Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-02-13
IN CONGRESS TODAY.
The Copyright Bill Under Discussion
In the Senate.
LIVELY DEBATE ON FHE MEASURE.
The Civil Service Commission Re-
ferred to in the House.
MIR. BUTTERWORTH'S CHARGES
MIR. BUTTERwORTH's CHARGES

MIR. BUTTERWORTH'S CHARGES
The consular and diplomatic appropriation
bill was reported, with amendments, and
placed on the calendar, Mr.. Hale giving notice
| that he would ask for its consideration to-
morrow.
| Mr.. Jones ARK offered . resolution (Which
was agreed to) calling ON the Secretary Of the
| Interior for answer to very numerous ques-
tions in connection with the Indian school at
| Carlisle, Pa.
WANT TO SIT DURING THE RECESS.
Mr.. Jones (Nev.) from the committee on
contingent expenses, reported q resolution
| (Which was agreed toy authorizing the COM
/ mittee on naval affairs to sit during the coming
| recess for the purpose Of considering various
bills before 1t in relation to the personnel Of the
navy; Of investigating the condition Of vessels
OF the naval fleet; of visiting navy yards and
| stations. SO as to devise and recommend plans
| for the Improvement of the methods of work
therein and for greater economy; the COM
mittee to act as whole or by subcommittees,
and to have power to employ stenOgrsphers
| and take testimony.
| Mr.. Jones also reported resolution author
| izing the select committee on relations with
Canada to continue its investigations during
| the recess.
Mr.. PLUMB WANTS A NAP FURNISHED
! Mr.. Plumb remarked that he had met that
committee last fall in California and had felt
inclined, at that time, to furnish it with a map,
40 as to let the committee know where Canada
was. [Laughter.l He hoped that now the COM
mittee would go to the Canadian border and
| find out what was considered of such great i'm
Portance and what was searched for SO long
the relations Of the Dominion Of Canada to the
United States.
| MIR. Hale expressed his regret that the chair
| man of that committee Mr.. Hoar) was not
present to answer the Senator from Kansas in
the same spirit in which that Senator had made
| the remark.
The resolution was objected 10 and was
placed on the calendar.
| BILLS PASSED.
The following bills were taken from the cal
| enlar and passed.
Senate bill to confirm certain entries made
upon the Usage trust and diminished reserved
lands.
House bill for public building at Richmond,
| KY, not to cost more than S75, GOO.
The vote some days since pOstponing indef-
| nitely the bill to amend the charter of the
Georgetown and Tenleytown Railroad Com
| sidered and recommitted to the committee for
the District Of Columbia
THE COPYRIGHT BILL RESUMED.
The Senate resumed consideration of the
copyright bill, the pending question being on
Mr.. Sherman's amendment to strike out the
| word ''prohibited' and to insert the words
| subject to the duties provided by law" so
that foreign editions Of books, &C., which are
| copyrighted in the United States may be ad-
mitted to this country on payment OF the -egu-
| lar tariff duties.
Mr.. Platt (who has charge Of the bilD said
| that the friends Of copyright would recognize
| the fact that the passage of the bill. was i'm
perilled by the amendment already agreed TO
| and that further amendment to it would prof.
| ably defeat its passage at this session. He de-
| sired very greatly to obtain the passage Of an
| international copyright bill; and, il there was
no other reason why he should resist amend
| ments, he thought that he should be fully JUS
ure and the almost impossibiity Of obtaining
consideration for amendments in the House.
to appeal to the Senate to pass the bill without
| further amendment
| He opposed the Sherman amendment be-
cause, he said, the fundamental idea of copy
right was the exclusive right to vend and the
prohibition OF Importation from foreign cOun-
| tries. That was the only way in which a mans
property in the work Of his brain could be vim
| dicated. He feared that a good deal of the
contention arose from a lack of desire to pro-
tect mans property in his own creations.
Without the consent of the proprietor of the
copyright. books could not be imported and
sold.
Mr. Allison remarked that copyright stood
on the same principle as patents, and that the
country Gas in the case Of Bessemer steeD did
not prevent the importation Of Bessemer steel
| from other countries.
Mr.. Platt argued that full justice could not
\ be done TO an author unless he was allowed to
sell in each country where the copyright law
prevaiied-the right to supply that country.
Mr.. Morrill, expressed the opinion that the
adoption of Mr.. Shermans amendment would
| transfer the business of book printing entirely
to Germany, where printers were not paid half
as much as they we're paid in the United
States.
Mr.. Platt declared that If the bill
| failed it would be such .
| shock to the moral sentiment Of the thought
| for good while. There WAS no reason why the
works Of Huxley, Darwin, Tennyson, or of
German or French authors should be pirated in
this country; or the works of Bancroft, Lowell
OF LonsfelIow should be pirated in England,
France or Germany. Such piracy was wrong,
| and what he contended for was that
the matter should be decided on
| the broad lines of right and wrong, and II it
| were the bill would pass. He feared that there
| were lax ideas spreading in the community in
regard to rights Of property, and Of all the
| property that was the object Of acquisition,
| literary, intellectual and artistic property was
| the most honestly acquired.
No man had the right to get up the cry of
| cheap books against the pending bill. Every
| thing could be had cheap If it was appropriated
| without the consent Of the owner.
AGAINST THE LFrHoaRAPHIc AMENDMENT.
Referring to Mr.. Frye's amendment ss to
Autographs, musical compositions, &C., Mr..
Platt spoke Of the unblushing effrontery
| of tie photographers as shown in their state
ment that in the absence of a copyright law
! the American ithographer was at liberty 70
| copy or use any foreign print He believed
that copyright was just and beneficial, and that
| Congress could not be engaged in any nobler.
grander or more beneficial work than In leeis.
| lating SO to protect literature and art
wherever the sun shone, in their coun-
| tries az we'll as in this country What
was the government for? Was it for the mere
purpose Of getting things cheap for the people2
| Had 1t come to this that all the wheels of
government should be turned 90 Is to get
things cheap for the people at the expense Of
property and rights Of otherss Was
not the government TO build up, to develop.
to make higher and nobler race Of
| people; and how could that aim be reached
| any better than by protecting. by stimulating,
| by encouraging intellectual effort and artistic
effort? He wanted to tell Senators that the
brain Of the American people was the true One
might almost say the only source Of ma
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