The Sun.
London, England, 1852-03-31 00:00:00

THE BOOKSELLING TRADE.
A controversy, in which the public interests are very
closely concerned, has just now, after some years' duration,
warned a critital appearance. One of the most quiet and
respectable of our national trades is seriously disturbed by
nom:notions within its own body, and it is by no means clear
to what result these differences may ultimately tend. The
booksellers of the kingdom are at strife among themselves ;
they are united in combinations and disunited by secessions,
while oppression and hardship are respectively practised and
endured by those who can exert power and those who are
compelled to respect it. To make these proceedings intelli-
gible k the general reader will require a little preliminary
exposition.
The booleselling trade has a chaiacter peculiarly its own.
It is composed of two classes, which may be termed those'
of thanufastarers and retailers. The manufacturers are
the publishers—that is to say, those tradesmen whose
business consists in printing and producing the cosh-
positions of authors in the form of books. These
books are subsequently distributed to the public
through the agency of retailers, or booksellers proper, who
obtain them from the publishers and sell them to their cus-
tomers at a profit. A book is a commodity which, for vary
obvious reassons, always comes into the market with a fixed
and definite price, and unless, therefore, the bookseller could
secure an advance upon this price in his own sales, which is
a very improbable supposition, it is plain that he must
either go without profit or get some reduction of the original
price in his particular favour. The latter system is that in
use. A book has two prices—the publication price and the
trade price; the former being that at which the public are
expepted to purchase it, and the latter that at which the re-
tail tafesraan is permitted to procure it ; his own profits, of
course, being made out of the difference between the two. It
is sir on the disposal of this difference that the controversy in
question has arisen.
Nominally, the trade price is constituted by a deduc-
tion of one-fourth, or twenty-five per cent., from the pub-
lication price; but, practically, even this considerable dif-
ference is so increased by customary allowances of reckon-
ing, that the actual deduction amounts to not less than one-
third. In other words, if a book is published at the
price of 158. a copy to the general purchaser, a bookseller
can procure it for the purposes of retail trade at the price of
10s., se that there remains ss. to cover his expenses and re-
turn him a profit on the transaction. Now, it would natu-
rally be concluded that the publishers having disposed of
thesr commodities to the retail dealers at a price regulated
by known considerations, would have no further concern in
the matter. It must be understood that this trade price re-
presents the bones fide cost of the whole book. It includes
the expenses of printing, binding, and so forth, together with
the remuneration of the writer, and when this price has been
paid by the retail dealer to the publishing house, both pub-
lisher and writer ought to have received their fair dues as
assessed by themselves. The publishers, however, refuse to
terminate their interest in a book with its sale to the retail
dealer. They follow the retail dealer into his own
shop, and insist on dictating the disposal of the profits
they leave him. It is obvious that if a retailer
has procured a book for 10s. which is presumptively
saleable at 15s , he has a very considerable margin to ope-
rate upon. He may either demand the full value of 15s. and
pocket his 30 per cent. gain, or he may reduce the gain upon
each book with a view of obtaining either a larger sale or
quicker returns. He may sell his book for Ils., 125., 135.,
or any sum, in short, between 10s. and 155., according to the
temper of his customers or the accidental character of his
Nosiness. Nothing could seem more natural or proper than
that these arrangements should be left, as in all other trades,
to the judgment of the retailers themselves. But here the
publishers step in and say, " You shall not enjoy any such
freedom. You shall not dispense with any portion of your
personal profits except to such an extent as we prescribe.
To attract a cash customer you may take off Is. 6d. from
your 155., but no more. The rest you must put in your own
pocket, or you shall get no more publications of ours."
such is the language held by the publishers, and their
conditions are enforced by an organized system of coercion.
An'association has been constituted to which all booksellers
within 12 miles of the General Post-office are invited to be •
Inng. The members of this body sign a declaration to the
effect that they will not sell books to any general customer,
even for cash payment, at a greater discount than 10 per
cent., or, in other words, at a less profit than 23 per cent. to
themselves. In return for this pledge of fraternity they re-
ceive a ticket, and to none but the holders of this ticket will
the publishers supply any books except at the full publication
price ; so that any refractory retailer can:be absolutely deprived
eta single blow of such portion of his business as consisted
in the sale of new books. Any bookseller willing to
content himself with smaller profits than those
dictatorially assigned to him is described as an " under-
seller," and is iorthwith deprived of his trade ticket by the
Executive Council of the Association, and placarded through-
out London as a man with whom, under pain of similar
penalties, all trade dealings are interdicted. Against this
imperious proscription many booksellers have rebelled, and
have applied, in their straits, to the authors themselves for
the works which the publishers refused to supply, till at
length the system has been found insupportable, and an ap-
peal is made to the public.
It will, no doubt, be alleged by the advocates of the existing
practice that it oomminds the assent of the vast majority of
the trade, as testified by their subscription to the rules.
This, however, can be no valid evidence, for, in the face
of such absolute powers as we have described, it is plain
that the number of those venturing to dissent would be ex-
ceedingly few. Conditions may be obviously dictated to
booksellers without much resistance by those who can debar
them from obtaining any books to sell. We have attentively
perused a circular, bearing date last month, in which the
regulations of the Amalgamated Publishers are directly
defended, but we cannot discover any valid reason for
this anomalous interference with the free course of com-
petition and the natural operations of trade. On the
other hmad, as the great publishing houses are generally
retailers themselves, and as they thus take profit in a
double capacity, they would seem to have an obvious in-
terest in exec ing their powers as publishers to enhance
their remuneration as booksellers. We hardly see how
the difference between the actual cost of a lnok's production
and its price to the general purchaser can represent any-
thing but the cost of the agency by which the books are
distributed; and if this agency can be performed, as is plain,
up,in terms more reasonable than those assumed, it is diffi-
cult to imagine why the public should be excluded from the
benefit of the condition. If the author and publisher of a
book are both remunerated by a price of 10s. a copy, and
agents can be found in abundance to undertake its distribu-
lien for 2s. more, why should these agents be compelled to
derrtand and the public to pay a sum of 13s. 6d. instead of
125..? These considerations, on appeal to us duly made, we
have felt bound to submit to the verdict of opinion. If
anything can be said for the system which is not apparent
on its surface, the readers of the Times will doubtless hear
of it ; but in the meantime we must express our belief that
the remonstrant booksellers have shown a very good case.—

TO THE EDITOR OF TIIE TIMES.
Sir,—Observing an article in your paper of this day on
the subject of the bookselling business, we beg to inform
you that the question which you discuss has been for some
time under the consideration of Lord Campbell and several
other eminent literary men, and we wait to be informed of
their coneusions. In candour to yourself your informant
should have acquainted you with this fact before precipi-
tating a discussion which must shortly be settled by the
judgment of those to whom the question has been referred.
Permit us to add the following facts:—
The association is not a publi'shers' association, but an as-
sociation of the book-trade generally, and originated with the
retail booksellers. As publishers we are no further interested
in it than so far as it has been supposed So promote the sol-
vency of the trade and the ritosperity of literary specula-
tions. The sale of books by retail is so insignificant a part
of a publisher's business that in supporting the association
he cannot be actuated by a desire to obtain the double profit
to which you allude.
We are, Sir, your obedient servants,
LONGMAN, BROWN, and CO.
JOHN MURRAY.

March 3).

The commercial advices from the continent con •
tieue wholly devoid of interest, except so far as they relate
to the speculative proceedings of the French Government.
The conversion of the Five per Cents. will be settled during
the present week, Saturday being the last day for expressing
dissent. Of course, up to the latest moment it will be im-
peeeible to form an estimate of its probable success, from the
a"Ree of claims for reimbursement, since few would be
grimy to throw away the chance of what each day may
the ; forth by prematurely exercising their option. From
preent state of the market the result would appear
ti,%ubtrel, but any operations that may be contemplated for
the purpose of inflaencing prices would naturally be delayed,
so as to tell at the critical period, while, if the anticipated
declaration of the Empire is
also be made to to take place to-morrow, it might
appear as a consequence of that event,
From the decrees Published this morning, however,
one step which must influence the market appears
already to have been Ite
opted, in the announcement that a
sun' equal to about 400,000%
out of the proceeds of the tim-
ber from the confiscated eseates of the Orleans family, is to
be invested ,kt
Hentes as a subsidy for the Legion of Honour.
Among the new railway arrangements it is mentioned that
permission has been ive to the Lyons and Avignon and
Disraelilinees Companies to combine for
the AAgnon and
the construction ofMontpelier, which will
complete the link to Cette. It is also stated that the two
companies which were competing for
the Bordeaux and
agreed upon
Cette concession havean amalgamation.
Whether the , original promoters are .to receive justice
ty a return of their catition-moneys is not stated, but
such ie interred to be the case from the house of Roths-
child having consented to act
" other to the
new undertaking. At the various
for
remark, bounce there were no transactions callingbetter The
letters from Berlin state an expectation of a eeeer eier„q__
of bills on London after the opening of the Baltic ports,r tut
the demand for the interior of Germany seems to
.reuder
any large shipments of grain to this country =Pre-
bable. At St. Petersburgh the markets are quiet, and
the rate of exchange continues without the least ria-
ff to
varia-
tion. Regarding the projected railway from Char -o_
Theodosia, on the Black Sea, nothing positive has yet bees!
ascertained. The scheme originated with private parties,
who are endeavouring to obtain a Government guarantee
of 4 per cent., without which it is scarcely likely to be
carnied out. Its length would be about 350 or 400
miles, and a line of about 450 miles from Charkoff up to
Moscow would be requisite to complete the communi-
cation with St. Petersburgh. With regard to the working of
the St. Petersburgh and Moscow line, it is stated to have
suAred no interruption during the winter. There is only
one train per day, and the passenger traffic is very small,
while in the transport of goods a serious competition is kept
up by_the sledges, which carry them at a lower rate.—Times.
There was a meeting on Monday of the shareholders
en the Agua Fria (Californian) Mining Company, which was
very numerously attended. The object was to receive a
statement from Mr. Wright, of San Francisco, relative to
the prospects of the property, and also as to the title of the
lame. The claims of Colonel Fremont to the Mariposa dis-
text were freely discussed, and it was elicited that he had
Placed the whole of the questions arising out of his leases
n the hands of Messrs. Lawford and Co., the legal ad-
iv2" of Messrs. Baring, with the view of dealing
ePartiatiV with all the parties interested. Colonel
Tremont Was not present, but this announcement,
origin well as the various other explanations relative to the
origin of his titlteb:erglave satisfaction. With regard to the
proceedings of gue Fria Company, it was stated that
the directors had endeavoured to exercise great economy in
expenditnre, atel that they ow possessed 50.0001. invested
in Consols and other availablei securities. They had already
started a portion of their staff to California, and the re-
mainder would shortly
of
'
oceed with the necessary ma-
chinery. In the course of the deecussion some severe ues-
Lions were put respecting eel,
of shares, &c., but these were
answered in a manner that met approval.
A deputation on the subject of a toll-free bridge over the
Foe la at Londonderry had an interview with the Earl of
Derby on Monday, at his officialreeidence in Downing-street.
The deputation consisted of Sir Robert Ferguson, M.P ,
es, Bart., M.P ,
Capt. Jones, M.P., Sir Edmund Ha
Humphre, M P., Governor of they Irish
Society,' Messrs.
Beresford,y Gege, and Johnston, Trustees of the Londonderry
Bridge, and Alderman M'Arthur, Alderman Gilliland, Messrs.
Corsenden, Colquieutue Free kg! and Crawford, of the corpo-
num of Derry,.

THE LONDON GAZETTE, March 30.
LORD CHAMBERLAIN'S OFFICE, MARCH 2, 1852.
Notice is hereby given, that her Majesty will hold a
Drawing-room, at St. James's Palace, on Thursday, the
Ist of April next, at two o'clock.
_ _ ST. JAMES'S PALACE, MARCH 24.

The Queen was this day pleased to confer the honour of
Knighthood upon John Dorney Harding, Esq., Doctor of
Civil Law, Advocate in Doctors'-commons, and of the Inner
Temple, Barrister-at-Law, and her Majesty's Advocate-
General,
OFFICE OF ORDNANCE, MARCH 27.

Royal Regiment of Artillery—Major-General Frederick
Campbell to be Colonel Commandant, vice Major-General
Lacy, deceased, March 10.
Commissions by the Lord-Lieutenant of Lincolnshire.
Sir Thomas Whichcote, Bart., to be Deputy-Lieutenant;
Christopher Tumour, Esq., to be Deputy-Lieutenant; James
Banks Stanhope, Esq., to be Deputy-Lieutenantralarch 25,

Commission by the Lord- Lieutenant of Norfolk.

Ist or Western Regiment of Norfolk Militia—The Hon.
Frederick Walpole to be Captain, vice Damant, resigned,
March 18.
Commission by the Lord-Lieutenant of Stirlingshire.
Stirlingshire Militia—Lieutenant Duncan Blankley Shaw
to be Captain, vice Thomas Henry Burns, deceased, March 1.
Commissions by the Lord-Lieutenant
-of the West Riding of
Yorkshire.
Yorkshire Hussar Regiment of West Riding Yeomanry
Cavalry—Robert Tennant to be Cornet, vice Bosville, re-
signed, March 20.
Cornet Edward Clough Taylor to be Lieutenant, vice Rey-
nerd, resigned, March 24.
Ist West York Regiment of Yeomanry Cavalry—Major
Richard George Lumley to be Lieutenant-Colonel, vice Elm-
sail, deceased; Captain Vincent Corbett to be Major, vice
Lumley, promoted; Lieutenant John Jeffcock to be Captain,
vice Corbett, promoted ; Cornet Michael John Ellison to be
Lieutenant, vice Jeffcock, promoted ; Cornet Arthur Joseph
Smith to be Lieutenant, vice Stanley, resigned ; John Barber
to be Surgeon, vice Taylor, deceased ; Robert Thomas Cook
to be Assistant-surgeon, vice Square, resigned, March 24.
BANKRUPTCY SUPERSEDED.
Robert M`Dowall, draper, Worthing, Sussex.
BANKRUPTS.
John Fraser, draper, Great Suffolk-street, Southwark, to
surrender April 15, at twelve, and May 6, at half-past eleven,
at the Court of Bankruptcy. Bell, official assignee, Coleman-
street-buildings, Moorgate-street ; Sawbridge, Wood-street,
Cheapside.
Charles Hudson Simeon, provision dealer, Bishopsgate-
street, April 8, at half-past one, and May 6, at one, at the
Court of Bankruptcy. Johnson, official assignee, Basing-
hall-street; Keighley, Basinghall-street.
Thomas Heard, brewer, Woodbridge, Suffolk, April 20, at
half-past eleven, and May 18, at twelve, at the Court of
Bankruptcy. Graham, official assignee ; Sole, Turner, and
Turner, Aldermanbury; Pownall, Ipswich.
Samuel Lovick Coleman, draper, Norwich, April 8, at
two, and May 6, at one, at the Court of Bankruptcy.
Groom, official assignee, Abchurch-lane ; Sole, Turner, and
Turner, Aldermanbury.
Thomas Youngman, draper, Old-street-road, April 10, at
one, and May 8, at half-past twelve, at the Court of Bank-
ruptcy. Pennell, official assignee, Basinghall-street ; Jay,
Bucklersbury.
Frederick George Johns, fixture dealer, Great Queen-
street, Lincoln's Inn-fields, April 3, at twelve, and May 14,
at one, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Whitmore, official
assignee, Basinghall-street ; Story, Great James-streeet,
Bedford-row.
Matthew Slade Hooper, tea dealer, Billiter-street, City,
April 14, at half-past one, and Mg 14, at twelve, at the
Court of Bankruptcy. Stansfeld, official assignee; Freshileld,
New Bank-buildings.
Ann Puckett, lodging-house keeper, Melton-street, Eas-
ton-square, April 8 and May 6, at two, at the Court of
Bankruptcy. Groom, official assignee, Abchurch-lane,
Lombard-street; Moxon, Southampton-buildings, Chancery-
lane.
Richard Chamberlain, draper, Uttoseter, Staffordshire,
April 3, and May 3, at half-past ten, at the Birmingham
District Court. Bittleson, official assignee, Nottingham;
Jones, Sise-lane, London; Mottnram, Knight, and Emmett,
Birmingham.
Joseph Craven Reeves, paint manufacturer, Long Ashton,
Somersetshire, April 14 and May 12, at twelve, at the Bris-
tol District Court. Miller, official assignee, Bristol; Tyrer,

Liverpool.
Henry Hayman, apothecary, Ottery St. Mary, Devonshire,
April 6 and May 11, at eleven, at the Exeter District Court.
Hirtzel, official asssignee, Exeter; Gidley, Exeter.
Henry Bates, brewer, Warley, Yorkshire, April 20 and
May 24, at eleven, at the Leeds District Court. Hope,
official assignee, Leeds ; Wavell, Philbrick, and Foster,
Halifax; Courtenay and Compton, Leeds.
John Barnes, commission.agent, Liverpool, April 14, and
May 10, at eleven, at the Liverpool District Court. Caze-
nove, official assignee, Liverpool ; Bagshaw and Sons,
Manchester.
Henry Martin, leather dealer, Liverpool, April 14, and
May 10, at eleven, at the Liverpool District Court. Morgan,
official assignee, Liverpool ; Tyrer, Liverpool.
James Lund Copeland, merchant, Liverpool, April 16 and
May 6, at eleven, at the Liverpool District Court. Bird,
official assignee, Liverpool; Lowndes, Robinson, and Bateson,
Liverpool.
Robert Johnston, silk manufacturer, Macclesfield, April
14 and May 5, at twelve, at the Manchester District Court.
Fraser, official assignee, Manchester.
INSOLVENT DEBTORS.

J. King, hair cutter, Hanway-street, Oxford-street.
J. Forge, jobbing upholsterer, Montpelier-row, Brompton.
J. Watson, coach proprietor, Grove-lane, Camberwell.
J. W. Procter, farmer, Plumstead, Kent.

J. Rutter, omnibus proprieter, Union-street, Deptford.
T. Leach, cheesemonger, Lisson-grove North.
B. E. Brooshoft, extra clerk in Somerset House, Regent
street, Kennington.
T. R. Comyn, carpet agent, Hornsey, Middlesex.
J. Glover, accountant, Crawford-street, Camberwell.
W. Taylor, shopman, Upper Whitecrosa-street, St. Luke's.
T. Gunner, wheelwright, Russell-street, Southwark.
Rev. T. B. L. Hall, clerk, Cobourg-place, Kennington-lane.
G. Smith, potato salesman, Church-street, Deptford.
J. W. Oddy, Roupell-street, Lambeth.
A. Eardley, licensed victualler, Blackfriars-road.
G. Shatwell, clerk, Fish-street-hill, City.
J. Burridge, hatter, Rupert-street, Haymarket.
J. Aitken, joiner, Salford, Lancashire.
J. Bramwell, farmer, Little Hucklow, Derbyshire.
_ _

T. Bushell, ale and porter merchant, Salford, Lancashire.
S. Coop, joiner and grocer, Manchester.
J. Carroll, rope manufacturer, Salford, Lancashire.
R. Howe, miner and farmer, Great Hucklow, Derbyshire.
E. Lovering, grocer, Staleybridge, Cheshire.
W. Millington, licensed victualler, Manchester.
S. Martin, boot maker, Whalley, Lancashire.
W. Norcross, plasterer, Clitheroe, Lancashire.
J. Reid, joiner, Hulme, Manchester.
J. Shaw, provision dealer, Heaton Norris, Lancashire.
J. Traverse, joiner, Hulme, Manchester.
W. Wild, fruiterer, Heaton Norris, Lancashire.
J. Wilkie, jun., stone mason, Blackpool, Lancashire.
J. Wood, joiner and builder, Manchester.
M. Walker, licensed victualler, Kirkdale, Liverpool.
W. Barker, tailor and draper, Staleybridge.
E. Bennett, dress maker, Pill, Pembrbkeshire.

G. Fox, farmer, Mexburgh, Yorkshire.
J. Genetone, ironmonger, Cardiff, Glamorganshire.
D. R. Morgan, chemist, Merthyr Tydvil, Glamorganshire.
E. Beanland, engine tenter, Tong, near Bradford.
M. Booth, innkeeper, Dewsbury, Yorkshire.
T. Bedford, miller, Middle Shillington, Yorkshire.
W. Bradley, wheelwright, Rock, Worcestershire.
G. Brown, carpenter, Southampton.
B. Garton, farmer, Scredington, Lincolnshire.
T. Tunstall, grocer, Shelton, Staffordshire.
W. Croasdale, tailor, Preston.
F. Ede, cabinet maker, Worthing, Sussex.
R. Gill, linendraper, Leeds.
J. Ponty, clog and book clasp manufacturer, Leeds.
R. Jackson, draper, Durham.
B. Jackson, draper, Dnrham.
R. Watson, grocer, Durham.
J. Bateman, attorney, Dover.
J. S. Bell, waiter, Kingston-upon-Hull.
G. Corbitt, builder, Sheffield.

W. Robinson, whitesmith, Burnley,
W. F. Silcock, manager of an inn, Yarmouth.

DIVIDENDS.
At the Court, B isinghall street.
C. Lamdin, Newbury, Berkshire, upholsterer, April 20, at
twelve—W. Woodbridge, Mincing-lane, City, colonial
brokar, April 20, at twelve—H. Shuttleworth, Saffron Wal-
den, ironmonger, April 20, at twelve.
In the Country.
11. Thompson, Belper, Derbyshire, draper, April 16, at
half.past ten, at the Court, Nottingham—H. Gladwin, Not-
tingham, draper, April 16, at half-past ten, at the Court,
Nottingham—J. Cogle, Lymington, Somersetahire, miller,
April 27, at half-past eleven, at the Court, Exeter—J.
Fegan, Lincoln, draper, May 5, at twelve, at the Townhall,
Kingston-upon-Hull.