94 ' Our Patent Lawl. [January, 



I work for our benefit ? This is the great physical problem of 

 problems for science to solve. But if this is a problem 

 beyond our power to solve, the next best thing to be attempted 

 is to harness in our service the great powers of nature, to 

 catch and force to our own use the circuits of electricity 

 which are for ever circling the earth, and which hitherto 

 we have only used to direct our magnets, and guide our 

 ships ; in fact, to mount, as skilful and well-taught Phaetons, 

 the chariot of the sun, and force its four mighty steeds, the 

 strongest and mightiest of all steeds, heat, light, electricity, 

 and chemical force, to work for us our ploughs, and looms, 

 and engines, and drag our railway trains. Twice, indeed, 

 every day as I sit and watch the Thames, I see the moon 

 drawing up and down along its silent highway trains of 

 barges ; for does she not as she goes round the earth, pull 

 with her its tidal waters, with barges and all else that floats 

 on them ? I should like to see the sun put to the same kind 

 of work, and as he rejoices like a strong man to run his race, 

 to yoke him by the harness-cords of induction and conduc- 

 tion, and radiation, so as to force him to do for us more 

 work, and to act more at our will and guidance, than we 

 have hitherto forced or persuaded him to do. 



VIII. OUR PATENT LAWS. 



tHIS subject so closely connects itself with the progress of 

 scientific civilisation and the rights and comforts of 

 many scientific men, that it cannot but command our 

 attention; and the perusal of a recent book entitled " Abolition 

 of Patents — Recent Discussions in the United Kingdom and 

 the Continent," has much interested us. As to the laws them- 

 selves, we believe them to be unmanageable by lawyers, and 

 they reflect no honour on legislation. They are consequently, 

 and without blame to individuals, carried out in such a way 

 as to corrupt all that are concerned, deceiving and robbing 

 both the inventor and the public, and inducing all to deceive 

 in return. The inventor pays for a patent, and obtains 

 literally no protection unless he can pay for that also. One 

 shilling would register his invention as fully as his present 

 fee, and if the invention is printed in a journal many would 

 be purchasers and it might pay itself. 



In the present state of things patentees with no inventions 

 come with crushing weight of gold, and prove to the satis- 

 faction of ignorant juries that they have the truth, whilst 



