as about as deep as the grievances
of others in England under the income-tax, or the impost on
wheel-carriages, hair-powder, and coats-of-arms.

From temporary stagnation, however, the question has again revived;
and during the last six months it has been debated in the daily
newspapers, with very encouraging tokens of an improvement in the
moral sensibility of journalists. Even the tone of those who oppose
the progress of principle, has become so much modified, that they
rather excuse than defend the existing laws, representing them as
practically less grievous than is imagined. A journal which has
signalised itself by its resolute anti-copyright spirit, endeavours to
support this representation, by asserting that about as much is now
paid to British authors, for their proof-sheets, as would ordinarily
be paid for their copyrights! It is asserted in this gazette, that
Bulwer receives regularly from one hundred-and-fifty to two hundred
guineas for a copy of every novel, which he sends out in advance of
its publication in London. For similar proof-copies of their works,
James is said to command very nearly as much; and such writers as Dr
Dick, of Scotland, from fifty to a hundred guineas. What of it! It is
plain that if a single edition of such books be worth these prices,
the copyright must be considerably more valuable; and one would think
it apparent, that such occasional premiums have no more to do with
justice, than a levy of black mail, paid by its victim, because he
would fare no worse. The _New York Express_ exposes the sophistry of
its contemporary, by simply asking what is paid to authors of less
reputation, who may possess even superior merit; and _The Literary
World_--a periodical of _The Spectator_ class,--though it growls a
little at _Punch_, and now and then takes too much in dudgeon the
provocations of Maga, by no means allows its moral optics to be put
out, by the pepper occasionally thrown into them by foreign jesters
and critics. Perhaps it should be added, as somewhat significant, that
Mr Bryant, the poet, a prominent democrat and editor of the _New York
Evening Post_, has exerted himself in behalf of another memorial to
Congress for justice to authors; which is the more observable, because
Mr Legget, his late coadjutor and intimate friend, was perhaps the
most radical writer on the other side that has ever appeared in this
country, and regarded the maintenance of his extraordinary opinions as
essent