the public, a collection of very valuable and interesting models of patented machines and implements, as also portraits of inventors, many of them gifts, and others lent by the owners for exhibition. This may be considered the foundation of a great national museum. In order to provide for the present purposes and rapidly increasing requirements of the museum, the Commissioners have memoralised the Lords of the Treasury, who are willing to allot a sufficient portion of ground at South Kensington for the erection of the building required, including a library, to contain an account of patents already granted, or which may be hereafter granted by foreign governments. Offices for England. 25 Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London. Open daily, Christmas Day and Good Friday excepted, from 10 to 4 o'clock. Offices for Scotland. Office of the Directory of Chancery, Edinburgh. Open every day from 10 to 3 o'clock. Offices for Ireland. The Enrolment Office of the Court of Chancery, Dublin. Open every day, Christmas Day and Good Friday excepted, from 10 to 3 o'clock. NOTE. All business whatsoever relating to patents, is now transacted at the office in London; the Scottish and Irish offices being only places of deposit of copies of patents, specifications, disclaimers, and other documents for public inspection. CHAP. IV. ANALYSIS OF THE PATENT LAWS. THE following is an analysis of the Patent Law Amendment Act, 1852 (15 & 16 Vict. ch. 83), with which are embodied the rules which have been made from time to time by the Lord Chancellor and the Commissioners, also such parts of the 5 & 6 Wm. IV. ch. 83, and 7 & 8 Vict. ch. 89, and 12 & 13 Vict. ch. 109, as are retained as forming part of the present law by the Act of 1852, and the Act of the 16 & 17 Vict. ch. 115, to amend the Act of 1852. 1. Commissioners : The Lord Chancellor. The Master of the Rolls. The Attorney-General and Solicitor-General The Lord Advocate and Solicitor-General for The Attorney-General and Solicitor-General The crown has power to appoint other persons as commissioners. The powers of the Act may be exercised by any three commissioners, the Lord Chancellor, or Master of the Rolls, being one. (Cl. 1.) 2. Seal. They are authorised to have a seal made for sealing patents, and to vary such seal from time to time. (Cl. 2.) They may makes rules (not inconsistent with the Act) for conducting the business of the office, and for the purposes of the Act may provide officers and employ clerks. (Cl. 3, 4, 5.) 3. Petition and declarations.-The petition for the grant of letters patent, and the declarations required to accompany such petition shall be left at the office of the Commissioners, and also a statement in writing called the provisional specification, signed by, or on behalf of the applicant, and describing the notion of his invention. The day of the delivery of these documents at the office is to be endorsed upon them, and a certificate to that effect given to the depositor. (Cl. 6.) 4. Only one invention to be included in a patent. Every application for letters patent, and every title of invention and provisional specification must be limited to one invention only, and no provisional protection will be allowed or warrant granted where the title or the provisional specification embraces more than one invention. (3rd Set of Rules, Dec. 12, 1853.) The title of the invention must point out distinctly and specifically the nature and object of the invention. (Ib.) The expression "invention" shall mean any manner of new manufacture in the meaning of the Act 21 James I., ch. 3. (Cl. 6, 7.) 5. Copy of specification, &c., to accompany application. A true copy, under the hand of the patentee, or applicant, or his agent, of every specification and complete specification, with the drawings accompanying the same, if any, shall be left at the office on filing such specification or complete specification. (16 & 17 Vict. ch. 115.) 6. Petitions, &c., to be left at office. Size. - All petitions for letters patent, and all declarations, and provisional specifications are to be left at the office. They are to be written on sheets of paper 12 inches in length and 8 inches in breadth, leaving a margin of 1 inches on each side of each page. (1st Set of Rules, Oct. 1, 1852.) 7. Size of drawings.-Drawings to accompany provisional specifications to be on sheets of paper, parchment, or cloth 12 inches long, 81⁄2 inches broad, or 12 inches broad and 17 inches long, leaving a margin of 1 inch on every side of each sheet. (1st Set of Rules, Oct. 1, 1853.) 8. Applications referred to a law officer, whose certificate for filing gives provisional protection for six months. -The application for letters patent shall be referred by the Commissioners to one of the law officers (who are the Attorneys and Solicitors-General for England and Ireland, and Lord Advocate and Solicitor-General for Scotland). (Cl. 55.) The law officer may call to his aid a scientific or other person and fix his remuneration, which is to be paid by the applicant. If satisfied with the provisional specification, the law officer shall give a certificate to that effect to be filed at the Patent Office, and thereupon the invention may be used, and published during a term of six months, the protection thus afforded being termed provisional protection. 9. Law officer may amend title.-The law officer has the power to cause the title of the invention to be amended if too large or insufficient. (Cl. 7, 8.) 10. Applicant may not amend provisional specification. No amendment or alteration at the instance of the applicant will be allowed in a provisional specification after the same has been recorded, except for the correction of clerical errors, or of omissions made per incuriam. 11. Provisional specification must state distinctly nature of invention. The provisional specification must state distinctly and intelligibly the whole nature of the invention, so that the law officer may be apprised of the improvement and of the means by which it is to be carried into effect. (2nd Set of Rules, Oct. 15, 1852.) 12. Fee on leaving petition 51.—The fee to be paid on leaving petition for grant of letters patent is 5l. (Schedule of Act.) 13. Provisional protections to be advertised in Gazette. — Provisional protections are to be advertised in the "London Gazette," with the name and address of the petitioner, the title of his invention, and the date of the application. (1st Set of Rules, Oct. 1, 1852.) 14. Complete specification may be at once deposited. The applicant may, instead of the provisional specification, deposit with the petition and declaration an instrument under his hand and seal, called a complete specification, particularly describing the nature of his invention, the same to be mentioned in such declaration, and the day of delivery of these documents at the office shall be registered there and endorsed on the petition, declaration, and specification, and a certificate thereof shall be given to the applicant or his agent. This proceeding shall afford protection to the applicant in the use of his patent for six months. (Cl. 9.) 15. Previous patents not invalidated by subsequent protection obtained by fraud.Letters patent granted to the first inventor shall not be invalidated by reason of provisional or other protection obtained in fraud by any other person. (Cl. 10.) 16. Complete specification to be advertised in Gazette. Every invention protected by the deposit of a complete specification shall be forthwith advertised in the |