318 EEPOET— 1880. 



Report of the Committee, consisting of Mr. F. J. Bramwell, Dr. 

 A. W. Williamson, Professor Sir W. Thomson, Mr. St. John 

 Vincent Day, Dr. C. W. Siemens, Mr. C. W. Merrifield, Dr. 

 Neilson Hancock, Professor Abel, Captain Douglas Gtalton, 

 Mr. Newmarch, Mr. E. H. Carbutt, Mr. Macrory, INIr. H. 

 Trueman Wood, Mr, W. H. Barlow, and Mr. A. T. Atchison, 

 appointed for the purpose of ivatching and reporting to the 

 Council on Patent Legislation. 



This Committee begs leave to report that with the exception of the 

 introduction of a Bill on the Patent Law by Mr. Anderson, Mr. Alexander 

 Brown, Mr. Hinde Palmer, and Mr. Broadhurst, which. Bill was not pro- 

 ceeded with, there has been, so far as they are aware, no attempt at 

 legislation on the subject. The Committee have spent the five pounds 

 granted to them, and request that they may be reappointed, and that a 

 sum of five pounds be granted to them. 



Prelirninary Report of the Covimittee, consisting of Professor Leone 

 Levi (Secretary), Mr. Stephen Bourne, Mr. Brittain, Dr. Neilson 

 Hancock, Professor Jevons, and Mr. Fellows, appointed for the 

 purpose of inquiring into the present appropriation of tvages 

 and sources of income, and considering hotv far it is consonant 

 with the economic progress of the people of the United Kingdom. 



Whilst the attention of economists and financiers has been directed to 

 ascertain tbe rate of increase of wealth and capital in the United King- 

 dom, the corresponding important subject of the mode of its expenditure 

 or the manner of appropriation of wages and other sources of income, has 

 not been subjected to sufficient analysis, nor have its economic bearings 

 been sufficiently appreciated. What proportion of the national income is 

 yearly used as capital, what proportion of capital is devoted to productive 

 or unproductive purposes, how far, in short, is the present method of 

 appropriation consonant with the economic progress of the people of the 

 United Kingdom ; these are questions of great moment, worthy of care- 

 ful attention. 



The national income consists of the total amount of utilities produced, 

 less those wasted within the year, from the increment of capital, from land 

 and sea, from industry and manufactures, fi'om commerce and navigation. 

 The total gross receipts of every individual cannot be taken as the total 

 national income. The income of the professional classes, including per- 

 sons engaged in tlie general and local government, in the defence of the 

 country, in the learned professions, or in literature, art, and science, and 

 the income of persons engaged in entertaining and performing personal 

 offices for man, as domestic servants, are not independent incomes. Such 

 persons receive what the producers of wealth yearly expend. In like 

 manner, the total gross expenditure of every individual cannot be taken 

 as the sum total of the national expenditure, inasmuch as a large portion 



