A, D. 1774. ^^i 



government, the merchants of Great Britain have been encouraged to 

 give more liberal credits to thofe iflands, which have rendered them 

 more flourifhing. 



In the year 1 769 the queftion concerning the duration of literary- 

 property, or the exclufive privilege which an author has in the fale of 

 his own works by himfelf or his aflignecs, was firfl agitated in a court 

 of law. And on the 20'" of July 1770 the lords commiflloners of the 

 great feal decreed in chancery, that the right vefted in the author, or 

 by him afligned to another, Ihould be perpetual ; and they ordered Mr. 

 Taylor, a bookfeller in Berwick, to account to Mr. Millar, a bookfeller 

 in London, as proprietor of Thonifon's Sealons, for the proceeds of an 

 edition of that work publillied by him. 



This decree was thought decifive ; and the bookfellers of London 

 were thereby encouraged to lay out great fums * in copy-right, as it 

 feemed a fpecies of property fo well i'ecured by the laws. But the mat- 

 ter was not yet concluded. The queftion was carried before the houfc 

 of lords, by whom, after hearing many learned and keen arguments on 

 both fides, the former decree was reverfed. Literary property, there- 

 for, flands now, as formerly, upon the Itatute of the eight of Queen 

 Anne, c. 19, which vefts in the author, or his aflignee, an exclufive pro- 

 perty for fourteen years, after the expiration of which the author, if in 

 life, is entitled to a fecond term of fourteen years, at the end of which the 

 copy-right expires, and the right of publication is open to every body. 



The bookfellers of London endeavoured to get this decifion of the 

 lords fet afide by a new act of parliament, but failed in their attempt. 



As connected with this fubjed, it may be proper to anticipate, that 

 in the following year the univerfities of England and Scotland, and the 

 colleges of Eton, Weftminfter, and Winchefter, were empowered by 

 act of parliament to hold in perpetuity the exclufive copy-right of all 

 books bequeathed or given to them by the authors, unlefs exprefsly 

 given for a limited time ; fuch books, however, being printed only 

 at their own prefles, and for their own fole benefit and advantage, and 

 alio entered in Stationer's hall according to law — [15 Geo. lll\ c. 53, 

 pafl'ed 23'' May 1775.] 



I will alio here oblerve, that, after a long conteft, it was decided in 

 the court of King's bench, (12"' June 1777) that mufic was to be con- 

 fidcred as literary property, and conf'equently protcded by the itatute 

 of (^icen Anuc. 



The houfe of commons having gone into a committee of inquiry in- 

 to the ftate of the linen manufacture, f which (as related under the pre- 

 ceding year) was now very nnich declined, petitions were pirl'ented from 



* Lord Lyttlcton in tlic liouL- i)f lonlj Hated «liii.li apptarid in cvuk-r.cc biforc llii* comniillif, 

 the aiiiouiil ot tlicm to be about jf6oc,oco. Iiavc jlic.idy been detailed utidcr tlic )car I 773. 



f Some of the fad» icfpcdmg the linen trade, 10 whieh ni point of time tlicy belong. 



