§ MR.E. JENKINSasked the President of the Board of Trade, When it is intended that the Copyright Commission shall meet; whether any steps have been taken to fill up the vacancy in the chairmanship of the Commission caused by the decease of the late Chairman; and, if so, who has been appointed; whether it is true that some members of the Commission have resigned; and, if so, the names of such members; whether the Government will, in substituting new members for those who have resigned, consider the claims of literary men to be fully represented upon the Commission; and, lastly, by whose authority it was announced that a secretary had been appointed before the Commission had met?
§ SIR CHARLES ADDERLEYThe lamented death of Lord Stanhope has caused the delay of the Copyright Commission. The noble Lord the Postmaster General has consented to take the Chairmanship. Three of the Commissioners have resigned—Lord Rosebery, Mr. Farrer, Permanent Secretary of the Board of Trade, and the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Bourke). The Commission must be re-issued, and great care is being taken to fill up the vacancies in consideration of the claims and representation of literary men. The Secretary, Mr. John L. Goddard, was appointed by Lord Stanhope on the 8th of November last, and has already done very good service in preparation for the work of the Commission. He has written an abstract of the law of copyright, 23 Acts, and a precis of official and foreign correspondence which has taken place, and has drawn up a memorandum on the whole subject.