business in the best way. That they would have found it out was certain. That was certainly the impression on his mind. He thought it was almost certain that the discovery being in the direction of their necessity, and depending on the application of a known principle and of known mechanical means, was a discovery which could not in the course of nature have been long delayed. Having said thus much about those Patents which were meritorious, he would make a few remarks on those which were not. A great number of Patents were simply frivolous, and related to practical nothings, but still nothings affecting trades, and standing like lions in the path to frighten tradespeople, and to expose them to risk, litigation, and annoyance, if they manufactured those articles which they ought to be at liberty to manufacture. Then there were other Patents of a less frivolous nature. They related to some little combination of a kind which really was so plainly in the open path, that everybody ought to be at liberty to use it. These, however, furnished the staple of the great majority of Patents, which, though they did no practical good, operated to a great extent in hindering subsequent inventors in effecting further improvements, because these Patents covered almost the whole ground of everything that could be possibly done. An inventor, unless he paid a tax to the owners of prior useless Patents, was exposed to litigation, and even if he were willing to pay the tax, the owners of the prior useless Patent might refuse to grant him a licence. Thus for the space of fourteen years these useless Patents might not only do no good to the public, but might actually stop the road to all further improvement during that long period. On this subject evidence had been given by three persons of eminence—Mr. Scott Russell, Sir William Armstrong, and Mr. Platt. These gentlemen agreed in saying that the useless Patents to which he had just referred were a practical nuisance, and, if so, it was obvious from their number that they must be a very great nuisance. Mr. Scott Russell said:—