In the history of the Netherlands economy, the 22nd June, 1869, will be long remembered. Whatever shall be the decision of the First Chamber, the fact of the Law [Bill] having passed the Second Chamber by 48 yeas against 8 noes is a highly gratifying occurrence. The chief feature in the opposition on the part of the Conservatives was the able speeches made by their leader, M. Heemskerk, in order to prove that invention confers a right of property. Without going into the merits of the case, we cannot help recording that, in the opinion of those that side with M. H., it must be a suggestive circumstance that, despite all the earnest pleading of the honourable gentleman, 48 out of 57 representatives, of men of the highest moral and intellectual standing, did vote for abolition, and still did not intend despoiling anybody of his own. Invention is the effusion of thought, and just as thought cannot but be free, so invention must be the same. We hope that the Netherlands will not long remain alone in this instance. At any rate, we may be proud of the overwhelming majority of men able to understand the real means of progress. EXTRACT FROM AN OBLIGING PRIVATE LETTER. Amsterdam, June 28, 1869. ... In some respects, the rather powerful arguments of the members who were favourable to the continuance of the system of Patents—and who contended that an inventor, the same as an author, has a right to protection of his individual mind-work—were defeated, principally by the pretty general opinion of the majority that it would be next to impossible to adopt any new Law on Patents efficient to protect one inventor without at the same time injuring not only some brother-inventor, but also the public at large. FROM THE “FRANKFORT JOURNAL,” JULY 21.