The Sun.
London, England, 1851-08-07 00:00:00

AUGUST 7, 1851.

THE PATENT LAW AiIIEIVIEIJEN7' BILL.
Tau chapter of Parlierneatary " eecideets and
fences," as everyhody knows, is apt to be abundant in
the last week of the session. As the fatal moment ap-
proaches stranguletionre submersions, desertions, s
plurinla mortis irnugo multiply every hour, and it is
scarcely possible tor the closest attention to keep pace
with the slaughter. Bat it is not very often that we
witness so fearful, so critical, and yet so protracted a
struggle as that which oecureed yesterday in the Corn-
mons. The unfortunate creature whose fate it was to
come into the world at thin inclement time was the
Patent Law Ansendment Bill, and for more than an hour
it may he said to have hung between ii:e and death,
while the fates themselves were wrangling over the thread
of its existence. Deeds of this tort are usually done
with singular quietness; "mutes," the midnight hour, the
muffled oar, the silent bowl, the stealthy blade, or the
gurgling pool, are all the obsequies the occasion can allow.
But as this rather tardy offspring of the session trembled
yesterday in the crisis of its fate, there arose over it about
as noisy a wrangle as might have been got up in the
second week of the session over a measure for register-
ing monks or guns, or for keeping the Pope in order.
Very little calculation will suffice to show that between
2 o'clock yesterday and the same hour to-morrow,
there could not be much time for superfluous discussion,
yet considerably more than an hoar of this precious
time was spent in discussing whether there was time
loft to carry the Bill, whether it was likely the Lords
would agree to the amendments of the Commons, whose
fault it would be if there was not time, whether the oc-
casion was ono of urgency, and whether it was pertinent
to every clause in the Bill to discuss the principle of the
whole. The disputes of doctors over a dying patient
are nothing to this, becanse, twat probably, they could
not save the patient if they wished, whereas in this in-
stance the doctors actually had the life of the measure
wholly in their power.
If the Bill came down rather late from the Lords, that
is no more than what frequently happens with measures
passed up from the Commons; but it had already been
discussed in three consecutive sittings of the House, and
its principle adopted. Of that principle, which was
merely a simplification of the patent laws, it is needless
to say more than that it certainly is an improvement on
those laws as they now stand, whether patents are good
things or not. Nothing, then, remained but a discussion
of the clauses in detail. When this work had advanced
to the eighteenth clause, and the House had already in-
vested a large share of its valuable time in the measure
with some hope of a return, suddenly there arose a cry
of despair, " Oh! we shall never get through with this
measure. There is not time enough. Will there be
be time? It will be your fault if there is not." Three
men, not at all deficient in sagacity, consideration, and
habits of business—Mr. Ricardo, Mr. Henley, and Sir
J. Graham—joined in this remonstrance, and knowing
that a few more revolutions of the hour-hand on the face
of the clock would close the session, proceeded to
count up the hours that remained, to number the sit-
tings, to estimate contingencies, as coolly es the man
that Johnson describes as speculating on the nature of
flame when he was informed that his house was on fire.
Sir James Graham set about it most methodically and
chronologically. The authoress of that clever little
book, " The Contributions of Q. Q.," describes a moody
pendulum taken with a sudden fit of superfluous antici-
pation. As it wagged to and fro, it began to compute
how many times it would have to wag in the course of
the next twelvemonth, and was so overwhelmed at the
sum of its future labours, that it resolved to stop. In
that case the remedy was to do what could be done, and
to accomplish step by step what seemed in the aggregate
impossible. That was exactly the advice tendered by Mr.
Labouchere and his colleagues, and at last acceded to by
Sir J. Graham himself. The Right Bon. Gentleman,
however, did nothing but destroy the time he professed
to desiderate. He had only to let the discussion of the
clauses go cn, end there might be time enough, but a
protracted expostulation for more time defeated its own
object, that is, if the object was what it professed to be.
When Mr. Pickwick was making a retreat from a bed-
room at an inn, which he had mistaken for his own, he
stood at the open door with his clothes over his arm,
offering no end of apologies, when all that he had to do
was to hold his tongue and be off as quiet as he could.
That was exactly Sir James's mistake, unless, indeed,
he really had some sinister intention. The Knight of
Netherby had no particular reason yesterday for being
in an ill-humour with the world, or for offering an irre-
gular opposition to a Ministerial measure. So we are
at a loss to understand what he really meant by this sin-
gular interruption.
The Bill itself hardly pretends to be more than a tem-
porary measure for tho convenience of the more than
ordinary number of people likely to require protection
for their inventions, and to take out patents, in conse-
quence of the Great Exhibition. It is very true that it
is, and must ever remain, a difficulty how to secure in-
genuity its fruits without raising too many obstructions
in the region of manufacture and art. The care given
by the Lords to the Bill, the numerous amendments made
in the Commons, the diversity of opinion betrayed in
the Cabinet, the readiness of the promoters to adopt sug-
gestions even where they cannot be called friendly, and
the modest confession of the Attorney-General that nine
patents out of ten that would be taken out under this Bill
would probably be good for nothing, all constituted a claim
to Sir James Graham's consideration, for they showed,
that notwithstanding the pressure of time, the difficulties
of the question had been fully considered. Sir James,
however, in an unlucky moment, as we think, seems to
have taken all these things as symptoms of weakness.
Finding, therefore, his rivals, as ho thought, at an ob-
vious disadvantage, ho followed up his success with
merciless rigour. In so doing he overshot his mark.
A little reflection would have suggested to him that he
might as well be content with the protests he had al-
ready made, and really leave to Government the respon-
sibility of the measure. If they cannot carry it this
session, why should Sir James fret about it? If it :s
carried and works ill, it will soon have to be amended,
and Sir James will doubtless have a very potential
voice in the amendment. For our own part, we are by
no means sanguine as to the measure, though just now
we believe it to be a matter of necessity, so great is the
race of invention in this extraordinary year. It seems
to us very fairly adapted to meet this particular
crisis, when there aro multitudes of competing inven-
tions, only a few of which will be able to maintain their
ground against the rest.—Times.

GREENHOUSES KNOWN to the ANCIENTS.
Although some sheet glass has been found in the
ruins of Pompeii, M. Humboldt has been of opinion
that the ancients did not know what we call green or hot-
houses. M. Duresu de la Malle, of the French Insti-
tute, has, however, succeeded in clearing up this point
in dispute to perfect satisfaction. The name of " gardens
of Adonis," mentioned by ancient authors, ought to
have pointed long ago at something uncommon, hidden
under this aspellation. Plato, mentioning them in his
Phcedrus, s4s, that " a grain of seed or the branch of a
tree, placed or introduced in these gardens, acquires in
eight days a development which cannot be obtained in as
many months in the open air." According to an in-
scription discovered at Rome, Domitianus possessed in
his palace on the Palatine a hothouse, where exotic
plants were cultivated. Columella also, the head of
Roman rural and agricultural authors, says:—" Rome
possesses, within the precincts of her walls, fragrant
trees, trees cf precious perfumes, such as grow in the
open air of India and Arabia. These gardens are em •
bellished with the myrtle and the crocus in flower: there
you see the balm-tree of India and the cinnamon-tree
covered with leaves, as well as the tree of frankincense.
Italy, this fertile land, yields willingly to the wants of
her cultivators, and has learnt to contain the fruits of the
whole universe." In another passage Columella men-
tions portable (moveable) glass houses. It was for Ti-
berius that cucumbers were to be grown fere toto anno,
which was done in frames filled with warm dung, which
were mounted on wheels for bringing them close to some
wall, shone upon by the sun. M. D. de la Mall° cites
another passage of Martialis, containing the reproach of
a person to his friend, for having lodged him worse
then his fruit-trees, " which children of Cilicie, for ex-
cluding them from winter and cold winds, are protected
by glass in sheet from the blasts of Boreas, which do
not admit but air and sun." Seneca goes still further,
saying:—" Do those not live contrary to nature who
require a rose in winter, and who, by the excitement of
hot water and an appropriate modification of heat, force
from the equinox of winter the lily-bloom of spring?"
This passage, in fine, is conclusive for proving that the
Romans used steam us ono of the heating agents for
those Adonis gardens, which, considering their many
warm-bath establishments, must have been an expedient
obtruding itself on their attention.—Builder.

MONEY MAIIKET.—The quotation of gold at
Paris is about 4 per mille discount (according to the
new tariff), which, at the English Mint price of
31. 178. 101 d. per ounce for standard gold, gives an ex-
change of 25.07 ; and the exchange at Paris on London at
short being 25.04, it follows that gold is 0.18 per cent.
dearer in Paris than in London. By advises from Ham-
burgh the price of gold is 4251 per mark, which, at the Eng-
lish Mint price of 31. 17s. 10-0. per ounce for standard gold,
gives an exchange of 13.4 ; and the exchange at Ham-
burgh on London at short being 13.6 i, it follows that gold
is 0.53 per cent. dearer in London than in Hamburgh.
The course of exchange at New York on London for bills at
60 days' sight is Ilq per cent., and the par of exchange
between England and America being 109 23-40 per cent.,
it follows that the exchange is nominally 0.92 per cent. in
favour of England ; and after making allowance for differ-
ence of interest and charges of transport, the present rate
leaves a profit on the importation of gold from the United
States.
THE FRIMLEY MURDEE..--SeVeral contradictory
statements have appeared in the newspapers relative to the
disposal of Hiram Smith, one of the men who burglariously
entered the house of the Rev. George Edward Holiest, at
Frimley, and murdered the rev. gentleman, in October last.
It may be in the recollection of our readers that Smith was
admitted approver on behalf of the Crown, and that his
companions, Levi Ilarwood and James Jones, were tried at
the last Surrey Assizes at Kingston, in March last, and exe-
cuted at Horsemonger-lane gaol in the early part of April.
Smith was ordered to be detained in custody, and it was
supposed that he would have been liberated and sent out of
the country. Such, however, was not the intention of the
Government, as orders were given to the governor of Horse-
monger-lane to detain him until the forthcoming Summer
Assizes for Surrey, which will be held at Croydon on Friday
next. The calendar of the prisoners about to be tried there
is just printed, and Hiram Smith's name stands first on the
list. lie is charge. on the coroner's inquisition with the
wilful murder of the Rev. George Edward Holiest, at Prim-
ley, in the'county of Surrey ; and further charged with bur-
glariously entering the rev. gentleman's house with two
others, since convicted. His companions were not tried on the
coroner's inquisition, therefore his being approver at the time
does not save hint from being tried for the offence in which
he was a participator.
MIDLAND RAILWAY.—At a meeting of the board,
held at Derby yesterday, the directors decided to recommend
the proprietors to declare at the approaching general half-
, yearly meeting a dividend after the rate of 21/2 per cent.
per annum upon the Consolidated Stock, and upon 33/. Cs. Bd.
the unguaranteed portion of the 501, shares.

_BANDITTI IN MEXICO.

XTRACT FROM A PIIIVATELETTER.)

"MEXICO, Julaa 15.
" I arrived here four days ago from Vera Cruz
The Englishmen resident there warned us of the
banditti on the roar, and of the necessity of going
well armed. There was bat one subject of conversa-
tion there as to our journey to Mexico, and that was
Los ladrones. Diligences had been robbed, passen-
gers ill-treated, and the whole road, to say the least
Of it, was not quite so safe ac Regent-street at noon.
We left Vera Cruz in a diligence strongly resem-
bling an antediluvian hackney-coach, drawn by eight
mules, with three wretched, seedy-looking Dragoons
as an escort. The way for a league is along the
sands of the shore ; after that we rose a bluff and
got on the road, and a nice road it was—up to the
axles in sand, and so continued for several leagues,
ascending the whole way. When the sand
ceased we got ou a beautifully-engineered
road, but utterly neglected ; holes in it
large enough to bury the fattest ox that was ever
seen at Beuacre, and you may readily believe we did
not sleep a wink at night. In the morning early
we passed the battle-ground of Cerro Gordo, where in
1847, 9,000 Americans.beat 20,000 Mexicans, and drove
them from an almost impregnable position. We saw, for
the first time, the celebrated peak of Orizaba, 17,250
feet above the level of the sea. We arrived at Jalapa
at about 8 A.M., and started again at 12, having
heard, as we then thought, most horse-marine accounts
of banditti. We travelled over a volcanic country
all day, and arrived at Perote at night. This town
passes for the worst in all Mexico, which is saying a
good deal for it. The peak of Perote is 13,414 feet
above the level of the sea, and is a mark for sailors
entering the port of Vera Cruz. Started at four in
the morning, from Perote, with an escort of
six dragoons, who rode a mile or so, and then, ap-
proaching a bad place, asked for their usual fee, and
returned. These fellows invariably run if they see
the banditti, and indeed are supposed by most people
to be in league with them. We then passed through
some most splendid country ; abrupt volcanic peaks
rising straight out of the plains, in all directions.
We had also passed some very bad places for the
ladrones, when, just as we were mounting from a
barranca, which is a dry watercourse, with shrubs
and trees coming down to the edge of the road, and
beautiful turf underneath, I heard suddenly a Mexi-
can voice cry out Caramba ! los ladrones !' followed
by shouts of ' Carajo ! alto !' The dilligence pulled
up instantly, and, putting my head out of the win-
dow, I saw several men splendidly mounted and armed,
their faces concealed with black crape or dominos,
galloping at us through the bushes, and pre-
senting their pistols and carbines. I jumped from
the carriage in an instant, with my trusty double-
barrelled rifle. The first bandit on seeing me pulled
up and covered me dead with his pistol, an enormous
thing, like a young cannon , but I was too quick for
him, and let him have it, the whole charge hit-
ting him in his right breast (eighteen buckshot),
which I prefer to ball on such occasions, as being
more general in their favours. He fell back on his
saddle, letting go his reins, and then struggled and
fell on the mane of his horse, and the horse galloped
off into the bush with him. I then let drive at an-
other who galloped up to attack us—l saw him
flinch, and he turned his horse also to the forest ;
the others then cleared off. Every one who saw
the first fellow said he was dead close by,
but we had to go on as fast as we could,
not knowing how many more might make their ap-
pearance. The other passengers, besides Fitzwilliain
and myself, were Englishmen and Americans going
to California ; they had no time to fire, but were all
armed, and got out of the diligence to make fight
like men, but it was my lot to beat the
first. On arriving at Acajeto, the next town, we went
to the Alcade and reported what had happened be-
tween the banditti and ourselves; he thanked us with
much politeness, and told to kill them all,' which
is much easier said than done; but be sent out a
party to the scene of action, and news came up by
the last diligence that they had found one man stone
dead, about 40 yards from the spot where I first
fired, and another man shot through the
thigh and body and reported to be mortally
wounded ;' if he does not die, he will be
garotted for a certainty, as this band has been the
terror of the country all around for some time. I
have got here a great deal of credit, and more than I
deserve, for what I did; it forms for the moment the
standard topic of conversation, and every one seems
forward to thank me as a benefactor to the public, for
no Mexican dares resist these fellows, and they stop
carriages and coaches with impunity, even in the
city of Mexico itself. The newspapers, too,
have said a great deal about it, expressing
a wish that Mexicans would act like English-
men, and show some amount of pluck. Edward is
gone to Guadalaxara—l shall return to the United
States ; there you see a race of men who before long
will take the lead in the world from all the European
nations, just as certainly as time moves on.
" Yours, &c., " S. T. CLIsSoLD.
" P.S. I open this again to tell you that the Alcade
at Puebla has sent to say that the second bandit died
the next morning."

IS the CRYSTAL PALACE out of DANGER?

(From the Weekly News and Chronicle.)
The House of Commons have decided by a majority
of 75 to 47 for an address to the Queen, praying her
Majesty to direct that the Crystal Palace be kept
standing till the Ist of May next, so as to give an op-
portunity of determining upon its ultimate destina-
tion—we trust that the building may be considered
safe. The discussion on this motion was anything
but creditable to the minority. Greater fatuity has
hardly ever been talked in Parliament—always ex-
cepting the anile and interested nonsense vented by
Lord Campbell and the dowager interest in the
House of Lords on a similar occasion—than was
gravely emitted by the opponents of the motion in the
Lower House on Tuesday night.
Every thrice-refuted objection was revived, and
some new ones specially invented for the occasion.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer talked of the
expense of keeping the building in repair ; it being
notorious to every one not under the spell of official
ignorance that Messrs. Fox and Henderson have
undertaken to do the needful in the way of resto-
ration for twenty-one years at an annual cost of
5,5001.; and to remove the boarded sides, substi-
tute glass, and put the roof and every part of the
building into efficient repair for 12,0001. or 15,0001.
Then again there was the old nonsense as to the
non-stability of the building; and this after the
repeated declarations of the same high-spirited and
enterprising firm, as to its perfect security and fitness
to last out three or four generations of Woods,
Inglises, and Sibthorps.
One of the most whimsical discoveries made by
Honourable Members was, that though petitions
had undoubtedly come in, from Glasgow to the
Land's End, against the demolition of the structure,
yet no corresponding activity of petition had been
shown in the metropolis ; the truth being, first, that
numbers of petitions, more especially from the
suburbs, have already been preseieted ; secondly, as
Mr. Wakley observed, that the Londoners cannot
conceive the possibility of such Vandalism as that
the popular branch of the Legislature should con-
sent to the demolition of that which the Great City
regards with pride as its greatest ornament.

-As to the pitiful plea of the necessity of keeping the
public faith, we really have no patience with its hypo-
crisy. Faith from whom to whom ? Why, from the
public, as represented in the House, to the public out
of doors. But the whole public out of the House, Times
newspaper and all, is against the removal. By peti-
tion heaped upon petition, the people are declaring
to the House that the very thing of all others they
most deprecate is that this faith should be kept in the
sense in which a few old women, interested house-
holders, and official lordlings, insist upon keeping, it.
Out of deference to what we supposed your wishes,
oh, petitioning public! say the Commissioners and
her Majesty's Ministers, we made a certain com-
pact; you now tell us your wishes are wholly
against our keeping it 3 it may be so—but we
are sorry we can't help it; what we ima-
gined to be your wish must prevail ; the com-
pact must be observed. Why, where is the must?—
what creates the necessity ? cessante ration° cessat et
ipsa lex ; the supposed ground of obligation turns out
to have no existence, and yet the obligation is to be
binding; the letter of the law is to be enforced,
though the reason of the law has ceased. What makes
the whole business, if possible, more absurd, is that as
far as Messrs. Fox and Henderson are concerned,
they distinctly waive all idea of keeping the Commis-
sioners to the letter of their bond.
Really the tone and temper of the House on this '
debate has been so unsatisfactory, the attitude of the
Commissioners and her Mejesty's Ministers so
equally balanced between apathy and lukoweriu
ness, that our advice to our metropolitan
• • " Let
would still be " Petition, petition, petition. readers
it not again be in the power of Honourable Mem-
bers to assert that London is indifferent ou this
question. However gracious her Majesty's reply to
the address, there can be no harm in a little excess of
when the object is to oppose so gross an act of
Vandalism, as the wanton demolition of the most
characteristic and beautiful structure of our times,
which, at so moderate a cost, and with so slight en
exertion of contriving skill, may lxy made a perpo-
tuai source of health, recreation, and popular culture.

We are happy to hear that the distinguished and
valuable services rendered to the Great Exhibition by Alder-
man yarncomb, the late Lord Mayor, at a time when assist-
ance was so much required, and when the success of the
great event was exceedingly doubtful, will not be passed un-
rewarded or unnoticed by her Majesty, as we understand
that it is intended very shortly to confer upon the worthy
alderman the dignity of a baronet of the United Kingdom,—
Chronicle.

LITERATURE.
CLARE ABBEY_ _By the Authoress of " The

Discipline of Lite:

2 170/8.

Colburn.

The admirable moral so beautifully set forth in that
verse of Longfellow which she selected as the motto
of her first work—

" Not eDjoyment and net, soricw
16 one destined end or way,
But to act that each tomorrow
Find us further than to-day."

has been kept in view by Lady Emily PonsoLby
throughout each succeeding production of her
delightful pen. Again, in " Clare Abbey," as in its
predecessors, we find a group of beautifully deli-
neated characters, and a series of interesting and
well-narrated incidents, combining to set forth and to
impress upon us the importance of every seemingly
insignificant trifle of that so-called chapter of acci-
dent6—life. Like the pebbles on the sea-beach,
which become beautifully rounded and po-
lished by their continuous, and sometimes
not very gentle intermingling, so the heroes and
heroines of these narratives become throughout the
course of, the history so beautifully recounted to us,
chastened by affliction, tempered by trial, and finally
perfected by the continual discipline of every-day
life. In this respect " Clare Abbey" resembles the
former works of this authoress, while as a story it
surpasses them in interest. The character of Camilla
is beautifully natural, and is loveable in the midst of
her many imperfections. We shall not attempt,
however, to give any analysis of the tale—we com-
mend it very cordially to all who can
,appreciate
natural beauties, whether in the portraiture of the
characters or in the style of the narrative.

RALPH RUTHERFORD. By the Author of
" The Petrel." 3 Vols.
A naval novel, by the author of the " Petrel," will
be welcome to all, who take pleasure in that very fasci-
nating species of literature, which interweaves with
a romantic story the yet more romantic narrative
of the perils and vicissitudes of the stormy
deep. Admiral Fisher is reported to be the
author of the volumes above-mentioned, and the
book bears internal evidence of its sailor origin. To
give an analysis of its contents is somewhat embar-
rassing. Ralph Rutherford is a glorious sailor hero,
and the reader follows him with interest in his vari-
ous adventures by sea and land, in war and in peace,
until at last he leaves him with his fair Julia, to en-
joy the happiness so dearly purchaKd, and so well
deserved by his gallant career.