A LONDON INTERNATIONAL LITERARY CONGRESS.

MR. BLANCHARD JERROLD gives notice in the English papers that the International Congress of Men of Letters, which held its meetings in Paris last June, having by formal resolution founded the International Literary Association, intrusted to the new society the duty of calling together a congress of men of letters of all nations, in London, in June, 1879.

"The International Literary Association, he adds, "which has its head-quarters in Paris, and is presided over by Victor Hugo, includes already among its members: Edmund About (the President of the Société des Gens de Lettres de France), Berthold Auerbach, George Bancroft, Emilio Castelar, Emmanuel Gonzalès, Mauro Macchi, Jose de Silva Mendès Leal (the Portuguese Minister in Paris), Johannes Wordmann (President of La Concordia, the Austrian literary society), Jules Simon, Baron Taylor, Torrès Caicedo, Ivan Tourgéneff, De Laveleye, Louis Figuier, G. Hachette, Hector Malot, Jules Lermina, Louis Ratisbonne, Frederic Thomas, Pierre Zaccone, and many others. The United States, Brazil, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Spain, France, Italy, Denmark, Norway and Sweden, Holland, Russia and Poland, and Switzerland are already adopting measures in order to be worthily represented in the Association, and have sent in first lists of adhesions. The Association is in course of consolidation under the care of a zealous executive; and is preparing to present to the Congress in June next a well-considered scheme of international literary machinery, devised to protect the rights of authors all over the world, and to create a general esprit de corps."

Full details of the work done, and to be done, will be found in the Bulletin of the Association, a copy of which Mr. Jerrold, 8 Carlton Chambers, Regent Street, London, W., will be happy to address to any correspondent—being a man of letters or journalist-who may desire

one.

Unfortunately, both in England and America, this movement seems to have fallen into the hands of people not of sufficient rank as literary men to entitle it to the highest consideration.

INTERNATIONAL COPYRIGHT IN

SPAIN.

THE international copyright law just adopted by the Spanish Cortes lays down the following principles as the basis of treaties to be concluded in this matter:

Complete reciprocity shall exist between the two contracting Powers.

Each of them shall treat the other on the footing of the most favored nation.

Every author or representative of an author who shall enjoy literary property in one of the contracting countries shall enjoy it equally in the other, without the necessity of fulfilling any formality.

In each contracting country the printing, the sale, and the exportation of a work in the language of the other country shall be interdicted, except with the authorization of the proprietor of the original work.

This last clause, we may add, suggests the necessity of caution in copyright relations of countries having the same language.

STATE SCHOOL-BOOK LEGISLATION. THE Wisconsin State Text-Book Commission have presented to the Legislature a report in the form of a bill requiring that the local school officers in all parts of the State shall, in the manner provided in the bill, within thirty days previous to the third Monday of next November, make an estimate of the number of each kind of books required by the school or schools under their charge, in addition to the copies of said books then in use, during a period of three years succeeding the first day of the ensuing September. The result of this estimate is to be forwarded to the State Board created by the bill, as a basis of action on the part of that body. On receipt of these reports, the board is to advertise for bids for furnishing the books needed according to those estimates. This advertising shall be repeated once in three years. And whenever an award is made to any bidder, the Commission is to enter into contract with such bidder to supply all books of the kind awarded, required by the pupils of the public schools of this State, more or less, for three years, at a price for each book or series of books not exceeding the price named in the bid. The Commission, in discussing spelling reform, advises that philologists should lead the way, and that when some practical, complete, and thoroughly commendable system shall be adopted, and a dictionary published upon those principles, that dictionary shall be purchased and distributed by the State, as Webster's Unabridged is at present, and school work and official documents be made as far as possible to conform thereto.

The California Constitutional Convention has so amended the educational article as to exclude all foreign languages from the primary and grammar schools of the State. It also provides that the text-books adopted shall continue in use for not less than four years. It declares the University to be a "perpetual institution of this State;" its officers are to hold office for such time as the Legislature may prescribe. It is to be kept from all political influences.The Tribune.

ANOTHER LITTLE GAME."

An article copied in a recent issue of the WEEKLY brought to our desk the following letter from a well-known dealer:

NEW YORK, Feb. 4, 1879. To the Editor of the Publishers' Weekly.

Your

DEAR SIR: Your latest issue at hand. article upon "Ways that are Dark," etc., etc., reminds me of a "little game" being played quite successfully in this city. But one case has come to my notice so far, but I have no doubt that it is played in a variety of ways. I purchase magazines and reviews, and am anxious, of course, to have as late issues as possible. I get more or less from reviewers, advertising agents, etc., in a legitimate way

A man called at my place some months ago and said he was connected with a religious paper in New Jersey, and that by way of exchange they had, or he had, various magazines, and wanted to know if I would purchase, and, if so, at what price. I assented and named a price. Since that time he has been bringing me papers and magazines with great regularity. A short time since he seemed to be very hardly

pressed for a very small sum. I inquired with a view to an advance to him. I found that he had ordered some bill-heads, and that he hadn't sufficient money to pay for same. Why a printer should lack bill-heads very naturally suggested itself to me. I inquired into the matter, and he unfolded his methods of doing business at length. He purported to be the publisher of a religious paper, a paper that had no existence but had been in his mind about a year. His name was Hall-John Hall-and he was an exminister.

His bill-head or letter-head had the name of the paper-Rev. John Hall, editor. His plan was to write an order requesting a book for review, signing order John Hall; he then, as an attaché of the office, took the order and procured the book. He said he had gotten the magazines he sold me that way, and would get me anything I wanted if I would only furnish list of what I wanted-magazines, reviews, books, anything. He further said he had sold religious books to a down-town bookselling house for a year past, and was under a contract with them to furnish all he procured in that line. I told him frankly that he was in a fair

way for prison. He said "his name was John Hall and he had a perfect right to its use."

I gave him a thorough talking to, and he left. I have no doubt whatever, though, but what he is doing the same confidence game daily. This class of swindle is promoted by the reckless buying of just such houses as he named. Anything brought to their place is purchased and no questions asked. They are no better and no worse perhaps than others, but just this lack of conscience gives a bad name to every dealer in this portion of the city.

A. S. CLARK.

Pub Weekly

Feb 1 1879

Our union with a contemporay making us somewhat stronger as to circulation before going to Press we would serve your interest by calling attention to any special publications you may offer us, as also to Exchange with you. We have more than a hundred vols for Review for our first issue from the leading Publishing Houses in New York and all the Quarterly Publications. The Review is presumed to be the leading organ of the Evangelical Church and clergey with original sermons from Hall, Deems, Crosby, Tyng, and othersA reply will reach us addressed to B. & P. Review

60 Barclay St. N. Y.

By further information which came to us through a third singular coincidence, we are led to believe that the person in question is John Henry Hall, a renegade brother of the late W. W. Hall, M.D., editor of Hall's Journal of Health and the writer of several popular

books on health topics. A few years since he figured as an M.D., and in that capacity started a journal and advertised to lecture, permitting people to suppose him the well-known Dr. Hall. At present, he figures as Rev. John H. Hall, not unwilling probably that he should be mistaken for the distinguished Presbyterian divine. Those interested will do well to treat him as he deserves.

POSTAL MATTERS.

POSTAL CONFERENCE COMMITTEE. SENATOR FERRY has introduced into the Senate a postal bill with numberless amendments upon the House bill indorsed by the Postal Conference, and various officials of the Department seem disposed to favor alterations which totally change the character of the legislation proposed and renew the old complexities. In view of these dangers, at a special meeting of the Executive Committee of the Postal Conference, held at the New York Post Office, Thursday afternoon, February 13th, the following resolutions were passed:

his representative, called together gentlemen Whereas, The Postmaster-General, through representing various trades and interests; and whereas these representatives assembled in convention at the Post Office in New York, and after a full consideration and careful discussion of the subject of the transportation of printed matter, merchandise, etc., through the mails, recommended various changes in the law, which appear in House Bill No. 5735; and whereas such changes, with two or three exceptions, received the expressed approval of the authorized representatives of the Post Office Department; and whereas other amendments have been presented to the Senate which in many essential features differ from the recommendations made by the Convention;

"Therefore be it resolved, That in our opinion the Senate amendment should be so amended 2S to adopt the recommendations heretofore made by this Committee and expressed in the House bill already referred to, and that in our opinion such a course will subserve the interests of the public, and hence those of the government."

PRINTED BLANKS IN PERIODICALS. OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT ATTORNEY-GENERAL FOR THE POST-OFFICE DEPARTMENT,

WASHINGTON, D. C., Feb. 10, 1879. SIR I have made careful examination of the matters submitted to me by you on the 6th inst. respecting a ruling of the First Assistant Postmaster-General upon a decision of the New York office in the case of the January number of the Missionary Herald, a regular publication published at Boston, Mass., and entitled to be transmitted in the mails at the rate of 3 cents for each pound or fraction thereof, and cannot resist the conclusion that both the decision of the New York office and the ruling of the First Assistant Postmaster-General thereon were erroneous. The facts in the case are as follows:

The January number of the Missionary Herald contained a printed slip, bound with or attached to the first cover of the magazine, calling attention on the one side to certain matter to be found on the last page of the cover, and, in addition, to a

The January number of the Magazine, with this thus bound in, was offered for mailing at the office where the publication office is located, to wit, Boston, Mass., and was mailed therefrom to its subscribers in various portions of the country at the bulk rate of postage, to wit, three cents per pound, and seems to have reached various offices of destination, and to have been delivered to the persons to whom addressed, without extra charge, except at the office at New York, where the postmaster refused to deliver it without the payment of six cents additional on each copy thereof. The action of the New York office was based upon the following rulings of the Department, to wit:

1. Ruling 20.--" Postmasters must examine all second-class matter presented to them for mailing, and if it is found that any printed matter is inclosed therein which may be subject to a higher rate of postage, such as engravings, chromos, handbills, or any matter except a genuine supplement, as defined in the United States Postal Guide, or bills and receipts for subscriptions, they should not receive it into the mails unless prepaid at the rate of one cent for each ounce or fraction thereof by stamps affixed to each package to one address."-Postal Guide No. 4. July, 1875.

2 Ruling 17.-" The Post-Office Department hold that printed slips or circulars stitched or pasted in with the body of periodicals or magazines with which they have no legitimate connections are attempts to evade the law; and all such matter which does not form and which was not intended or originally printed to form a regular part of the contents of any given number of a periodical or magazine and its cover must be considered as extraneous matter, subjecting the whole copy with which it is thus thought to be incorporated to postage at the rate for printed matter of the third class. Unless such advertisements are printed at the same office, on paper of the same size, and regularly paged with other sheets of the publication, third-class rates of postage must be prepaid thereon."Postal Guide No. 12, July, 1877.

Without calling in question the correctness of these rulings of the Department, I think they have no application in this case.

The inference to be drawn from Ruling No. 17, of July, 1877, will not be disputed. I apprehend that printed slips or circulars, stitched or pasted in with the body of periodicals or magazines with which they have legitimate connection, form an integral part thereof within the scope and purpose of the ruling of the First Assistant Postmaster-General in the case of the Penn Monthly, under date of December 14, 1875. That ruling is as follows: "Printed matter stitched into the body of a magazine and having reference to the business of its publisher is held to be an integral part thereof." There

is nothing in the act of July 12, 1876, section 15, which has been quoted as sustaining the action of the First Assistant Postmaster-General, which in any manner supersedes or modifies the ruling above quoted. Hence it is of full force and effect. I am therefore of opinion that the copies of the Missionary Herald delivered from the office at New York City should have been delivered to subscribers without extra charge. Very respectfully, (Signed) A. A. FREEMAN,

Ass't Att'y-Gen'l P. O. Dep't. To HON. D. M. KEY, Postmaster-General.

The decision of the Assistant Attorney-General in the above case is approved, and the ruling of the First Assistant Postmaster-General of date January 25, 1879, is reversed. (Signed) D. M. KEY, Postmaster-General.

PAPYROGRAPH PROCESS.

MR. WAIT has introduced into the House a bill declaring that circular price-lists, drawings, and other matter printed by the papyrograph process shall be rated as third-class matter in the mails.

AUTHORS AT WORK.

MISS HADIE HELLER, with the co-operation of Mrs. Stephen Fiske, is preparing a life of the late Robert Heller, for publication by Carleton.

ALPHONSE DAUDET's forthcoming novel, "La Reine Frédérique," is being translated in Paris by Miss Grace V. Lord, of Boston, for publication here simultaneously with its appearance abroad.

DR. JOSEPH F. THOMPSON, of Berlin, has written, at the request of the American Tract Society, a small work on Socialism, with special reference to the German aspects of that question.

PROF. J. E. THOROLD ROGERS has nearly collected the materials for the next two volumes of his "History of Agriculture and Prices," which will deal with the period from 1401 to 1582 inclusive.

MR. E. C. STEDMAN, it is understood, has decided to carry out a long-cherished plan, the issue of a work on American poetry similar to his admirable "Victorian Poets." He is now collecting material for the book.

THE REV. DR. CATHCART, of Philadelphia, states the Examiner, is preparing "A Baptist Encyclopædia," to be published in a single stout octavo, and" give information about everything connected with the birth and progress of our grand old denomination."

MRS. FRANCIS LIEBER, is engaged upon a Life of her husband, the late Dr. Francis Lieber. She urgently requests his friends and correspondents (or their families, in case of their decease) who have preserved his letters to send them to her by express, at Newport, R. I.

MR. GEORGE JACOB HOLYOAKE has completed his "History of Co-operation in EngÎand," and the second volume is expected to appear very soon. The volume includes the story of the new industrial movement from 1845 to the end of 1878. It is dedicated to Mr. John Bright.

STATIONERY NOTES.

AN English house has hit upon the capital notion of issuing five-quire packets of note paper, on the illuminated wrappers of which a stationer, taking a certain quantity, may have his imprint, together with a local postal guide, showing the hours of receiving and dispatching mails, rates of postage, etc. At seaside and other places of summer resort these packets will certainly find favor among visitors.

JOSEPH GILLOTT & SONS have just issued a new Falcon pen, numbered 908, which is an improved style of the popular Speedwell Falcon, introduced by Joseph Gillott over thirty years ago. The object of this pen is to supply a demand for a cheaper Falcon than their No. 878. The list price of the new pen will be 65 cents per gross. Owing to numerous inquiries, they have also issued a new Oblique

pen, No. 907, which is the same pattern as that manufactured by them and known as the "B. M. Worthington Pen, by Joseph Gillott," the list price of which will be $1.50 per gross.

ULBRICH & KINGSLEY, Buffalo, N. Y., have recently issued a novel manual for spelling exercise. "The Complete Word Speller" aims to induce the pupil to spell and write at the same moment, to imprint indelibly upon the mind the construction of every difficult word, and to make and preserve a complete and exact record of his transaction on this topic. The

Manual is ruled with two broad columns, one for the words dictated, and the other for enter ing the corrected words; two narrow columns are for the number of the word, and for the error check. The book is printed on good paper, and published at a moderate price.

DANIEL SLOTE & Co., publishers of Mark Twain's best work-so he considers it, we believe his gummed scrap-book, send us a novelty in the shape of a pamphlet-file, manufactured under their Wire-Stitched Patent,' the same as their regular stock of flat-back reference-files, Mark Twain's scrap-books, etc., which are said to be giving excellent satisfac. tion both as regards wear and tear and price. The file has stubs ready-gummed to take the numbers of a periodical for a year, or to hold as many pamphlets as the flat back gives room for, and for many purposes it will be found very

desirable.

MARTIN TAYLOR, Buffalo, has now ready the

first nine numbers of Prof. Maycock's Industrial Drawing Book, in which all the principles of design are presented, and the adaptation of ornament to different materials and different surfaces, fully illustrated. The course is thoroughly graded and divided, as follows: No. 1, lines, angles, and curves; 2, elements of decorative design; 3, elements of decorative design; 4, elementary principles of design; 5, ornamental treatment of plant-forms; 6, adaptation of ornament to different materials and different surfaces; 7, principles of designing, with suggestions for constructing designs; 8, mechanical drafting, plane problems; 9, mechanical drafting, isometric projection. The numbers are printed on fine paper and neatly gotten up. The remaining (three) numbers are in prepa ration.

LITERARY AND TRADE NOTES.

So great is the demand for Fanny Kemble's "Records of a Girlhood" that on the day of its publication the publishers, Henry Holt & Co., were obliged to order the plates to press for a new edition.

PROF. HOSMER'S "Short History of German St. Louis, and noted by us recently, may be Literature," published by G. I. Jones & Co., ordered in the East through Messrs. Lippincott, Dillingham, and Lee & Shepard.

DRESSER, MCLELLAN & Co., Portland, Me., have in press at the Riverside an interesting work on historical poems by Samuel C. Moore, which may be expected presently. It is announced as the first work of its kind ever published in the United States.

catalogued by Mr. J. Hammond Trumbull, THE Brinley Library, of Hartford, recently

one of the finest collections of Americana, etc.,

in this country, will be sold at Messrs. Leavett's rooms, March 10th. In the Tribune of Feb. 11th Mr. Sabin has a two-column letter de

scribing the rarities of the library.

A. S. BARNES & Co. have in preparation a volume of "Southern Selections" for reading and oratorical practice, by J. G. James, of Texas; one of "Dialogues and Conversations" for school use, by Emily S. Vakey, of Albany Academy; and a decided novelty in school helps, Browne's Spelling Tablet, for handy use.

PETER PAUL & BRO., Buffalo, call attention to the new edition of their well-known and seasonable little book, "Lenten Mosaics," which every bookseller should have in stock at this season. A new ribbon book is in press by them, "One of Many," price 75 cents, which they promise will be« the most artistic thing yet.'

A“ HISTORY Of Princeton and its Institutions," by John Frelinghuysen Hageman, is in press by J. B. Lippincott & Co., in two octavo volumes, illuminated with steel plates and cuts. The author is a lawyer of that place, and traces the

history of the town from the earliest settlement, with especial reference to the college and seminary.

DODD, MEAD & Co. add to their popular dollar series "The Maid of Stralsund," by the Dutch novelist De Liefde, whose story of “The Beggars" attracted such wide attention. They will issue in March the new story by Schönberg-Cotta Mrs. Charles, "Joan the Maid, Deliverer of France and England," now in them, in the New York Observer. course of publication, by arrangement with

A NEW edition of "How to Parse" is in preparation by Roberts Brothers-an excellent, scholarly, simple book which does much to render lovely what the bugbear Grammar is to Its author, Edwin A. Abbott, many scholars. Head Master of the City of London School, is How to Write Clearly," and, also author of " with Prof. J. R. Seeley, of "English Lessons for English People."

THE Complete edition of Mrs. Southworth's works, to which attention is invited elsewhere, now includes 43 volumes, which are issued uniformly in vellum cloth, black and gold, by Messrs. Peterson, who have a gold-mine in this popular author. Her books are, we believe,