A.—2

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should be taken to secure that the literature of this country be placed within easy reach of the colonies (par. 181) ; and, after giving a short sketch of the law of colonial copyright, they propose (par. 202) certain remedies to meet the grievance put forward by colonial readers. 6. Their recommendations are to be found in paragraph 208, and are : (a) the introduction of a licensing system (par. 207), and, in case of the failure of the licensing system in the larger colonies, and further to meet the wants of the smaller colonies, where such licensing system could hardly be expected to operate, (b) a continuance of the Eoreign Reprints Act; proper provision, however, being made to secure the payment of the duty upon foreign reprints to the proprietor of copyright works (pars. 211-213). 7. With reference to the licensing system, it will be seen that the Commissioners, after pointing out the main features of the system (par. 207), suggest that the details of the necessary enactments should be left to special legislation (par. 208) in each colony. 8. With regard to the Foreign Reprints Act and the provisions which are to be made in the colonies to secure the rights of the proprietor of copyright, the Commissioners have made certain suggestions in paragraph 215, to which particular attention should be directed, and I should be informed how far, in the opinion of your Government, practical effect could be given to them. If doubt is entertained whether such suggestions would secure the desired object, or would be in themselves practicable, it is very desirable that other ways of meeting the difficulty should be brought forward for the consideration of Her Majesty's Government. 9. I have also to call your attention to paragraph 216, with respect to foregn reprints, and to the recommendation arrived at by the majority of the Commissioners, that colonial reprints should not be admitted into the United Kingdom. 10. Special attention ought to be given to paragraph 227, from which it will be observed that the existing powers of colonial Legislatures to deal with the question of colonial copyright are not interfered with. 11. I need hardly impress upon you that it is highly expedient that the Legislature of the colony under your government should adopt the principal provisions of the Imperial Act, as suggested by the Commissioners, especially {see par. 288) the term which may ultimately be adopted for the duration of copyright. 12. It is not, however, desirable that any legislation on the subject should take place in a colony until this and other questions have been settled by the Imperial Parliament; but it is very important afterwards to secure uniformity as to the duration of the term, so that, if possible, colonial copyright should practically be the same as Imperial copyright, except in mere matters of detail. It will be seen, by a reference to clauses 5-7 of the Bill, that it is proposed to secure this uniformity, as suggested by the Commissioners. 13. There arc other parts of the report which bear more or less directly upon the colonies, but the only other point to which it seems necessary for me now to refer you is that connected with registration, which is dealt Avith in paragraph 231. 14. I turn now to the Bill, and among those portions of it which indicate the general bearing of the proposed legislation so far as it affects the colonies, I must first call your attention to the limitation in clause 4, which gives effect to the recommendation in paragraph 227 of the report. By clause 6 effect is given to the recommendation in paragraph 58 —in other words, Imperial copyright is given to a work first published in any part of Her Majesty's dominions; and by clause 7 the term of Imperial copyright, or copyright throughout all Her Majesty's dominions, is fixed. By clause 38 provision is made, in accordance with paragraph 231 of the report, by which the necessity for registering colonial works in this country is done away with, provided that there is a colonial law regulating registration, and that the requirements of that law have been complied with. 15. The next clause that I have to refer you to is clause 40, which is framed, in accordance with paragraph 200 of the report, to secure to colonial readers a proper supply of English literature at reasonable prices. Before the provisions of this section arc made applicable by Order in Council to any colony, colonial legislation will be necessary to secure the objects there set forth, These observations require