Centralization produces the "cheap and abundant supply of labor" required
for the maintenance of the British manufacturing system, and "cheap labor"
furnishes Mr. Dickens with his "Oliver Twist," his "Tom-all-alone's," and
the various other characters and situation by aid of whose delineation he
is enabled, as a German writer informs us, to have dinners

"at which the highest aristocracy is glad to be present, and where he
equals them in wealth, and furnishes an intellectual banquet of wit and
wisdom which they, the highest and most refined circles, cannot
imitate."

Centralization enables Mr. Dickens to obtain vast sums by advertising the
works of the poor authors by whom he is surrounded, most of whom are not
only badly paid, but insolently treated, while even of those whose names
and whose works are well known abroad many gladly become recipients of the
public charity. In the zenith of her reputation, Lady Charlotte Bury
received, as I am informed, but £200 ($960) for the absolute copyright of
works that sold for $7.50. Lady Blessington, celebrated as she was, had
but from three to four hundred pounds; and neither Marryat nor Bulwer ever
received, as I believe, the selling price of a thousand copies of their
books as compensation for the copyright.[1] Such being the facts in regard
to well-known authors, some idea may be formed in relation to the
compensation of those who are obscure. The whole tendency of the "cheap
labor" system, so generally approved by English writers, is to destroy the
value of literary labor by increasing the number of persons who must look
to the pen for means of support, and by diminishing the market for its
products. What has been the effect of the system will now be shown by
placing before you a list of the names of all existing British authors
whose reputation can be regarded as of any wide extent, as follows:--