The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-05-15 00:00:00

(Continua( fano a
,former Paper.)

M►. Robert Baldwin (Whit in, and examined.
What riu son appietsend to have been the effect of the re-
gulation for the sh hew y of the eleven Clapars to the politic
lilts :tries, wi the broskirelling trade iu getserar---1 think it
has been a heavy loss to the books. thug (smile, and, in *maw
in.tanci it has opersousl 11/ CIO/ k the pithier/1100 of b00k...
anal partieulaily 111 Plerced 1111l11111111i1 and imptevements to
old editions of books.
Does not libiattior contribute materially to the revenue of
the country, by the duty tau paper and advertiserntnis ?
Very largely.
Do you think that the advantage of extending the copy.
right of English hooks over Scotland and Ireland more than
rompensatra the loss oreasioned by the delivery of Ave
risme, to the former, and Iwo to the littler part of the Visited
think, that whese copyright requires to be pro-
tected, the penalty is very small ; but there are not many eases
where 11w copyright requires to be protected; • great many
protect themselves, by their very nature, un accuout attic
expense of publication. I think Scotland has acquired a very
great advantage, notch mute than Euglatid, from the retest-
mun of for copy' ight over the two countries mutually, and I
expect that hereafter ['eland a ill derive the greatest advan-
tage; if the Copyright 14w stood now as before the Art of
Anne, the popular works that are now printed in Scotland
would necessarily be sold to English publishers, and first
published in England, because the greater sale being in
England, it would be more essential to them to protect the
eopyriqht here than there. 1 coneetvia the Scotch book-
pellets must acquire a very great advantage by the law, and
I hope hereafter that Ireland will gain as much.
In what mealier has the obligation to deliver the eleven
copies to the politic libraries operated ispou the republieri.
tow of aratre and valuable hooks?-1 ant not much w the
habit of reprinting scarce and valuable books ; but I slmuld
suppose, that where the calculated number is small, it would
frequently operate as a prevention to the reprinting.
Do you think that many valuable works, of which a limit-
ed nimbs sisily would be printed, ate abanduued on Ibis
accisiost7-1 believe they are:
Do you think that tlw tecent edition of the English Chro-
nicles its quarto, would have been produced, if the book-
sellers bad been liable at the time to the gratuitous delivery
of elven copies ?—I rather think 11w delivery sould have
operated very strongly against the speculation, and probably
they would nut hart been printed.
What is the valise of books delivered by your boner, since
the paging of the Act?—The amount of the books delivered
by us to Ilse, public libraries exceed 1,0001. at the lowest
trade prier.
la the demand made by the public libearirs to the book.
seller, has any regard been paid either to the utility of the
tespeet lye bunks demanded, or to the books previously deli-
vered by the publisher?—None at all; they have been taken
indiscriminately. I should suppose, that if ■ porn of mo-
ney was allotted to the universities to purchase hooks, they
would out purchase one in ten of what are published, per-
haps not one in twenty.
Have the public libraries demanded a reprinted edition of
books where there have been only some trifkog alteiations,
anal of which the first impress 1111 l s hail been delivered knee
the Passing of the Act ?-IVe ourselves have delivered copir s
albs serum' edition of a wos k, which sold for thirty shil-
lings, alibi', four mouth* after the delivery of the first,
though the additions were very trellieg. The first edition
bad ■ rapid sale, the second hail not.
Are you of opinion, that if a pioportion of the price of
tads book was paid by the public libraries it *mild abate
the grit tenet '—l think it would. It worth) induce 'elec.
lion ; at preseut they air taken iudiscriminately, as I before
observed.
Shonlil von prefer that relief ; o►, that the books of which
you do not wish to protect the copyright, should not he eu.
tered ?—I should prefer the relief iii receiving a small por-
tion of the expense, because the other would alter au esta.
Wished law, and nsight iutroduce great inconvenience. A
hook might fail of being entered by mistake, and the copy-
right might become rely valuable, and he lost merely hum
the mistake, and that would be a grievance of which one
could hardly foresee the amount.
Do pro think that the depositing of the eleven copies in
these public libraries has any teuileney to take away private
purchasers ?—Certaiiily, I think it must.
Data it slut, in your opinion, supply gratnitously many
people who would otherwise be purchaser ?—I should think
it would.
Do yon coureive the evil is to be at all counteracted by
any supposed uuturiety give it to those publication' by -die
depositing of such copies in the public libraries ?—Nut by
any means.
Du you conceive that your publications armoire any ad-
vantage by any such supposed notoriety'.—We do nut con.
sorer the inippositiost of notoriety arising f the deposit-
tug of the books to be well founded, or productive of any
advantage ; if we did, we should send the books to the pub.
lie !thrash-a without any compulsion.
With reganl to the high priced hooks, do you not con.
eider that mail pies:ow, who, if they had not such access,
would be obliged, in their peculiar line of inquiry or lite-
rary hal ,to punt base Koch books, decline to purchase
them, because they know beforehand that they are there to
be found ?—No doubt.
Do you conceive that one copy, If deposited in such a
public institution, may take away perhaps as many as ten
iuAivtdnal purchasers ?—ln the course of a number of years
I should think it might.
Mr John Murray ealfeef in, and examined.

Would the addition of Is. to as distributed over a nom.
ber of volumes of the work, deter a single purchaser'-1 am
confident that it would he a very great hurt to the sale id
the %hole work, for a guinea is a peculiar sum, which often
driers purchasers.
Would the addition of a shilling to the price of a book,
supposing it to be 435., 445., or 455. deter as giug!e
ch.uter '--Tht Committee must he aware that the bookseller
naturally puts the highest price upon his bunk, taking fate
not to 1111/16111.11 its chance of sale. In an edition of that
sort, I should comics Ise it hurtful to my interest, and would
deter puicliasers, if I charged more thou I thought the book
would fairly bear.
lii treating with an author for the purchase of copyright,
thusiM you give more fur the twt oty.eight years now also,
lately extruded to authors, than you would for bar copyright
of fourteens years as formerly ski not think tbat I rhossiri,
because these are so few books upon thn copyright of which
sr e3ll calculate fur its etaviniing to tortityolglit yearn.
The chance that a la..k will survive the first fourteen yrans,
le eo 11131 1 ilia nut feel that the twenty-eight yenta
Cerium copyright iii the generality of winks would be sof.
iclrul In "liable me to isicrease the tersits of the author :
generally speaking., their are very few hooks whose repot:l-
imo) extends hquitil foisiteen years, sa as to resider them a
Valuable properly idler that veinal.
Did you not publish "The Costumes of various Coml.
tries Y'—Yes.
Was that an expensive work?—.lt wan very expensive.
Should you slow hesitate in Ibr public:it of such a
work, kiln...ling that you wool.' Inc 1 riled to deliver
eleven copies to the elcteu public I.bi arks ?—Critain,y I
would.
Were you not cuiteerned in the publication of the Hai leiau
Miscellany, Lord Somers' Tracts, 311.1 Picts Ploughman's
Visions ?—Tea.
Would you, knowing that ton are compelled to deliver
'keen coon s Of all works, be disposed to engage in the po b.
Ineation edam It books the publicatiuu of Piers Plough-
soao's Vomitus, I think l should hot have engaged in it, if
I had to deliver the eleven copies ; but as to the other two
books, it might perhaps be matter of einisideialion.
Mist would the delivery of thinie eh yes collies make you
heritiste?—Certainly, the number to he primed hying su
Minted tiro or those, and the expense of the Hurlsi sn Mis.
sidiany and Land Somers' "Fusels so great, I think 1 should
hesitate.
The wlvite•sie price of these eleven copies would amount
o veer Luce sum ?—II would be a very seriouls object.
I (That way be the amount of the bunks which you miy

have delivered at Stotioners' Hall, since the passing of the
Act of 1811'—The animism of the sale prier Its thr public i•
about 1,71•»1.; mid as 'Woo, books Ind a very posit sale, 1
consider that I inn the loser of that sum, deducting 25 per
cent. which would he the a inn at which the greatest part of r
those works would have Ireeli aold, I would d, duct about
420 f. the whole loss Men would be altiort 1.1751.
Do von not consider the compulsory delivery of eleven
cop is sof every book that n publoshril as a very Iriavy
Lax
110 those who speculate in the ;whitest.... of hooks, in ad-
dition to the very high ,hey ou parr and advertisement.?
—Very much indeed.
Are the mauagers of many of the public libraries par-
li
iicularly severe as In the demand of the come. to which
they are entitled muter the Act, or do they wait your EMl-
venienee as to the delivery of the bucks ?—Tlw only instance
in which I ow complain of the ily of the demand,
was in the instance of the FifiSi.ll Ma.• 14111. As s:•on as
the Act passed, I directed a particular desk, with I con-
sulting ore, to enter rally hook that I poldished, and of
course to 1.111.1 the eleven copies %stun ileinawleil; ■sod
further, to show my good disposition tomards the R, 'fish
Museum, I immediately acceded to their request to have all
petiodieal works delivered to them on their publication,
in•lesd of delaying till the term allowed by the Act, which
would have rendered those works less interesting. Not•
withstanding the good disposition thus manic...Aril, I was
one day informed that two gentlemen wished to speak to
me. I was particularly engaged at that moment, and I
requested that they might acquaint me with their business.
They said they did out know me, nor I them, hot that they
wished to speak to me on priticular holiness. I accord-
ingly went down stair', and Young istrodsiced to the persons
who asked for ore, I was immediately screed with a writ.
The elei kto in to 1 CU1,11114 obi, business of bending the
sew public:omila to the Hanish Museum was nut, hut, as
soots as he n tin ...if, I inquired whether he had obeyed my
lendeuctiolc's and licit,: Who riled that be hark I caused him to
take an affidavit, and &ciao e upon oath all that I have now
slated, that every individual book published by me hail bees
entered as
cept four hunks which had come out whilst be was unwell ;
and that his illness having extended to a fever, he was pre-
vented fruits entering those yaetienLu books. I mention
this eircunistneee, nut vindictively, bid an one which makes
the operation of the Act still more iiksumc.
Wall any note vent to you to inquire why those bunk were
not delivered before 1/11 was served with a urn ?—I have
not the least knowledge of any such sootier., it' it had been
emit to toe.
Du you recollect what throw hook* were !—Vhey were
Ellis's" Account of the Embassy to Chins," and \(•Laud's
" Account of China," Mr. Davis no " Poor Laws," :mil Sir
Thimas Beroard'a " Omer up,tn Salt."
Its making the demand, du the libraries omit the reprints
of such works as they may alresoly have in their
or is their demand a sal...lung one of every hook entered at
Stationers' Hall, whether it be a reprint, ur an entirely new
I k ?—Acersednig to my observation, they make a aweepitig
demand of every book.
Did you nut publish Mr, Duppa's Life of Michael An-
gelo.'—Yes.
Was nut that a work in which) the delivery of the eleven
copies wontil have been a great injury and inconvenience
to you?—Yea.
You also published Dr. Israeli's Character of James the
First !—Yes.
What number of that hook did you publish !—I puhliah.
ed 250.
After the sale of the whole of that edition, were you ant
obliged to buy up or collect some copies of that work, to
make op the eleven to be delivered to the politic libraries?
—I was.
Upon the whole, yon consider the gratuitous delivery of
eked, copies to the public libraries as a great grievance ?
VI s.

Mr William Daniell, called is. and examined.
Has the Act, di,ecting the delivery of eleven copira to the
/nadir libraries, bed any effect upon any publications which
you hays made, or which you lied iutended to make?—
Checking many.
Will you be so good as to state what effect it had upon
you onlividually ?—lt has prevented the continuation of a
large folio wink. entituled "Oriental Scenery." It has pre-
vented also a reduced edition of an African work, another
of Ceylon, " A gel ies of Scenes end Figures illustrative of
the Customs of India, and of Persons and Animals peculiar
to that Country." I b.'bere those are the chief works which
the Act has checked sue in proceeding with.

What do you apprehend to be the actual expense of the
eleven copies which you have delivered to the public bina-
ries ?—There are two publications which have been pub-
lished since the Act of 11414, the one eutituled "The
Coast of Great Britain," of which the cost of the eleven
copies amounted to merrily-seven guineas ; the other • re-
duce.' edition from the large " Oriental Scenery," the cost
of the eleven copies amounted to 2181. ; those are the two
chief works that I have published since the Act, of which
the eleven copies have beau demanded.
Hare you any specimens of those works here ?--Yes ; I
have a specimen of the large wook, which I shall be happy
to ahrw to the Committee, to which I should have proceeded
to add very materially, but fur the Art.
Previous to the pa.sing of the Act, it answered your put.
pose to go on with the publication, but since you have dos-
continued ti'—Yea, I have.
Eat h copy, after the paper and the plate have been pre-
pared, before it is in that state, which the piddle libraries
would have required of you upon each volume, would come
to a Cant deal of money would come to from 101.
to 151.
And that it is specially and inclusively for each copy ?
Yes, out of my own pocket. la the .-ecimens before the
Committee, there are twenty-four, I think 1 niay any, very
highly-finished prints.
Have yen understood that you are liable to deliver copies
of works of this description under the Act ?—Yee ; I have
uuderstaid so, in cons. quince or the letter-press.
Mr. William Bernard Cooke, called in, and examined.
The Committee understand you are an engraver and pub-
lisher ?—al am.
Are you nut publishing. a work upon the Ruins of
Pompeii?-1 am.
What would be the price of a complete copy of that
work '—A complete copy would be sixteen guineas, and
the price of the copies upon India paper thirty two guineas.
f Is that the retail price ?—Yes; the retail price to the
public.
Then what will he the amount of eleven copies at the re-
tail price?-2011.12. ; because the finest copies are claimed
by the British Museum.
What would he the amount of eleven copies at the trade
price ?-161/
Which of those priers WOlll.l ”:111 lose by delivery of the
eleveu copies ?—As publisher, I should lose the 2011. 12a.
the full price.
If the Act of 1814 had not passed, should you have ex-
pected any of the libraries to have been subscribers to the
work?-1 certainly ; because the British Museum
bad purchased the tirst edition of the Thames, and have die-
widowed purchasing any other work since.
What other troika of this sort do you mean to pith-
lista ?-1 am also pliblishing a work called the Thames, and
the murk of the Southern Coast of Eloglaud, (ruin drawiup
by Turner.
How will the delivery affect you upon them ?—The lose
sustained by delivering the Thaitits will be 813/.45.; that of
the Southern Coast 1312
Has the delivery or the eleven copies in yamr opinion
operated to discouraie such publications ?—Most certainly.
Had you any liesit 4(1011 1111 undertakiny the work of
Pompeii ?—I certainly had, to tousequente of those eleven
colors.
The liability of Hoe demand of the eleven copies seriously
entered into your mind, when you made the minden ....
whether you should or should out undertake that wink
It certainly
Do you think that the delivery of eletoen espies of a very
repensire work, of whirl. a small untidier will be printed,
would operate as lb IMO hi hiil4lll to the undertaking such a
I work'—That is my decided opinion ; I have protected two
great works, which are now put by on that acconiet, hoe-
: iti.; riots engraved a few of the plates, which a a great
loss to the.
(To foe continued