The Sun.
London, England, 1841-02-10 00:00:00

and that our artists should be encouraged to improve their
designs.—( Hear.)
Mr. MDR. itISON was of opinion that the competi-
tion in other countries tended to equalize the cost of pro-
duction in this country. He thought that the difference of
price in different countries could be regulated only ky the
diffeience in the cost of transmission from one country to
another. He thought that what was wanting in this co. i:-try was the improvement of English art. In truth, most
of the claims for originality rested upon this ques-
tion—which of the claimants had first copied thb foreign
design? The Americans were now able not only to
supply themselves with articles equal to ours in cheapness
arid quality, but also to supply China and other parts
of the world, and to drive us out of the market. He
thought that as the improvement of designs was of so much
importance to the manufacture, the designers ought to
have a protection for at least a whole season ; and he was
desirous of dating that protection from the time of ouhli.
cation. He did not think that the public would suffer by
the copyright being extended to a period of six months,
but he did not think it need be extended to a longer pe-
riod. The fact was, that that would he equivalent to ex- '
tending it for twelve months, as the same patterns were
never used in winter and summer. He was, there-
fore, of opinion, that a six months' protection would
be as much as the manufacturer would desire. He
was firmly persu idcd, in any cas.e, that a School of
Design should be established ; and it seemed to him
somewhat disreputable to former Governments, that the
country was still without one. It would he useless to
talk of making any progress in the art of manufacturing ca-
licoes unless they had such a school They would be
nble, in that case, to compste successfully with foreigners,
for they possessed some advantages ever them. In por-
trait landscaper, he believed, there was no doubt but
the artists of this country surpassed those of the Con-
tinent, however inferior they might be to them in his-
torical painting. He should conclude by repeating, that
when the time came he should vote for extending the
copyright of designs to a period of six months.—( Hear.)
Mr. WIL LI A d S said that after having paid great at-
tention to the evidence taken before the Committee who
had sat on that subject, he had come to an entirely different
conclusion from the Hon. Member for Belfast. He was
persuaded that a change in the present law of copyright
of designs would prove moat injurious to the ealieo.print-
ing trade of this country. The present law had been in
operation for more than fifty years, and during the whole
of that period, though many of the principal persons en-
gaged in the calico trade had seats in that House, not one
of those parties had proposed any alteration of the law.
He was sure that if they extended the period of protection
to designers, such a measure would be a source of endless
litigation. All designs were taken from the veget-
table ur animal world, and how was it possib'e that every
patteini taken from those sources could be a com-
pletely new one ? One of the largest ealieo.printers in
this country l:ad stated that 250,000 patterns were pro-
duced here annually; and there could be no doubt that
not less than 30,000,000 of designs bad been produced for
the last years. How then was it possible that new
patterns could be any thing more than u compound of the
old ones. If, there fore, they held the prospect of a higher
reward to designer=, they would be introducing a aseo,ure
which would probably Lad to litigat;oo and abuse. Under
these circumstances, ho would give his most decided op.
p isition to any attempt to extend the period of copyright
of design, from an impression that it would be most inju-
rious to ti at brie.' tnufactur,!s.

Mr. S pant TALFOU 11D did
ri,t mein to enter at
any length into the questio then before the House. He
could not, however, help saying, that having devoted many
years to a similar subject, he felt it was the duty of the
Legislature to protect the interests of those who devoted
their time to artistic,,' or literary labours. He sympa-
thised, therefore, in the exertions of his Hon. Friend the
Member fur Belfast, and he hoped his Hon. Friend would
be more successful than he ( Mr. Sergeant Talfourd)
had been in his undertaking. He would take the oppor-
tunity of saying, that though he had been defeated, he
was not convinced; and while he continued a Member of
the House he would do all in his power to insure a due
protection to those engaged in intellectual pursuits.
Mr. O'CONNELL said that the Hon. Member for In-
verness (Mr. Morrison) was manifestly right when he told
the house that the competition was daily increasing be-
tween British goods and those of foreign manufacture,
and that, in fact, the superiority in the finer qualities of goods
lay decidedly with foreigners, who displayed more taste,
more talent, more knowledge and skill, than the manufac-
turers of this country. They would best compete with their
rivals by holding out a sufficient reward to native industry.
The Hon. Member for Inverness would have granted a
protection of six months only to designers, while the lion.
Member had himself proved that twelve months were ne-
cessary. He wished the Hon. Member would convince
himself as he had convinced others on the subject. Now
as the only question seemed to be whseher the protec-
tion should be granted for six or twelve months, he
hoped the House would consent to grant the protection
to talent for the longer period ; for, after all, it was a
pitiful question whether six months only, or twelve
months' protection should
.be granted?
Mr. HUME thought that his Hon. Friend, who had
just sat down, was going a great deal too far.—( A
laugh.) Was he certain that the granting protection
ensured excellence ? How was it that other countries
excelled without protection being afforded them ? 'The
manufacturers of chintz in Switzerland had never been
excelled, and there they had no protection. He
mentioned that country, because there they had no
Custom-houses, and the Swiss manufacturer laboured
under the disadvantage of having to bring the raw
materials a lung way by land to his manufactory.
He thought instead of extending the time they ought
rather to consider whether the three months at present
allowed was not too much, whether they ought not to do
away with all protection. The whole doctrine of protec-
tion was a fallacy. The witnesses who had been exa.
mined said that three months was no protection, and if so
there could be no harm in doing away with it. He thought
the Government should correct the errors:of the old times,
and do away with protection altogether. The true way
to excel was to pay attention to those arts by which our
manufactures might be made superior—we were superior
in weaving, why should we not be in all other arts.? He
for one thought that all protection should be withdrawn.
Mr. BRO THE RTON thought the House ought to
pause Lefore coming to a decision, when they considered
the conflicting nature of the testimony given before the
Committee, and that the Report in favour of copyright had
only been carried by a majority of one. There was some-
thing like justice in asking, as the Learned Sergeant had
done, for a copyright for authors ; but who would stand
up and ask for a copyright for b ,oksellers ? Yes that was
what was sought to be obtained by the present Bill These
designs were not the inventions of the master printers
themselves—they were purchased by them for a few shil-
lings, and this Bill was to enable them to make rapid for-
tunes, by taking advantage of the inventions of others.
He agreed with the Hon. Member for Kilkenny, that there
was no necessity for any copyright at all. It took
two months to prepare the plates before a design could
be struck off, so that after any design appeared it would
be three months probably before a ce, y of it could bu in
the market. The Bill would give rise to endless litigation.
He did not sse how it was possible to distinguish between
a copy and an original pattern, and unless a system of re-
gistration were established it would be impossible for the
honest tradesman to know whether the designs he might
purchase were copies or not. The Bill was calculated to
favour the few at the expense of the many, arid he thought
itin
the pre
was Lest to
law.
Mr. len.
twwell alone, and net make any alteration
Mr. WARBURTON thought his Hon. Friend the
Member for Kilkenny went too far. He thought,
with regard to the copyright both in literary works
and mechanical inventions, no one could say that
no remuneration ought to be afforded to the inventors.
The great object to be keps in view was to reconcile the
interests of the inventors with those of the public, to give
some short period of copyright, just sufficient to act as a
stimulus to the inventor, and, having done so, to secure the
reversion to the public. That was the proper principle to
found a Bill as regarded literary copyright, and the copy-
right of designs. If, as the Hon. Member for Inverness
stated, the foreigners were so rapidly approaching us,
that, in two or three years, they would be able to manu-
facture as cheaply as ourselves, they ought not to extend
the copyright an inch beyond the time absolutely neces-
sary, as the designs might otherwise be carried to foreign
countries, where fsc similes would be produced ata cheaper
rate than the original was, inasmuch as they would nut
have to pay the original designer. lie thought the term
proposed by the Bill would be a hazardous term for the
export trader of this country if it wet c carried into effect.
Mr. EMERSON TENNENT replied, and the reso-
lution was carried, reported, and leave given to bring in
the Bill.