The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-07-18

Yesterday public meeting Of authors. publish.
era PRINTERS saatoners. and Others interested in
sss safs"ci u copytisht was held at the Hanover
~lafv s00inE, 40 take Into consideration the pre
ssns stale ~ ne laws relating thereto 40 recently
iutsrpfe4ed by the Court u Error Sir Edward
suissf Lytton. Bart, occupied she chair. and was
ssap4s~rxsd ~ NJ. n. g.. bobn. Dr. Worthing too
NJ. w. Ho~isi. Mr. John Briston, MIR. G Jeffreys.
~ q, csclkshank. Mr.. Maeiariane. Mr.. n. Ii
Hofur. Ac.
ml Bsl~er. Ire chairman, in opening the pro
cnsdings, said he bad been requested 10 take the
chair - shls 1aesiing which had been convened in
saes a. sfiafd an opportunity OF bringing before
~ putiir question which was cot only interest
Gag n itssf. bus hghiy important 20 all who pos
ssNse1 pfepeFiy IA literary copyright The object
a tss pfssens mestng wa 90 ascertain the gene
ga ips.ns spoA this ssb5scil and, although there
slight - esntisnsn present shosc views were OPP
posed 70 his g~n be should freely express his opin
o's duty % give an impartial hearing TO all who
u,aFhi tnHk proper 10 take any part in the discus
st,s W. would commence his observations by
httnsinK under their notice shs legislative enact
nitnts ~hieh efiectct thAn question, and he would
nfst call fheif attention 60 the stb Anne by which
act, snd cthsr acas confirming aud extending
!. eoryuKbt sss given 70 authors In their works.
TIE ssct q thi~ measure Was 70 show that the OBJ
lest "a the legislature 10 DO that which would
| - advantageous 20 their own countrymen, and
Dot ~ ceaisf tensbL upon foreigners or Aliens.
tnsAl very lately foreign authors had no pocu-
r.@fy isssess IN is question, bseauss every author
~pfAs Is ihe language ~lh which his o~n coun-
lfy vac fxrsstA.f he now begged ttis fnct 10 be
eisnFtsa, ssas authors had az various times pub
shta thcif sofss bret la other countries than their
o~e. sei 90 much sor The cake u pecuuiary bcnc.
Hts - IN tbs parpose u safety. One Of the most
crietrstsa French writer's, yolsalre, had agitated
tla question, bss he coald not obtain a copyright
~ sis works in other countries and he constantly
rosnpi@Snsd "a mutllatcd piracies. A few years az
~ Ne passing " ihs act ~ Anne, voltsfre came
y hnEiAfsag sad comnnnced in London the foun-
astaen "a nee fpfsanss. Nc conceived tho idea OF
Feisiiahag nss poem % the -iienradc'' by sub
scrpftun. and the iist VI nance wes headed by the
Psincss~ ~ Wales. He was then intimate with
sol1e 81 the tnost eminent statesmen and authors
81 bnsiand Amongst those was Boiingbroke
~bo was Al that time an Influential member of The
government and ono u the most powerful MEM
bsrs u tast Parliament by which the act Of Anne
had t~en p2ssed,
bad intended 20 give copyright TO foreigners,
voitasrt would bnye been informed Of it but no
such circumstance ever occurred, was that dis
tingu4shed author ever led 90 believe that be- ma
Great Bri.ain. This was an interesting fact TO
consider, and " ~as alec Interesting 10 recolleci
that tbe subscription ga.scd by the slIenrindev
amounted 70 Eo,0n0s that IL tho moro purchase
% the work could have given copyright 10 the
author, be would assursdly have been entitled
60 H. foltsire corrccted second and a third edi
ii0n u this work. The latter appearing in London
Ia abs year lsS, and 90 little copyright did he pos
WAS Published containing none OF the corrections
or improvements which Noltaire had adopted in
thoee editions which be had himself published
Ater THE foisaire produced an essay on epic poet
~. which was written i'm English, published in
London, and afterwards translated into the French
language. voltaiFe dislikcd the manner in which
the work was translated, aud be made many cor
rectsons.
II ever there was case which was calculated 10
show THAI foreign authors were not intended 10 be
protected by tho legislature Of this country Il was
30 be fouDd n this instance for the work in ques.
ton was rcpabiishsd without the sanction OF the
author, and with series Of blunders which had
nearly driven the great Frenchman mad. At
subsequent period collected edition Of Voltairc's
writings was published at Oxford. containing those
works which hrss appeared In London, aud in this
edition the great author not even called by his
ususl name. He ftho chsirman) considered this
a remarkable case, N showing that, notwithstand-
ing the high position held by soltaire In the world
OF literature, he never had any reason for suppos-
Ing that be, AZ foreigner, could DO possessed Of
copyright In England.
HE would not fatigue the meeting by alludinc 10
the matter OF litigation which hrst brought this
question into dispute but he would merely observe
that the subject was not aEtated until the year
1882, and II was only one or two years ago that q
case of " Boosey o.. Purday" was adiudRed by Mr.
Baron Roife, now Lord Cranworth. who decided
that the act OF Anne was intended for the benefit Of
Engsh authors and English learning, and that, by
the mere fact OF first publishing in this country,
foreigner was not entitled 10 a copyright in his
work. This Judgment had recently been reversed
by decision Of Lord Campbell, who had stated
that he saw no reason Tor supposing that the act OF
Anne wAs intended 10 exclude foreigners from the
benefit OF its provisions; but that the contrary he
considered that the foreign author was entitled TO
the same privileges and advantages as a native. |
HE did not for a moment doubt that this was an
impartial decision on The part Of Lord Campbell,
who added the position Of Of letters 10 the
honor and dignity OF his forensic requirements;
but u appeared TO him that Lord Campbell had re-
garded the matter according TO abstract view OF
literature philosophy, or political economy, rather
than In reference to an absolute adjudication Of
the question In reviewing the decision of Lord
Campbell, and in rendering his objections 20 a. the
honorable chairman proceeded TO observe that the
learned Judge had quoted the acts of Edward Nv. |
and Richard III, 10 show that in those early
times the legislature desirod 10 encourage the in.
PRODUCTION OF foreign books into ths country, with
a view TO sell them here. No ddibt that such was
the cnse, and the act Of Anne repealed this pro-
vision; but the question was, whether an author |
was justified in consgning his works TO one pub |
lisher, whether he bad right 10 reach the pub.
lie through variety Of channels.
According to his (sir 4. Bulwer Lytion's view
OF the case, the construction of the act by Lord
Campbell would tend rather 20 impede than 10 en- |
courage She diffusion OF Learning, There are two
Rapin and Dcoime; aud these authors he mention. |
ed az having copyright In this country. Now, &C
cording TO the information he 1.-THE chairman) had
IL appeared that neither Rapiu nor De. 4
showed how difficult ID for judgc--howeyer
crudite, as Lord Campbell undoubtedly was---to /
come TO correct decision upon subject Of this ma
ture. The honorable gentleman then proceeded /
to trace the progress which had been made by our /
writers in the publication Of their works abroad;
and he observed that ON the continent q reading
public had boon formed. consisting partly of for. /
cigners and partly OF our own countrynen, who 1
purchased books without contributing 10 the ben
chs either Of English author or English publisher.
II was an extraordinary fact that, owing 70 the
facilities which existed Tor publishing works nj /
cheap rate without advantage 20 tho author, there
was in all parts OF literature considerable dimi-
mutton Of sale La the lighter literature Of this /
country, with which he (ihe chairman) was more
familiar, Icheers,l larger numbers OF
books were purchased for the circulating libraries,
and therefore this branch OF the business might be
said TO be sufficiently remunsratiye. But looking
1t the grnver iitersturc--which the act OF Anne
was more particularly intended 10 encourage he /
might observe that those works Belonging 10 lais
lass sold but slowly, and an amount of two or
three hundred copies would make el the difference
between profit and ioss Those who might be con
sidered babtual readers must have observed thai /
hat branch Of literature which WAS commonly
Jailed the Bellies Leitrcs had bean gradually be-
soming extinct, and this fact he regarded isnd-
ng 70 show that the encoura cement 10 English an.
-. a. -