THE BRITISH MUSEUM PRIVILEGE.
IT is very proper that the British Museum should be supplied with a copy of every book published ; we are not quite so certain that it is proper to charge the furnishing of that national institu- tion upon one particular trade, like that of publishers. We do not understand upon what principle of political economy one trade in particular is to be taxed for an institution not only valuable to the public at large but in some degree entering into competition with that trade. The publishers are taxed to maintain a free library, and the method of levying the tax appears to be the most unpleasant and injurious possible. An accident, a forgetfulness, or a mistake in judgment, once occurring in a business of immense scale, may subject the man that makes it to the derogatory neces- sity of appearing before a Police Court. Mr. Bohn, who gives away four hundred copies of his books per month, is found a " de- faulter " in respect of thirteen books published during the course of the last ten years ; and when the case comes for adjudication before a Police Magistrate, it appears that there was only one book in respect of which he was absolutely wrong. The British Museum, however, not only levies its tax in an offen- sive manner, but obliges the taxed persons to collect it themselves ; a very faulty distribution of labour, and one which might easily be corrected. If a registration of all published works were made peremptory within a certain time after publication, the register it- self would be a sufficient index to the Librarian of the British Mu- seum, and then the messenger of the Museum might call with a printed form demanding the works notified in the register. The whole affair would thus be reduced to a matter of routine, as such affairs ought to be.
Previous page
