The Sun.
London, England, 1852-04-15 00:00:00

APRIL 15) 1852.
;Ft, 821 ". • - 4 • A-
N° 18 585
to
• • (
LONDON u RSDAY
5 -
'•
• * " • •

NEW WORK ON THE WEST INDIES.
Now ready, in 2 vols., with Illustrations, 2154
FIVE YEARS IN '
T" WEST- INDIES,
By
CHARLES WlLLlklit DAY; Esq. . •
Colburn and Co., PubliShers, 13, Great Marlborough-street.
TO be had of, all Booksellers,

SPERMATORRIIMA AND STRICTURE.
BYo., in cloth, price, 3s. 6d., by post (free), Just published,
ATREATISE on the CURE or- S't ICTI
of the URETHRA ; containing the True Reasons wli y that
Disease so often assumes such an intractable character; with Rules
and Instructions for the successful Treatment of every Turin of
Urethral Contraction, based on the results of extensive and pro
longed experience. To which is added, Practical observahaas on
the Treatment of Sperrnatorrhcea by Cauterization. • -
By F. B. COURTENAY,
"These who complain most loudly are those only who know not
how to use the common instruments. The pfac-
. . •
tice of surgeons has been marked with all kinds of violence, and in-
difference ,about the simple cure of diseases, and a passion r. r
operations, and all the excesses and horror of eurgery.r—Johnpe
•
H. Bailltere, 219, Regent-street,

HINDOSTAN.--This Grand MOVING DIO-
It AMA is new open daily at •Twelve, Three, and Eight
o'clock, at the Asiatic Gallery, Baker-street Bazaar, Portman7square.
Admission Is., 25., and 2s. Gd. painted by Mr. P. Phillips, Mr. Ilaghe,
and Mr. Knell, from Lieut -Colonel Luard's own and other original
drawings. The Museum is open half an hour before each exhibition.
" The spectator is made to ascend the stream from the flat region
of Calcutta to the glorious range of the- Ilimalayas, and everything
of interest in the way is mapped and pictured, with the fidelity of ft
geographer and the skill of an artist."---Athenmum.

ALT THE PRINCE of WALES'S BAZAAR,
, 269, REGENT-S FRF.ET.
COSMORAMA, DIORAMIC, and PANORAMIC EXHIBITION.
Now exhibiting, the following Splendid Views, Historical and
Scenic : •
.
Edingburgh during a Conflagration..fire i
and smoke n motion—
The Interior of St. Peter's, at Rome, with' Dloramie *effect—Mont
Blanc—Castella'ilare, near Naples—Grand Cairo—Park of Versailles
—Mount St. Bernard, and the Ruins of Pastu in. •
Open from Ten till-Six. Admission Is. ; Children Half-price.

THE NEW ALTERATIVE.—No cheap patent
Medicine has ever yet been known so powerful and beneficial
as LEWIS'S CONCENTRATED ALTERATIVE PILLS and BAL-
SAMIC OINTMENT. The Alterative Pills are an excellent family
medicine, calculated to supersede entirely the use of mercury or ca-
lomel. Speedy and safe enough for the, nursery. The 13alsamie
Ointment is unrivalled in cases of scrofula;• tumours, bad legs, can-
cerous affections. &c.
Wholesale and retail depot, Messrs. Kingston, Iluish, and Co., 1,
Old Bond-street, London; and sold by all respectable medicine ven-
dors.
•

FULLY EQUIPPED, and READY for any
COUNTRY.. . .
No matter whether east, west, north, or south—far any profession,
either shepherds, agriculturalists, mechanics, or gold-diggers—for a
ong journey or a shorter one, every accommodation is afforded by
the universally approve i OUTFITS furnisaed at a cheap rate by E.
MOSES and SON. These Outfits are not only cheap, but they aro
every way complete and portable; and are the most surprising proofs.
of the advantages secured to every Emigrant applying to E. MOSES
aad :-ON for his Outfit. The unprecedented patronige.bestowed on
the Outfitting Department of E. MOSES and EON'S gigantic busi-
ness is the most satisfactory evidence of their unrivalled qualifiba-
tions to supply the most suitable Outfits for all, classes of Emigrants.
Possessing an Outfit from E. MOSES and SON'S, a gentleman or a
working-man may consider himself fully equipped and ready for any
journey or any country. All articles comprehended in, the peerless
Outfits supplied by E. MOSES and SON are of warranted superiority,
being designed for the Emigrant's daily, use either during his journey
or at his destination. E. MOSES and SON furnish these OUTFITS
for 31. 155., 6/. 155., 1 11..115., and upwards. A. detailed list can be
had on application, or forwarded, post free, to any part of the
kingdom.

PARENTS AND GUARDIANS mon) IMMEDIATELY INSPECT THE
SPRING STYLES IN JUVENILE CLOTHING. THEY COMPRISE GREATER
NOVELTY IN.MATERIAL AND DESIGN THAN EVER BEFORE DISPLAYED

IN THIS DEPARTMENT.

E. MOSES AND SON.

London City Establishment, 154, 155, 156, and 157, Minories, $3
,4, 85, and 86, Aldgate, opposite the Church, all communicating.
~ondon West-end Branch, 506, 507, 508, New Oxford-street, 1,2,
and 3, Hart-street, all communicating.
Bradford (Yorkshire) Branch, 19, Bridge•ctreet,
hefflold Branch, 36, Forgot°.

Ilicrchant rallors. Clothiers, Ratters, Ntozlers, , Furriers, itoet
lOcers.and-Genoral Outfitters for Ladies and Gitntlemen.
The Establishments are closed from sunset Friday to manse on
iatsr tars when business is resumed till Twelve o'clock.
The Universal Guide, a newspaper containlitr daily events, &c.,
full list of prices, and directions for self-measurement, can be had,
zratis, on application, er forwarded, post-free, to any part of the
tingdom.
A handsome Almanac for the year ending 1852 can be had, gratis,
on application. •
Ici l'on pule Francais. I Qui 51 parla Italian°.
Hier spricht man Deutsch. I Aqua so liable Espanol.

IaiIDICAL ADVICE ON T fIE SECRET INFIRMITIES OF
YOUT 1 AND MATURITY.
With Plain Directions • for their Prevention and Cure.
FIFTY COLOURED ENGRAVINGS ON STEEL.
lust published, in French, English, German, Dutch, Spanish, and
Italian, in a Sealed Envelope, Ls. 6d., or post-free from the Author

tor Forty-two Stamps,
CT•LF-PRESERVATION;
1.01 Medical Treatise on the Physiology of Marriage, and on the
secret Infirmities and Disorders of Youth and Maturity, usually ac-
juired at an early period of life, which destroy the physical and
mental powers, diminish and enfeeble the natural feelings, and ex-
,taust the vital energies of Manhood ; with Practical Observations on
qt. certain Prevention and successful Treatment of Nervous Debi
ity, Local and Constitutional Weakness, Syphilis, Str;oture, and all
Diseases and derangements resulting from Indiscretion, as adopted
oy Lallemand. Ricord, and other eminent members of the faculty of
France. With Fifty coloured Engravings, illustrating the Anatomy,
.Inurstoloa, autl.Diseases of tlia„Re,proAuctive Organs, explaining
their structures, used; and functions, and the various injurieS WM-
are produced in them by solitary habits, excesses, and infection.
By SAMUEL LA'MERT. M.D.,
37, BEDFORD-SQUARE, LONDON.
_ . .

- -
Doctor of Medicine, Matriculated Member of the University of Edin-
burgh, Honorary Member of the London Hospital Medical Society,
Licentiate of Apothecaries' Ilan, London, Member of the litmterian
Medical Society of Edinburgh, Sec., &c.
This work contains a plain and complete description of the anit-
xmay and physiology of the reproductive organs, and of their relative
_tonditions in health and disease. Dr. La'Mert, who has taken the
highest medical hononrs, as evidenced by the diplomas and testimo-
nials inserted in the work, is the only legally qualified medical man
who has exclusively, and for many years, devoted his studies to the
treatment of these complaints. He may be consulted with advan-
tage by all those whose constitutions may have become debilitated
through secret practices acquired in youth, or by the excesses of
toter years, whereby the pleasures of life are marred, the objects of
marriage frustrated, and existence itself rendered a term of unceas-
ing misery and regret.
Published by the Author, and may be had of 3. Gilbert, 49, Pater-
aoster-row ; Hannay, 63, Oxford-street Starie, Titchborne-street,
aaynaarket ; Gordon, 146, Leadenhall-street ; Mann, 23, Cornhill ;
or free by Post for forty-two stamps, from the author's residence,
who may be consulted on these disorders personally, or by letter,
top. row r Tan tin run Six til

THE SILENT FRIEND.
IN six LANGUAGES—FORTIETH EDITION.

CONTUSING VIE REMEDY FOR PREVENTION OF DISEASE.
Liaato.*.est op One Hundred Anatomical Coloured Ekgraving.s.
JAi PHYSICAL DISQUALIFICATIONS, GENERATIVE INCA-
PACITY, AND IMPEDIMENTS TO MARRIAGE.

flew Edition, enlarged to 196 pages, pries 20. 6d, by post, from
the EatabEshment, Se. Gd. in stamp.

/TOE SILENT FRIEND, a Medical Work on
1 the exhaustion and physical decay of the system, produced la,
xcesotve indulgence, the consequences of infection, or the abuse of.
mercury, with directions for the use of the preventive lotion, fol-
lowed by observations en Marriage, and the disqualifications which
prevent it. Illustrated by 100 Coloured Engravings. By R. and L.
PT:BUY and CO., Consulting Surgeons, 19, Burners-street, Oxford-
street, London. Published by Sherwood and Co., 23, Paternoster-
row, and sold by Idiumay, 36, and Sanger. 150, Oxford-streos ; Gor-
don, 146, Leadonhall-street ; 95, Fa.rringdon-street ; W. Sutton, 13,
Bow Church-yard; W. Edwards. 67, St. Paul's Church-yard ;
Butler, 4, Chespside ; It. Johnson, 68, Cornhill.
Pam I. treats of the anatomy and paystotogy of the re-productive
organs, and is illustrated by 28 Coloured Engravings.
Psalm If. treats of ties consequences resulting from tacessive in-
wow), and their lamentable effects on the system, producing
mental and bodily weakness, nervous excitement, and generative
ticapaelty. Illustrated by 10 Explanatory Engravings.
PAST 111. treats of the diseases resulting from infection, either in
tbo primary or secondary form, and contains explicit directions for
their treatment. This section is illustrated by 62 Coloured Env av-
s.
Pistm iv. contains a Remedy for the Prevention of Disease by a
ai xple application, by which the dangcr of infection is obviated.
PART V. is devoted to the consideration of .unsrrlage, and BA du-
ties. The causes of unproductive union are also considered, and the
whole subject critically and philosophically inquired into.
- -

Tux CORDIAL BALM OF SYSIAMMI is exclusively employed in
treating nervous and sexual debility, impotence, &c., I Is. and 335.
per bottle. The Concentrated Detersive essence, an anti-sypbilitic
remedy, for purifying the blood in cases of infection, secondary
symptoms, eruptions, and the abuse of mercury, 11E. and 335. per
cattle. Perry's Purifying Specific Pills. 2s. 9d-, 4s. fal., and I is,
per box, a certain remedy for gonorrhma, glcet, stricture, anti
chronic inflammation of the bladder. Consultation foe, if by letter,
A minute detail of the case is required: age, habits, and posi-
tion in society. W. Packets, with advice, to be had at the Este-
bv.,bment oely, ty which the fee, 11., is saved. Messrs. Perry,
Surgeons, are in attendance, daily, at 19, Berners-street, Oxford-
street, London, from Eleven till Two, and Five to Eight on Sun-
day b 0,,, gle,v., to en.

dsce_Blar.s:
On A BALLOON ASCENT.
Sunday aballoon ascent took place in the Champ
announcing that
twuhbich fur a moment appeared likely to lead to
been discoveredi
placards ware posted
During the previous week huge
posted up in all the quarters of Paris,
on
th by a M. Belle,
worldn
sure system of aerial navigation had
gentleman, when
take
eaSunday, under the direction of that
the scientific opportunity would be afforded to
he had invented,
andof witnessing the apparatus which
of persons in theconsecit: mode of working it. Thousands
Mars, paying to sous enae% flocked to the Champ de
in the centre, and
tinw
thafor leave to enter the space
appeared going on with areatPrrOoeedings. Everythinc,
balloon, which was certainly a :rarity, as round the
seen a strange collection of wPheeZdicl one, was to be
'ambled together, with the werd 8 and paddles, all
)-- • tic charact 8 System d' Mlle,
written in gtgan characters en a board e
crowd at last became so great that the maabove. The
ci sl guards and the troops placed around wilenrted m
toP be on the alert, to prevent the
After
the
a considerable
person
delay, four or five
from the car,
earth, and-th° next
moment the balloon roseanudq loud
disappointment from the spectators;
cries of anger and
as the great point
for the famous systexe, which
.w .
remaining
whereo• at-
traction, was left behind, quietly
crown all day 1
mechanism had been puzzling the t
h t the Whattrickster
made the matter more annoying was s
dupe
below, as if in
in the car kept saluting
,the poor (
mockery at the anger wnich they testi&d. A trement y
.
does rush was made towards tho machinery, apparen l
with a design to tear it to pieces; but the municipal
guards made such good use of their horses that they
succeeded in checking the movement, and cventuallY, by
their forbearance and good humour, induced the crowd
to retire.

THE FEEDING OF TROOP HORSES.—Colonel Car-
lovitch, on behalf of.his Imperial Majesty the Emperor of
Russia, has entered into a contract with Messrs. Richmond
and Chandler, agricultural implement manufacturers, for the
supply of machinery to carry out anew arrangement in the
preparation of provender for the Imperial Regiment of Che•
valier Horse Guards, St. Petersburgh. The process to which
the food is to be subjected will save the often over-fatigued
animal much labour, and, at the same time, effect a great
national oconowy.

THE BOOKSELLING SYSTEM.

Yesterday a body of gentlemen representing the
l3ookselling Association ofLondon and the provinces
waited upon Lord Campbell, at Stratheden.house,
Kensington; to confer with his Lordship and other
gentlemen of literary distinction on the present posi-
tion of the bookselling trade. - The deputation con-'
siited of Mr. W. LOngthatt" (the —chairwan of the
Booksellers' Association), Mr. Murray. Mr.
.R. B.
Seeley, Mr.J. H. Parker (Oxford), Mr. Pickering,
Mr. Deighton (Liverpool), Mr. Simms(Manchester),
Mr. Douglas (Edinburgh),. Mr. J: Mills, Mr. H.
G. Bohn, Mr. Dalton, Mr. Talor, Mr. Beilby (Bir-
mingham), Mr. Rivingtori, and Mr. Sampson Low
(secretary to the London Association). The Noble
and Learned Lord, who was accompanied by the
Dean of St. Paul's (the- Very Rev. Dr. Millman)
and Mr. Georg&Grote, received the deputation with
•. - . •
great courtesy.
Lord CAMPBELL observed, that he had been called
upon to render his assistance in.settling the important
question which had arisen hr the bookselling trade,
and he certainly should 'be Very glad if, associated
with such gentlemen as Dr. Mihniiia, Mr. Grote, and
others who might afterwards assist them, he could be
of any service in arranging & matter of great im-
portance to the booksellers of this country.- The cir-
cumstances-under which theyibad met would be best
explained by the following' letter,' which he had re-
ceived from Mr. Low, the secretary to the Book.
sellers' Association : . . - . . •••

" HO, Fleet.street, April 8,4852.
"My Lord,—l am directed to inform your Lordship
;hat the committee of the Booksellers' Association have

this day. met, aud, impressed with: •the importance of
giving serious consideration to the present position of
the bookselling trade, they have . instructed
,me to re-.
quest your Lordship to permit a few of their body to.
have the honour of , conferring. with. your Lordship and
such other litefary gentlemen -as it. may be agreeable to.
your Lordship should be present on the occasion.
" I beg to acquaint your Lordship that Mr. William•
Longman, who took the • chair,- informed the meeting•
that, having consulted Mr. Macaulay, ho was encouraged
to hope that your Lordship 'would not'object to such a
conference as the committee have the honeur to recittest;
and that. Mr. Longman' added that Mr. Macaulay sug7
gested it might be desirable .that Lord Granville and.
Mr. Grote should be associated with your Lordship. To
this view the meeting gave theircorslial assent.
" Ism further directed to submit to your. Lordship's
consideration the addition ;of Sir Rulwer Lytton, Sir W.
Page Wood, and the Dean of St. Paul's, or the Rev.
Canon Wordsworth. •

" The committee would - esteem it a favour if your
Lordship would inform me whether this proposal Meets
your approbation, and, if so, whether your Lordship
would wish me to take any steps to convene the meeting..
" I have also to inform your Lordship that the follow-
ing resolution was proposed by the chairman, and was
unanimously agreed to—viz., ' That a conference be in-
vited bewteen Lord Campbell, in conjunction with a few
of our principal authors, and certain members of the
b3okselling trade, for the purpose of deciding whether
the Booksellers' Association shall be carried on under its
present regulations or not, it being understood that the
decision of Lord Campbell and the other literary gen-
tlemen shall be binding on the committee, who agree, if
the decision be adverse, to convene the trade and resign
thcir functions.' "

He at once acceded to the suggestion, and he would
have been most happy had the other gentlemen men-
tioned in Mr. Low's note been present to-day, but
unfortunately 'Lord Granville - was prevented from
attending by ill health, and neither Sir L. Bulwer
Lytton nor' Sir P. WoOd were able to meet them.
Having considered it only right that on a question of
this nature both sides should be heard, he had requested
that Messrs. Bickers and Bush, Mr. Bentley, and other
gentlemen who took an opposite view to the•Booksele
lers' Association should have. ncitice of this meeting,
and be requested to attend.. He had received, in reply
to that invitation, a letter from 'Mr. Chapman, com-
plaining that longer notice of the meeting had not
been given him. He (LOrd:C.impbell) 'regretted that
there should be any ground. for. such a. complaint,
but he did not know that, under:: the circumstances,
longer notice could well have been given: He had
also received a letter froth" Messrs. Bickers and
Bush in reply to the invitation addressed to theM,
stating that they felt that'iipon.tas question compro-
mise was impossible ;*that the inevitable tendency of
the age was to open an unlimited free trade ; and
that they felt assured no other arrangement' would or
could be final. They added that a letter from them
appeared in the Times of that (Wednesday) morning,
explaining their view of the
.case.. He (Lord
,Camp 7
bell) could only.mor,hitnself and the gentlemen
titiy mituitivlieVoras,.assilted;:.ihat they had not formed
any opinion upon the qaestion at, issue, but that they
desired that the most ample opportunities should be
afforded to all parties who. leek: an interest in it to
lay before them any statements,. or to adduce any
evidence bearing on the matter.
Dr. Milman and Mr. Grote-expressed their conctr-
rence in theolAervations of :the Noble Lord. . !

Mr. LONGMAN then proceeded at considerable
length to explain the objectfof the Booksellers' Asso-
ciation, and the questions in dispute between that
association and a portion of -- the . bookselling trade,.
termed " undersellers." The managers and members-
of the association were, he said, most anxious to afford
to the gentlemen who had consented to acres arbitrators
or judges in this Matter the fuliestinfornaation, and the
most ample means of arriving at a just conclusion. He
was deeply:sensible of the heavy responsibility which
be incurred in undertaking to open this question, but
he was fortunately supportedby a large body of gen-
tlemen connected with all branches of the trade, not li
only in London, but in s.44land",;;in Manchester, in
Birmingham, and in other provincial towns, who
would be able_ to afford
.information on any points
with which they' were .more familiar than himself.
He had firmly mad p up hla 7thind • that he Would not
nhtice any letters; or statement's; or articles which
had appeared in print; otherwise, he must say, he
would have felt inclined-to give-an indignant denial
to a great deal that had been published. The prin-
cipal object of the !Booksellers' Asiociation was to
prevent those who received. the privileges-of the trade
on certain implied conditions from enjoying those
privileges without fulfilling the conditions. The main
privilege was that of receiving a certain discount
from the retail price, end the:condition on Which the
privilege was granted was that thc, retail price should
be observed. The retail bookseller, on buying from
the publisher, received a certain agreed allowance,. on
the supposition that he was to obtain a certain profit.
Occasionally the retail price of a book Was reduced,
but the practice of the trade in siiCh a case. was ,to go
round and "call in " the books from those retailers
who had bought them, -and afterwards to sup-
ply to the retailers either the new editions
or the same books at tedueed price,, so
that a fresh contract was ziade between the pub-
lia'ner and the retail bookseller.. He believed that

:he trade was conducted on these principles up to
1812. The case of Mr. Lackington had been men-

tioned as that of the first • undersiller. Now, it was
extremely difficult to ascertain precisely ppon what
principles trade was conducted some 70 or 80 years
ago, but he (Mr. Longman) was convinced, from Mr.
Lackington's Life, that his system of underselling
was totally different from - that of the present day.
Mr. Lackington's system was one which was exten7
sively practised at this time, and which met with the
approbation of the publishers. Mr. Lackington was
the Bohn of former days, and Mr. Bohn was the
Lackington of the present day. Mr. Lackington
bought " remainders," the copies of unsuccessfulbooks which remained on the publishers' hands, and
sold them at a reduced price. Who were the first
underseliers he did not know, but the first book-
sellers' association of which he could find any notice
was set on foot by the retail. bboksellers in 1812.
It was important, in passing, to observe that
these associations had all - been established by the
retail booksellers, and the publishers and whole-
sale booksellers had - considered it their interest
to support such associations... About
.1828 the
associationwas remodelled, and it was just pre-
viously to that time that the• present system of
underselling arose. It was his firm conviction that
the interests of publishers and authors in this ques-
tion were entirely identical, and that what was for their
interest was also for the interest of literature in ge-
neral. He thought thie fact that the present system
was for the benefit of the boOksellers was shown by
ociations
the enormously preponderating majority of booksellers
r
who were in favour of the regulations. The present
Booksellers' Association, which. was established at a
public meeting of the trade in 1848, was a revivifica-
tion of the association of 1828, and many similar as-
had since been formed throughout the
COUnt
He considered that the peculiarities of the
booksellingemtrade, which differed from all others, af-
only. class of artcille
did
dn ground for supporting such associa-
were at all
tions.
applicable
think that free-trade principles
to the bookselling trade. The
opinion, approacbealthe character of which, in his
articles:
ttphOse in which booksellers
dealt, was patented
was the
tail o
in llier The bookselling trade
fixing a retail price, aro in ji.ecrhe was a possibility of
was advisable to
there was" complete
• i d forinst " many artmes--3,
whom the
silk goods and hats buy
from tradesmen in
t. theyf _ .
' had commence, because
persons who were no. i udges o such articles miht easily
identification of the ariicle. wnitt
be deceived as to their quality. There was
Ihowever, no
a Purchaser
v 3
Wanted Lord•Compbelre 0 of the chief jus.
doubt as to the identity ofa Lai book.

tices," he could not be put off with the late Mr.
Townsend's " Lives of the Judges." If Mr. Grote's
" History of Greece" was asked for, Bishop Thirl-
wall'e could not be substituted. This gave the power
of fixing a retail price, and, as those who dealt in
such articles must have 'a profit, it was necessary that
a certain agreed allowance or discount, should be
given to the truth'. It had been suggested that bcoks
should be published without a retail price, but he
thought that would be throwing away one-of the great
and peculiar advantages of the trade, and inetead of
retnovinc,, the existing evils, would aggravate them
materially. Books would then be sold at ere price
in one street, and a' another price in another; the
public would have no confidence that the right value
was put upon them anywhere, and the whole trade
would be thrown into confusion. Another peculiarity
ofthe, trade was, that the allowance which was made
to booksellers became known to the public. He might
so far deviate from his intention of not noticing any-
thing that had appeared in the public,prints on this sub-
ject; as to observe that a letter in that day's Timesstated
the allowance to the retail bookseller tcehe 33 per cent.
r
The writer of that letter further stated that the
booksellers did not speculate. But if they
did
not speculate they could not get that allowance—they
would only receive 25 per cent. The .writers went
on to say that retail booksellers were surely the best
judges of the scale of profits which would enable them
to carry on their business: That was exactly what
the Booksellers'.•Association said. The retail book-
tellers, as it body, came to them and said, " Our pre-
sent profit is not too high ; we ask you to maintain
it;" and on that point he agreed with Mesirs. Bickers
and Busb. The public seemed to entertain a false
,
impression that the profit of the retail booksellers was
larger than that of other trades. The fact was, how-
ever, _could i,x. be confirmed,.,
that and
the allowances methnclesfr profits in othlr trades were
infinitely greater than in the bookselling trade. From
40, 50, and 60, to 100, or even more than 100 per
cente Were no unfrcquent profits in other trades, but
it. Now, from the facts of having a fixed retail price,
oehfecopmubpllic had'
eteidenntoifi'mcaetaionns,oaf kndnoofw:ha anything about
the necessity
necessity
of an
agreed and admitted allowance to the bookselling
trade; arose a power of competition which did not
exist in any other trade. It was very easy for a
bookseller who wished to undersell to advertise that he
would take off 10, or 15, or 20 per cent., and the
public had ample means of knowing
that 'they got
such a reduction ; while a haberdasher, a hatter, or a
glover, might advertise his goods at a reduction
of 20 par cent., but the public had no means of
knowing that such a reduction was really
made. A power of competition, as he had
said, existed in the bookselling trade which did not
exist in any other trade, and, if the power of repress-
ing that competition should be taken away, a wild
as had never
been seen
Un-
derselling, instead of being the exception, and there-
upon,stem of
perhaps, profitable, would be the rule, and
uinndtheris selling
country woiun ld
anay arise such e e
whatever.
thereupon, he believed, the ruin of the whole trade.
He believed that the result of doing away with this
power of repression would be the concentration of
the trade in the hands of a few large monopolist re-
tail dealers, to the injury of literature, the incon-
venience of the public, and the ruin of hundreds of
booksellers from the Land's-end to John o'Groat's
house. The effect would be that the stock of country
booksellers, except in very few instances, would be
confined to small, low-priced, and probably not very
valuable publications. He believed the change would
tell especially upon the productions of new authors,
and that the interests of literature would in conse-
quence suffer most materially. A new author had
difficulties enough to contend with already, but he
was satisfied that the abandonment of the power of
repressing undue competition would increase them
tenfold. He regarded the retail booksellers as a body
of men who rendered essential service in promoting
the progress of education and the extension of litera-
ture throughout the country, and he hoped the Noble
Lord and his colleagues would, on consideration,
arrive at the conclusion that, if the plan of throwing
the trade open should destroy such a class, the small
and temporary advantage which might be reaped by
the public would be purchased at too dear a price.
Mr. MURRAY observed that he was satisfied it
would be found impossible to carry on business upon
the pretended profits of the undersellers. The same
underselling bad prevailed in other businesses, and
had been found to' be ruinous. To show that the
plan adopted by the Booksellers' Association was
carried out by other trades, he might mention that
he hadein his possession a circular from a firm in the
'neighbOurbood of Manchester, who were manufac-
turers of muelins, stating that they dealt with no
customer who did not sign a paper engaging, under
the penalty of a fine, not to sell under certain prices.
Theaame principle was acted upon by a great house
in the oil trade ; and he was informed that Messrs.
Strutt and Evans, of Derby, who manufactured a
particular kind of thread, would only supply it to
dealers on condition that it should be sold at a parti-
cular price. It had been urged against the book-
sellers that their System was an infraction of free-
trade principles ; but he had the positive assurance
that when Mr. Cobden was in business for himself be
never all Owed his muslins to be undersold. He had
been informed also that Mr. Bright, who was manu-
facturing a new descriptionof carpets, would deal only
with those persons who would engage not to sell them
at udepreciated price.—(A laugh.) He might ob-
serve, also, that barristers and physicians had fixed
the amount of their fees, and would not receive less
than a certain BIM. The effect of the change which
certain persons were endeavouring to effect in the
bookselling trade would be this, that though there
might be no diminution in the number of standard
hooka by authors of name, that would be published,
books by unknown authors would scarcely be re-
ceived. The result of an alteration in the present sys-
tem would be that he must reduce very
much the
number of books he published ; for he certainly would
not trust undersellers, because he did not believe
their profits were such as to keep their heads above
water.
Mr. DOUGLAS, of Edinburgh, stated that the sys-
tem of underselling bad been established in that city,
but a meeting of the trade was held, at which regu-
lations were adopted for repressing the practice, and
those rules were subscribed to by 173 out of 175
booksellers and publishers be Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Mr. Low, in reply to some inquiries from Lord
Campbell, stated that the number of booksellers and
stationers in London Was
rather more than 1,200,
not more than half-a-dozen or ten of whom were
undersellers.

owitinhhich it
wtliiinl
regard t
Mr. DALTON contended that the profits realised by:
booksellers were much
other trades, and that if the trade were thrown open
exten
extent
t(t oofwr promote
competizion would
reduce their profita to a
ruinous degree.
Mr. Ilatchard's) entered into
particular works, to
the power of re-
that there could be no
e of books which
sett
hahe
booksellersimeol:ywler
w. t
hTAYLOßeerstatementse
for all th
heretic
inclined to reconuneur
eweresut.
eqsneuci iloteuer indispensable
rßa,gAesdsocbi
ya tiroe n.
rdthCatArStePtaßir
bLooOkbsSeelrlVeerdai
t the question was,
to
o doubtL
theo
success of literature
whether that class would be bi3soapidk
he represented the
tea: iiyfa gthtehierraebgoulliatitoionn.s of the
Mr. Starts, of Manchester,
nce to the country trade would
aere joined e undersellers
the association.
.
s are all reconciled
without
ra wholeord tradeoatl m
rB ofs
exceptionlit hL at
CAMPBELL—The
ha had
town,t
to the true church.—(A laugh.)
Mr. Simms proceeded to say that the opinion of the
Manchester publishers and booksellers was that any
new books. He then
went into some calculations to silo_
materially reduction in a
ffteheet
vvs as a proof that
atlbleowsaale of all
the present trade allowance was not too high, that the
retail booksellers in the smaller towns
did not on the
average clear more than 1301. a year, after defraying
the necessary expenses of their establishments, and
that their profits were far less than
,those of persona
engaged in other trades, as grocers, drapers, ice.
Mr. BEILBY, of Birmingham, showed, considerably
in detail, the expenses entailed upon booksellers by exe-
cuting the orders of their customers for small pam-
phlets and the cheaper class of serials, which expenses,
he contended, were only met by the profit they ob-
tained on the higher priced class of books.
Mr. PICKERING briefly expressed his approval of
the objects of the association.
Mr. PARKER observed that the booksellers of Ox-
ford were unanimously in favour of the present regu-
lations. In reply to questions from Lord Campbell,
he stated that in Germany the usual trade allowance
was about one-third of the retail price, all new books
being sent by the publishers on sale or return, and
that regulations existed against underselling. In
France no system at all existed, but the allowance to
booksellers varied from 5 to 50 per cent. There
were in Paris no wholsesale booksellers, and if a
person wanted a dozen or:twenty boOks he 1-
had to go
for them to nearly as many different booksellers.
Mr. Bouri confirmed the statements of Mr. Parker
with regard to the foreign trade, and expressed his
hope that the system of underselling, which led to
perpetual misunderstandings between the London
booksellers and the country retailers, and between
both .parties and their customers, would be
put down.

If the discount were reduced he was satisfied it would
be impossible to support the agencies throughout the
country.

Mr. SEELEY expressed his conviction, from personal
knowledge, that the gentlemen who managed the
Booksellers' Association had been actuated solely by
regard for the interests of the trade, of the public, and
of literature generally. After referring at length to•
some of the statements in the letter of Messrs. Bickers
and 'Bush, he observed that if the Noble Lord and his
associates should, upon consideration, b 3 of opinion
that the Booksellers' Association were right, they
would succeed in their object—that of maintaining
peace, and law, and order in the trade. On the other
hand, if the Noble Lord and the gentlemen by whom
he was assisted decided that the Booksellers' Associa-
tion were' wrong, the end would be chaos, confusion,
and d!sorder.

Mr. MILES entered into some details with reference
to the position of houses in the bookselling trade (with
one of which he is himself connected), whose business
consists exclusively in acting as " middlemen"
between the great London publishers and the coun-
try retail booksellers, their dealings being thus con-
fined entirely to the trade. He showed the large ex-
penses which were necessarily incurred in conducting
such establishments, in consequence, especially, of the
vast increase of cheap periodical literature ; and con-
tended that, even with the present rate of trade allow-
ances, the profits realized by such houses were not
excessive--not amounting on an average to more than
about 4 per cent.
Mr. LONGMAN then said he thought the state-
ments of the gentlemen who had expressed their
opinions tended to show that the present amount of
a
the present system, the
peculiarities large. As
however, there was great seope
for
underselling,awnoes was.
olfong as
thetrathdeey had
ren-
dering underselling very easy. As the result of that
underselling, he feared that a competition might
arise which would destroy the retail booksellers; and
he, and the gentlemen by whom be was surrounded,
were of opinion that if the retail trade were concen-
trated in the hands of a few large monopolists, great
injury would result to literature, to the trade, and to
the public. The main question was, whether the
change suggested by the opponents of the Booksel-
lers' Association would injure the retail booksellers
or not. His opinion was that the competition that
would arise would destroy them. Then, if a repres-
sive system was necessary, it must be a coercive one.
Mr. Macaulay had said to his brother--" If you think
that Mr. Bickers or anybody else injures you, or in-
jures my book, by selling it at and under price, by all
means have no dealings with them." Now that
seemed perfectly sound advice, but, unfortunately,
it would not accomplish the proposed end, unless
they had a coercive system. Mr. Miles, or Mr. Bohn,
or a hundred other gentlemen, could supply Mr.
Macaulay's book to Mr. Bickers or any one else.
It was necessary, therefore, that the trade should
come to some arrangement among themselves, but
that would be useless unless a penalty was imposed
for an infraction of the regulations. He believed
that if unrestricted competition took place hundreds
of retail booksellers would be ruined. Mr. Bohn
said the other day—" If Mr. Bickers can sell at 5 per
cent. profit, I can sell at one," and he feared the trade
might be driven to act upon some system of that kind.
He believed they would fight until they reduced
their profits to the lowest possible ebb—to a percent-
age which would not pay them ; and then the present
system would be re-established by an engagement
among themselves not to sell under certain prices.
After some desultory conversation with regard to
the bookselling trade in America,
Lord CAMPBELL said the case had been very ably
argued on the part of the association ; but, although
a great deal of valuable information bad been afforded
on the subject, he and his friends, Dr. Milman and
Mr. Grote; were not at present in a situation to ex-
press an opinion upon the question. He thought
the great desideratum was that they should hear
the other side, for in his opinion they ought
to act upon the • maxim, " Audi alteram partem."
Even if he were convinced by the arguments he had
heard in favour of the association, he would like to
hear the other aide, who might convert him.—(A
laugh.) Lord Eldon never would decide any cause,
however clear it might be, without hearing the side
against,whicn he was inclined. He (Lord Campbell)
must say that his mind was quite unbiassed on this
question, until he had a further opportunity of infor-
mation and discussion, but he thought it desirable
that they should hear the arguments of those who
took a different view of the question, without its being
expected that those parties should be bound by any
opinion which he or his friends Mr. Grote and Dr.
Milman might express. If Mr. Bickers, Mr. Bentley,
Mr. Chapman, or any other gentleman wished to be
heard, he would be most happy to meet them, with-
out expecting them to say.Tthat they would change
their mode of dealing in conformity with any opinion
expressed by himself or his friends.

After some conversation it was arranged that if any
of the " undersellers" desired to argue the case against
the association, Lord Campbell, the Dean of St.
Paul's, Mr. Grote, and probably other literary gen-
tlemen, would be prepared to bear their statements,
between the 16th and 21st of May.