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624 &f)$ ILtatftr. [Saturday,
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THE COPYRIGHT QUESTION. A meeting of Bri...
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THE CORN MILLERS' LEAGUE. A league of mi...
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CONTINENTAL NOTES. The two topics in Fre...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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At)Dkrlky Versus Russell. Aki'aihs Ov Xh...
report ; and I can hardly credit its accuracy when I see it puts such statements into the Premier's mouth as the folio « rin « : — " 1 . That Sir Harry Smith filled up the Legislative Council in 1850 , by election rather than by nomination in order to give greater weight to their opinions ; whereas the truth was he could not get nominees to serve , having tried in vain for two years previously , nor could he have got even elected members , except for the sole purpose of constituting the promised representative form of Government . •* 2 . That the elected members resigned , because they found themselves in a minority on questions relating to the proposed constitution ; whereas any child need only read the published papers to see that they readily submitted to all such adverse votes , but resigned rather than be made to proceed to ordinary instead of constituent legislation .
" 3 . That Sir Harry and his law advisers proceeded to form the remaining nominee councillors into a commission to consider the details of the constitution ; which , however , adds Lord John , they obviously could not frame into the shape of ordinances : —a plausible salve over Lord Grey ' s gross constitutional blunder in reprimanding Sir Harry for not having used this rump of the Council to frame ordinances . " 4 . That the resigning members were not justified by anything ^ in the Letters Patent of 185 0 , which could make them think they were not to undertake ordinary legislation : —a mere evasion of the point , which is not that the Letters Patent , but that their understanding with their own efectors , bound them honourably to undertake nothing before the formation of the new constitution . On Sir
Harry's attempt to throw , in the first place , all his past egregious policy and appropriations of revenue under the cover of their sanction , they were bound in honour , and even if not , had an undoubted right to resign . " 5 . That as a large party in the colony opposes as supports the resigning members : —a palpable and monstrous error , only to be accounted for by the wilful blindness of Government , who choose to take all their information from a learned professor of Cape Town College , who happens to be in England , instead of giving ear to the accredited exponents of popular feelings .
" The last and greatest error in this speech seeks to vindicate that final constitutional blunder , by which Lord Grey haa , at the cost of his own reputation , of the Crown ' s honour , and of the peace and safety of the colony , elicited a damnatory legal opinion from very high authorities , which annihilates the last scarecrow of constitutionranking sentout from hisingenious laboratory . Into this I " should not prematurely or cursorily enter ; nor would I obstruct , by the slightest whisper of interruption , the measures now urgently needed , no longer to merely criticise or improve a policy , but to save a most important colony from anarchy and imminent disruption . "
624 &F)$ Iltatftr. [Saturday,
624 & f ) $ ILtatftr . [ Saturday ,
The Copyright Question. A Meeting Of Bri...
THE COPYRIGHT QUESTION . A meeting of British authors , publishers , stationers , printers , and others interested in the subject of copyright , held on Tuesday afternoon at the Hanoversquare Rooms , to take into consideration the present anomalous state of the laws relating thereto , as recently interpreted in the Court of Error . The circular convening the meeting stated , that by this interpretation , which reversed several recent decisions , the claim of a non-resident foreign author to copyright in this country was allowed , although the English author was strictly excluued from the benefit of
copyright in foreign countries . The unreciprocated privilege thus conferred on foreigners , it' finally established , would prove extremely prejudicial to the interests of British literature in all ita departments , while it removed every inducement to the acceptance of their proposed International Copyright Act . The chair was taken by Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton , who was supported by Mr . Henry Bohn as vice-chairman . Among those on the platform we observed Messrs . George Cruikshank , William Howitt , John Britton , Henry Colburn , R . H . Home , William Macfarlane , Ernest Jones , and Wilkes .
Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton , after an introduction of some interest , said : — " He would pass to a case which occurred two years back , premising that the law was not disputed before 1822 . In the case of " Booaey v . _ 1 ' urday" it was declared that the right was only intended for the benefit of English authors , and that foreigners could not obtain a copyright here . All this hud been reversed by Lord Campbell , who had decided that the foreigner , by sending hia work here for first or simultaneous publication , and the publisher in this country , have the same privileges as an English author . He should not for art instant attempt to Bet up a contrary opinion if he did not think tliat Lord Campbell bad decided the question rattier according to his viewn of literary property and political occouomy ,
than as a judgment of luw . He hail mud that it was an act for encouraging learning ; but even uupponiug it was only to be applied to learning , he would auk . Might it not be rather advisable that foreigners should publish first in this country ? He' ' quoted two acts of Edward IV . and Richard 111 . to show that the Legislature encouraged foreign books , and enabled them to be brought over . Tina was akno recited ia the met of Anne , aud they would , indeed , be barbarians if they opposed it ; but it wan a querniou whether one publisher uhould huve tbe monopoly of the importation , or whether it should come through a variety of publishers . Granting that the aot of Anne w « h for the pro teution of literature , wng there not Homeibin ^ in it of ibe Utmost importance to foreigner ? It wan only biinc the l > vace that our literature had been publiuUedabroad . " Oa th «» tate of international copyright he observed
•'—" They had recently passed an act by which copyright was given to the authors of those countries who would reciprocate the same . Some of tbe German States had entered into this arrangement . France and America still held back , although in both many eminent men were in favour of it ; but as long as this reading of the act of Anne was taken , the International-Copyright A < t would only be a sheet of parchment to make battledores and shuttlecocks of . Foreigners would not give anything unless they obtained something in return . In light literature alone , in bis own case , if this law had been established when he began to write , he should have been £ 60 , 000 richer . " America has actually no native literature , on account of the inundation of pirated reprints of French and English , books .
Mr . H . G . Bohn , in a long ppeech , commented on the recent decisions , and moved the following resolution : — " That this meeting views with apprehension the recent decisions of the Court of Error , reversing the previous decision of the Court of Exchequer , and thereby declaring that foreign authors resident abroad are entitled to British copyright , although subjects of a " state which declines to avail itself of the International Copyright Act : that such decision , if finally established , must prove extremely prejudicial to the interests of British literature in all its departments , while it removes a material inducement to the acceptance by foreign states of the International Copyright Act . "
Mr . Ernest Jones moved an amendment to the effect- -that the meeting viewed with satisfaction the recent judgment of Lord Campbell as one of the preparatory steps , and as being the most conducive to that which justice required , ani international law of copyright—which was seconded by Mr . Wilkes , bookseller , of Craven-street . The Chairman put the amendment , which was lost , and the original resolution was carried . The following resolution was also agreed to : —
" That this meeting considers the subject of great national interest and importance , and that the expense of determining the meaning of the law thereon ought not to devolve on a private individual . That , therefore , a society be formed to consider and adopt the necessary steps to obtain a satisfactory adjustment of the law , as well as to provide , by public subscription , for the requisite expenditure . "
The Corn Millers' League. A League Of Mi...
THE CORN MILLERS' LEAGUE . A league of millers has been established for the purpose of preventing the importation of foreign flour . They call for petitions in support of a motion which Lord NaaB "will bring forward on the 15 th of July , and they issued a circular on the 30 th ultimo , from the offices of the League , 3 , Bridge-street , Westminster . In support of the movement they make a call of 6 * . per pair of stones , upon the members of the league . The points in their case are stated in a letter from Mr . John Jackson , of the Fleet Mills , Oulton , near Wakefield , to hia " Brother Millers : "—
" We are , " he writes , " in a very disagreeable position at present . We have large sums of money invested in our mills and business , including stock in trade , book debts , & c , and every day we find our old connections leaving us , and buying foreign flour instead of home made . " And wh y is this ? Simply because they can buy it cheaper : and why can they buy foreign flour cheaper than English ? I will tell you . " It is notorious that the English agriculturists do not
supply us with if * much wheat as is necessary for the wants of the people . Since 1836 this has been a regularly importing country , and the average quantity required from abroad , 1 take to be from three to five million quarters of wheat per annum . Now , if the English farmers would supply us with as much wheat at home as we require , we might then safely defy all competition from abroad ; but , seeing that they , from various causes , cannot do this , the question remains , In what shape is tbe deficiency to be brought over ?
•• We are called selfish if we say * In wheat , ' and arc told , ' Oh , you want it to grind . ' Of course we do ; we have everything requisite to enable us to grind all the flour thun can be used in this country , and we naturally object to-nee our trade passing away into the hands of foreigners . " Every quarter of wheat ground abroad displaces so much machinery and labour at home . The importations of foreign flour are nearly 60 , 000 sacks weekly , aud arc increasing . Now , all these could be as well ground and dreaded here ; and you know , from Had
experience , these importations have so swamped our markets aud our Bale for home-made flour , that many of us have been compelled to shut down our mills , several to only partially work them , and we who continue to run full time , are doing- so at a dead Lisa , and which cannot continue inach longer . You know , moreover , that the Ions of grinding ujl thin Bluff is not confined to ourselves , but is a national loss , for , when we atop business , who is to buy the corn , and employ' our labourers ? and how many branches of trade will Buffer with iih ?
" Hut it is in the cost of importing flour in preference to wheat that the foreign-miller guin » over us . If I buy 1000 ( inarierH of wheat in Nuiik-h and mud it to Liverpool , and if 1 buy 1000 tmcliH of flour at Nant « 'n and mud it to Liverpool also , the freight , insurance , and varioutt churgen on the flour will be nearly ' 2 s . per Hack less than on the win at ; and it the wheat had been ground in Nantes , there would not have been more than 1000 sack * of flour pu < l « ftviu i ( ( m fact not quite fly muott ) , oo Uwt by
grinding the wheat first , our French neighbours save nearly 2 s . per sack in charges , and they keep the coarse stuff at home . To some ports of England the difference in charges would be still greater , indeed I have seen a letter from " a protectionist miller , " in which he makes it appear that we require a differential duty of at least 5 s . per sack to enable us to compete fairly with the foreigner—this , be it remembered , is not for protection , it is for justice to ourselves . "French flour has this peculiar feature , that when manufactured for the English market , it occupies little more than one-half the weight or bulk of the raw
material , and I believe you will find that almost every other manufactured article occupies more bulk when made up , and generally is of greater weight than the raw material . " It is clear , then , that our efforts ought to be directed towards obtaining such a duty on flour as will not allow the foreigners to have any longer an unfair advantage over us . Some of us are Protectionists , and some are Free traders , and there is of course a difference of opinion as to whether there should be more than a differential duty , but that there should be a duty , to present the importation of flour on more favourable terms than wheat , no one will be prepared to deny . "
Continental Notes. The Two Topics In Fre...
CONTINENTAL NOTES . The two topics in French news are , the utter failure of the reviion and petition movements , and the visit of Louis Napoleon to Poitiers . On the first topic the Assemblee Nationale , the organ of the Fusionists , says : — " The legal revision of the Constitution is materially impossible ; the illegal revision would carry us further than we wish . The revision is no longer anything but an abstraction ; it is still for some people a reverie more or less contemplative , and more or less melancholy . But , in reality , it can be so no longer . These are truths which we have thought it desirable to state . We must avoid illusions , prevent miscalculations , and show things as they are . We wish that the country would accustom , itself to the idea that the revision , however desirable it may have been if it could have been efficacious , may very well not take place , and that without any great loss , it is above all things necessmy that the country should not add to its present real sufferings by an inquietude wi'hout object and without result . Let it not trust to factitious agitation . L ^ t it look with a calm eye on the itjiU of 1852 , with which people would wish to frighten it , and which it will pass without difficulty , provided it enter upon it with resolution . "
The Duke de Noailles has left Paris for Frohsdorff , in consequence of a summons from the Comte de Chambord . The Duke de Noailles being one of the leaders of the Fusionist party , and the intimate friend of M . Guizot , considerable interest is attached to his journey . Some of the pape s say that before leaving Paris the duke had a long and confidential interview with General Changarnier . Foiled in revision , the Bonapartists have taken refuge in the prolongation of the powers of the Pre-4
sident . The Constitutionnel remarks , that 'in case the wish of the nation is not accomplished by the revision , it will be so otherwise , for if the sovereign people cannot manage its affa » rs by its representatives , it will do them itself . " The moderation oi this language shows what a change has taken place even among the Bonapartists on the question of the revision . No one now thinks of a violation of the Constitution , it is said . On the contrary , a great many think about it , but no one dares to try and accomplish it .
The President proceeded on Tuesday to Poitiers , where he delivered the following speech ac tho inaugural banquet : — ' Monsieur le Maire , —Be my interpreter with your felloiv-citizons , and thank them for the reception , so kind and eo cordial , which they have given m >' . Like you , I look to the future fate of the country without apprehension , for its safety will always proceed from the will of the people freely expressed and religiously accepted . ( Applause ) Aud , therefore , I anxiously wish for the solemn moment when the powerful voice of the nation will hear down all kinds of opposition , and place in accord all rivalries . ( Applause . ) For it is most afHict ing to behold revolution convulse society , heap up ruin
on ruin , and yet leave still upstanding the same passions , the name exigencies , and the smne elements of disturbance . ( Applause ) When one traverses France and beholds the varied riches of her soil , the marvellous products of her industiy ; when one admires her rivers , roads , canals , and railways—her ports bathed by two great aeas—one is obliged to ask to what degree of prosperity she would not attain if a durable tranquillity would permit her inhabitants to cooperate together , with all their means , for the general good , in place of yielding to intestine dissensions . ( Applause . ) When , under another point of view , one reflect * on that territorial unity which has been bequeathed to us by the persevering efforts of the monarchy— that political , judicial , administrative ,
and commercial unity which bus been given to us by revolutions ; when one contemplates those population ^ so intelligent and laborious , animated as they utmost all are by the same belief , and « peaking the same tanguagc —that clergy eo venerable , inculcating morality and virtue — that maginlracy so renowned for impartiality , which causes justice lo be n » pet : t « d — tliat hi my hi > valiant and well diHriplined , which in only acquainted with honour and duty - ( bravo , bravo ) — in fine , hIiiii one It at iih to appieciate that crowd oI eminent men cnpj » l > l < - of guidiug the government , and to adorn assemblies uh well it * the oiences and the arts—when all thin is dorm in mind one seeks with anxiety what the causes oan be which prevent tiu » nation , nlwftdy w grot , from blooming « UU
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), July 5, 1851, page 4, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_05071851/page/4/
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