National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-01-29
THE COPYRIGHT CONFERENCE.

All tho Parties in Interest Heard but
the American Printer and Book Buy
ing Public.
There was q notable assemblage In the
room Of the Senate committee on patents
yesterday, the Hawlcy bill on international
copyright being argued at length. DIR.
Howard Crosby, representing the American
Copyright League, was the first to be heard
in advocacy Of the bill. lie said that the
subject Of free trade and protection
had nothing to do with the case, but
that the point TO be considered
was as to the rights Of others. The bill he
thought was necessary, MS the present sys-
ten was unjust, not only to foreign
authors, but to American ones. 1--WE are,n
he said, "behud the civilized nations of
the earth In this matter Of copyright" A
colloquy onsuod when DIR. Crosby finished,
all the speakers inviting interruption IN
order that their views might be made clear.
Senator Hawley explained his bill and
his reasons for introducing It.
Mr.. Henry Holt, q member OF the execu-
tive committee OF the league, said he was
largely engaged In repriuting foreign works,
mainly English, and stated his business ex-
perlence in reference to the present state Of
affairs.
Mr.. George Walton Green, secretary Of
the league, asked Mr.. Clemens 10 recon
slider his alleged determination Of silence
and speak right out like man.
Mr.. Clemens MARK Twain) considered
that these persons who are called pirates
and for whom Gen. Hawley had said good
word, since they were pirates by the col
| fusion Of the United States government
which made them pirates, had the right to
be pirates. They had been working under
that right long time, publishing what is
called pirnted books, ana had in-
vested their money in the confidence
that they would be supported and that no
injustice would be done them. He was
afraid the Hawley bill would work great
injustice to men in that business. He
would like to see the printing clause put
into that bill. The authors were less con-
cerned pecuniarlly than lot Of other peo-
| ple-publishers, printers, binders, and so
on. lie could see no objection TO the in
sertion Of a clause which shall require for
| cigners' books when copyrighted here to be
| printed here. In answer to question, Mr..
| Clemens said the American author gets rs
| perfect copyright In England as 1t Is pos
| sible for government to give.
Mr.. SedgwicS said the English copyright
| was only to be obtained by residence or by
| prior publication. II then rested on JUDI
| cial decisions and not on statutes, and there
was considerable doubt whether subsequent
| decisions might not throw cloud over the
right. That was one Of the reasons why
the league sought to provide for reciproc-
ity.
Mr.. Clemens described the processes of
obtaining English copyright. He had for
| years received larger royalty IN England
than in America. The royalty paid In Eng
land on Gen. Grants book is, he said, the
largest paid on any book in any country in
any age Of the world, and the royalties paid
in Germany and France are exceedingly
large. These came as result Of conven.
tions with England.
Mr.. George Ticknor Curtis was the next
| speaker, and when he concluded, Senator
Teller asked, with reference to the whole
discussion, how all this would affect the
price of books In this country Nobody, he
said, had appeared in the interest Of the
American reader. The meeting then adj
ioumed, after some further discussion, &c
meet at 10 O'Clock this morning, when
James Russell Lowell is expected to addres;
| the committee.
Several representatives of the New York
Typographical Union, headed by Mr.. VIM
Graydon, are here to oppose the passage o.
the proposed bill, and they will probably be
given hearing before the committee.