The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-27 00:00:00

The Patent Office.

The report of the Commons' Select Committee appointed
to inquire as to the most suitable arrangements to be made
respecting the Patent-office, library, and museum has been
printed. The committee, in the first place, made ;nquiries
as to the Patent• office and library it Southampton-buildings,
with the view to ascertain whether they are adequate to carry
out the provisions of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852.
Upon this point the committee have found that, in the
opinion of all the witnesses they have examined, and, so far
as they could collect from the evidence of all those who have
devoted attention to the subject, the present office is totally
wanting in the accommodation requisite for giving full
effect to that Act and the patent system generally. For
this purpose suitable apartments for the Commissioners,
law officers, and clerks, with a record-office and rooms for
inspecting provisional specifications, drawings, and scien-
tific publications, should be at once provided ; the place
now used for the inspection of classifications and draw-
ings is little better than a dark passage, in which there is
barely standing room. With regard to the library, the com-
mitte have found that it is one of great value and utility,
but that its utility is seriously impaired by its crowded state
and the want of sufficient attendants ; the books are now
stowed away in a number of small,rooms, or rather closets,
some on floors, some on tables, some !n passages, and some
on shelves; while the storerooms are so overloaded that the
floors have already sunk, and the surveyor of the Board of
Works has refused to allow them to be loaded any more lest
they should break down. The inconvenience to those who
frequent the office and library arising from this state of
things is enhanced by the want of a sufficient staff of atten-
dants. The committee consider that the want of increased
accommodation in respect of the Patent-office and library is
so much felt as to prejudice the due administration of the
patent law, and they therefore secommend that sufficient
office room with an additional reading room and extension
of the library, should be provided with the least possible de-
lay. The committee further recommend that the library
should on no account be separated from the office. All
witnesses concur in this opinion.

The second point to which the committee directed their
attention was that of the Patent Museum, having regard
especially to its formation, its present state, its relation to
the Patent-office and library, and the nature of its contents,
so as to render it practically useful. The committee found
that the Patent Museum was formed by Mr Woodcroft,the
superintendent of specifications, by the request of the Com-
missioners of Patents, and that it consists of models and
machines, belonging partly to the Commissioners of Patents
partly to the Commissioners of the Exhibition of 1851, and
partly to Mr Woodcroft himself, and various private per-
sons. This collection has been exhibited since 1857 in the
iron building at South Kensington. It occupies a floor
space of only 6,700 feet, and is too much overcrowded for
classification or for due inspection by visitors. The com-
mittee are of opinion that the term "Patent Museum,"
which is generally applied to this collection, tends to give
an erroneous impression as to its character and object.
Various suggestions have been made by witnesses respect-
ing the nature of a museum connected with the mechanical
arts, which may be summed up as follows :—That it should
illustrate the history of those arts by a collection of original
machines from an early period to the present time ; that it
should exhibit all known inventions respecting machinery
and manufactures ; that it should show the present state of
all machinery and manufactures. Some of the witnesses
suggested that the collection should be restricted to the
machinery and manufactures of the United Kingdom,
while others proposed that it should be extended to those of
foreign countries. Some, again, proposed that the collection
should contain all the objects of each class, while others
proposed that a selection only of the most important objects
should be exhibited. There was no less diversity of opinion
respecting the primary purpose for which any collection or
exhibition should be made, some of the witnesses consi-
dered that it should be for the purpose of conveying instruc-
tion in the mechanical arts, either in a cursory way to people
who might visit the museum, or to students in mechanics,
or to persons desirous of applying themselves to the dis-
covery of improvements in machinery and manufactures,
Other witnesses deemed the museum chiefly desirable for
the information of persons intending to take out or purchase
patents in aid of the information afforded by books and spe-
cifications, to assist them in ascertaining whether the con-
templated patent would be valid as a new invention, On the
other hand, two witnesses, Mr Carpmael and Mr Johnson,
gave it as their opinion that for all purposes of the patent
law a museum of models would be practically useless. The
committee are of opinion that any special collection of pa-
tented inventions made for the purpose of evidence, illustra-
tion, or record of patent rights, is not so connected,with a
general museum of mechanical inventions as to render the
neighbourhood of ouch a museum to a patent-office and
library or law courts necessary. It appears to the committee
that the purpose of a general museum is to illustrate and ex-
plain the commencement, progress, and present positions of
the most important branches of mechanical inventions; to
show the chief steps by which the most remarkable machines
have reached their present degree of excellence ; to convey
interesting and useful information, and to stimulate inven-
tion.

At this part of the report it was proposed to add—" The
committee are not prepared to express any opinion as to the
advisability of such a general museum of mechanical inven-
tions, nor do they consider that the funds derived from
patent fees are applicable to such an object; but the pro-
posal was negatived by five votes against four, the chairman
not voting. The committee proceeded to say that, in forming
an illustrative collection of inventions, it would be necessary
to adopt the principle of selection. This, however, does
not appear to the committee to be an insuperable objection,
especially as no one proposes to substitute models for specifi-
cations, which, for all the purposes of administering the
patent law, would still have to be consulted, and bear the
stamp of authority. Such a collection should contain a
selection of models of moderate size which should illustrate
different departments of inventions, and also a selection of
models of current patented inventions. This collection
should be exhibited in connection with the Patent-office.

The attention of the committee has been given to the
most eligible situation for the buildings, in connection with
the Patent-office—that is to say, the office, library, and
such last-mentioned collection, and the following are the
sites respecting which their inquiries have been chiefly
,directed.-1. Chancery-lane.—This is a block of land oc-
cupied principally by old and delapidated houses, and
surrounded by Southampton-buildings, Chancery-lane,
Cursitor-street, and Took's-court. It is most conveniently
placed, being in close proximity to the law courts at Lin-
coln's-inn, the Inns of Court, and the new Record Office.
Another site immediately adjoining the last named was
suggested ; it extends to the north side of the Record-office.
Should the plan for concentrating all the law courts in the
neighbourhood of Chancery-lane, which has been recently
under the consideration of Government, be carried into
effect, it will afford an additional argument in favour of
either site. The cost of the first named site, amounting to
5,878 yards, was estimated at £205,600. 2. Fife-house.—
This block consists of Fife-house (in which the East India
Museum is now placed) an adjoining garden, and some small
houses. It contains in all about two acres, and appears to the
committee to be well situated for the buildings in question.
The committee, however, do not consider that it offers as
many advantages as the Chancery-lane site would afford,
being more distant from the law courts and offices. This has
been estimated at the price of £52,800 per acre. 3. Victoria-
street—This consists of a block of land in Victoria-street,
which would afford sufficient space for the proposed build-
ings, but the committee do not consider the situation would
be as convenient as either of the two last named sites for in-
ventors, professional men, and others who would principally
resort to it. This site is estimated at £66,000. It contains
an area of nearly an acre and a quarter. 4. Trafalgar-square,
—This has been recommended by some witnesses; but,
having regard to the recent decision of the House upon the
subject of the National Gallery, the committee did not feel
justified in entertaining the proposition. 5. South Ken-
sington—Ample space may be afforded in the vicinity of
the present museum for a general museum of mechanical
inventions. The land of this site is vested in Government
for local purposes connected with science and art, but the
committee have ascertained that land in this neighbour-
hood is of a high value. This part of the report, as origi-
nally proposed by the chairman (Mr Dillwyn) contained the
following clause :—" The committee are of opinion that this
site is too far removed from the business parts of the me-
tropolis to render it a desirable situation for institutions of
a practical or industrial character." This clause was
struck out on a division by five against four ; but, as the
chairman did not vote, the opinions of the members
present would seem to have been equally divided. The
report proceeds to state that upon a full consideration of the
advantages and disadvantages of these sites the committee
have arrived at the conclusion that the balance of advan-
tages in favour of the neighbourhood of Chancery-lane out-
weighs that of the others, and they therrtore recommend it
for adoption. The committee find that the surplus of receipts
beyond expenditure on the balance of accounts of the fees
payable by stamps under the Provisions of the Patent Law
Amendment Act, 1852, has amounted to £173,014, up to
the end of 1862, and that the hut plus for t tha year 1863, of
which the accounts have not yet been puhli,hPd, is estimated
to amount to £37,000, making up to the end of last year a
total surplus revenue of £120,044 [the Patent-office report
just issued states last year's surplus to be £53,968.] The
committee consider that the principal object of the fees pay-
able under the Provisions of the Patent Law Amendment
Act was to provide for the proper working of that measure,
and not for the purpose of increasing the general revenue
of the country. Without entering upon the qestion whether
or not a claim exists to have the surplus exclusively devoted
to the purposes of the Act of 1852, the committee are of
lopinion that for the future the annual surplus revenue ac-
cruing
from the operation of that act should be supplied to
thaoxteut which may be necessary.