the
Irish national system."[1] A new office has been created, "paid for with a
public salary," for "the issue of books to the retail dealers;" and the
centralization of power over this important portion to the trade is, we
are told,[2] defended in the columns of the "Times," as "tending to bring
down the price of school-books; for booksellers who possess copyrights,
now sell their books at exorbitant prices, and, by underselling them, the
commissioners will be able to beat them." Judging from this, it would seem
almost necessary, if this treaty is to be ratified, that there should be
added some provision authorizing our government to appoint commissioners
for the regulation of trade, and for "underselling" those persons who "now
sell their books at exorbitant prices." If it be ratified, we shall be
only entering on the path of centralization; and it may not be amiss that,
before ratification, we should endeavor to determine to what point it will
probably carry us in the end.

[Footnote 1: _Spectator_, June 4, 1853.]

[Footnote 2: _Ibid_.]

The question is often asked, What difference can it make to the people of
this country whether they do, or do not, pay to the English author a few
cents in return for the pleasure afforded by the perusal of his book? Not
very much, certainly, to the wealthy reader; but as every extra cent is
important to the poorer one, and tends to limit his power to purchase, it
may be well to calculate how many cents would probably be required; and,
that we may do so, I give you here a list[1] of the comparative prices of
English and American editions of a few of the books that have been
published within the last few years:--

_English._ _Amer._

Brande's Encyclopaedia $15 00 $4 00

Ure's Dictionary of Manufactures 15 00 5 00

Alison's Europe, cheapest edition 25 00 5 00

D'Aubignd's Reformation 11 50 2 25

Bulwer's "My Novel" 10 50 75

Lord Mahon's England 13 00 4 00

Macaulay's England, per vol. 4 50 40

Campbell's Chief Justices. 7 50 3 50

" Lord Chancellors 25 50 12 00

Queens of England, 8 vols. 24 00 10 00

Queens of Scotland 15 00 6 00

Hallam's Mi