The Sun.
London, England, 1851-08-06 00:00:00

ballot—be provided, which will at the same time
afford protection to the voter, and remove the induce-
ment from the *candidate of attempting to gain his
suffrage by any improper means.

Contrary to all rational expectation, there seems to
be now every likelihood that the Patent Law Amend-
ment Bill cannot be passed during the present session
of Parliament. After the energetic efforts made to
forward this measure through the remaining stages,
the sadden obstruction encountered by its supporters
is, in sober earnest, a very grievous disappointment.
On glancing over the report of yesterday's proceed-
ings in the House of Commons it will be perceived
that for this most encouraging circumstance the
country is indebted to the Thersites of the Legisla-
ture. Nothing could possibly be more irritating than
this, the inventors of the United Kingdom having
looked forward with the utmost confidence to the re-
cognition of their rights by the Lords and Commons,
as well as by the members of her MA.TEsTy's Govern-
ment. Immediately prior, however, to the realization
of all their hopes they have been abruptly thrown back
into the " slough of despond" by the petulance with
which the Hon. and Gallant Gentleman the Member
for Lincoln refused to postpone a ridiculous little
motion of his own, even in compliance with the
wishes of the entire House, and in obedience to the
remonstrances of the Prime Minister of England.
Very different was the conduct pursued last evening
by another Hon. and Gallant Member, the represen-
tative of Ludlow. Seeing that without some conces-
sion en his part and on that of his brother senators
there would be no chance whatever of the Bill pass-
ing into law this session, Colonel SALWEY, though re-
luctantly, still consented to waive his right of priority
so as to afford some opportunity for the carrying out
of the views of the Administration. Notwithstand-
ing this admirable example, Colonel SIEITHORP reso-
lutely and sturdily refused to budge one inch in accord-
ance with the demands of the occasion. To the request
addressed to himself from the Ministerial benches he
bluntly responded with a negative. When Lord
JOHN RUSSELL himself hinted that it was usual on
the Member who had the first motion on the paper
giving way for those who followed him to give way
also, Colonel SIBTHOEP retorted, with a plain, bare-
faced, blundering, ; uncivil, inelegant—" I won't."
After this specimen of courtesy there was, of course, no
alternative whatever. Needs must when a certain indi-
vidual drives, saith the proverb, and hence the Patent
Law Amendment Bill was burked most ruthlessly.
Colonel SALWEY in due course brought forward his
motion referring to the Military Knights of Windsor,
and in the middle of his statement, at precisely
half-past six, the House was counted, and thirty-
eight Members only being present, it was adjourned
accordingly. All this, we need scarcely remark, was
in the highest degree vexatious. The boon was just
upon the eve of being obtained, the pear was so ripe
that it was all but dropping into the mouths that had
been long watering for a taste of it—andexactly at this
crisis, when "all went merry as a marriage bell," Colo-
nel SIBTHORP must needs wedge in his petulant " /
won't," and doom the unfortunate inventors of the
United Kingdom to another lamentable disappointment.
Under the peculiar circumstances of the case, we
have maintained all along thatany change whatever in
the laws relating to patents would be preferable to no
alteration whatever. Hence we have watched the pro-
gress of the Amendment Bill with such singular soli-
citude, exulting in behalf of inventors, in behalf of
science, and in behalf, moreover, of the public at
large, at every onward movement in the way
of the desired innovation. Yet, exactly
at the moment when we were about to congratulate
the country on the passage of the measure through
the House of Commons, the whole of these arduous
exertions of the Government are set at nought, and
the Bill, like many a promising horse at the Derby,
proves in the end to be nowhere. We must now,
therefore, make up eur minds with the best grace
possible to the necessity of delaying our hopes in the
matter until next session, when, in an improved and
more carefully deliberated manner, the measure may
again be brought under the consideration of the
Imperial Legislature. During the Parliamentary
recess which is just now on the eve of
its commencement, it behoves all advocates of
reform in the Patent Laws of the United Kingdom
to prepare for the motion which will have to be made
next year with a view to the more effectual removal
of existing abuses. Powerful as the evidence has
already been of the injuries inflicted upon public and
private interests by the Patent Laws as they are at
the present moment enforced, it will, of course, be
peculiarly advantageous to accumulate yet more nu-
merous and persuasive testimony of the folly
of further procrastination. For, unfortunately,
some few determined minds yet remain to
be convinced not of the fact of the
evils complained of, but of their repeated magnitude.
Deputy chaff-waxes may be abolished, seven or eight
different stages may be rendered unnecessary in the
procuring of letters patent, fees may be dispensed
with in an extraordinary variety of quarters, the
time required in the process may be very materially
diminished, and yet, after all this, much would still
remain to be accomplished, so as to place in-
ventors upon a proper footing. It should be
remembered, for instance, that together with these
improvements others should he secured, whereby
the community would be enabled in the
best manner to examine into the value of cer•
tain projects, and to discover the precise amount of
their originality. By organizing a system of public
registration, by opening this to the view of the masses
at a comparatively trifling cost, as in the instance of
the wills preserved in the offices at Doctors' Commons,
by establishing, moreover, an institution in which
the models of different contrivances might
be seen on application, the Legislature would
signally advance the cause of science in the
United Kingdom, and by this means forward the
general prosperity of the population. Let these con-
siderations be borne in mind, and it may ultimately
come to pass that we may be compensated for our pre-
sent disappointment, larger reforms being secured by a
little additional procrastination. No thanks to Colonel
SIBTHORP j for the benefits here hinted at would be
obtained in spite of him and his very courteous self-
sufficiency.

Tan LATE ECLIPSE.—At Konigsburgb, Dantzic,
and Derehan, where the eclipse of the sun was total, dark-
ness like that of night prevailed for some minutes. During
this time a great number of stars was visible, among them
Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury were perfectly visible. The
natural phenomena produced on the animal and vegetable
world were highly interesting. Several flowers closed, the
birds which had been before flying about suddenly disap-
peared, the cocks crowed and the birds went to roost. In
some villages great consternation prevailed among the in-
habitants, and many families shut themselves up in their
rooms till the eclipse was over, so great was their superstition.
This, however, was by no means general, for dense crowds
with magnifying glasses, telescopes, and burnt glass, were
assembled on the heights to witness this interesting scene.
CHARGE OF MANSLAUGHTER AT SUNDERLAND.--
On Monday morning last there was considerable excitement
among the commercial classes of Sunderland, owing to the
sudden death of Mr. Christopher John Spence, ship-broker,
who was reported to have died from the effects of a blow re-
ceived during an altercation with Mr. Joseph Buchanan, ship-
builder of Sunderland. It appears that both the gentlemen
were on the best terms, and on Friday week they both went
into the bar of the Bridge-hotel, where, while drinking toge-
ther, an altercation ensued, and Mr. Buchanan seized
a large drinking glass and threw it at Mr. Spence's
head, it hit him on the right temple, and the wound
bled freely. They separated, and Mr, Spence went home
and had his wound dressed, and felt himself better, and
walked out next morning, and again met with Mr.
Buchanan, and they walked together on terms of friend-
ship. The next day Mr. Spence grew worse and took to his
bed, and, mortification having taken place, he expired on
Monday morning last. On the afternoon of that day a war-
rant was issued for the apprehension of Mr. Buchanan, and
the same day he was taken into custody and brought before
the Mayor of Sunderland, charged by Mr. W. Brown,
superintendent of police, with killing and slaying Mr. Chris-
topher John Spence, broker. Mr. Cooper, solicitor, appeared
on behalf of the prisoner, and said that his client felt the
deepest sorrow for the unfortunate circumstanee, and that
he had walked with the deceased the day after the quarrel,
and he had also visited him the day before his death; and,
under all the circumstances, he hoped that the Mayor and
magistrates would allow his client to find bail; but the ma-
gistrates declined to accept bail, and the prisoner was re-
manded until a coroner's inquest be held on the body of the
deceased.

THE MONEY ORDER DEPARTMENT OF TDB POST
OFFICE.— On Monday was printed a return to the House of
Commons, from which it appears that in the year ended the
31st of December last there were 4,439,713 money orders is-•
sued in the United Kingdom, and the amount was 8,494,4981.
10s. 7d. The number paid was 4,431,235, and the amount
paid was 8,483,0551. la. 10d., leaving a large sum unpaid of
the number issued. The expenses of the department were
last year 70,5771., and the commission was 73,8131. on the
orders.

FATAL ACCIDENT AT HUNGERTORD PIER. -- On
Monday evening a young man named John Brown. a resi-
dent at Woolwich, fell from off the Greenwich and Woolwich
Companyre packet Dryad, at Hungerford Steam-boat Pier.
Unfortunately it was dark, with a strong ebb-tide running,
and notwithstanding every exertion was used to saYO hieLl3)
ha way droned, aril the Wily was not ramerad,!