The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-06-24 00:00:00

services

Another regulation, which we must notice, is one in
which the claims of Liverpool, as well as those of the
public, are, we think, somewhat overlooked. The im-
portation of the silk manufactures of Europe has been
hitherto restricted to certain specified ports in Great
Britain. Of these, Liverpool, although one of the
largest ports in the kingdom for the importation of the
manufactured silks of India and China, has not hitherto
formed one ; and by this act, although the privilege• is
conferred upon Southampton, the title of Liverpool to
be similarly favoured is not admitted. Why South-
ampton, we ask, be made a recipient of the manufac-
tured silks of Europe, and not Liverpool ? What great
silk market is Southampton the channel for ? Not to
that of London, certainly, from which the trade of the
South of England is supplied. Not to any other de-
mand, except that of the fashionable lady smugglers of
the southern watering places, who will still, we venture
to say, prefer the illicit channel and its delightfully
exciting hazards. On the other hand, Liverpool is the
port of the central market of England for manufactured
goods ; of the market to which the retailers of the en-
tire kingdom repair : and certainly, if it is proper that
she should be permitted to import the silks of every
other quarter of the globe, she ought also to be per-
mitted to share in the import of the silk goods of
Europe ! By the way, this is not the first time in which
this port has had to concede to the very inferior con-
sideration of Southampton. Can any of our readers

suggest the

reason why the latter

so signally favoured

and Liverpool so held in disparagement ?

To those regulations which affect the commerce of
the country generally we must take another opportunity
of referring ; but we cannot omit here, on behalf of
the literary world, our thanks for those regulations
provided for the protection of British authors from the
introduction into Great Britain of foreign copies of
their copyright works. For years past, the act of the
3d > and 4th William IV., by a clause in which this
practice was attempted to be put down, has been con-
stantly evaded ; and especially in the case of works not
reprinted in the united kingdom within twenty years,
and which by that act were permitted to be introduced
for .private use. The continental press has teemed
with such piracies ; and the bookshelves of half the
literary men of Great Britain have been loaded with
the works of their fellow authors from the publication
of which no benefit of copyright has been derived. By
the present measure, however, those particular clauses
which have, in operation, favoured the abuse in ques-
tion, are repealed after the Ist of October in the pre-
sent year ; and the stringent adherence to the law of
British copyright, by foreign booksellers, is insisted
upon. It will be seen, however, that as a condition of
this protection it will be necessary for authors or pub-
lishers "to give notice in writing to the Commissioners
of Customs that a copyright exists, and in such notice
to state when such copyright shall expire."

We have received a copy of the Western Australian
Journal, of the 18th December last. We find in it a
summary of the tenth annual report of the Agricul-
tural and Horticultural Society. As it is a document
upon which some reliance may be placed, we present
its chief features to the notice of our readers. It con-
firms the general opinion, that the past season has been
one of the finest experienced for agricultural pursuits,
the crops of grain being beyond the ordinary average;
at the same time, the regular succession of favourable
seasons for the growth of grain and other commodities,
left it a matter of deep concern that the colonists were
prevented from availing themselves of the great re-
sources of the colony, and to a very considerable ex-
tent, from the absence of sufficient hands to bring its
productive qualities into use. This want had in some
measure been reduced by recent arrivals, but they had
not been adequate to the means of employment.
The lambing season is spoken of in the most favour-
able terms. The fleeces were said to be got up, owing
to the healthy condition of the flocks, and increased at-

tention of the flockholders, in better condition than
usual. The greater part of the wool of the year's clip
would be forwarded to England by the Elizabeth, and.
there was every expectation of receiving favourable

returns

The subject of the price of land being rated equally
with those of other colonies is discussed, and the sys-
tem of the uniform sale of lands at 20s. per acre is
deprecated as prejudicial to the general interests of the
colony.

Under the head of horticulture, the increase in the
culture of trees of all kinds is favourably noticed, and
a recommendation is advanced of the introduction of
German and Moravian families, their attention to be
particularly directed to the management of vineyards.
The soil and climate are well adopted for the growth of
the vine, and the experience of years has confirmed the
general impression, that at no distant date this will be-
come a wine-growing country. There are in the colony
nearly 500 varieties of grape vines, many of the most
delicious flavour ; and, it is stated, the whole would be
esteemed if the opportunity of conveying them to India
and adjacent ports were afforded. The supply of hor-
ticultural productions would exceed the demand.

Our columns this day ( untain a notice of another
of those gratifying results of the faithful preaching of
God's holy word, which have of late blessed the
anxious and unremitting labours of the clergy of this
town and neighbourhood. On Sunday last, a respect-
able professional gentleman of the Romanist persuasion
publicly read a recantation of the dark errors of that
pestilent creed, in holy Trinity Church, Birkenhead ;
and was admitted, by the Rev. Joseph Baylee, into the
communion of our Protestant establishment ; and
several other Romanists who witnessed the solemn and
affecting ceremony, and who have been for some time
in communication with this zealous minister of Christ.