Star.
London, England, 1808-06-23 00:00:00

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The Mint Ports AiII tegitzipt
was doh received, and gse r.se be reaCtialniMale=
o Friday. -
The IrsolvintliebientaA 7...0rds was read a hist'
tone, and ordernlJt4l, , , ;ton Friday, and to be
rinted.and dititind; be rsit'
• Repo rt__ to r to-morrole—the
'Broil postage Bill, the Collie Customs and Excise Doty Bills.
Rad a thirdotime and passed—the Southern Whale Flattery
80, the stlkDuties Bill, the' Eachequ'lr Bahl Bjil, the Tower
/wakes indlty Bill, Macdovters Esrate.lllll, the IdA Dad
•
Sill
• • ?dr. WHARTON, brought lip tbe,relpori'tif the sente,Outp..
ware Bill, and the Bill was ordered to bi icia a third rise onj
Friday next.
• Mr. WHARTON also brought up the 4Torrof the xaisontu
:fight Annuity Sale Commissloneri Bill, which via" ordered to be
/id a third time ta.rnorrow, and then engrossed.,
PRIVATTLY STLACINO.
The Report of Sir SAMdif.ROMILLT'S till for repealing the
"acute of Queen Elisabeth respecting privately stealing, was
*ought up, and the amendments were road a second cline, and.
weed to, and the. Bill atteriitrald birsoald 41,411,4 io-
sorrow.
• 14t0g*aect011".
• •
Mr. ROSR moved the. lintillng Of this Bill, which be
'sod to be merely an exteaudon of the general Prize* Au Of the
16 of the King, to Danish ships, atc.
•sr C. POLE said, that when the came to be eemoduca,
k world feel it his duty to Wray an addit(ong clause.
-2
The Bill was read a secoadilane and ordered to be committvw
COPYRIGHT.
Mr. VIL.LIERS Autvecl the committal of the
,copyright Bill. : • . .
Mr. WYNNE would hale no to the mo-.

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objection to
flan If it were intended merely to fill up the blanks at
-}eartt. The subject certainly deserved a great deal
'owe consideration than could now be given it. He
*eight in general that the time during which the
Author ought to have the sole right to his works
might to be diended. He said, that vesting eleven
copies in public libraries would be of the worst conse-
' euence. There were some books so valuable, that if
eleven copies were to be thus given away, it might
• trove a bar to the publication. The Bodleian library
,oeuld be full in three years at this rate, and all the
useful books covered up with novels, pamphlets, &c.
thought that the Bill ought at least to stand over
fsr consideration.
' Mr. VILLIERS stated? that the objects which he
.had in view in theßill, were two : first; to extend the
Copyright to 28 years absolutely; and, next, to pro-
vide for the due execution 'of the Bth of Anne, by
' obliging Authors of new publications to furnish co-
pislo certain public libraries. As the law stood at
present an Author had first a Copyright of 14 yeaKs,
,and for another 14 years if he lived all that time. By
•this means it was obvious, that the Authors of less
laborious and valuable works had an advantage liver
-him, who might, dining a long life, be engaged in
some great work. This it was intended to remedy
'by extending the period in all cases to 28 years, tor
'loan Author's rePresentatives when he died.- As to
1-11 he sending of copies to libraries this would be fa.
Towable to the sale of the works.
' . Mr. ABERCROMBIE concurred with his Ho-
_iegable Friend (Wynne) in the opinion that the
;X ought not to pass this Session. It so much af.
'rector/ the property pi Authors, Booksellers and Prin.
tors in the United King.dom, that the object ought to
be generally circulated—and the subject maturely
caosidered. The giving copies to public libraries
ssoulabe a tax upon Authors, as the Bookseller in his
contrice would always deduct a sum proportioned to
the eleven copies so furnish.ed.
The Bill was then conunitted, the Repeat Ibrektglit
and read.
The ArrottivEy GtliltßAL said, that the
:so great objects of the Bill were to extend the time
/the author's copy-right, and to vest copies in the
libraries, as was intended by the Bth of Anne. He
&d not think that the objections as to library copies
kulinuch weight. He proposed, therefore, that the
Bill should be divided, and that a Bill providing for
vesting copies in the libraries should be passed now ;
and that the other part should be postponed. When
the Legislature conferred this valuable privilege of
copy-right on authors, it was but a reasonable return
to give sway these copies. He moved, therefore, that
the Bill be recommitted, with a view to divide it.
a. Cdr. WYNNE opposed this, on the ground that no
complaint had been made on the part of the Univer-
. lilies or other public bodies. The hardship on au-
Ilirs would be great, and he had a petition against
litincrasure from some of the principal booksellers in
. on. At this period of the Session, therefore, the
?a ought not to be passed, and he moved that the
Report be taken into farther consideration this day
three months. •
Lord H. PETTY agreed with the Attorney-Ge-
-004 that the vesting of the copies ought iinmedi-
stay to pass, as it was nothing else than carrying. the
lunation
nts of the country were concerned irthaving the best
'books in the public libraries. As to the other point,
;Pfiartainly required consideration, and ought to be
astponed.
Sir S. ROMILLY could not concur in this propo-
sition, far he thought that the part intended to be
passed was the most objectionable. The granting of
the wended period of copyright was not objection-
aisiet_ at an. He said that these vested copies would
be an enormous tax on many individuals who pub-
lishedZ valuable works, and of such a nature that
Ip
Ow/ want no copyright.
lie ATTORNEY-GENERAL agreed that it
!WE be hard on persons wha did not want any copy-
*to give these copes, and in the Committee he
loncdd move that thnoopies should not be required of
sedt persons. . •
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL supported the
*tole of the measure, but if it was thought by others
ail7isable to separate the Bill; he would not object to
this
proceeding.
Mt. STEPHEN observed, that the Judges had
siren it as their opinion, that authors had a perma-
nent Copyright at Common Law ; and if this was
lks easeful* author did not get any benefit by the Act
',Anne. Wowerer, he thought that authors would
lte benefited by the notoriety which their works would
receive from being vested in public libraries. But
still there was, at least, as much objection to the vest-
of copies, as to the extension of the term of Copy-
11,10n, and he therefore did not see the use of the divi-
aenproposed.— The Bill was then re-cOmmitted.
Mr. W. small...wag 'sorry that he had not come
the House sooner ; bnit thoNieche lost the first
unity,he could not but still o tto the meaz-nre
:either, as far as its passing this session was
'con-
Situd. He did not know that he should, at a future
Period, object to the proposed extension of copyright

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