Although the'printing of the authorized version of the Bible, the New Testament, and the Book of Common Prayer, with as well as without notes, seems to be reserved to the nominees of the crown, practically no objection is taken to the printing of these works by others, nor has any objection ever been raised to those printed with notes and comments. Many such editions arc accordingly prepared and issued by publishers, often in a style of great elegance. Translations of the Bible, other than the authorized version, are also issued freely by Roman Catholic and other bodies; and at the present time a committee of learned divines is engaged upon a revised version of the English Bible, the copyright of which has been secured by the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, although the revision will not be completed for some years.
The universities of Oxford and Cambridge; also of Trinity college, Dublin; the four Scotch universities; and the colleges of Eton, Winchester, and Westminster, were so much alarmed by the decision of the house of lords in 1772, in favor of Donaldson's right to reprint works not protected by the copyright law of 8 Anne, c. 19, that they applied fur and obtained an act of parliament, 15 Geo. III. c. 53, giving them a per petual copyright of all works belonging to them, or which might afterwards be bequeathed to or acquired by them. The only work in existence older than the present century, claimed by any of the above institutions, to which any value can be attached, is Clarendon's History of the Rebellion, with his life and continuation. The right to this and other works possessed by the university of Oxford, was confirmed by the last copy right act, 5 and 6 Viet. c. 45. It will therefore be understood that the printing and pub lishing of lord Clarendon's History of the Rebellion remains an absolute and perpetual monopoly in the university of Oxford—a curious exemption from the ordinary and ter minable claim of copyright, and singularly at variance with modern notions of free trade. It should be added that the profits of the first ediiton were very great, and were applied by the university towards the erection of the " Clarendon press," which was for a long time the university press; but, its business increasing, the " Clarendon" has been superseded by the " university printing-house;" the former building, a very handsome one, being used for other purposes. (Besides Godson's Law of Patents and Copyright% and Supplements, see Dr. Ingrain's Yentornits of Public Buildings of Orford, new edition, 1848, p. 11.) Publishers are under the legal obligation to deliver, free, a copy of every book they issue (new editions without alterations excepted) to the five following public institu tions; Library of the British museum; Bodleian library, Oxford; university library, Cam bridge; Trinity college library, Dublin; and library of Faculty of Advocates, Edinburgh.
This obligation, imposed by a clause in the copyright act (see COPYR10UT), is usually spoken of as an unjustifiable burdeu, and no doubt it is so; but it is chiefly from causing trouble that it becomes matter for complaint. In comparison with the immense bene fits conferred on literature by the public libraries mentioned, the value of the books (with some exceptions) claimed by them is insignificant. In practice, not a hundredth part of the cheap books and sheets issued are given or claimed; which is perhaps unim portant, for if they were, no ordinary building could contain them.
The English book trade has been lately much indebted to certain liberal post-office arrangements. Manuscripts, proof-sheets, books, periodicals, and if left open at the ends, may now be transmitted by post at an exceedingly small charge. See POST Unitedly the whole trade of publishing and book-selling forms an important staple of national maustry—inferior to some other manufactures and trades, yet great when viewed in relation to its past history, and to the still imperfect state of education among large masses of the people, and respectable from the number of men of high character who arc connected with it. In reckoning the number of new works issued from the press annually, we may take the number of entries of distinct books, volumes, sheets, maps, etc„ lodged by publishers at the British museum, in terms of the copyright act. The following is an abstract of the return for 1878: Books—complete works, 9456; parts of volumes, works in progress, and periodicals. 26,826; single articles, including play bills, songs, broadsides, etc., 10,238—total 46,517. Music—complete works, volumes, and pieces, 4369. Maps-350, in 1533 sheets. ; atlases, 29. Twenty years ago the num ber was only about half as great. In 1877, about 5000 new books and new editions were published. In 1876, the books imported into the United Kingdom were valued at £150.099. Of these the value from Germany was £30,568; France, £46,919: Rolland, £25,288; the United States, £18,473; and Spain, £6564. The value of English printed books exported in 1876 was £881,839. The United States purchased to the amount of £191,966; Australia, £334,136; Canada, £68,102; British India. £85,269: France, Ger many, Holland, and Belgium, unitedly, took to the value of R93,887; our next largest cus tomer being s..Africa, for £40,007. In 1874, the value of hooks exported was £904,792; of imports, £178,936. It is seen that the exports are five or six fold more than the imports; also that we-export to Australia alone more than twice as much as we import from all countries, and to the United States almost a third more than Our tots, imports.