S/K WILLIAM X/AM/A-.Y.s, J'.R.S. 457 



Mr. liuttcr incidentally described hydraulic compression for check- 

 ing the recoil of gun carriages, but without reference to its 

 origin. II civ, again, he considered himself aggrieved to a 

 certain extent, because hydraulic compression had been adopted 

 by tiic l)cjiartnu't)t on his recouiniendation. He had been called 

 down to Woolwich to advise whether electricity could not be 

 employed for checking the recoil of gun carriages. At that time 

 he knew too much of the weakness of electricity, arid then and 

 there suggested the plan of hydraulic compression, which, modified 

 and improved no doubt by the Department, had been generally 

 adopted throughout the service. He muse add, in justification of 

 Colonel (now General) Clarke, who was then chief superindent, 

 that he gracefully acknowledged his claim regarding this improve- 

 ment in a paper read by that officer before Section G of the 

 I'.ritish Association at Exeter ; but as regards the Department, he 

 never received so much as a line of acknowledgment for either the 

 or the time he had devoted to the matter. 



DR. C. WILLIAM SIEMENS, F.R.S., said that before the discussion 

 closed he would like to say a few words in explanation of his obser- 

 vations of the previous day. From what had fallen from Mr. 

 Markham, he was almost afraid that he had conveyed the idea to 

 the members that he wished to make a personal attack, either upon 

 the gallant Colonel who had brought the paper before them, or 

 upon other gentlemen connected with Woolwich ; but he meant 

 no reflection either upon their honourable disposition or their skill. 

 In fact, nothing was further from his thoughts. He found fault 

 with Colonel Maitland when he presented himself before the 

 Institute as a historian, and he thought it his duty to correct an 

 erroneous impression. His attack was not directed towards 

 individuals, but towards the system. No one had a right to com- 

 plain if it were understood that the Government were resolved not 

 to recognise patent rights. He had never preferred a claim against 

 the Department, and therefore he had no right to complain in that 

 respect ; but he considered that a patentee was the guardian of 

 his invention while it was in its infancy. It was interfering very 

 much with his interests if a Government Department took up his 

 invention without consulting him, and then, perhaps, through an 

 oversight of the essential conditions, brought about a failure which 



