In France, publishing is carried on chiefly in Paris, where there are many extensive printing establishments, including the Imprimerie Nationale, provided with machinery equal. if not superior, to anything of the kind in London. As regards substantiality and elegance, French books occupy a place between those of Germany and England. 'They are, with few exceptions, done tip simply in colored paper covers, for temporary set-vice; but the ink is generally better than that used iu England; and works, when of a superior class, are executed with a high degree of taste—the excellence of pictorial embellish. ments being always conspicuous. Certain voluminous and most expensive works in French, and also in the classical languages, occasionally issue from the Parisian press, and command a large sale; orders of copies for university and public libraries all over the continent tending to promote these gigantic enterprises. Although confined mainly to Paris, the business of publishing, or at least of preparing books for the Parisian market, and for exportation, is carried oo to a considerable extent in several provincial towns. Tours, in particular, is the seat of a large book-factory—that of Messrs. Mame —in which printing, designing, engraving, and binding are all executed on tho premises.
The French book-trade was virtually suspended during the war with Germany, 1870-71, but it may now be said to have fairly recovered, if not surpassed its former condition. The exports are to Italy, Germany, Russia, Holland, Belgium, North America, and other countries, and a portion also comes to England. Betvsessii France and the United Kingdom there is now an international law of copyright, by which translations of works are, under certain limitations, protected in either country, when the title-page the right of translatioti is reserved." In the 17th c.0 various cities in the Dutch Netherlands bore a prominent place in tho book-trade. At Amsterdam, some of the most beautiful editions of the classics, and large numbers of illustrated books, were executed; while from Leyden, and other seats of learning, exports of works in law, theology, etc., formed at one timo a prosperona commerce. In this, as in other trades, it has been the fate of Holland ,to lose its termer reputation; it now produces few books in any other language than its own but the demand for books in the Protestant parts of the country, and the number of booksellers, is perhaps larger than any other part of the world. That part of the Netherlandsnow known as Belgium possesses a, flourishing mainly, we believe, on account of French being the language generally spoken. Brussels, as a kind of minor Paris, is the seat of some extensive printing and publishing concerns; and at Malines, missals, brevi arieS, and other religious works are produced in large numbers. According to a return of the minister of finances of Belgium, the following was the import and export trade in books for 1872: 'Value of imports, 3,460,000 francs, of which 70 per cent was frosp France; value Of exports, 3,000,000 francs, of which 40 per cent was to France, and 60 to all other countries.
In Spain, bookselling is almost defunct; even in Madrid it can scarcely be said to have an existence. In Italy, there are signs of revival, but the most active booksellers there are natives of Germany, who, during the last thirty years, have established book selling houses in the principal cities, Rome, Naples, Turin, Milan, Bologna, Florence,. Venice, and Verona, also Triest; and under their auspices the trade may be expected to assume an organized form. Already these intelligent foreigners have done much to keep alive a.knowledge of Italian literature.
The book-trade of the United States, which is daily assuming greater proportions, has sprung up from small beginnings within the present century. As in Germany, the business of publishing is monopolized by no particular city, but is carried on suecessfully in. various towns throughout the union. The chief centres are New York, Boston, and Philadelphia; but many books are published at Albany, Buffalo, Baltimore, Washing ton, New Orleans, Charleston, Cincinnati, Chicago, St. Louis, and San Francisco; and a few in other places. The great distributing houses are located at New York and Philadelphia; and throughout tho United States and Canada there are about 6200 book sellers, two thirds of whom unite an exceedingly miscellaneous collection of trades with that of bookselling. A few of the larger publishing houses in New York and Pliila-' delphia, like some. in Edinburgh and Glasgow, print; bind, and manufacture the books they sell. Harper's building in New York, and Lippincott's in Philadelphia, each cover nearly half an acre of ground, and cost above 250,000. The annual value of books pro duced in the United States is unknown. In 1871, upon very uncertain data, it was estimated at £7,000,000, this amount probably being the full sellingprice of every volume printed. In consequence of the protectionist policy pursued since the war, the present state of the hook-trade is far from satisfactory, and will probably remain so till wiser counsels prevail. English publishers and authors are naturally indignant at the conduct of American publishers persisting in reprinting British copyright works, a practice which, though now decreasing, has been carried on to an enormous extent by the Harpers and the Applctons of New York, and others, in defiance of remonstrance, and even in disregard to the claims of those More scrupulous American publishers who pay for and import early sheets from England. The present state of matters is regretted by the more high-minded Americans as much as it is in Britain.