  The transverse Meissner effect (TME) in the highly layered superconductor
Bi2Sr2CaCu2O(8+y) with columnar defects is investigated by transport
measurements. We present detailed evidence for the persistence of the
Bose-glass phase when H is tilted at an angle theta < theta_c (T) away from the
column direction: (i) the variable-range vortex hopping process for low
currents crosses over to the half-loops regime for high currents; (ii) in both
regimes near theta_c(T) the energy barriers vanish linearly with tan(theta) ;
(iii) the transition temperature is governed by T_{BG}(0) -T_{BG}(theta) sim
|tan(theta)|^{1/\nu_{\perp}} with \nu_{\perp}=1.0 +/- 0.1. Furthermore, above
the transition as theta->\theta_c+, moving kink chains consistent with a
commensurate-incommensurate transition scenario are observed. These results
thereby clearly show the existence of the TME for theta < theta_c(T).
