Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-28
ONLY THE House IN SESSION.
Routine basfness TPansacted-Drama.
tic COpyright NH Up.

Routine Dasiness TPansacted-Drama.
tic Copyright Bill Up.
In the Houee today e~o Aiils were passed
by unanimous consent-for the relief OF
Jsmes L. Townsherd ard BENJAMIN F.
Poteet. Objection was made to the further
consideration Of bills Of tnis character.
A Joint resolution was presented by Mr..
Sayers Crox). and agreed to. extending un-
I'll August IA the appropriation ms Of the past
fiscal year. On June - resolution was
passed extending the appropriations for one
month, but II has been found necessary to
II ske a further extension for such appro-
priations as have not been passed or are
still in conference.
Bills Passed.
Then a number of bills were passed by
unanimous consent, among them the fol-
lowing: Senate bill granting an American
register TO the steamer Oceana; TO pension
Mary f. Hamilton, widow of a soldier Of
the Indian war of 1915: to dispose of four
condemned cannon of the navy by donat-
ing them to Sac City. Iowa: referring to
the Court OF Claims the case OF the tow
boat Future City; for the relief of VIM
Hendershot of Butteville. Greg. and to pay
the mail.
The following private bills which have
been favorably reported by the committee
of the whole at the Friday night sessions
were passed:
Granting pensions to Adelaide J. Propos.
Drusilla J. Rigg, Samuel Burns, Willis
Manasico Mrs. K. s. Luke. For the relief
Of John II. Malcom and to remove the
charge of desertion against Patrick Kelle-
her.
Bills for the relief of VIM. f. Bond and
George Isenstein were also passed.
The Dramatic Copyright Bill.
Today having been assigned to the COM
m:ttee on patents, the first bill called up
was that amending section 1896, Revised
Statutes. relating to copyrights. so as to
read as follows:
Any persons publicly performing or rep
resentiny any dramatic or operate compo-
sition, for which a copyright has been ob-
tained, without the consent of the proprie-
tor of said dramatic or cperstic compost
tion. or his heirs OF assigns, shall be liable
for damages therefor. such damages i'm all
cases to be assessed at a sum not less than
500 for the first and $40 for every subse-
Quent performance, as to the court shall
appear just.
Mr. Covert IN. W. in explaining the bill.
stated that the most successful American
playwrishts had had their work pirated 10y
men who stenographically reported the
plays and then publicly offered copies for
sale. Thus works for which theatrical
managers had expended large sums of mon-
ey were publicly offered for sale at s,
apiece, and this bill was intended TO protect
the authors or owners.
Mr.. Hopkins Ull) opposed the BILL which,
he said gave TO the courts too great powers
powers that We're not conferred upon them
in any other respect For instance. some
poor, struggling company of players in an
obscure town in Texas which is producing
a play claimed the exclusive property of
some man in New York could be enjoined
against continuing to produce the play.
1t would allow judge in New York he
said to issue an injunction against a per-
son or company in any part of the United
States, and IL the injunction was not obey
ed, he could issue a writ OF attachment
and send New York marshal into any
state in the Union to serve IL. Such powers
were not now possessed by any federal
court.
There was discussion between Mr.. Hop
kins and Mr.. De Forest CConn) over the
law as 1t is and as il would be under the
proposed bill. and without disposing OF the
hill the House, at DO O'Clock adjourned