682 



PARAGUAY. 



PATENTS. 



bought anywhere for $1,500 the square league, 

 less valuable lands for $800 to $1,000. Terms 

 of payment are exceedingly liberal, and who- 

 soever pays cash receives a discount of 6 per 

 cent. During the first six months the Govern- 

 ment, if desired, advances funds to settlers. 

 Foreigners, when naturalized, enjoy all the 

 privileges of citizens; but only native-born 

 Paraguayans can aspire to the offices of Presi- 

 dent and Vice-President. 



Government. The President is Gen. B. Cabal- 

 lero (elected Nov. 25, 1882). His Cabinet is 

 composed of the following ministers : Interior, 

 Col. Mesa ; Secretary of State and Minister of 

 Foreign Affairs, Sefior J. S. Decoud ; Finance, 

 Sefior A. Cafiete ; Justice and Public Wor- 

 ship, Senor Gonzalez ; War, Col. Duarte. The 

 United States charge ^affaires is Hon. John 

 C. Bacon. 



The new Constitution was framed in 1870, on 

 the model of that of the United States. There 

 is a Senate and a House of Representatives, 

 and the Vice-President is at the same time 

 President of the Senate. The President of the 

 republic is elected for four years, but can not 

 serve a second term till an interval of four 

 years has elapsed. The Chamber has 26 mem- 

 bers, and the Senate 13. The former are elected 

 direct by the people for four years, and the 

 latter for six. Half of the former are renewed 

 every two years, and the Senate is renewed to 

 the number of one third every two years. 



Education. Public instruction is free and 

 compulsory, and has made creditable progress. 

 There is no university, but a national college, 

 supported by 4 per cent, of the import du- 

 ties. The French Lazarist Friars have founded 

 a seminary, in which twenty-four Paraguayan 

 seminarists receive instruction. There are 

 primary schools all over the country, part of 

 them being district schools, and a great many 

 private schools. Asuncion has a public library, 

 an athena3um, and three daily newspapers. 



Finances. Paraguay still nominally owes Bra- 

 zil a war indemnity of $280,000,000 ; to the 

 Argentine Republic, $50,000,000 ; and there is 

 a British debt of $8,000,000, to which would 

 have to be added the interest for sixteen years. 

 Leaving out the Brazilian and Argentine claims, 

 which are not likely to be paid, this foreign 

 debt amounted on Jan. 1, 1883, to $16,818,412. 

 Negotiations were set on foot in the spring 

 of 1885 to compromise the indebtedness to 

 British bondholders by reducing the 1,505,- 

 400 of capital due to 850,000. Dating from 

 June 30, 1886, the Paraguayan Government 

 proposes to pay holders of the reduced debt 2 

 per cent, interest per annum for five years, 3 

 per cent, for another five years, and 4 per 

 cent, till the bonds are paid in full. The pay- 

 ment of the coupons will be secured by the 

 customs revenue. For accumulated coupons 

 during fourteen years, the Government pro- 

 poses to issue land- warrants. That portion of 

 the original bonds thus remaining unpaid is 

 to remain on deposit in the Bank of England, 





and not to be returned to the Paraguayan Gov- 

 ernment till on Jan. 1, 1891, it is shown that 

 the latter has performed all it proposes to do 

 under this compromise. The home debt does 

 not exceed $342,311. 



Communications. There is in operation a rail- 

 way from Asuncion to Paraguary, 45 miles. 

 The number of passengers conveyed in 1884 

 was 95,764, and the receipts were $88,451. 



There is a telegraph line running beside the 

 above-named railway, and there was finished 

 in March, 1884, a line to Paso de la Patria, 

 which connected Paraguay with the American 

 and European systems. 



The items of mail-matter passing through 

 the Paraguayan post-offices in 1884 numbered 

 altogether 258,514, against 175,802 in 1882. 

 The receipts in 1884 were $3,340, against $2,- 

 303 in 1882. 



PATAGONIA. See page 41. 



PATENTS. Below is given the first and last 

 number of patents, etc., issued for the year 

 1885. The total number deduced from these 

 must be somewhat modified by allowing for 

 the withdrawal of a few patents, which is done 

 without alteration of the series of numbers : 



Decisions. We give a few of the more inter- 

 esting decisions : 



A patent is a grant not of a monopoly in the pro- 

 hibited sense, however, as the public is deprived of 

 nothing already possessed. It is a contract between 

 the public and the patentee, the Government as rep- 

 resentative of the public making the grant, and the 

 eitentee disclosing nis invention. (C. A. Yale Cigar 

 anufacturing Company vs. C. A. Yale, xxx, 1183.) 



The addition of certain elements to a patented con- 

 struction which does not unfit it for performing its 

 original functions, but simply adds the new results 

 due to the new elements, does not avoid infringe- 

 ment. (Tate et al. vs. Thompson, xxx, 345.) 



The specification of an application for an alleged 

 pioneer invention is addressed to those skilled in the 

 art as it existed before the making of the particular 

 invention therein referred to. not as developed later. 

 (Voelker vs. Gray, xxx, 1091.) 



Parties who employ a patented device ought not to 

 expect a defense resting upon an alleged want of util- 

 ity to find much favor with the court. (Phillips, Nim- 

 ich & Co. vs. D. W. C. Carroll & Co., xxxi, 265.) 



Trade-Marks. Eegistrati on of trade-marks 

 and labels in the United States Patent-Office 

 is provided for by special enactments. The 

 Trade-Mark Law of March 3, 1881, in thirteen 

 sections, with supplemental act of Aug. 5, 16 

 provides that owners of trade-marks used in 

 commerce with foreign nations or with tl 

 Indian tribes, provided such owners shall be 

 domiciled in the United States, or located i 

 any foreign country or tribe which by treaty, 

 convention, or law, affords similar privileges 

 to citizens of the United States, may obt* 

 registration of such trade-marks by complying 



