The Sun.
London, England, 1841-03-29 00:00:00

OPYRIGHT

itself beard from one end of Europe to the other; in fact,
throughout the whole world has this become a scandal to
c:selization. As soon as a book is printed at London,
Vienna, or Paris, it is immediately pounced upon by foreign
pirate:, who reprint it in all possible forms, regardless of
the sacred rights of authors, the expenses incurred by the
original ediors,,and thus are Europe and America inun-
dated with countless editions of works, which become a
certain source of profit to their piratical publishers, who
never speculate iu works save such as have already ac-
quired a reputation which will ensure a cei tain sale. Thus
is the literary commerce of a great nation despoiled of its
lights—thus has it become the privilege and monopoly of
a cosmopolite commerce, through the carelessness and in-
justice of the nations of the ear th.
In a commercial point of view France loses, by this
crying injustice, from eight to ten millions yearly (from
320,0001, to 400,0001.) This abuse, which is alike fatel
to authors as well as commerce, is felt by all nations, but
the smaller States are the greatest sufferers thereby. A
property is merely nominal the right to which ceases at a
frontier distant perhaps but a few paces. What remune-
ration can be expected by an author or bookseller at Rome,
Florence, or Parma, when his works are shamelessly re-
printed at Naplee, Turin, Modena, or Milan ? In G er-
many the evil might be still greater. All unite in crying
aloud for an international law on this subject. The States
of Italy, with the exception of Naples, have decreed the
perpetuity of literary property to authors and their heirs.
Moreover they have decreed the internationaley of lite-
rary property. The publisher who prints counterfeited
editions of a work published by any of those States shall
be prosecuted by all and punished by all. Germany has
followed in the same track. Inter-Germanic piracy is
there prohibited.
" England, Austtia, Russia, and France, excited by
feeligs of justice more than by those of similar and equal
interests, all unite in their wish for an international law.
" The whole of Europe is at present inspired by the same
sentiments ; let Ft ance, then, gloriously take the lead.
A high place has been assigned to her in the 'list of na-
tions by the bands of her artists, by the pens of her
writers, and by the swords of her soldiers. Can she con-
sent to leave in negligence and spoliation those domains
of thought which have rrocured for her so bright a station
in the mph eof human intellect ? Ingratitude may be
useful to glory, as it tends to render it the more striking,
but it will never enrich a nation. How greatly arc we in-
dsbted to those whom we have so long despoiled of their
birthright ! Five or six immortal names is the nationality
of the past—poets, philosophers, orators, artists, states-
men, historians—remain fixed, in the memory as the
landmark of ages and of a people. Montaigne, as a scep-
tic, plays with ideas, and thenigives the circulation in a
modern garb—Paschal and Bossuet both have turned our
thoughts to God—Racine, Corneille, Moliere, and Vol-
taire, have given us pictures of the workings of the human
heart—Montesquieu discusses the institutions of emp'res—
Rousseau, Fenefon, and Mirabeau have each immortalised
our lite'aerre in their respective walks. Morals, civiliza-
tion, ir.fluence, government—France owes all to these
men. And perhaps our children may be as deeply in-
debted to those who may come after us. The everlasting
and inexhaustible patrimony of France is her intellect. 13
not the moment now come for constituting as personal
sroperty that useful portion which makes the dignity of
letters, the independence of authors, the patrimony of
%males, and the retribution of the State ?

" Allow me to aid, that the serious and legal constitu-
t!on of literary, a!tistical, and commercial property, will
be eminently conformable with those democratic princi-
ples which are the necessity: of our times. This nature
of propel ty bears in itself all that is wanting for demecra-
ciev. It is respect wi hout restraint— grandeur for some
without debasement for the many. Nobility has been
suppressed, but not gluey. This glorious g:ft, like other
gifts of God, is open to all, Genius a grand leveller,
but it is a leveller who raises the general level of man.
kind. Literary property is the fortune of democracy—
glory is the nobiiity of equality."

CORN-LAWS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Stn,—l will thank you to find a small space in your most
excellent Paper for the following facts, as they may induce
others to supply you with information from other districts of
the bane'ul effects of the Corn-laws. For your exertions
against them, the country never can repay you.
Lees, 31arch 26.

WORKING OF THE CORN-LAW SYSTEM.
'The advocates of a change in our Corn-laws are constantly
told, .‘ that if those laws are repeal:d, much of theland of the
country will go out of cultivation," and of course that the
present s} stem is highly advantageous to the landowners and
land-tillers. One fact is worth a thousand suppositions. . The
parish of Sadd!eworth, in the West Riding of Yorkshire; was
previous to the present Corn-laws one of the most wealthy and
prosperous districts in England, consisting mostly of small
freeholders carrying on the manufacture and fabrication of
woollen cloth ; but such has been the destruction of their
trade by the blighting and pestilential Corn-laws, destroying
their business, that there is at this moment not far from thirty
small farms in this parish untenanted, and in the hands of their
owners, on which an industrious manufacturing people once
lived comfortably, and kept a few cows fur family use.
his is not a solitary case, all manufacturing districts aro
similarly situated—empty mills and factories, empty houses,
empty shops, empty mansions, and empty farms. Could the
worst enemies of England have done more to destroy a great
and prosperous nation?
A FREEHOLDER OF SADDLEWORTII.

EXTENSIVE ROBBERY AT

WINDSOR CASTLE.

At a late hour on Friday night a mounted express ar.
rived at the private residence of the Commissioners of
Felice, Whit. hall-place hrit.ging information that a
robbery of a daring and most extensive nature had been
clremitted at Windsor Castle. The information we have
been able to collect is meagre, in consequence of the
police authorities wishing to keep the matter a profound
secret. We have, however, ascertained from a source we
can place implicit reliance on, that a gentleman holding a
very responsible situation in the castle, and the nature of
which enabled him at any time to hare access to the crown
plate and jewels, has absconded, taking with him property
of the above mentioned description to the amount, it is
said, of some thousands. On Saturday, at six A.M.,
Steed, one of the Inspectors appointed to do duty at the
palaces, accompanied by a Se,geant and five private con-
stables of the A division of police, left town for Windsor
for the purpose of making the necessary investigation as
to the manner in which the robbery was committed, and
if possible the retreat of the depredator.

ODE ON THE DEATH OF MOORE.

Every reader of Pope will remember the well-known

Garth did not write his own Dispensary ;

all, too, who are familiar with the lives of our Poets,
must recollect a shame-faced claim made in Ireland to
rob Akenside of his right to the authorship of his well-
known Pleasures of Imagination. These were attempts
made while their authors were yet alive—but in the
Edinburgh Advertistr of the 19th of March we find in-
serted a long correspondence, with credentials and affi-
davits of several kinds, to give to a new claimant the
far-famed ode on the burial of Sir John Moore—
Not a drum was heard, &c.

a poem heretofore attributed, without contradiction, to
the Rev. C. Wolfe, the author of a few poems of a very
plaintive and beautiful caste. The correspondence is
too long for insertion, but the drift and nature of it is
to this r. ffect :—That the poem was never claimed by
Wolfe, that it was first printed in the Newry Telegraph
of the 19th of April, 1817: that its rest author was
Mr. A. Mackintosh. in 1816 a student at Edinburgh,
and at this day parish schoolmaster at Temple, Lear
lidinburgb ; that a Mr. A. M. Hartley, of Glasgow,
had herd Mr. Mackintosh read it as his in 1816 or
1817 ; there are two other witnesses to the truth of
this, and the whole is vouched by the Rev. William
Muir, Assistant Minister at Temple, who seems to
have dragged Mr. Mackintosh from his comparative
obscurity into a little notice. Is there not something
suspicious in a claim so long delayed—resting on insufE-
cent testimony to do more than mettle a very univer-
sal belief that the Rev. Charles Wolfe was its author—
and the two facts that the poem first appeared in an
Irish, not a Scottish newspaper, and with the initials of
Mr. Wolfe :—C. W., nct A. M. for Mr. Mackintosh ?
Wolfe might have written it—he bas poems to attest
his abilities, but Mr. Mackintosh bas none. We know,
however, that there was such a person as Single-speech
Hamilton, who made his own one speech ; but we want
fresh vouchers before we believe in Mr. Single-song
Mackintosh.—Athencrurn.

MR. PLUME WARD'S NEW NOVEL.—Wet
are the new novel by R. Plumer
De Vcre," &e.,
Ward, Esq., author
or, the Constant Man," is pub-.
ent.fed 4, Do Clifford;mr.
Colburn, of Great Marlborough..
are requested to atate
oft
~
Trernaine,,,
~
draybynovihad at all the libraries. iNTr,
beublished the following new works
has also just P
Moneyed Man ; or, the Lesson of
„has also
The
a
street,lished this day
of fiction-1. _ Smith, Esq., 3 vole, the
" The En..
Life," by Horace
N 7 1"3 vole.''-3. " Society in cl. " b
n la, y
cnt a Novel," , 4, ,-, .__
gib-cin ' rficer 2 vuls.-4. ureville ;or a Season in
an Indian 0 ,
Gore,
3 vols.—and ,,
' by Mrs. . 5. Peter Priggins,
Paris."
Scout, Edited by Theodore Hook,. Egg-.
College .
the
,with Illustrations by Phiz.
vole
3 SpITALFIELDS WEAVERS' BALL.--The de-
pression of the silk trade in Spitalfields has been so ex-
tremely great during the last few months, that the poor
weavers who reside in that district have suffered under
unparalleled destitution. A representation of these cir.
cuinitances having been submitted to the Queen, her
Majesty has been graciously pleased to command that a
full dress ball, under her Majesty's immediate patronage,
shall take place at the Queen's Theatre for the benefit of
these unfortuntte families,Wednesday,the 19th of
on .
signified her
May next, on which occasion her Majesty has
intention of being present. Her Majesty has also been
please 1 to make It a request that ladies will, on that. even-
ing, wear dresses of Spitalfields manufacture.. Th
all eitphat-
terns have been selected by her Majestyt
numberspeci
specially
fwthosea vies: to the employment of the
grnedataer'e in the hands of
for whom the charity is inteuded,
and
ladies of distkne:,•,,,-,.;
the various silk mercers.
Sevaetronesses, a list - ^ whom'
have kindly undertaken to
be
eP
with the ,fames of
the
will shortly be published,
togethertwho meet at Will. 'is a Rooms,
Committee of Mauagereon ,
11 communications may be addressed
St. James's, to whom " ~., ,
IN THE QUEENS MENVS.—On
SUICIDE
Saturday, about six A.M., on the opening of. the stables
in the Queen's stables, Pimlico, the servants were alarmed
by seen
• the body of a man suspended by a cord from
g
one , f the pegs. It appeared that the unfortunate man
hul been dead for some hours, The deceased, whose
name was George Heater, had been one of her Majesty's
grooms or stablemen for some time. He was thirty-four
years cf age, and has left a wife and young family. It is
a singular circumstance that the deceased hung himself
from the very male peg from which one of her Majesty's
coachmen hung himself about three years since.

1

0)

`~i

d0Pigiram............-•

V 6(