The Sun.
London, England, 1836-05-06 00:00:00

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his Majesty's Government wi11,,, at their own c!
nature of the evils," and promises that the Mena
This oas all
pleasure, take them into consideration !
It ussek
11
that lie could promise ; and when Lord John . ,
satisfaction oi
11'1
tsotajt,i • additional
came into the House, he could only give tin.
~ lief of
the Irish poor. After this, Me'nt'ors of
:Ili Parliament
highlywho
brought forward the resolution, said he was so ~ e
etritiaisinvlyeaiirofomretahseur;
gratified with what Lord Morpetb had said, that n
b • t for
would withdraw his motion. It is very convenien a
the Government to be called upon in question by
Mr. Poulett Scrope,
would
Cliontleman so easily oratified—so pliable an has much
-,
of
ino as iVIr. Poulett grope. The Irish poor
He will often
President of the Board of Trade.
nerd a more earnest advocate than the brother of theh e
quite FatisfieJ, when their hunger is no-.—Norning
Herald.
Two very important and interesting rtotiees of moon;
tiong were on the notice list of the House
last week. They are brought forward by to di. e..tr.
Members of Parliament, Mr. Mackinnon and .17a.
I3uckingham ; but they exhibit features of comninn,
• h the Tern"
terest, and are both closely connected with , , ~,,,
motion of a common abuse. The abuse to the
__A
refer springs Out of the present law of copyright'f and
out of the present law of patents. We boast 0 ._
of Conffunrent
schoolmaster being abroad, and of knowledge being
stY
le ru
pwer ; but wherever we turn we discover ills i
linoks of the feudal chain which has so long been eel"
ployed to fetter the operations of the m ;tie o ind, rind to
f
close the flood-gates against the augmenting t,
_te
knowledge. We consider the time most fortrintl,
for both motions, now that the Chancellor of
ti::,
Exchequer has given notice of his
removing one of the most onerous rest( ial hse
upon the diffusion of political knowledge by The
reduction of the' Stamp upon N rs
ewspape - forting
two motions to which we began by ref'
same
must be considered as great auxiliaries to the mar
philanthropic and popular cause, involving a oi.rin 0,
augmentation of social comfort as of commercial rPeis
fit. The motion of Mr. Mackinnon is for a
intenion.;
ding
Committee to consider the expediency of amender,
the present system of granting patents, and of ren
e°ile
in more easy and expeditious, and also less "P. to
and less liable to litigation, the manner of securing ,
individuals the benefit of their inventions. The gwof
tion of Mr. Buckingham is for a repeal of so nitlieb
ery
the Copyright Act as enjoins the gratuitous dela
Asti-
of every published work to eleven of the public in
tutions, colleges, and libraries of different townst of
the kingdom. The abuse comprehended in the firs
of
these preambles of motions arising out of the law it
copyright is so outrageous, that it is wonderful h°/1
Wre has been been allowed to subsist so long as it has. 1
A the
for to the extortion—for a milder word does not befit
•
eel'
fact—of eleven copies of every work by various grne
fled public institutions, colleges, and libraries. We ~ its
an instance of one work, where the tax laid tIV°-net
publication by this obnoxious statute amounts t° dog
less than 2,0001. This is the way the intellectual ode
have been treated by the exclusive class, and '...—for
helots—hewers of wood and drawers of water.,," bile
labour.tthheuys
those who have profitted by their information+, ;heir
dtehwf
er
ea
rueedu
peldii
ek
setlhyee
ftmo u
besoeff
utldheeuv
ro It leavdrazt soatb 1
tecbraotib"oidrolis
have
extortedl f
et
sirable object, the diffusion of
knowledge, set?Apie,
might
be said in favour of the general rii,Thi.
although we might regret the injustice of its co.
cular application. But the inquiries alresaY obi C
menced or pursued with regard to some of Du!, Peon'
frustrate such hope. The British -1011—fio.
for instance, demonstrates that a private wrong' e 0 of
lating all the principles of common equity, and eyea orate
Ann
common honesty, is not productive of any propor, are
public advantage. The books thus claimed atic
either deposited within the musty precincts of m°ll9 or
institutions, inaccessible to the common studetit'4oo
as in the case of the British Museum, the contribuZeir
of these books is delayed beyond the period of t'',...„
transient interest by the bookselling, proprietorsothe
naturally indignant at so gross a violation .4 1
rights of property, and unwilling to have their g
extorted from them by the inquisitorial thumb-`are b'
this. pernicious feudal law. With reference to Nato
ject, we may here parenthetically observe that hosingJ
liamentary motion was made last year for purc
the right of the College of Aberdeen •- f book'
to copies o uose
by Government, with a view to the exchange of tine,
books for French and foreign works of similar 'l„'"est
and the deficiency of which is one of the )20
grievances of our scientific institutions and Pubut
libraries. We like the principle of the exchange'hich
we dislike the transfer of a claim to Government w tell
ought to be abolished as inequitable. We hatre Is
Erie
discussed the subject of the law of patents, at the Se-
time giving an analysis of the present Solicitor:uses
neral's measure for getting rid of many of the °Poe
of the old law. We on that occasion stated ctirojer
neon both of the merits and the inadequacies of the cer
sure—of what it did, and of what it left undone. oinis'
tainly, much was left undone by that measure-4°a is,
sion which the useful motion of Mr. 3faelLia% not
we doubt not, calculated to remedy. We ire The ' I
say that we wish him full success in his objet', roll
operations and discoveries of the mind ought Ittefeil
principle of common sense to be left equallComeruweoal
as the operations of trade or the results of wonadventure. The implements of the mind ill ;7,, pre
ought to be considered as sacred—and equttl r the
tested as the implements o the manufactures, f'being
instruments of the artisan. The certainty °, ed bf
able to enjoy unmolestedly the property acstPrece of
industry, is the very corner-stone of the evste
steno
society ; and a wholesome state of the law cf P while
would protect the results of the mind's labour' is 00e
it fostered and stimulated its industry. There 0'
; , that IA
greater wear and tear in any labour than .1-1 ought
the mind. There is none, therefore, whi"
al
to be more sedulously sheltered by a peon- • ~
pssio.•
sagacious Government from inroad or eggiength
The public, we are happy to say, are ait., n thei
awaking to a more correct apprehension t"ae have
have hitherto entertained of the fact which vvbnrious;
stated—viz., that mental industry is equally I;e /Dora%
if not more laborious, than physical ; but ti
to
sa
results of the first are inappreciable in their e% oiat
I, P
compared with the last. We may with triuniP t fit
to the steam-engine as one proof of our arginne_notether
the advantages of the labours of the mind, whole fa-
the discoverer be ill or well rewarded,--the I are.
• blv '
inily of mankind must ultimately and inerita d ers,
labour
The debt of gratitude to the intellectual
than t°
therefore, ought to be proportionately greater
selfish
those whose industry is based upon a nicre_tione is
principle of profit, and whose sphere of 0pe.7..efit,..--
restricted to a more limited circuit of social D ",
Morning Advertiser. J was
_----- ----=------"'! h there . _
At Orleans, on the morning of the 30t
'for the vlae•
ice, and snow fell. Apprehensions are entertained b oodles,:
LIBEL Law.—ln an action against th •1"
Said the
ter Guardian, the Judge, in charging the Jari:as,,ausst.tg°
seems to me sufficient if in substance, the chargv,tl ilbr:
plaintff is proved. It is, that he, in confederacY '
-cl s without Viet
Jones, entered into a scheme for obtaining g
- ro°vesd, J thiflgo.
intention of paying for them. If that is P ornmacbo
will be sufficient." 'We hail this decision as th,e ..,daring t
mode 0' -1" ' a
mcnt of a reformed and more rational
sufficiency of justification in actions of libel. , Ross nit,l
At the last Inverness Circuit Court, Pete ited job
James Mackenzie were indicted for having ssa:
atb jout,
Banks, a maniac residing at Invergordon, and thro broug hPO
the sca. The poor idiot, William Ross who was d with t
at the Circuit Court here, on Saturday, charge, „cste.rd%
murder of another idiot, in Ross-shire, died in g°'l,,f), said. tit
morning. He was about 50 years of age. He may
sufficled,
have died of cold and starvation, as he would not tatiy
clothe
food for his support, or suffer himself to be proPc ~
—lnverness Courier. ......:ay 11,,
COMMITTAL OF TWO WITCHES. Fibed Mebothg.
zabeth Callaghan and Mary Smith were examie
the follosi;-ti
Mayor and Borough Magistrates of Newcastle on 403ep_!,
other accomPle. Int°
charge :—The prisoners,b amongst d peer, °,n int'
profess a knowledge of tiling the planets, an
ableo ''" nee
futurity. Under this pretence they have been en..ros.
iu F. f gr•
pose upon many simple and credulous peopre.
house ° daps
of their vocation the impostors went to .
to
_, a fo
__
Ridley, draper, Painter-hough-stairs, in this
laow,t„ils IT?:
ago, where they saw the maid-servant. The t„ "t'o"ir herl'7
an assurance from the women that they coin?
eg partic.uorl.
name alter future husband, with other interestnid Pettic°'
e 0 thl
a ChenliSeif
a"
Char/13' d by
was. induced to give up a gown, ie
.n ;
au .
In a short time the women returned.
• had a rent i I
a lotla aliii
said, would not work, as the govin.
off
the re-° Ore'
• . .3ing 0.. - d the ll-
this trick they succeeded in can .
rove , cote-
pleton's Sunday dress. These facts being y_,rant Act, „rea
mancers were, under the provisions of the va- .
-dol for l'"
' of the trea
mitted to the salutary exercise
months.—Newcastle Journal.