§ MR. GOURLEYasked the Secretary to the Treasury, Whether he is aware that the directors of the Customs Fund entered "The Bill of Entry" as a copyright in Stationers Hall; and, if so, will he state by whose authority the Commissioners of Customs continue the publication under its present name.
§ MR. J. HOLMSSir, the Directors of the Customs Annuity and Benevolent Fund, while holding the Bill of Entry, took steps, at different times, to register the titles of some of their publications, and shortly before the expiration of the patent the Directors deemed it right to secure the copyright of all their publications, and the registration was completed early in August, 1879. At that time the Lords of the Treasury had it in contemplation to extend to any person who liked to apply for it the privilege of obtaining the information necessary for the compilation of the Bill of Entry publications, such privilege, up to that time, having been restricted to the Directors of the Customs and Benevolent Fund, and it was with a view of preventing any person from adapting the title or titles of their publications that they registered these titles. The Bill of Entry publications have been, by the direction of the Lords of the Treasury, carried on by the Commissioners of Customs on behalf of the Crown since the 1st of January last without any change having been made in the titles of the Bills.