Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1853-04-13


session, to have had under Il .cussion two CON
stitutional questions, involving points hitherto
unndjudicated. The first grew out of the pro-
posed treaty providing for reciprocal copy
right law between the United States and
Great Britain, and presented an issue as to
how far the treaty.making power, deyolv-
ed by the constitution upon the President and
Senate, conferred authority to make laws by
treaty-and the second arose, incidentally, it is
said, out of the consideration Of proposed
treaty between this government and Switzer-
land, granting permission TO the citizens of each
country to acquire. hold and dispose of lard.
or other real property, in the dominion Of the
other.
In regard 10 the latter proposition, it is con-
tended, on the one hand. that the general gov
eminent possesses plcnary power IN this res
pcct, and has frequently exercised it It's trea-
ties with foreign governments On The other
hand, it is maintained, with greater reason we
think, that the States within which the lands lie
have the exclusive aud absolute right to regu-
late the conditions under which real estate
may he acquired and held within their Jjnris-
dicton, and that the federal government can
not. without an invasion Of the reserved rights
of the States, undertake to enact and enforce
laws upon the subject 1t would be different,
we suppose, with the public lands-over which
the federal government has, by special provs-
ION of The constitution, supervisory control;
but even concerning these the proper mode OF
comforting such right would be by law of Con-
gross and not by treaty. Special grants of land
TO aliens have, in this way, been frequently
made.
In respect to the first proposition, we are of
opinion that the question Of an international
copyright is peculiarly proper one to be de-
tormined by the House of Representatives, in
conjunction with the other branches of the gov
ernment. 1t is emphatlcally peoples ques-
ton one that comes home directly or re-
motley to the fre-sdes and pockets OF every
citizen. | the President and Senate have the
power to negotiate, they should forebcar to use
it. and submit it to the immediate representa-
nves Of the people. 1t is not known that the
Senate took any decisive action in either case
JOHN BULL BEAT AT HIS OWN Tricks u Y
BROTHER JoNATHAN.-The New VIZ Timn0
states thai !! !: nas been habit, for year or
TWO, with several of the large English pub.
fishing houses, 10 print costly editions of their
works for the English market, and at the san ie
time an edition specially designed for the A =
morican market-printing them in an inferio r
style, upon cheaper paper, and selling them at
reduced price. The name of an American
publisher is generally inserted on the title page;
but the books are printed in England This is
done to forestall the American reprint Recent
y, a New York Publisher made large coll
lection OF these English printed books, re- ship
ped them to London. where he offered them
at such prices as to very largely underseH the
expensive English editions, upon which the
publishers had calculated to make large profits;
and these gentlemen are thus made the losers
by their own ingenuity. 1t is said a good deal
of excitement exists among the London pub
fishers in consequence Of this return upon their
own heads Of their own inventions