Star.
London, England, 1814-07-19 00:00:00

COPY-RIGHT DILL.

Qn the motion of Mr. 1). GIDDY the order fut
t be further consideratton of the Kt:port upon the
t ....op-right sill was read.
• . r. C. W. WYNNE said, that he felt some difb-
c ulty upon the subject ofthis 1111 At i
—1... A- events hi
c said not help e siaressiug his 'egret that no provisivi.
„ ,4 made LO ;prevent any of the Untvel sates hum

selling the books with which they might be furnished
in consequence of the measure. This regret be was
induced to express, by a hint which had been thrown
out that some of the Scots Universities were likely to
sell new works, with a view to apply the produce to
the purchase of old and foreign books, tor the supply
of their libraries.
Mr. W. DUNDAS bore testimony to the charac-
. ter of the Scotch Universities, asserting the improba.
bility of the intention stated by the Learned Gentle-
man.
Mr. CROKER spoke in favour of the University

of Dublin.
Mr. J. P. GRANT observed, that it appeared a.
great hardship upon booksellers, that they should be
.
obliged to furnish gratis to the Public Libraries and
Universities the eleven copies mentiooed in the fill.
The Learned Gentleman spoke struogly in favour of
the Universities of &fie:tad.
After a few words from Mr. SMYTH of Cambridge,
Mr. CROKER proposed a clause which he deemed
necessary to rescue from great inconvenience the pub-
Ushers of Ireland and Scotland, namely to provide •
that the delivery of a copy of any work to any Public
Library or University in Ireland or Scotland, bolded
to receive it, should be deemed equivalent to a deli-
very of the same to Stationer's Hall, in London.—
Agreed to.
Sir E. BRYDGES gave notice of a motion for to.
morrow. for an Amendment in the Bill to extend fur-
ther the period of Copy-right.
A verbal alteration was made in the Bill, upon the
motion of Sir J. Marrows, with regard to the Scotch
Universities.
Mr. C. W. WYNNE spoke against the delivery of
books gratis to the several Universities. as the Bill di.
rected, for this he conceived an unjust tax upon au.
thors and booksellers. As to the argument that the
delivery of these books was advantageous to the book-
sellers, by rendering the work better known, he
thought that quite a fallacy. Indeed, if it were just
he should suppose that every publisher would be for.
ward to make a present of his work to every chattel.
ing library. Certainly through such libraries a new
work would be more likely to become known, and ob-
tain purchasers, than through the University libraries.
But he presumed to think, that the booksellers w told
he hardly inclined to adopt such a project for adver.
Wing and dis!:os g of their works. Recurring to
the supply ofoft a Uuiversities, he was of opinion that
a sum should be rather granted from the public purse
to enable them to purchase new works, than to hn.
pose upon publishers the tax proposed in this Bill. The
sum for that purpose need not, in his judgment, ex-
ceed £2500 a year, to all the Universities, and surely
ouch a sum ought rather to be allowed, than enact
the provision of this Bill, which wescalculated to dis-
courage the exertion, by reducing the reward of talent
ind science. The Learned Gentleman observed, that
the funds of several of the Universities were amply
sufficient to purchase books, without any public grant.
or any ta; upon liusrary industry. Fur instance, he
knew that the University with which he was connect-
i:d (Oxford) felt no solicitude whatever upon the sub-
ject. He also observed, that one copy of every new
work might suffice for the two public libraries of
fLtlinborgh, and one also for the two public libraries
ot Dublin, to each of which this Bill provided that
copy should be sent. Thus publishers were unneces-
sarily taxed, and when the very high price of some
works were considered, the amount of Otis taxation
might be easily appreciated. The Hon. Member con-
cluded with expressing a hope that the discussion of
this measure would lead to the adoption of some plan
next session, which should be more conducive to tile
advantage of the Universities, and to the general in-
terests of science and literature, than any Bill of this
nature was ever likely to d
Mr. 1). GIDDY :::pressed his entire concurrence
in the general ooservations of the Learned G..,,t:e-
-man, particularly in the wish and hope that in the
next Session some pecuniary Fovision would be made
'Tom the public purse, to supply the public libraries
with new books, and thus to relieve the booksellers
from the hardships of which they complained.
Mr. W. SMITH thought the Universities ought to
rrLiiii4;„;-, ?eity advantage which the clause under
tiscussion proposed to .-cure to them, for it was corn.
paratively of lath. value to them, while by levying a
tie upon publishers, it was too likely to form a serious
impediment to the promulgation of knowkdge. He
happentd to belong to a Society, which subscribed to
procure the publication ot the very valuable produc.
;ions of Mr. Smeaton, the celebrated engineer, and it
was found that the bookseller could not sell a copy at
less than seven guineas and a halt. Now he submit.
ted to the candid consideration of the House whether
eleven copies of such a work did not form r.aner too
serious a deduction from the profits of those lit whose
immediate benefit the work was published ; and also,
whether such a deduction was not peculiarly calculi.
tel to impede the progress of knowle.ige ? Such a
tax upon literary industry would not, lie hoped, be al-
lowed to survive the next Seasion, fit its existence
was evidently oner ,us upon publishers, while it was
really degrading to the parties benefited by it, and
materially injurious to the interests of the public.
Mr. HORNEIt thought that a very limited view
had been take,' of the advantage resulting from the
grants to Universities, which formed the subject of
discussion. For through the grants, with toe sup-
ply of books which the several public libraries posses-
sed, authors ot every clam were; enabled to find at
such libraries all the materials of knowledge. Thus
.are interests of literature were promoted, and anthem
derived from the public libraries a degree of :wean-
'age which much more than counter-balanced any
diminution ot profit they might sustain by supplying
ich with a copy of their productions. As to what
i:vea reallywas
the
result
vmeducthhamt oirne mofolcaamseseotht
thataohiugthaptryiLe
had been said respecting the very high pric,c of books,
of extrinsic decoration and mere b.nding than so in-
trinsic met it, and that too many booksellers were now
become rather furniture brokers Man the ministers of
literature. (Hear, hear.) He had himself witnessed
a striking example of this taste. It was notorious
that me works of Grey night be bought for Is. ; but
he had lately seen at a bookseller's a u,sik entitled
he " Remain: vt Grey," e,imprelientling nothing else
titan that author's colitnicit-place book which neitli-r
he hapset', nor his ex ,:clitor, Mr. Mawr,
ever theuglit
worth publishing. T.os book. however, was is
printed on supe, tor pAper, spie d dl
it y bound au,! dc•
..kirAted, published ac less this'. seven guineas s.tell
copy. Could it then be deemed
a treat grievance,

4

Ilk

i -
ilor

Mr. CROKER conceived, that all authors must
be proud of contributing to the supply of those great
reservoirs of literature, which enabled so many of
them to write for the public advantage, and their
Own credit. Therefore he could not subscribe to the
objection urged against the proposed grants to the
several public libraries; and as to the booksellers,
they could not suffer by those grants, for they would
always take care to make the consumer or purchaser
of their books pay every tax to which they might be
subjeded. There was no reason, indeed, to appre-
hend that these gentlemen would ever fail to take
care of their own interest.

Mr. MARSH said, the privilege in question on in times not very favourable to property or
liberty, namely, in the reign of Charles 11. and was,
he believed, an act of regulation and police to re-
strain the liberty of the press.
Sir E. BRYDGES was against the Bill. An Hon.
and Learned Gentleman had "mentioned as an in-
stance of the modern abuses of the art of book-malt-
ing, that though :ill the works of the immortal poet
Grey were to be had for a shilling, the booksellers
had lately got up two quarto volumes of his remains,
the price of which was 7 guineas. Now if all that
was good was to be had for a shilling, there was no
great evil in refusing the Universities those two Co.
volumes which cost so much and were worth nothing.
Mr. SMITH spoke in reply.
The Bill was then ordered to be engrossed, and
Lead a third time to-morrow.

Mr. MARSH presented the petition he had previ.
+=sly Alluded to, from Mr. Fisher, stating his labours
in making drawings of various subjects of antiquity
throughout thi: kingdom, to the number of near 50(X),
to which some letter-press description was necessary.
He had specimens of painting earlier than the time at
which Lord Orford thought no such things existed in
this country. The petitioner complained of the ex-
nse he must incur by giving the eleven copies.—
Ordered to_ lie on the table.
Mr. CROKER moved that the House to-morrow
resolve itself into a Committee of the whole House, to
consider farther of the gracious Message of the Prince
Regent, respecting the Duke of Wellington.
Lord PALMERSTON brought in the Agent Ge-
nerals' a first time, and ordered to be
read a second time to-morrow.
Lord PALMERSTON brought in a Bill to defray
the expences of the Local Militia.—Read a first time
and to be read a second time to-morrow.
Sir T. AC KLAND presented a Petition from Great
Stanmore aipinst the Slave TrAde.—Adjourned.

HALIFAX PAPERS.

MONTREAL, JUNE 11.

1c is with extreme regret we have to acquaint the
the unfortunate result of a gallant enter-
prize by the ••ate of our squ uh on on Lake Ontario,
under the command of Captains f',.ph am and Spils-
bury, of the Royal iJ ivy, against a flotilla of the
enemy's craft, laden with ri:vial stores, which had got
into Sandy Creek on its war [mom Oswego to Sac.
kett's Harbour. On the mortunk of the 29th ult. a
'arge boat, with two '24 pnunJers, ..:nd a 19i-inch
calile, for the enemy's new ship, was captured by our
squadron, having sailed fr. m Oswego, the evening
before, with 13 others. Captains Popham and Spiii-
but y, with two gun-boats, and some smaller craft,
having on board about 200 seamen and marines, en-
tered the Creek on the morning of the 21st, where the
enemy's flonik being shortly afterwards discovered,
parties were landed on each side of the Creek, and
proceeded together with the boats, without opposi-
tion, to within about a quarter of a mile of the enemy,
when suddenly a considerable force, consisting of 150
riflemen, nesriy 200 Indians, and a numerous body
of militia and cavalryt attacked and soon overpowered
our small party, whose gallant resistance to such
numbers proving unavailing, a surrender became in-
dispensible to save our brave men from certain death.
Our loss on the occasion was 19 killed, and 50
wounded. Ms. Hoan, Master's Mate of the Mon-
treal, is among the killed, and Lieutenants Cox and
Veagh, of the Marines, are severely wounded. The
boats also fell into the hands of the enemy.

P*OII THE NATIONAL INTELLIGENCES.

or public rnjustice, if a bookseller were punished in
being obliged to dispose of eleven copies of such a
work gratis
Mr. MARSH said, if he bed been present in the
Committee on this Bill, he should certainly have felt
it his duly to move the omission of that clause which
went to .sve to the Universities eleven copies of all
books published in the United Kingdom. He did
not enter the House in time, or he should have pre-
sented a petition from a Gentleman connected with
the East India House, named Fisher, who, it ap.
peered, had travelled all over Great Britain, for the
purpose of collecting specimens of painting, architec-
ture, and the arts, fOr the piii pose of hereafter pub.
lishing them, with plates and illustrations ; but who,
having finished his wok with respect to one county
only, that of Bedford, was deterred by the great ex.
pense of the work, and the necessity of presenting the
Universities with eleven copies of it, from proceeding
further. This was a proof of the tlisadvahi age which
arose from the existence of such a law ; and he had
no doubt that many other instances, of a similar
nature, might be cited. The Hon. Gentleman con-
cluded by giving notice, that he should, on the third
reading of the Bill, move to omit that clause in the
Bill which went to allow eleven copies to the Uui.
versifies.

Whilst France contended for the dominion of Eu-
rope, and menaced even Russia with subjugation, it
was natural that the usurpations of England on the
ocean should be tolerated ; but, from the moment
that danger disappears, the galling oppressions of
England way, in their turn, have the due effect, and
AMC with a like resistance. Since the year 11307,
Russia has been a leading Power in support of neu-
tral rights ; and we trust that her present illustrious
Sovereign will, in that respect. follow the example
of the Empress Catherine. The late offer of his me.
diation is a strung proof that he is not indifferent to
that policy ; while the rejection of it by the British
Government may, perhaps, operate with him as an
additional motive to pursue it. Sweden, Denmark,
Prussia, and Spain, have the same interest; as have
likewise the United Netherlands, should they be-
came independent. Of France we will remark only,
that should a Peace be made on such conditions as to
secure from future apprehensions the other Powers of
the COMinellit we way reasonably expect her joint
•

. •
and harnionhing .oti.bieitat3oii ivith th. dna in tile...4n*.
system. Whatever main be the tone which the Bri-
tish Government assumes in the negotiation at Got-
tenblirgi,i or the part which the Baltic Powers take
in the questions depending there, it is incumbent on
the United diates to support, with a manly firmness,
the rigists for which we contend. Confident in our
resources—in the virtue, the patriotism, and energies
of our fenny..-citizens, we have nothing to fear from
the hostility of Englandi should her Government,
by vainly attempting to dictate unjust and dishonour-
able conditions, impose on us the necessity of prose-
cuting the war.