New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-09-03
BOOKS And PAPERS IN TIE ISLE OF N4N
Iron, The RooI.sclle-

From The Bookseller.
The little kingdom IN the Irish Channel-the Isle
of Man, with population of fftytwO or hfty-three
thousand, enjoys the blessings, OF otherwise, OF
Home Rule 1t has It's House OF Keys COMPOSED OF
the ballot and It's Council, con- posed OF the OIL
cials of the island It's history commences at very
early period and is made up OF facts ana very mum
more of fiction. The inhabitants have been cele-
brated for belief in witches, ghosts, and falrles
and other superstitons which attracted the atten-
ton OF sir Walter Scott Is this to be accounted Tor
nv the fact that at the end of the last cen fury
books and booksellers were almost absent from the
island Wood. the tourist. who wrote interesting
descriptions of tours to parts of the king
dom visited the Isle of Man in lsOS, when he
found only one person who sold books. and he was
Lv.trade a book binder. He tried TO purchase
sheet of blottIng paper, but found that so super
duous and needless an article was not tO be had.
But a newspaper, The Marks Mercury Gnd BT1scoes
Douglas Adrsrtiser was published III IIJ2, and had
an existence of fifteen years.
The island had the privilege of sending newspa-
pers through the post TO any part OF the Kingdom
free and the publishers had the further privilege OF
inserting adv refreshments without paying duty, at
the time when the English papers had 70 pay one
shilling and slxpence to the Government for each
advertisement, in addition to the newspaper stamp,
which also was not required IN the island:
This caused several publications to be printed
in the island solely to save postage. stamp
inerfered and stopped the free circulation OF Manx
publications through the post, instead OF five Eng.
lsh journals being printed In the island there would
have been fifty.
Tie Isle Of Man Tines the largest circulated news
paper on the island, to which the inhabitants are
considerably indebted for the liberties they enjoy,
had an interesting incident II. connection with its
early existence in SOL. The House OF Keys, com,
posed of twenty-four members, then a seI-elected
body. ISIS lec n writ for the arrest OF Mr.. James
Brown, the proprietor, Tor certain hbeIlOus ana
scaDdal0us articles" which were deemed a con-
tempt of the Keys and bre ach of Its privileges.
When brought before the Keys, the members
speedily found that they had caught Tartar. Mr..
Brown, not beng allowed to be heard by counsel,
had to defend himself which he did with positive
gustO and relish. Dir. Brown was sentenced 10 Six
months Imprisonment in Castle Rushen. TO which
he was Immediately conveyed At the end OF SIX
weeks, during which time lie held daily recep-
ton OF his friends writ OF habeas corpus was
Issued by the late Lord Chief ustCe COckbuTn,
which so frightened the Keys that they begged Mr..
Brown TO leave the prison. On obtaining his lib
erty he immediately commenced an action against
the Keys Tor false Imprisonment, and. after two
years litigation, was awarded G51s lbs. I'd. dam
ages. The law charges and the award cost each
member CT the Keys 9120. The Isle Of Man Times
Is now the most successful the island, and
its plant and machinery are of the most modern
kind.
One of the advantages which the book sellers had
in the early part of the century WAS heinp allowed
a drawbaSk OF three-hali pence pound upon all
books and stationery brought to the island. This
one of the advantages owned by the English
newspapers published in Douglas and most
materially added to the profits OF the several publ
cations For several years one of the Livcrpool
all his accumulated old unstable books getting in
many Instances more than their value in the draw
back, and then selling them by auction in the
island. But this privilege Withdrawn al the
same time that the free circulation of nsular
papers was stopped.
OF late years booksellers have increased on the
island, and several have published books, printed
IN the Msnx language-the New Testament and
Millions Paradise Lost" among Others. The
Manx Society exists for the preservation and re-
printing OF national documents.