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    : .M«feil«5.J fHOE LHA3)aSB. «BL

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    Imperial Parliament. The Sardinian Conti...

    touahvag the definition , of what constitute a . newa--Smr , wero O «^ d , to . r-A . clause , ^ enabling the SemRfcerad proprietor tof . a newspaper to sue ana -toe sued , wshioh . was objected tobyMx . ( J ., E © ttt on the ground , that , as uv other joint-stock companies , all Jhe ( proprietors should be equally liable , was postponed to the third roading ^ T-he GBAveshwa of the Exchequer then moved the introduction , of a holause giving theprotectionof a . capyright of twenty-Jfour hours to oer-tain articles in newspapers . He thought this protection . neoessary cConsidering they iwere about to , oxpoae the established daily papers , which are produced at a very large outlay , to an

    excessive competition with cheap journals , which would live upon pirating their more honest contemporaries . He , therefore , moved the insertion of a clause , enacting that the proprietors of every newspaper should , for the purpose of protection against piracy , be entitled to a twenty-four hours' copyright in every original article , letter , paragraph , communication , and composition which should be for the first time published in such newspaper in this country ; that a penalty , not lessthan 57 . nor more than 30 / ., should be imposed upon offenders , and that a power of summons should be given to stipendiary magistrates and justices , who should be entitled to adjudicate at once .

    Mr . W . hxtesidb observed that this clause proposed jto place & check upon printing , and to limit the benefit of the electric telegraph . It was satisfactory , however , to know that the clause was wholly impracticable . He admitted that original articles should be protected ; but there ought not to be a copyright in bare facts .---Mr . Pwnn spoke in favour of the clause , and said that the London papers publish at half-past six in the morning , and that by half-past eight or nine a newspaper might be circulated through the town , containing all the leading articles , all the chief items of news , and all the

    miscellaneous contents . He coutended that this would be a great grievance and wrong . He thought , nevertheless , that a copyright of twenty-four hours' duration was too long , and that six or eight hours would be sufficient . Further , he thought distance should be considered as well as time . —Mr . J . G . Philli-M OBE believed it was impossible to establish any right of property in news . It would puzzle the most acute literary powers to define the nature of the copyright granted by the clause . —Mr . Bentinck . thought there should be no copyright in anonymous articles , and held that the proposed clause would ruin the

    whole country press . Mr . Milneu Gibson * recognised the question of abstract justice involved in the clausej but he looked upon it as utterly impracticable . Piracy exists already , and he did not see that it would increase under the new state of things . The question was entirely apart from the question of the penny stamp ; and he was disposed to wait and see if the evil was one to require legislation . His friend , the member for Stoke ( Mr . Ricardo ) , had been charged by the Times with piracy for sending , in- his capacity as chairman of the Electric Telegraph Company , news

    to the country papers which had been derived from the Times ; but he would leave it to Mr . Kicardo to explain the precise course of proceeding . He believed that all the telegraphs are worded in this way : " The Times says so and so . " These things could not be stopped . The editor of a country 5 aper has a collector of news in London , just as the lines has a collector of news at Vienna or elsewhere . The collector of news in London sends down what news he hears , and it would be monstrous to make him responsible for a piece of nows which he might have obtained from an independent source , and wliioh might also have appeared in a London

    The Somcxtou-Generax , in defending the clause , acknowledged that there was force in some of the objections urged against it : still , it should be recollected that there is nothing about " news" in it , and that therefore the oppugners of the proposal had been arguing against what did not exist . The clause endeavoured to establish nothing more than mere justico to authors in newspapers . Two or three yoars ago , a paper was published called the Politician , which appeared about half-past nine in the morning , and which consisted of all the leading articles of the morning papers und their moat important announcements . The principal newspapers combined in an endeavour to put it down ; but from the state of the law it was found difficult and hardly possible to accomplish this by legal proceedings . The Solioitor-Geueml admitted that the remedy for this state of things involves difficulties ; but they might bu

    overcome . Mr . Moisckxon Mii . nuh hoped the Solicitor-General would pause to consider the subject before pressing it on the ConunilU'e ; ami Lord Stam . hv hold that it is impossible , by the utmost legal ingenuity » to distinguish between fact * and comments , and that it ' would bo absurd to regard a colourable " abridgment of matter as pirney , winee two writur . s might ; ueuidcuvtalJy striko out the mime line of argument and only differ in words , and in that cam ! the one might bo accused of pirating from the other .

    • Mr . < VK ., . Jr 4 fox contead / ed > tha $ * he London duti . y newspapers should have an interact , in tha & fac # ? hich they havefpaid ,. and tlxat the-cpuntry journals ought to give a ; money . consideration , for the newa » which they derive-from their metropolitan contemporaries . ( Some persons seemed to despise newspaper , writing because iti & anonynicius . . But why , is it , anpny , mous ? It is so , for the convenience of-those arrangements by which several writers are made to co-operate as one body . Their joint action in the production of a newspaper-is analogous to a cabinet council , . for the

    ( Conclusions of which * no individual , minister is . responsible . Why , anonymous contributions to the newspapers became some of the classics of the country . The ?• Letters x > f Junitt * " were anonymous contributions to a newspaper , arad the " Letters of Runny raede" produced . cpnsiderable effect , and , would have their importance in the political , history of the times . ( Hear , hear , and laughter . ) It is . owing to the feeling created by communications of . this kind that that inquiry is now going on , without which they would not have known the real causes that reduced our army in the Crimea to such , a forlorn

    condition . Mr . Ricardo opposed the clause , , and said jthat when the list of the killed and wounded at the battles > of Alma and Inkecman arrived , before half . an hour that list was transmitted to all the principal towns in the United Kingdom—to Aberdeen and Glasgow on the . one hand , and to Plymautlnand Exeter , on . the other . He must say that he should look with , great alarm to a » y law that should ? Br « veat intelligence of that kind , which was of public . and oiniversalantexest , from being transmitted through ; the country as soon as possible . He JUo 4 Jao fear of cheap newspapers corrupting the morals of the people . Qn the eonte > ary , he thought nothing would tend more to improve their morals . At any rate , it was for them to say whether or not they would

    buy-Mr . Bright said , in answer to charges of piracy which had been brought against a Manchester threepenny daily paper , that that very paper published in Manchester the news of the battle of Alma just one day before it was . published in London . The newspapers in Manchester ( he asserted ) are published by persons having large capital- Some of them have able correspondents in continental cities ; and he asked if , when these correspondents transmit messages by telegraph , which may be nearly the same , or quite the same , as those transmitted to the London newspapers , is that to be held to be a piracy ; and if the proprietors of the London journals might go down to Manchester and summon these respectable men , the editors of the Manchester papers , before tw o j ustices of the peace ?

    Mr . Disraeli was opposed , to a copyright in news because he did not think that it was possible , or , if possible , that it would be vexatious . But he held that it was but fair to give every available protection to the costly productions of the London daily press ; and therefore , making an especial reference to the Times , he should support the amendment that-would bo proposed , that newspapers shouldcirculate through the post without any limitation of weight . He believed that there was no fear for the honest paper

    even without a copyright ; for the public would always have the best article and the earliest intelligence . With respect to anonymous writing , he observed that sonie of the noblest books in the world had been published anonymously . —Lord Lovaine was of opinion that the press should not be protected because it deals in " all sorts of calumnios" and is " a libeller of private character ; " and the Chancellor of the Exchequer , after the expression of the House ' s feeling upon the subject , withdrew the

    clause . Mr . Milnes tjien moved the insertion of a clause , giving the privilege of transmission and retransmission by the post to every periodical publication published at intervals not exceeding seven days , and the superficies of which shall not exceed 3500 inches of printed matter , for a penny stamp . Mr . Milnes passed a very high eulogy on the character of the press , and said of some members of it that they neither flatter the vanity , heighten the prejudices , nor defend the errors of any political clique , but hold the balance between the fluctuating opinions of society , and are so conducted , that ho could not lay them down

    without the impression that he had been conversing with the wisest and most liberal minds of the time . When confident , their confidence is justified by events ; when doubtful , it is bacause the evidence is imperfect . —Mr . Cowan said that , at tho request of his friends , he would abandon his amendment in favour of an unrestricted size . ;—Lord Stanley called attention to the discrepancy between charging a penny for the half ounce of a letter , and allowing a newspaper , weighing six ounces , transmission and retransmission for the same sum . —Mr . Lowh , in answer to this , said that if they took the letters aa thoir guide , and put the same rato on newspapers , they would exclude newspapers from tho post ; if they took the newspaper for their guide , they would make nn immense invasion on the Post-ofilco revenue , and the result would be that an immense number of lotturs would bo sent in one largo envelope to a person who

    , would distribute them , and a trade ,, of that kin * , wtfuld ^ softn spring up . OGbe Pest-oflwe , wiw ; est » - rblished ^ for the purpose , of ! carrying letters ; , if it 4 « 3 inot carry a single newspaper , it would'be impossible to deduct materially fjqom the expense of the estflr blishment . When Mr . . Rowland Hill-was asked whftt ( deduction , could be made , he said , ** Y < evy little , indeed . " The tenth with regard to the newspapers w » s this , that the Poet-office , existing for carrying letters and having , a surplus ability to carry other matter , rand the House considering that the conveyance ^ newspapers was a matter of public utility ,, they chose to carry newspapers at a rate-infinitely cheaper than letters . Mr . Lowe then entered in a variety , of details with respect to the Times newspaper , and contended that , although he did not desire a eqpy >

    right , it was only just that , that publication / should have the power of transmitting its full-sized -sheet without the extra halfjjecny . —iMr . Mw ^ br Gibson opposed this view , thinking the profit of the extra advertisements quite , sufficient , to compensate fpr the extra-, itax . —Mr > E . Bau < -defended the motion . —My iQasyjKOKD said that , though he objected altogether to the press , he must support the motion ; for the tlimitationtof size he looked upon as a dishonest blow aimed . At one particular establishment , which was csrfcsiniy * lie cleverest of any . —The Chancellor of the E . xc « B 42 crj 3 > R observed that the object . of the bill then before-the House was simply to remove the compulsory stamp ; and , he thei ? efpRe deprecated -entering into other rand . discrepant changes . —Upon a . division , the motion-w ^ s ljastiby a , <* aajpiiijby of . 174 .

    SJgE . KJ & AXES G . JftAT % BBrFS . On Tuesday , Lord E * xam * s , in « eply to Lord Taiibot , stated * hat ,. safter inquiry . , be entertained ' a hope Hiat the experiment about to be 4 , ried < with regard to the floating batteries would be found to be successful . — Lord Harjjwicke thought the answer very unsatisfactory , and he might add , from personal examination , that the experiment was likely to be anything but successful . He stated that the floating batteries are very ill constructed , and will be found too heavy . He had no doubt that a shell from a mortar would go right through the deck . —After some further discussion , in which Lords Gbey and JOekby took part , the subject dropped .

    CATALBY IN THE CRIMEA . Lord Hardinge , in reply to Lord Vivian , stated that the cavalry force in . the Crimea at the last advices amounted to 1300 men . In a very short time this number would be increased to 3000 sabres .

    THE BIEGE . In the House of Commons , in reply to Mr . Warner , Sir Charles Wood stated that a telegraphic despatch received that day from Lord Raglan mentioned that the Russian force stationed on the Belbek and at Mackenzie ' s Farm had been reinforced by two' divisions . — -In reply to Mr . French , Sir Charles said that the electric telegraph -would remain under the control of the Government , but that he would not say it would be entirely confined to the Government service . ADMINISTRATION OF XHE 4-KMY .

    Mr . Frederick . Peel , in reply to Mr . Dunoombe , said the report of the commission of military men who had been sent out to Paris by the late War Secretary , for the purpose of examining the French system of military administration had been received , and he did not think there would be any objection to produce it ; but he would answer the question on a future day . The Loan Bill was read a third time , and passed .

    BIAYNOOTH . After a prodigious number of petitions had been presented upon the subject , Mr . Spooner moved a resolution pledging the House to resolve itself into a committee for the purpose of considering the aots for the endow men t of the College of Maynooth , with a view to tho withdrawal of auy endowment out of the Consolidated Fund , due regard being had to vested rights or interests . In a speech of great length , Mr . Spooner contended that the endowment is a gross national ein , and sanctions a systematic violation of tho Protestant constitution of this country . The evidence contained in the recent report from the Maynooth Inquiry Commissioners ho denounced as little bettor than a sham ami a deceit ; _ and he which

    strongly commented on tho criminal I ****? . allowed certain portions of tho evidence withheld _ by the commissioners to bo sonfc to Rome before publication . It was clear , he said , upon the face of the report , that it must have been altered without the consent of the two Protestant commissioners , Lord Harrowby and Dr Twiss- yet , evon under these circumstances , it contained enough to show that the teaching at the college is as objectionable as ever . He than cited ¦ portions of tlw ovidonoo to prove that tho doctrines sanctioned at Maynooth are of tho most , . ultramontane nature , encouraging montul reservation and equivocation , and presenting all the worst futures of IVpory . Ho held that it would bo no broachot faith to withdraw tho endowment , aiuce that hod been A

    : .M«Feil«5.J Fhoe Lha3)Asb. «Bl

    : . M « feil « 5 . J fHOE LHA 3 ) aSB . « BL

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), May 5, 1855, page 3, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_05051855/page/3/