decided the question according to his views of literary
property and political economy, rather than as a judgment
of law. The decision ruined all prospect of international
copyright with France and America, and would
make the International Copyright Act so much parchment
for battledores; for foreigners would not buy of
us that which they could take without buying. The
effect on literature, as an international whole, would
be disastrous. In America (said Sir E. Lytton) where
they get the works of Macaulay for nothing, they are
ceasing to get any solid works of their own. So in
Belgium, where they are as much advanced in all industrial
arts as in America: there is positively no national
literature there. About a century back, it gave promise
of a healthy existence; now it is thoroughly
extinguished, owing to the pirated editions of French works
published there; and so it will be in America.—
Their Cooper and Irving are children of a past
generation, and none are rising in their stead, with the
honourable exception of Mr. Prescott. Mr. Henry
Bohn moved a resolution, that the decision of the
Court of Error must prove extremely prejudicial to the
interests of British literature, while it removes the
material inducement to the acceptance by foreign states
of the International Copyright Act. Dr. Worthington
seconded the resolution. Mr. Ernest Jones, the Chartist,
moved an amendment, to the effect that the decision is
a satisfactory step towards international copyright;
which was seconded by Mr. Wilkes, bookseller, of
Craven-street. Mr. Henry Colburn supported the
resolution, and it was carried by a majority. Mr. Cruikshank
moved a resolution, affirming that the expense of
contesting the law in the ultimate tribunal ought not to be
borne by an individual, but that a society should be
formed, and public subscriptions raised, for the purpose.
Mr. Henry Mayhew proposed an amendment, but
withdrew it, and the resolution was carried.

The British Association for the Advancement of
Science commenced its session for this year at Ipswich,
on the 2nd inst., under the presidency of Professor
Airy, the Astronomer Royal. Prince Albert is president
of the public Museum there, and the citizens
thought it a good opportunity to invite him to do them
a double favour by receiving an address in that special
capacity and by being present at the scientific réunion
in their town. The Prince accepted the invitation, and
arrived in the town on Thursday. The authorities
received him in state, read to him a loyal address, and
received his answer. His Royal Highness passed the
night in the house of Sir W. Middleton, of Shrublands.
He returned from Ipswich on the 4th, having previously
laid the foundation-stone of a new Grammar School,
and attended some of the sectional meetings of the
Association. Among the papers read there, one by
M. Dumas, the great French chemist, raised much
philosophic excitement. It is described as "On certain
relations between atomic weight and space of chemical
bodies, and the probability of not only transmuting
metals, but of originally creating them." Professor
Faraday is stated to have been "delighted with the
logic and revelations," and to have pledged himself to
follow up the investigation.

On the 7th, Dr. Daubeny read a paper to the
Chemical section, in which he objected to the complicated
and uncertain nomenclature of our chemists, and
proposed a new nomenclature. On the 8th, the Astronomer
Royal delivered a discourse on the approaching
eclipse of the sun; and Captain Johnson read a paper
on the deflection of compasses caused by telescope iron
funnels in steam-ships. On Wednesday, the proceedings
were somewhat hastily wound up. It is stated
that the sum received was not satisfactory—only £620.
The Association adjourned till August 1852; when the
annual meeting will be held in Belfast.

The Bishop of Durham has bestowed £15 towards the
erection of an Independent Chapel in Newcastle-upon-Tyne,
accompanying his donation with the following
letter, dated the 7th of June; "Sir,—Although with
ample means at my disposal, I can scarcely satisfy the
demands of my own church and my own people; yet I
have never forgotten that all Christians are brethren,
and that, however we may differ as to the meaning of
Scripture upon some points of doctrine or discipline,
very few Protestants fail to inculcate what is essential
in Christianity. I am painfully aware of the spiritual
destitution of Newcastle, of its increasing population,
and of the pains which have been taken to disseminate
infidelity and Socialism. I cannot, therefore, feel
myself justified in resisting your appeal on behalf of a more
spacious and commodious place of worship, and especially
for a larger establishment of schools in the principles of
revealed religion. Towards those joint good purposes
you and the congregation will be pleased to accept the
enclosed cheque.'

The following article of news, in a Waterford paper,
shows the Immense Mining Resources of Ireland, and
the advantages beginning to be derived from them:—
"Mining agents and inspectors from the firm of
Rothschild and Baring, of England, are almost every second
day visiting and inspecting the newly-discovered mines,
and are seeing the Marquis of Waterford this week, on
whose property they are, to make the necessary arrangements
with him and to begin to work them at once.
Judging from all the circumstances which have already
transpired relative to these works, it is extremely
probable that, in the course of a month or so, 2000 or 3000
of our poor starving labourers will be employed in these
valuable works; and nowhere is to be found a finer or
more honest set of labourers than live in the vicinity of
these mines. The three mines are situated in the
parish of Clonea, in this county, and when opened will
drain the parishes of Newton, Portlaw, Fews, Clonea,
and Rathcormic of the masses of idle and wretched
labourers who are strewn in such a horrible condition
on the road-side, like so much useless lumber or the
dead bodies of a vanquished army on the field of battle."

A shipwrecked vessel has been Recovered by a method
which is worthy of notice. The Peterhoff steamer, built
as a yacht for the Emperor of Russia, struck on the
rocks off the island of Oessel, in October last, on her
way to St. Petersburgh. Various attempts were made
by the captain and crew of the vessel to get her off,
assisted by some officers and men sent by the Russian
government, but without success. The vessel stuck
fast on the ridge of rocks with a hole in her bottom;
and, being constructed of iron, she was abandoned by
the Russian authorities to the agent of the company in
London who had insured her. The company sent out
an able officer—Captain Fell—who after great exertions
succeeded in getting her off the rocks. He let the water
into every part of her, and allowed her to remain full
all the winter. This bold experiment had the effect of
preserving her from being battered by the winter storms;
and in the spring the vessel was raised, and, after being
partially repaired, floated to Riga, and underwent a
more thorough repair. She was brought by stages from
Riga to Elsinore, Hamburgh, and thence to London;
and is now in the East India Docks, little the worse for
her long immersion.

The Royal Agricultural Society has held its annual
meeting, this year, in the Home Park of Windsor; the
Queen and Prince Albert having gone down specially
to see the show on the first day, Monday, the 14th. It
is admitted to have been an excellent exhibition of
British stock. The classification of the cattle has been
extended from four to many more classes, embracing the
breeds of Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and the Channel
Islands. All the beasts are reported as having been
more than usually good; the South Down sheep, the
short horns, the Herefords, and the pigs, as having been
the "strongest points." The show was largely attended
on Tuesday; and on Wednesday, the day of the
customary dinner, the "yard" is reported to have been
inconveniently crowded. The Duke of Richmond
presided at the dinner. The principal speakers were the
Duke himself, Prince Albert, M. Van de Weyer, the
Belgian Minister, and Lord Ashburton. The speeches
were of the usual complimentary character. The
President elect is Lord Ducie, who was unable to attend
from indisposition.

The annual returns of the Municipal Poor Schools of
Berlin show that last year about 23,000 poor children
received daily instruction, at a total cost of £19,650
sterling, or about 17s. a head per annum, or fourpence
per week.

The distribution of prizes to students in the faculty of