236

A remedy for this may be easily had in a provision authorising caveats to be filed in the office, giving security to the right of discovery for a time sufficient for making the necessary experiments, inquiries, and improvements.

Heretofore, aliens not resident in this country have not been admitted to the privileges of our patent laws. But, as American citizens are allowed to take out patents in England and in other countries, a principle of reciprocity would seem to require that foreigners should have similar privileges here, on paying a similar duty or amount of fees that is exacted of our citizens abroad. fees payable in England, on taking out a patent, amount to 585 dollars. If a patent be taken out for the three kingdoms of England, Ireland, and Scotland, they amount to 1,680 dollars. In France they are 309 dollars; in Spain, 292 dollars; Austria, 208. dollars.

The

A power in the Commissioner of the Patent-office to reject applications for want of novelty in the invention, it is believed, will have a most beneficial and salutary effect in relieving meritorious inventors, and the community generally, from the serious evils growing out of the granting of patents for every thing indiscriminately, creating interfering claims, encouraging fraudulent speculators in patent rights, deluging the country with worthless monopolies, and laying the foundation for endless litigation.

In nineteen cases out of twenty, probably, the opinion of the Commissioner, accompanied by the information on which his decision is founded, will be acquiesced in. When unsatisfactory, the rights of the applicant will find ample protection in an appeal to a board of examiners, selected for their particular knowledge of the subjectmatter of the invention in each case.

By this means, without danger to actual and honest inventors, the number of patents would be somewhat diminished. But there would be more confidence in those which should be granted, and as those which have been heretofore issued, should be daily expiring by their limitation, the community would begin to feel and realise the advantages of such a change. The present law waits till infringements and frauds are consummated-nay, it even aids them; and then it offers an inadequate remedy for the injury, by giving an action for damages. It ought, rather, by refusing to grant interfering patents, to render prosecutions unnecessary. Instead of sanctioning the wrong by granting the privilege to commit it, it should arrest injury and injustice at the threshold, and put an end to litigation before it begins.

Important and interesting as the Patent

office is now considered, it is believed that, under such new organization as is contemplated by the bill presented herewith, it will contribute largely to the great interests of the country, and bear no small part in elevating our national character. American ingenuity has obtained much consideration on the other side of the Atlantic. Even the manufactures of England are not a little indebted to it for some of their most valuable improvements. Her woollen manufactures, especially, have, within a few years, undergone an entire change, by the adoption of American inventions, by which wool has been made as yielding and submissive to the power of machinery as any material whatever. Cotton machinery has also been greatly improved in the hands of our me chanics; and while England receives from us three-fourths of the cotton she uses in raw materials we furnish her also with some of the most valuable improvements in the means of manufacturing it. Indeed, what mechanism or manufacture has, for the last twenty years, been brought across the Atlantie, that has not, on being returned, borne the distinguished marks of the superior ingenuity of American mechanists? Formerly, we borrowed and copied much that was valuable from Europe. Now, Europe is borrowing and copying, with no little advantage, from us; and she must not be too much surprised if she shall soon find a formidable balance against her.

To carry fully into effect the objects which have been had in view, it will be necessary to provide larger and more commodious rooms for models, &c., than those now occupied for that purpose. They are insufficient for the models of machinery and other inventions now deposited there, and the number will be increasing several hundred, perhaps a thousand, every year. A great number, supposed to be about five hundred, from a want of room for them elsewhere, have been stowed away in a dark garret. Those which occupy the rooms designed for them, are crowded together in a manner unfavourable for exhibition or examination. In such a situation, it is impossible to give them any systematic or scientific arrangement. This disorder and confusion must necessarily be increased by the addition of those hereafter furnished, or they must be consigned to the garret, the common receptacle, where, instead of promoting a taste for, and facilitating the study of, the useful arts, they will only afford evidence of the improvidence of the Government. In addition to this, the present building is too much exposed to destruction by fire. The loss of records and drawings, and of the several thousands of interesting and valuable models now preserved there, would be, in a great degree, irrepara

ble. There is no additional room to be had in the building they now occupy. The Postoffice Department, in the same building, instead of having any room to spare which is now appropriated to it, requires a considerable extension of accommodations, from its increased and increasing business. It needs

the whole building. The only way, therefore, of providing the necessary extension of room for the accommodation of the Post-office Department, and the city post-office, and of providing the requisite accommodation for the Patent-office, is to erect a suitable fireproof building for the latter on some one of the public lots. There are ample funds arising from duties on patents, heretofore paid into the Treasury, to the account of clerk hire in that office, which remain unexpended. A portion of that surplus fund, being now about 152,000 dollars, may well be appropriated to the construction of a building which should be commodious and comparatively safe from fire.

Such a building as this branch of the public interests requires, would do honour to the Government and the country.

The

Patent-office, with such accommodations, containing the records of this age of inventions, displaying in its halls and galleries numberless models of ingenious and useful mechanism, and contrivances in almost infinite variety, adapted to the mechanic arts, to manufactures, to husbandry, to navigation, steam-power, horse-power, waterpower, railroad transportation, and, in fine, to all the common trades and mechanical pursuits of life, as well as to our rapidly multiplying and magnificent public works, would present an object of interest, and tend not a little to elevate our national character. It has been justly remarked that we can go into no mechanic shop, into no manufactory of any description, upon no farm or plantation, or travel a mile on our railroads or in our steam-boats, without seeing the evidence of our originality, and witnessing the fruits and effects of our ingenuity and enterprise. All the inventions and improvements in mechanism which have done so much towards advancing the useful arts and manufactures, should, as far as practicable, be exhibited in one view in the halls of the Patentoffice. Such a display would attract the attention of the many thousands who annually visit the capital of the Union from all quarters of the country, and all parts of the world. No other nation has yet any thing to be compared with it; neither England nor France has ever required models to be deposited of patented machinery. Collections of models and drawings have sometimes been made by private associations, but they are small in number compared with those we possess.

In addition to the models of machinery, it

is proposed to embrace an exhibition of specimens of useful and elegant fabrics and of works of art, which manufacturers and artificers muy place there for that purpose. It might, too, embrace a cabinet of interesting minerals, which may be received from time to time from the various parts of our widelyextended country, with polished specimens of its beautiful marbles from their different locations, illustrating the geology and many of the natural resources of the country; and, also, a collection of Indian curiosities and antiquities, many of which are now in the possession of one of the departments, boxed up for want of some suitable place for their exhibition.

In short, the halls of the Patent office should present a national museum of the arts, and be a general repository of all the inventions and improvements in machinery and manufactures, of which our country can claim the honour; together with such other objects of interest as might conveniently and properly be placed under the superintendence of the Commissioner. Such an institution, while it would be an object of just pride to every American, would have scarcely less influence in advancing and accelerating the progress of the useful arts and the improvement of our manufactures, than would even the encouragement afforded by granting patents for inventions, or establishing high tariffs of protection.

With these views, the Committee cannot hesitate to recommend an entire re-organisation of the Patent-office, and several material alterations in our law of patents, suiting it to the present condition of the arts and the altered circumstances of the country.

A bill in conformity with our views is herewith submitted.

(The Bill in our next.)

THE BRITISH MUSEUM.

We have been much gratified by the perusal of a letter which has been addressed to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and " privately printed," containing "A Plan for the better Management of the British Museum," by Mr. John Millard. The writer, by way of apology for addressing Mr. Spring Rice on the subject, mentions some things which are very much to the honour of that respected functionary, though not, we suspect, so generally known as they deserve to be.

"Sir,-The public are so deeply indebted to you for the interest you have taken in the affairs of the British Museum, and the anxiety you have shown to extend its utility

not only by your proposal for a "School of Design," for the encouragement of the arts and manufactures, and for the increased facilities of access to the Museum, by giving your sanction to its being opened during the holidays, and the establishment of an even. ing reading-room-but by the purchase, at your recommendation, of the valuable Egyptian antiquities of the late Mr. Salt, of a magnificent collection of Dutch etchings, of a considerable portion of the late Mr. Heber's valuable manuscripts,-of the matchless Durand collection of Etruscan vases,― and the unique Bible of Alcuin and of Charlemagne, that I am induced to believe I cannot address myself to any one more competent to appreciate the plan for the better management of the British Museum, which I have now the honour to submit to your notice."

As there is no individual in the State who could, for these reasons, have been addressed with more propriety on the subject than the Chancellor of the Exchequer, so, on the other hand, is there no person who has a better right to be the addressing party, or a stronger claim to be listened to with attention, than Mr. Millard. It was owing to the representations and remonstrances of this gentleman that the recent Parliamentary inquiry into the state of the Museum was instituted; and it is to him the public will stand principally indebted for whatever benefit may result from it. He not only originated the inquiry, but has, to our knowledge, pursued it for these three years past, at great personal sacrifices. both of time and money. For a long period previously to that he had been engaged in preparing a new general index to all the collections of MSS. in this establishment; and he obtained by this means such an insight into the details of its management, as renders him a most competent witness on the subject; and to a perfect acquaintance with all the facts of the case, he adds great shrewdness, and a most sound judgment.

The Plan" which he proposes for the reformation of the Institution is, after. a general review of its history-its excellences and defects-thus presented to the reader

"I would propose then, sir, that an Act of Parliament should be passed which should first repeal all acts relating to the British Museum, and then appoint the present Official Trustees (with the exception of the Presidents of the Royal Academy, the Royal Society, the Society of Antiquaries, and the College

of Physicians, who might form a part of the proposed new Council), nineteen in number, the responsible or legal Trustees of the whole. property of the Museum, whose duty it should be to watch over and protect the various collections, but who should not have any share in the management. The ten family Trustees, with any others, that it might be hereafter necessary to appoint, to be Trustees only of the particular property which they represent, their sole duty being to preserve the integrity of their respective trusts. would also propose that, after the passing of this Act, the services of the elected Trustees be dispensed with, and that no similar body be created.

I

"To supply the place of the present, Board of Management, I beg to submit to your consideration the propriety of appointing a Council, to consist of twenty persons, to: be named by the Government, who should each of them be eminently distinguished in one of the following branches of science and learn.. ing-1. Geology and Oryctology; 2. Mineralogy; 3. Conchology; 4. Botany; 5. Entomology; 6. Ornithology; 7. Iethyology; 8. Amphibia and Reptilia; 9. Mammalia; 10. Comparative Anatomy and Physiology; 11. Egyptian and Indian Antiquities; 12. Grecian and Roman Sculpture; 13. Architecture* and School of Design; 14. British Antiquities; 15. Coins, Gems, and Medals; 16. Pictures, Prints, Maps, and Charts; 17. Ethnography; 18. Arts and Manufactures of Great Britain; 19. Palæography; 20. Bibliography.

"There would, I am persuaded, be no difficulty in selecting from the galaxy of talent which now adorns our country (despite the presumed dulness' of the English), individuals eminently fitted to give their advice aud assistance in the improvement of the National Museum. Among those who have devoted their energies to the successful cultivation of natural science may be mentioned Sir John Herschell, of whose scientific. acquirements, and liberal and enlightened views, every Englishman may be justly proud; nor can I hesitate to add the names of Sir Philip Egerton, Messrs. Airy, Dalton, Olinthus Gregory, Sedgwick, Greenough, Murchison, Henslow, Mac Leay, Grant, Vigors, Bell, Owen, and South; and many others might be readily enumerated. In art, we have a Chantrey, a Bailey, the accomplished President of the Royal Academy, and Mr.. Sheepshanks; and in architecture, a Barry, whose magnificent and unique design for the

The attendance of an eminent architect at the council would be very desirable, not only during the progress of the new buildings, but in case of any alterations it may be necessary to make in the present plan, which, it is said, is not exactly suited to the wants of the Museum.

New House of Commons, with other beautiful productions of this enlightened artist, deservedly place him at the head of his profession. The field of literature would offer an abundant choice of distinguished authors, and of gentlemen eminently skilled in books and manuscripts; suffice it to mention the names of Mr. Petrie, the Keeper of the Records in the Tower, Sir Harris Nicolas, and Mr. Hallam. The study of Egyptian Antiquities has been ably illustrated, and the National Museum benefited, by the labours and researches of Mr. Wilkinson, and others; and no small praise is due to Mr. Gage, the Director of the Society of Antiquaries, for his perfect acquaintance with the much neglected study of the Antiquities of Britain. It would, I fear, sir, occupy too much of your valuable time to pursue this subject; but I cannot conclude the imperfect list I have hastily sketched without recording the names of Sir John Barrow, whose geographical and ethnographical acquirements are so eminently displayed in his valuable publications; and of Mr. Babbage, whose knowledge of the arts and manufactures, and the best means for their successful improvement, are too well known to need any eulogium from my pen.

"I would further propose, that the individuals forming the new Council should annually elect from among themselves a President, subject to the approval of the Government, and should possess the entire management of the Museum; but should, like the Record Commission, report from time to time to the Executive Government, and be placed under the immediate control of one of the ministers of state, as is almost uniformly the case in foreign museums.

"I would also submit to your consideration the propriety of dividing the Museum into twenty distinct departments, as before enumerated, and of appointing a Director to each of them, who should be named by the Government, at the recommendation of the Council. These Directors, together with a Principal Director, to be appointed by his Majesty, also at the recommendation of the Council, should be entitled to a seat at the board, but without a vote.

"The benefits to be derived from such an association of the officers with the Council would be very great; the Council, being all men of high attainments in their respective branches of science and learning, would be competent judges of the deficiencies in the various collections, and would thus be enabled to determine on the expediency of complying with the requests of the Directors of the several departments. Another advantage would accrue; there would be an equal division of the money granted by Parliament for the support of the various objects of the Museum; and no one department

would be favoured at the expense of another. If it were considered necessary, a Board of Visiters, similar to that attached to the Board of Longitude, might be named by the Government a measure recommended by Sir Hans Sloane, the founder of the Museum-who might from time to time visit and examine the establishment, report to the Government on the proceedings of the Council, and make any useful suggestions that might occur to them.

"The great defect of the existing constitution of the Museum is, that the present Trustees are an irresponsible body-being amenable only to Parliament for the management of the Institution; and unless the tedious process of a Committee of Inquiry be resorted to, no complete information can be obtained as to the state and condition of the Museum, as to its retrograde or forward movements; the annual account presented to Parliament of the receipt and expenditure, and of the number of visits and visiters to the Museum, affording no data by which the Executive can form a satisfactory opinion on these matters. It remains only then, Sir, to urge upon your consideration the plan which I have suggested for infusing new life and vigour into the national museum, being fully assured, that every improvement therein, now so anxiously desired by the public, would speedily follow the proposed change in its constitution; but without such an alteration, I fear there is little probability of any permanent good being effected by the present, or any other inquiry that may be instituted on the subject."

Mr. Millard bas in this extract urged so well the advantages of the "Plan" he proposes, that we need only say that it has our entire approbation and best wishes for its speedy adoption.

RAISING THE STATUE OF NAPOLEON.

At a meeting of the Institute of British Architects, held on the 3rd of June, Mr. T. L. Donaldson, Honorary Secretary, explained the means lately employed for placing the statue of Napoleon upon the Colonne Vendome, Paris. This operation was one of considerable difficulty. It is true that, as a statue had previously been placed on this column, and had been removed, M. Lepère, the architect charged with the task of erecting the present statue, had precedents to resort to; but, uufortunately, they were such as were of no use to him. When the first statue was placed in its elevated situation, the workmen availed themselves of the scaffolding already fixed firmly in the ground for erecting the column, and, of course, found scarcely any difficulty; and the apparatus

which was used for taking down the statue was inapplicable to the raising another in its place. M. Lepère was therefore obliged to contrive a plan for himself, which he adopted with great success, and which has the rare merit of being extremely simple, at the same time that it displays an admirable combination of theoretical knowledge with practical experience.

This plan consisted of a scaffolding, on which was placed the crab destined to raise the statue, and which had for its basis the front wall of the column, and for its point of resistance the whole weight of the cupola, which was nearly 27,000 kilogrammes. The weight of the statue, crab, cable, &c., was about 7000 kilogrammes; so that an immense power was given to the long arm of the lever. The details could not be understood without cuts, but we shall probably give them, with these, in a future number.

The statue, which was modelled by M. Seure, sculptor, was cast at Roule, by M. Crozatier. Its height is eleven feet French (about twelve feet English) from the top of. the hat to the plinth, and the plinth is nine inches, French, more. The statue is fixed on the column by strong iron pins,which are soldered deeply into bronzes, placed for that purpose on the capital of the column. -Architectural Magazine for July.

NOTES AND NOTICES.

Sugar from Urine.-It has long been ascertained that the urine of persons afflicted with diabetes, contained pure sugar. The following account of a loaf of sugar from such a source shows that the manufacture has increased. Indeed the sugar would, for cheapness of the raw material, rival that either from the best cane or Indian corn; but, unfortunately, diabetes is a disease of rare occurrence, and, with the exception of a few local instances, we are convinced that the supply from this source may be considered as absolutely nothing. "M. Peligot has presented to the Societie Philomathique, a loaf of sugar which he had extracted from the urine of a patient now in the hospital of La Charite, afflicted with the saccharine diabetes. This man voids about twenty quarts of urine a day, of which five parts in every hundred is sugar."

Intelli

German Mechanics' Magazine. In the genz-blatt," or Intelligence-leaf of the Jenaische Litteratur-Zeitung, for December, 1835, is an advertisement for the "Magazin der neuesten Erfindungen, Entdeckungen, und Verbesserungen, herausgegeben von Dr. F. E. Thieme," &c. &c., i. e. "The Magazine of the newest Inventions, Discoveries, and Improvements of the English, French, Italians, Americans, and Germans, in all kinds of useful arts; for Manufacturers, Artists, Mechanies, and Agriculturists. Edited by Dr. Frederick Edward Thieme. New Series, vol. ii. No. 12, with 20 engravings, price & groschen." Then comes the following notice :-" Unweariedly anxious for the improvement of our periodical, we have made an arrangement with the proprietors of the wellknown London Mechanics' Magazine (which incontestably takes the first place among all periodicals that treat of new inventions, improvements, &c.,) to send over to us casts (Abklatsche) of their en

gravings, together with early sheets of the letterpress, so that we are now able to present our readers with the most interesting articles in the Mechanics' Magazine-in the same manner as we have been in the habit of doing for several yearsalmost at the same time as they appear in the latter, and accompanied by the original English engrav ings. We are convinced that our readers will agree wi h us on the great advantage of this arrangement for our periodical."

Wood-Polishing.-The Persians have introduced an entirely new mode of polishing, which is to wood precisely what plating is to metal. Water may be spilled on it without staining, and it resists scratch-ing as well as marble. The receipt is as follows:To one pint of spirits of wine, add half an ounce of gum shellack, half an ounce of gum lack, half an ounce of gum sundrick; placing it over a gentle hea', frequently agitating it until the gums are dissolved, when it is fit for use. Make a roller of list, put a little of the polish upon it, and cover that with a soft linen rag, which must be slightly touched with cold-drawn linseed-oil. Rub the wood in a circular direction, not covering too large a space at a time, till the pores of the wood are sufficiently filled up. After this, rub in the same manner spirits of wine, with a small portion of the polish added to it, and a most brilliant polish will be produced. If the outside has been previously polished with wax, it will be necessary to clear it off with glass paper.-American Railroad Journal.

The Count de Laplace.-A monument has been raised to this great man at Beaumont, and placed on the site of the house where he was born. It is a building erected for the purposes of a primary school, and a hall for the mayoralty. Two tablets of marble are inserted in the front of the building: on one it is recorded, that the corporation of Beaumont had erected this edifice to the memory of Laplace, who was born at Beaumont, the 22d of March, 1749; and died at Paris, the 5th of March, 1827. On the other is inscribed the following:"Sous un modeste toit, ici naquit Laplace, Lui qui sut de Newton agrandir le compas; Et, s'ouvrant un sillon dans les champs de l'espace,

Y fit encore un nouveau pas."-Athenæum. Communications received from Mr. Jones-Mr. Waldron-P. Q. R.-An Inventor-ArchimedesF. H.

The Supplement to Vol. XXIV., containing Title, Contents, Index, &c., and embellished with a Portrait of Mr. Walter Hancock, C. E., is now published, price 6d. Also the Volume complete in boards, price 98. 6d.

British and Foreign Patentstaken out with economy and despatch; Specifications, Disclaimers, and Amendments, prepared or revised; Caveats entered; and generally every Branch of Patent Business promptly transacted.

LONDON: Published by J. CUNNINGHAM, at the Mechanics' Magazine Office, No. 6, Peterborough-court, between 135 and 136, Fleet-street. Agent for the American Edition, Mr. O. RICH, 12, Red Lion-square. Sold by G. W. M. REYNOLDS, Proprietor of the French, English, and American Library, 55, Rue Neuve, Saint Augustin, Paris.

CUNNINGHAM and SALMON, Printers,
Fleet-street.