The Sun.
London, England, 1850-12-17 00:00:00

LAW OF PATENTS.

i (From the Morning Adverther )
The absence of rights of property in tt•at intelLctual
labour, which produces invention er seise Uhl ,
is a disgraceful anomaly. Artificial property, such as
that possessed by individuals in the land that belongs to
all the nation, is jealously guarded by numerous sta-
tutes and Is gal devices, yet the title to this description
of property has its origin in-violent robbery. The only
real property is the fruit of the labour of body or mind
in some honourable occupation; and of this real pro-
perty, that which consists in some means of benefiting
mankind by supplying their wants or increasing their cem.
fens or pleasures, there is no recognised right, without
a formal bestowal of it by the Sovereign. In a free
country, the necessity of praying to the Crown for an
unquesionable right, would at all times be a ground for
serums complaint, but when we find it fenced roiled by
all sorts of contrivances to increase difficulties and de-
lays for the purpose of creating pretexts for fees and
other charges, it becomes an intolerable grievance.
When the expenses are thus meanly accumulated, until
the poorer class of inventors are entirely precluded from
obtaining the recognition of a tight in their own pro-
perty, by which their inventions are lost to themselves
and the people, the necessity is converted into a great
public wrong.
Apparently, no sooner does a man of science and
genius produce a novelty, than he becomes a mark for
plunder by a swarm of all sorts of sharpers, official and
unofficial. A few years ago, a gentleman invented an
improvement of something for navigating men-of-war.
As he had no interest at the Admiralty, he could net
obtain a hearing. After numerous applications, through
a series of years, he was abandoning his discovery in
despair, when one of the clerks of that immaculate
board offered to get it introduced, provided he might
share half the profits and give his name to the invention.
The gentleman indignantly refused these terms. What
ultimately became of the invention we do not know, but
believe it was lost. Everybody has seen the direction
to the nearest house for receiving post-letters, placed
upon the gas-lamps, and most have experienced the
utility of that simple invention without knowing its his •
tory. We are solely and entirely indebted for it
to Mr. Geary, the architect, at that time residing
in Hamilton-place' New-road. He forwarded de-
scriptions of his design to the Postmaster-Gene-.
ral, Lord Lincoln, we believe, accompanied
by drawings of lamps with the labels attached
to them, precisely as we now see them in the streets.
Difficulties were raised, come correspondence ensued,
and a great length of time elapsed, till,Mr. Geary thought
both himself and his invention were totally forgotten.
He was mistaken in one particnlar; for on walking out
one morning, he saw the lamps i with the post office di-
rections, just as he had proposed. On applying to the
authorities about it, be was told that some clerk in the
establishment had invented that design, and he after-
wards found that the clerk had been rewarded with 5001.
We saw the correspondence on this subject.
The melancholy history of a poor patentee is given in
the Weekly Dispatch, and we abridge it as an instruc-
tive lesson, though one highly calculated to excite senti-
ments of disgust. William Darley, in 1830, invented
circular or oval tubes of terracotta tilery for the lining
of chimneys, to prevent fires. He was very poor, and
s'ruggled until 1840, before he could induce any one to
advance 1501., required for a patent. At last he suc-
ceeded, a patent was bought, and a wharf was opened at
Pimlico, where so few of the tubes were sold, that
it was abandoned in 1845, by the person who found
the means. The stock was sold to the Commis-
sioners of Sewers for pipes; but some of the flues
were sold to the authorities of Buckingham Palace.
In 1848 he discovered that his patented invention had
been applitd to several great buildings in the metropolis,
and chiefly Buckiughaui Palace, of which every chimney
is constructed after his design. Ile also found that it
AS applied to some of the chimneys in Windsor Castle.
Of course he now expeetel to reap some advantage from
his invention. He appl.ed to the architect about the li-
censed use of his patent, on terms, descending from one
guinea per shaft in first-rate houses, down to ten shil-
lings for ordinary houses. He was refused, on the plea
that the patent was not known, and afterwards on other
pleas. He was then obliged to have recourse to law;
term after term has passed without a hearing, and this
ptetent term the case was eecerred on the application of
the worthy defendant, on a plea that a witness was ill.
One of the litigants, who dispute the poor man's natural
and patented right—a right for which he paid 1501., or
nearly thirty times more than it would have cost in
America—is a member of the new association lately got
up to assist poor inventors.
Several things deserving notice occur in this story.
The patent that costs so much money does not effectually
protect the right, and but that the patentee applied vo-
luntarily for ir, he might consider himself robbed of
150/, on false pretences. In the second place, through
the inefficiency of the patent system, which appears to
promote acts of gross dishonesty, and through the de-
ficiency of moral sentiments in some person or other,
her Majesty and the nation are made to stand in the
very pleasant relation of receivers and users of stolen
goods In the third place the patent, which should
be decisive, does not preclude application to courts of
law, since it requires the costly decision of a
judge and jury to give it effect. What the poor and
royally protected Darley has to suffer under the
hands of English lawyers, who are so proverbial
!or disregard of money in preference of justice,
cannot be made the subject of a guess. One patentee,
Mr. Newall, is now engaged in a law-suit to defend his
right, and states that he has already expended 2,0001.;
and the cost of defending Mr. liiuntz's sheathing patent
actually exceeded 10,0001
We I,el that the facts respecting patents and the
rights, which they do not establish or protect, are too
elcquent to require comment; and that, for practical
lessons in disinterestedness and honesty, there is no
school like England. Apparently the leaven of corrup-
tion, which has long been visible in every department of
State, has fermented the whole mass of society. The
piracy of patented inventions does not appear, costly as
the defence undoubtedly proves, to be the most blame-
able part of the system.

BURNING IN EFFIGIES OF THE POPE, CAR-
DINAL WISEMAN, AND HIS TWELVE

BISHOPS AT BRASTED, KENT.

This village presented, on Thursday; December 12, a
very animated scene, which manifested at once the
loyalty of its inhabitants to our Most Gracious Queen,
and their indignation at the atrocious aggression on her
Majesty's prerogatives by the Bishop of Rome.
At an early hour a procession made its appearance,
consisting of three cars drawn by horses; the first
containing the figure of the Pope, gorgeously appa-
relled in his robes and triple crown, with Cardinal
Wiseman at his side, splendidly dressed in scarlet.
Then followed the twelve bishops, all appropriately
old richly attired, having each a mitre and a crosier.
These were preceded by a fine band of music playing
national airs, and several flags, some having " God
save the Queen," others " No Popery," " No Puseyism,"
and otto.r a; propriate devices, followed, accompanied by
at lewd, 4,000 persons, who showed in various ways their
detestation of those intruders and their mummeries.
The procession paraded through all the adjacent villages,
sod having completed the round, returned in the evening
to 13ratted, where, on the village green, the figures were
placed in regular order up. n a platform and then burnt,
amidst a grand display of fireworks and the shouts of an
immense multitude of persons.
A beautiful transparency was exhibited, hating suit-
abhs inscriptions, such as " No Popery," &c., and every
house was illuminated.

After the whole of the figures had been consumed,
three hearty cheers for the Queen ►ere given, and the
crowd dispersed quietly to their homes.

THE BANK OF AUSTRALASIA..

At the half-) early meeting of the Bank of Australasia
held yesterday afternoon, it was announced that the di-
rectors, having fully considered the position of the esta-
blishment, intend to pay in April next a dividend at the
rate of four instead of three per cent, per annum. The
statement laid before the shareholders on the present
occasion was considered in every respect satisfactory,
even those who bad proved strong dissentients at pre-
vious meetings concurring in the views of the board, and
the discussion which arose was chiefly of a congratula-
tory character. The chairman stated that it was not
the intention of the directors to divide at a higher
rate than four per cent. per annum until they should
feel the bank to be wholly relieved from the encum-
brances and difficulties which had until lately inter-
fered with its progress. The suggestion for commence-
ing business at New Zealand was one deserving consi-
deretion, and under the powers of the charter every
facility was given for embracing any opportunity
that offered; but for the present, and until the manage-
ment were further advised respecting prospects else-
where, it was not considered prudent to entertain the
question. A shareholder, speaking respecting the
opening of trade with California, hoped the directors
would not Ver:e too much reliance on the benefit to
accrue to the Australian colonies from this connexion.
As a new element of prosperity, the Chairman said he
regarded it with some interest, particularly as a source
through which agricultural produce could be rendered
marketable. A complaint was made that the premises
occupied were not sufficiently prominent for the business
of the bank, or easy of access to persons who were un-
accustomed to city localities. In answer, it was ex-
plained that the lease would shortly expire, and the
subject would then receive consideration. After the
election of a director to supply a vacancy, the meeting
broke up.

[ADVERTISEMENT.j—CIIAMPIONSHIP OF ENGLAND.
—Bell's Life in London, Dec. 22.—Fu1l particulars of the
contest batween the Tipton Slasher and Paddock, and all the
sporting features of the season. Price of Bell's Life, six-
pence. Office, 170, Strand. Average_ sale of Bell's Life
exceeds 29,000.
ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS.—The following
gentlemen, having undergone the necessary examinations
for diploma, were admitted members of the College, at the
meeting of the Court of Examiners on the 13th instant :
Messrs. Alexander Myall Robinson, Newbury, Berkshire ;
Edmund Lord Hudson, Bacup, Rochdale, Lancashire;
Francis Henry Plumptre, Queen's-square, Bloomsbusy ; John
Phillipsou Longhorn, her Majesty's Forest of Dean, Glou-
cestershire ; Robert Rygate, Colet-place, Commercial-road ;
Henry Mound, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire; John Davies
Weaver, Chester; John Craven, York ; James Charles
Dickinson, London ; George Webster, Dulwich, Surrey ;
Ashby Greenough Osborn, Northampton; and Joseph Earle,
Grosvenor-street West. At the same meeting of the Court
Messrs. George Everest, Michael Walling, and David Lloyd
Morgan, passed their examinations for naval surgeons.
Those gentlemen had previously been admitted members of
the College, their diplomas bearing date respectively April
29, 1842 ; April 25, 1845 ; and April 17, 1846.
APPOINTMENTS.—Mr. W. Garry Lettsom, now
Paid Attaché to the Mission at Washington, has been ap-
pointed, in the same capacity, to the Mission at Madrid.
Mr. J. Carter, Puisne Judge of the Supreme Court of New
Brunswick, is appointed Chief Justice of that Court. Mr.
R. Godlouton is appointed a member of the Legislative
Council of the Cape of Good Hope.

NAMUR AND LIEGE RAIL WAY.
_ The annual meeting of this company was held yes-
terday at the London Taverc; Bates in the
chair.