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

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, August 6.
(Continued from our Afternoon Edition of yesterday.)
PATENT LAW AMENDMENT BILL.
The House then went into Committee (progress) on
this Bill.
Mr. WILLIAMS protested against proceeding further
with this Bill, and demanded that it should be with-
drawn with the view of its being renewed next session.
Mr. LABOUCHERE declined to accede to the re-
quest, and declared that it was not the fault of the Go-
vernment that the Bill had come down so late. It had
been considered by an able Committee of the House of
Lords, and as it was calculated to confer vast benefits
upon the industry and intellect of the country, be at-
tached great importance to its passing without delay.
If the House thought the Bill was calculated to work an
improvement, he hoped that it would not interpose any
obstacle in the way of its passing this session. He hoped
that uo factious opposition would be offered to its further
progress.
Sir J. GRAHAM disclaimed a desire for any factious
opposition, but he did not think that there was any neces-
sity for Hon. Members to remain mute and leave the Bill
to her Majesty's Government in its entirety. Even if they
did so, he could not see what prospect there was of pass-
ing the measure this session. If the other House showed
the slightest disposition to differ from the very extensive
alterations which had been made in this House it would
be quite impossible to get the Bill through.
Mr. LA.BOUCHERE was afraid that at least one
function of " mutes" was sought to be exercised with re-
spect to this Bill—that of strangling.—(Laughter.)
Sir DE LACY EVANS was sorry for the coarse
which had been taken by the Right Hon. Baronet oppo-
site, and he thought the country ought to know that if
the Bill did not pass it would be mainly owing to the op-
position which that Right Hon. Baronet had offered to it.
Sir J. GRAHAM again disclaimed any factious op-
position to the Bill ; but he was not afraid of taking
upon himself the responsibility of endeavouring to en-
sure a fair and ample discussion to this important mea-
sure.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL explained that the
Government did not seek to complain of factious oppo-
sition on the part of Honourable Gentlemen opposite,
but he pointed out that if discussions were reiterated on
every simple point, it would be impossible to pass
it this session. Now, that the question of colonial
and foreign patents had been abandoned by the
Government, the only object which the Bill now em-
braced was to cheapen and facilitate the obtaining pa-
tents, and he appealed to the House, as it was almost
unanimous on this question, not to defeat the Bill by
lengthened and reiterated opposition.
Lord PALMERSTON considered the proceedings of
the Committee entirely out of order. The objection
which had for the last hour been made to this measure
was, that the time for its consideration during the pre-
sent session was too short; and, by way of remedying
this evil, Hon. Gentlemen, instead of confining them-
selves to a consideration of the 18th clause, which was
at that moment the subject solely before the Committee,
had launched into a discussion of the principle of the
Bill. This be deemed to be most disorderly. The Right
Hon. Gentleman (Sir J. Graham) had complained of his
(Lord Palmerston's) Right Hon. Friend (Ur. Labou-
chere) having accused Hon. Members who were opposed
to this Bill of offering to it a vexatious and factious ob-
struction. He believed that those who beard his Right
Hon. Friend would concur with him (Lord Palmerston)
that no accusation of that description had been made by
his Right Hon. Friend. He certainly thought it a most
disorderly proceeding, that when they were considering
the 18th clause of a Bill in Committee they should be
called upon to discuss a general question involving the
principle of the Bill. On that point the House, he
hoped, would allow him to say a few words. His lion.
Friend who had just spoken was of opinion, as his words
would import, that the law of patents ought to be abo-
lished, and the conclusion his Hon. Friend therefore
drew was, that they ought to withdraw the Bill. If the
rejection of the Bill would have the effect of abolishing
the patent, law, he could understand that argument, but
if tRe only effect would be to leave the law as it was,
without the improvement which the present Bill was in-
tended to make, he could not comprehend it. He ap-
pealed to the House whether they would not be acting
more in accordance with order by going on with the
discussion of the clauses of the Bill; and if it should
appear that that discussion would occupy more time
than the session would afford, then the Bill must of
course be postponed, but he certainly was of opinion
that if they would at once proceed with the considera-
tion of the clauses, the Bill still might pass this session.
Sir JAMES GRAHAM denied that he was either
out of order or had offered any factious opposition to the
Bill. His observations were strictly germane with the
question before the House.
Mr. LABOUCHERE said nothing was further from
his intention than to accuse Hon. Members of taking a

factions course in opposition to the Bill. All he said was,
that if Members persisted iu discussing every clause,
and starting general questions upon each, it was appa-
rent that the Bill could not pass before the close of the
serasi on.