Star.
London, England, 1821-12-22 00:00:00

LAW OF PATENTS.

The following remarks on this subject, copied from
an Article on Mechanical Improvements, published
in a late Number of the 'Edinburgh Philosophical
Journal, deserve the attention of men of science, and
even of the Legislature itself:
" Greatly as we do excel all other nations in the productions
of the useful arts, we think it will scarcely be denied that our
superiority may still be increased; that a great portion of our
manufacturing skill is neutralised by the financial condition of
the country ; Al that the measures of rival industry, which
have been so vigorously pushed by foreign States, can only be
applied by the most liberal and efficacious excitement of me-
chanical talent. The condition of our l'atent Laws, and their
frequent administration under the most deplorable ignorance of
British interests, have left this country in the singular predica-
ment of being the only nation in Europe which has withdraws
from the safeguard of the law the great products of mechanical
skill ; or, to speak more correctly, which holds out to inventors
an illusory privilege, which sells to them that privilege at as
enormous price, and which yet refuses to defend from direct In-1
vasion, or legal sophistries, what it has solemnly stamped with
the Great Seal of England. This unnatural warfare, which the
Law of Patents has so fatally waged against the useful arts, is
by no means the fault of the Goverument. It has arisen from a
want of spirit, and combination, among Patentees themselves
from the commercial jealousies of rival manufacturers, and from
a prevalent but erroneous notion, that Patents are monopolies
which impede the free current of trade, and encroach on the
tommercial liberty of the subject. When viewed in this light,l
it is not to be wondered at that a fewhandred inventors should
find their interests opposed by the dull crowd of manufacturers
whom tkey have outstripped in ingenuity, or by the great body
of the Public, who suppose that they have a direct Interest in
the abolition of an exclusive privilege. But we confess it dues
surprise us, that men of more liberal views should have so long
countenanced this crusade against the arts, and that those who
have struggled so keenly fur some speculative improvements in
our Constitutiou should have overlooked those palpable en-
croachments which the administrators of the law have gradually
made upon rights so highly respected by the law Itself, and so
dearly cherished even under the most despotic institutious."

Now is the time for Cl/4ristmas fare!—The markets 1
of Leadenhall and Ncwgate need only to be visited,
to witness the ne plus ultra of feeding ; for never was
there so fine a spew of animal food as this morning.
There are Galloway stots, the Queen of heifers, &c.
bred by Mr. NEAT; two prime beasts, by Lord HAR-
I
Bartow', &c. sheep out of number,. in weight from
twenty to twenty-two stone each; beautiful calves,
and fine lambs; and fine rabbits, nineteen pounds each.
Nor are the teatimed tribe unworthy of notice:
turkies, twenty-eight pounds; gee,e, fourteen pounds;
capons, six pounds, And, what is more pleasing to
the epicure, a good supply—not a vacant peg in the
poultry market. The morning being fine, the markets
were crowded at an early hour.—Two coaches, from
Norwich, arrived in Bishopsgate-street this morning,
not a passenger in either—but were literally loaded
with game, turkies, &c. A van, drawn by six horses,
was loaded in a similar manner.
Tuesday night, twenty-five turkeys out of thirty-six,
were stolen frsan a farmer at Thorndean, which were
to have been sent the following morning to a poulterer.
in Ipswich. The thieves were very choice in their se-
, lection, as they took all the hens and the best of the
rock lurks's.

DISTURBANCES is IR:uhlti

SPECIAL COMMISSION.
'ROD! ?HE DUBLIN iDLIIINAL Of WEDNEIIDAY.

Judge Mooaa and Baron M.CLELLAND resumed
their sittings on Monday, at ten o'clock, the one in
the City, and the other in the County Court of Lime-
rick. The first trial was that of Macnantara, Shaugh-
nessy, and Dooling, charged with the murder of Mrs.
Torrance. Mr. Justice Moo R E considered this trial
so important that he adjourned the City Court to
Tuesday morning, in order to attend Baron M,Cr.ei.•
LAND. The SOLICITOR-GENERAL stated the case for
the Prosecution; and the prisoners were found Guilty
—Death.

The following is a sketch of Judge MooßEs ad-
dress to the City Grand Jury, on the opening of the
Special Commission on Saturday :
Mr. Justice Moose charged the Ott Grandjury. He ob-
served, that the occasion on which they were assembled WS,
unusual and extraordinary. They were called upon to give
strength and security to the laws of their country. The duties
they had to discharge arose out of the disturbed state of the
county. The character of the ctimes which disgraced the county
were not only known to them, but were known unive: sally.—
They were called upon to suppress those crimes, and, it was his
duty to point out the laws which were enacted to mitigate and
controul the outrages that disgraced the county of Limerick.—
The Learned Justice proceeded to specify the passages in the
White Boy Act, to which they would probably have most occa-
sion to refer during the present Commission. He congratulated
the Grand Jury that no prison of the least pretensions to rank.
or influence, or character, appeared to be connected with the
present spirit of insubordination. The disturbers were persons
of no consequence, neither were they formidable in number.
The military would controul their mischievous designs, end he
felt happy that on the present occasion the military had con-
ducted themselves with such forbearance, temperance, and
firmness. Hut a military force was not alone to be relied on.—
The Magistrates—they to whom more especially the administra-
tion of justice was entrusted—should do their duty efficiently.
If the laws were duly administered by those to whom the exe-
cution of them was entrusted, no Insurrection would have arisen,
no secret association would have been formed, and a Con 111 l ission
would not be sitting in Limerick that day. The county of Tip-
perary was in a state of comparative quiet, and that quiet was
solely to be attributed to the effective union of the seventy-six
Magistrates of that county to preserve the public peace, and vin-
dicate the public law. Ile would not inquire, as it was nut his
duty to inquire, into the causes in which those excesses originated.
That inquiry he would leave to the stattunuan, the political econo-
mist, and the moral philosopher he would nut hesitate, however,
to assert, that the neighbouring counties had nothing to dread but
the appearance of Limerick men amongst them. The county of
Limerick was the birth-place of the present disturbances; there
they originated, and it was there that the remedy must be first ap-
plied. The neighbouring counties looked upon it as upon a place in-
fected with a contagion, and sought, by drawing a cordon round it,
to protect themselves against the moral pestilence that raged there.
Whether those lamentable occurrences which threw such a stain
on the County of Limerick were occasioned by want of zeal, or
vigilance, or activity, to preserve the public peace, he would not
inquire he came there, not to legislate, but to administer the
laws as they exited. The Learned Judge had heard it said that
the existing laws were not sufficiently strong to put down the
present evil, and new ones ought to be enacted. To persons
who were of that opinion he would say," Try the means in your
hands; it will be soon enough to call for others when you shew
that those you possess are insufficient." His Lordship concluded
his address, by inculcating in the minds of his auditors the sa-
cred duty of opposing the present system of outrage by every
means itt their power—in the Jury-box and out of the Jury-
box—with all the weight and authority of their respective sta-
tions in life, and all their personal influence.
- - - - - -

Several applications were made to their Lordships
by Gentlemen who had been summoned as Petty
Jurors, and who tried to get themselves excused from
attending during the Commission; some were afraid
of being murdered if they acted as Jurors in cases
where convictions may take place; ethers offered
apologies on other grounds, but their Lordships
promptly announced their determination to oblige all
the Jurors to attend, unless upon affidavit proper
cause should be clearly shewn by the applicants. All
Jurors have been summoned under a penalty of £lOO
each for non-attendance.
We are sorry to say. that the solemn preparations
for the trial and punishment of more than a hundred
men in the jails of Limerick, have not intimidated the
marauders, in the vicinity of that place. A Corporal
and three privates of the 93d Regiment, were return-
ing to Ballyneety from Limerick, when one of them
being in advance, was suddenly assailed near Cahir-
nary, by a ruffian, who knocked him down and seized
his arms. Not perceiving the remainder of the party,
he ran towards them, and was secured with the fire-
lock in his hands. fle was lodged in jail on Sunday
morning, to be tried on Tuesday.
COUNTY OF KERRY.

About twenty mounted banditti, on Thursday night,
from the vicinity of Kanturk, visited several houses in
the neighbourhood of Scartaglin. They obtained a
fowling-piece, in perfect order, and two guns without
locks. They swore several people to procure gun-
powder, and to lodge it at a particular house, and it
is said, that in most cases, this unlawful contract bad
been faithfully performed, as the prohibition of the
sale of gunpowder had not been extended to either
Killarney or Tralee.
We are sorry to hear, that in the neighbourhood
of Killarney, illegal oaths have been administering.
Seven fellows called at the house of G EO Ito E ROWAR,
Esq. of Rattanny, on Thursday night, and demanded
his arms, but on being advised to depart in all speed,
they readily took the advice. On the same night they
broke into the house of GEORGE GERHAU, Esq. of
O'Brenan, in search of arms and found none.
Thursday night, a party of those infatuated men
robbed the houses of EDWA RD Bnowu, DENIS MiCAR•
THY, and flarinv EVANS, all of the village of Tullig,
whom they deprived of two guns, a pistol, and a
bayonet. They also attacked the house of JAMES
WEIR, and threatened his life unless he gave up his
gun, which he persisted in refusing ; they in conse-
quence beat him severely about the head. The gang
were ail strangers, and are supposed to have come
from the borders of the County of Limerick. '
Tuesday night, a gang of villains attacked the house
of Jotix GALLIVAN, an industrious man, residing la
the Parish of Duagh, near Listowel, who had just re-
turned from Cork,wnere he had disposed of twenty fat
cows, the property of himself and some neighbours.
They commanded him to open his door, and give up
his -money, which he refused, upon which the mis-
creants set fire to his house at the four corners, and
departed, having first hasped the door on the outside
to prevent his egress.' Most providentially, some
neighbours, who had siren early for the purpose of
killing pigs, saw the house in Runes, and gave prompt
assistance, by which means GALLIVAN, his wile, and'
eight •childreu, were happily rescued from the fate of
the poor Stmts. No efforts, however, were sufficient
to save the house, which was speedily burnt to the
ground. GALLIVAN had taken the wise precaution,
as soon as he had returned from Cork the evenir.g
p,evious, of coaccalii.g his money outside his house,

. , . .
'and this preserved tialit the Itudnight demon the
produce of his patient industry.
COUNTY OF DUBLIN:
We understand that a poor cottager, from the pa-
rish of Clonmethan, has been brought wounded to
the Meath Ilospital ; he. was fired at, it is said, by
per,ons searching his cottage for arms.
Sunday last, a numerous body of men went to the
house of a farmer, near Garrestown, of the name of
Crummy, and obliged him to give up his arms.
(which was only one gun). They were pin off, after
having received it, when, unfortunately, Ca nISCRRY'S
son appeared at one of the windows, when he was
instantly flied at by some of the party. and received
two wounds, one in the neck, and one in the arm ;
but, it is hoped, neither of them dangerous. On the
same night, a farmer, of the name of ItooNr.s, and
several others in the same neighbourhood, were at-
tacked and deprived of their arms. A young man,
who escaped from one of the houses, and was making
his way to Ashford, to give information to the police,
was discovered and pursued by four of the party, and
tired at several times, but fortunately escaped. Se-
veral of the inhabitants of the neighbourhood of Ard-
finnan and Castleoliver have been deprived of their
arms.—Dublin Evening Post.
The Magistrates of our County have, very pro-
perly, determined upon putting in force the Act of
the 47th of the late King, with respect to the registry
of arms—a wise and necessary measure at this period.
Our County is still, thank Goo, in a tranquil state ;
and we are certain that the well-known vigilance of
our Magistrates, and country Gentlemen generally,
will keep it so.—Sligo Journal.
APPREIIENSION OP A 111UnDEnICR:It is with great
pleasure we learn that one of the gang concerned in
the atrocious murder near Boyle, as stated in our
Paper a few publications since, has been arrested and
committed to Roscommon
A report has been current yesterday in town, that
40,000 rounds of ball-cartridges had been discovered
at Naas. It is false; aad we believe that it originated
in the following circumstance :—The Quarter-master
of the 33d Regiment, which had been quartered at
Naas, gave, at the time of his departure from the
place, a few rounds of ball-cartridges to a man, who
was detected in attempting to sell them.
`We have been informed that depositions have been
made, on oath, at the Police-office in Marlborough-
street, that parties were seen, a few nights since, in the
act of drilling, in the demesne of Load CHAELEMONT.
Mr. HETHERINGTON, the steward and gardener of
Lord CUARLESIONT, a very respectable and intelli-
gent person, declares the statement, whether on oath
or otherwise, to be a fabrication, as he and some Of
his people happened to be out in search of tres-
passers, on the particular night these rebels were said
to be in the deinesne, and they could not have been
there without being seen or heard by himself or
some of his people.—Morning Paper.
RIOT IN ATHLONE.
It is with painful feelings of regret, we have to re-
cord an additional proof of that infatuated spirit of
opposition to the execution of the laws, which unfor-
tunately seems to have taken deep root in our agi-
tated country. In the town of Athlone, on Wednes-
day, the sth instant, while a party of Maki. Wm•
tas a police were attending the sale of some property,
distrained fOr nen-pa} ment of fines, a violent alterca+
tion arose between a numerous mob, which had been
collected on the occasion, and the police. In a short
time, the mob commenced a regular attack, by throw=
ing stones and misfiles of every de cription ; the !nil
lice, in the mean time, acting on the defensive.
Confident in their increasing numbers, and probably
wishing to overpower the constables, the mob rushed
on to close combat, to decide the matter at once.---:
At this crisis, one of the police,, perceiving a fellow,
more daring than the rest, in the act of grappling
with one of his comrades, hastily drew a cane-sword
and ran him through the body ; he fell, and almost
instantly expired. This melancholy catastrophe put
a final stop to the affray ; and the auction proceeded
without further interruption. A Coroner's Inquest
was held on the body of the unfortunate man, when
the Jury returned a verdict of Wilful Murder against
the policeman.—Wesinzeath Journal.