In the University of eilnenliridge rut the
Nutlet 1, tool I d t.et hesitate to lOW, i recntr-
miatt!tat that all immediate end should be out to
these prosecutions /her, toirj—and 1 am of
opinion that the twist Itormunthle result will imme-
sh:to iv fllow. I leave requested that N Nltelitot of
the propel' Allthoriiicr at the University shad) Inc
he hi to settle the matter, and 1 hare no doubt that
that eminent and teamed body will at once draw a
dottmtion betwten invasiong of their privilege,
which appear to have been deliberately committed.
awl those which have occurred from mere ignoesoce
tar iis44lfifleUry."—(Cries of " That will to quite
segicieVt.")
The Repwrt was then received and adopted.--
The f.! ti Resolution prapncitql was out expressive of
the confidence of the &leeting in the isberirlity of
the two Univerritiri.
Mr. Hops lose to comment opals this Retain- •
titan, when the Chairman called hint to outer.—
The general at • on apprariag to be that Mr.
Hone was entitled to a hearing,
Tire CHAIM Alf sold. his only wish was to give
general intisfaction, and if it was the wish of the
Meeting that Mr. Hone thould make au elaborate
speech, he was certainly entitled to do to.
Mr. Vt't LEIS regretted that the Chairman alatiniti
have made this observation, and homed the Meeting
would take an enlarged view of their object. awl
not fritter away their consequence and bution by
irrelevant allusions.
Mr. Hoer: then oppnser! the Resolution, expres-
sive of cootideure its the Universities. lie con.
denoted iis proper terms the selection which hail
hero made in these possecutions, and which merely
affected the most delenceless class of society.
He then took a review of the rights of the
Universities of Oxford sod Cambridge. and
drew a strong distivetion between them antl those
of the King's Putentee. He disclaimed touching
upon patent ar prescriptive rights, but he contend-
edthat the closest attention should be paid to
their Operation to prevent their lapse into Irre-
gularities they were never intended to countermove.
'Flue effect of the establishment of the present right
contended for would be the otter exclusioo of that
useful inforinatiots which certain classes of the peo-
ple at large derived from the distribution of the
Script ores in numbers—many rend the Bible *tit
that way, who otherwise had no means of reading
it. Surely it was Important that this beach tit
information should not be cut off from that efts.,
of society which stood most in need of it, told who
had no other means of obtaining its benefits. He
would not concur its ally vote of thinks or con&
deoce to the Universities in the way in wh.r•lt it was
at present proposed, and in the absence of all
errangement respecting the real business of the
Alerting.
Mr. MAXWt LE. adduced, ns a proof of the liberal
view of the Universities, that when Mr. Dartott.
jun. was prosecuted. instead of going to the Siilt-
eitor for the prosecution he went at once to '.its
Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge, who declared that
no authority had beet' given for the prosecution by
that University, and at once gave an order for the
suspensiott of all further proceedings.
Mr. Mawstaat rose to explain stone matters re-
specting the University privileges which did oil
appear to be well understood—they were of a rld-
ferent nature, in point of extent, from throw of the
Koig's Printer. The privilege of the liing's Prin-
ter merely extended to the printing of Bibles, by
authority, Ciroughout Engine(' : the privileges of
the Uoiversitoesof Ox frit ti and Cambridge exteitileil
throughout the empire. After the Union tenth
Scotland, the King's Printer there had his privilege
fur Scotland—to had the King's Printer sit Ireland,
after the Union, for that country. lint the privilege
of the Universities extended throughout the kittg-
dom. Ile had already stated Insoles' opinion resit' et-
tug the 'twenties winch had called forth the present
Meeting, and he had nu doubt that withont arra-
getitig to himself the expression of any eiher aro •
timents than those of an individual, he might
the' the eulightentd and honourable body of the
University of Comblidge, would hastets its apply
a remedy to any proceedings which were calculatril
to have an oppressive operation. He knew that
that University would he shocked at hearing the
grievances which had befallen individuals, still
o mild take the earliest moment to remedy them.—
(Ueur, hear.)
'lr. WILKIE was a4Hinst any resolution which
conveyed a cciiipliinent lo the I:nivel-meg oti thin
acct *lmo. The Meeting hail, he though:,
three great *Aar eti, to perfortn—one as affecting thee
booksellers, the publishers, and others ittfr etc(' by
these pros, eitlitlf.S. hitli operated more as a firm
than a Futti,lotteitt —tering, in tute term the titre
1111111 l 'tea, :lerOr trio, to ttie rate nt.ott
to upwards of 40.tioeL-1 I lear.)—lle 'admitted,
in the fullest arose, the rights of the Uteversities
and the Patentee, but lie complained of the utilise
of those rialto,. mid of the victims which an unfair
exteio•loi, o$ those privileges had matte. lie CNN.
that as the Sithritor-Geiteral had made him
implicah to the Court of Chancery in the Oughts
of the Universities and the King's Patentee, the
public at large had a right to hold thaw ft-
sposiolde tor Ilse acts of their agents. Ile recvoi-
mended at 01:Ce an appeal to Path:anent for redress,
and instauced the caste of the interpoeition of Parli,te
fent upon Sir Wtn.!•lott's 8011, when informer* to-

tacked oon.resident Clergy, es a proof that the pre.
sent toifferers would derive relief the moment their
somotion was known. He also contended that in
cases of this sort, specific penalties should he affix-
ed, tecoverable as in other cases, berme a summary
judicature. lie concluded by rec mewling that
the second Resolution should be withdrawn, and
the remaining butimess be referred to a Committee,
who could devise the best means of ►e.lstiug oiw
pressiott and preventing its recto rrence.
The second Resolution was then withdrawn, and
a Committee of twelve 11,midoil Booksellers were
appointed to manage this part of the business of the
trade.
Mr. CHAS. TAY Loll referred to the old practice
respecting the priiiiiint of Bibles, a oil cundruiirctl
hi strung and appropriate terms, she acts wind, 1001
reeldrred the proem Alerting necessary.
Hutto referred to 34 poocreolin.: in the time
of Queen Atone. the Intiolhill respeciiog which he
produced, where the King's limiter as.tomed
which did not belong to him. Ile also adverted to
the reduction ni the early prtce of Bibles, caused by
the erectitio of the printing-olfice at the Theatre, in
the Coliver.ity of Oxford.
Mr. IiAITEA,the toashhoher of the Pol)giot Bible,
took on historical re. tew 4.1 the history or patents
from the time of Lillvdroi IV. downwards, and de-
nied that the present prosecutions mould be proper-
ly sustained according to the original tenor of those
patent•.
'the Committee was appointed, and sonic routine
motions of Thooks to the Chairwi.iu Hod C tire
acre ed. and a s.llhsl3lllllol/ rnterrd 11110 fur
defrayiing the objects of the fileeting.
The lousiness finished at half-past eleven o'clock.

LAW MIT LLIGENCE.

COURT or CIIANCERY, Ltscomes
FRIDAY, JANUARY 22.

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