than three days of the Belgian Army's services every year. With respect to the soldiers and sailors at Portsmouth, the number of fresh cases in a single week of May 1870 was 17; in the corresponding week of 1864 it was 60. The number of days of sickness in the crews of the home station from contagious disease averaged 99,658 every year between 1861 and 1865, in 1867 it fell to 72,132, reducing the annual money cost from £21,867 to £15,898. To prove that in the general deduction of contagious disease the true constitutional disease has also been lessened, it was narrated that the period of treatment of this form has been greatly shortened among the female patients from 125 to 66 days; and that the form of ulcer, almost always, if not invariably, the prelude of constitutional disease, has been reduced to one half its previous amount in the protected stations, and to one half its present amount at the unprotected stations. That the civil population reaps considerable benefit from these Acts appears from the number of contagious patients admitted into the three workhouses of the Plymouth district, which has been reduced from 151 males and 705 females to 55 males and 167 females in the same length of time; also the percentage of such patients in the Devonport jail was reduced from 4:06 to 1.89 per annum. The effect of the Acts on the moral and social condition of the women subjected to them was alluded to. The matron of the Portsmouth Home for abandoned women stated that of 1114 such persons living in Portsmouth in 1869, 161 left the district, 94 are now living with their friends, 43 have married, 30 have entered the home, 10 are in service, 24 in the workhouses, 12 have died, 10 have returned to their husbands, leaving 730 still in the town, or 384 less than last year. In the report of the Commissioner of Metropolitan Police, it is stated that 7766 women have been brought under the Acts in various towns, of whom only 3016 remain; hence, to quote from Dr. Lyon Playfair's speech in the House of Commons, "4750 no longer practise their vocation in these towns; of the remainder, 107 have died, 385 have married, 451 have entered homes, and 1249 have been restored to their friends. In short, 27 per cent. are known to have returned to a respectable life. Thus 32 per cent. have left the stations, many doubtless to pursue their miserable career elsewhere, but many also, as the police believe, and as in charity we are bound to hope, to return to their own homes." The places of resort of these persons had likewise diminished in the Plymouth district from 358 in 1864 to 131 in December 1869. Intemperance, purely with reference to Liverpool. By the Rev. JOHN JONES. This was simply a statistical paper showing the varied ravages made by strong drink upon a community, and contained the following facts:-Liverpool did not owe its intemperance to its being a seaport, as in the year 1869, out of a total of apprehensions for drunkenness amounting to 24,614, there were but 1997 belonging to the canal, the river, and the sea, leaving an excess of 18,617 for other avocations. The Hospitals and Dispensaries during the year 1869 had 72,278 cases, at an expenditure of £22,088 78. 1d. Three Dispensaries during thirty years received a total of 1,250,000 patients, at a cost of about £100,000. The main source of all this suffering is drunkenness engendering disease, accidents, and poverty. Thus the great bulk of cases in the Hospitals are tolerated as "accidents;" for example, a Hospital with 3781 cases during the year had 2893 of these as accidents; and it has been computed that out of a total of accident cases amounting to 19,378, not less than 12,030 of these were the result of intemperance. Pauperism was thus shown. In Liverpool there are three workhouses having a total of 4714 inmates, while outdoor relief was given to 9998 persons in one week in one of the Unions, and to 22,183 persons and 2537 families respectively during the year in the two other Unions; while medical relief was given in the one Union at the rate of 100,000 cases per annum, and in the other Unions to 5864 cases and 1790 families respectively. In one of the Unions there were in a given week 589 lunatics, 391 cases being admitted during the year. The expenditure on behalf of all these paupers and lunatics amounts to upwards of £250,000 per annum, which, but for intemperance, might nearly be altogether uncalled for. In addition to parish relief, a Voluntary Society has, during the past six years, re lieved 120,638 cases of distress at a cost of £16,560 16s. 8d., together with nearly 1,000,000 quarts of soup; while 7000 dinners have been provided weekly for starving children in the several Ragged Schools. Criminal intemperance was thus shown. During the past year 23,458 cases of drunkenness passed through the hands of the police, the number having doubled as compared with the year 1861: 3343 men and 2300 women were tabulated as "habitual drunkards; some of whom were in custody during the year 15 and 18 times. Out of 2249 resident prostitutes there were 1867 cases of apprehension for drunkenness, the "social evil" and "strong drink" going hand in hand. The majority of drunkards are Irish. Thus, while there were natives of Scotland only 882, of Wales 645, of foreign lands 512, of Ireland there were 7947. Among the drunken there were 16,503 lodgers to 3166 householders,-housekeeping and drunkenness unable to flourish together. In the town there were 1182 houses of bad character, while 20 murders, 15 manslaughters, 106 cases of stabbing, &c., took place during the year. Out of 17,529 cases of drunkenness, 10,934 were more or less educated. The year 1870 is the worst for drunkenness recorded in the annals of the police. Out of 18,303 cases of drunkenness there are 8536 women. The Borough Gaol, erected at a cost of £100,000, is become too small. The annual cost to the Borough of intemperance is computed to be £375,000. During a period of 36 years 21,300 cases of death were investigated in the Coroners Court; 85 per cent. or 18,105 of these were attributed by the late coroner to drink. The present average number is about 900 cases per annum, 300 of which are children under 5 years, about 140 of these being annually suffocated by drunken parents. There are, as accounting for all the foregoing, 3579 alcoholic establishments of all sorts, to about 500 only of bakers' shops. Out of 770 employes in one firm 499 were Scottish. One drunken case per day to each public house amounts to 195,000 per annum. The paper advocated the rights of the people to put down all public houses by a sufficient majority so deciding. On the Impolicy, on economic grounds, of converting the National Debt into Terminable Annuities. By Dr. THOMAS DE MESCHIN. On the Compulsory Conversion of Substantial Leaseholds in Towns into On the Policy and Provisions of a Patent-law. By R. M. PANKHURST, LL.D. After stating and defining at length the two classes of objections to the policy of a patent-law (viz. that protection to inventions is vicious and wrong; secondly, that though some protection may be desirable, it ought not to be in the nature of a legal protection), the author went on to state the considerations of gain which should induce the creation of a right of property in inventions. They were, that inventions might be more largely and rapidly made, become sooner and more thoroughly perfected, be speedily made and fully disclosed, be more energetically and successfully brought into general use, and finally, after the legal right in them had been duly determined, that they might become the common property of society. With regard to definition of terms, an invention considered as a subject of legal protection was an application of knowledge in general of the laws of nature, expressed in the form of a new and useful process. A patent right in view of legal protection was the creation of a limited right of property in a new and useful process. These, the author submitted, were sufficient reasons. Upon the question of right, the whole essence of the case lay here: Was it the best way to promote invention and improve manufactures to give the inventor a limited right of property in his invention? If so, these objects were the reasons, the causes of the creation of the right of property, but the source of the right itself was the act of the legislation. The objection that a patent-law was a monopoly the author met by the argument that a patent-right -- was not a monopoly. A monopoly was a protection to an existing mode of manufacture or industry, a means to keep in the possession of a few and to injuriously limit existing property; while a patent-right related to something before unknown, but now called into existence and supplied for the use of man. The views of Mr. Macfie and others, who hold that inventors were the creditors of the nation, and deserved national compensation, were next noticed; and he argued that such an arrangement, though it might appropriately form a complement to a patent-law, could never be fully regarded as a substitute for a patent-law. A patent-law, while giving an adequate stimulus to inventions, also secured, during the period over which the right of property existed, that it should be so limited by the terms of its creation as to give the minimum of interference with the freedom of manufactures with a maximum of advantage to inventors and the public. The specification by means of which were determined the questions of utility, novelty, and invasion, next came under notice. This point went to the root of the essential difficulties of a patent-law. Issues in patent causes were principally questions of construction, and it was obvious that the instrument upon the true construction of which the decision of these issues depended should be framed with the utmost care and consideration. The practical evils of the present system were: (1) the indiscriminate granting of patents; (2) the want of accuracy in describing the nature and limits of the rights secured by the patent; (3) the cost, vexation, and unsatisfactory character of the trials of patent causes. The remedies which he suggested were twofold, suggestions for the efficient working of the existing law, and the introduction of additional provisions, both of constitution and administration. The proposed remedies might be thus classified :-1, conditions precedent to the granting of patents; 2, provisions to secure accuracy of description and definition; 3, conditions precedent to litigation; 4, provisions in regard to the trial of patent causes. With regard to the first point, the present function of the law officers of the Crown should be either absolutely abolished or essentially modified. Next, the grant of a patent should be preceded by an examination by competent examining officers. The result of that examination should be made in the form of a report, and, if favourable, a grant should be at once made; if unfavourable, there should be the right of appeal. On the second point, the specification, which was the patentee's charter, should be reported upon by competent officers. On the third point, prior to the institution of proceedings for infringement, the report of an examining-officer should be obtained, based upon the statement of the applicant as to the precise nature and extent of the infringement. On the fourth point, the trial of patent causes should be conducted before a judge sitting with assessors. By such means it was contended that the total amount of litigation would be lessened, and simplicity and efficiency would be given to the administration of the patent-laws. The creation of a limited right of property was expedient, for it was capable of precise determination: the duty of the public in regard to it was clearly ascertainable; on the discharge of the duty it was the basis of further improvement, and the time of the cessor of the right was fully shown. The giving to inventors a limited right of property in their inventions would afford them the best security, while, with the least practicable interference with free action, it would confer the greatest advantage upon the public. On Baths and Washhouses. By J. PARRY. Railway Accounts for 1868 just issued by the Board of Trade, with suggestions for Railway Reform. By JOHN PATTERSON, President of the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce for 1868. Attention is first directed to the fact that accounts which might have been issued in the spring of 1869 are not issued until after Parliament has risen this year, and therefore fail in the object of supplying statistical guidance for legislation. Nay, not even in the spring of 1870, but only in this week; so that for two sessions the accounts are kept hidden, and the value of publicity is now more historical than practical. The Report of the Royal Commission on Railways has unhappily failed to receive the consideration from Her Majesty's Government which might have been expected, seeing it was prepared by such high authorities as the Duke of Devonshire, Lord Stanley (Derby), Mr. Lowe, Mr. Glynn, Captain Galton, Mr. M'Clean, and others. It had a large representation of the railway interests; but, notwithstanding, contained many recommendations in the public interest, such as uniformity of classification of goods, definition of terminal charges, revision and reduction of charges for parcels; these reforms to be accompanied by a power of inspection and intervention in the public interest by the Board of Trade, where railways used their powers oppressively. But the recommendations remain a dead letter, and practically, as regards goods and parcels, the railway monopoly charge as they please, competition being prevented by combination and legislation ineffectual from its want of knowledge. The accounts now before us disclose that in December 1868 England and Wales had 6566 miles of double and 3634 miles of single rails, together 10,200 miles in length, or of single rails 16,766 miles, on which were carried up-passengers :— 27,374,061 1st class, paying.... 3,366,830, average 25 each. 100 100 100 29 10 99 70,304,008 2nd .... 171,581,244 3rd 4,472,304 1 327 Miles travelled by passenger-trains 63,302,374 miles. Distance by each passenger about 16 miles, 1st class; 2nd class 12 miles; 3rd class 8 miles; seasontickets 20 miles. The charges authorized by multitudinous Acts of Parliament vary from 2d. to 3d. per mile 1st class, 1d. to 2d. 2nd class, 1d. to 14d. third (once per day 1d.). Practically, charges are 1d. 3rd class, 14d. 2nd class, 2d. 1st class. These excessive charges are somewhat mitigated abnormally and objectionably by— Excursion-trains.-These are interpolated in masses, as at Whitsuntide, amongst the ordinary traffic in carriages unfit for the safe and regular conveyance of passengers paying the usual rates. Accidents occur so regularly as to identify the excursion-season with the slaughter-season; whilst the humble condition of the sufferers and the limited intelligence of their surviving relatives minimize the claims for damages, the payment of which is the dead fly in the pot of fragrant ointment poured forth by the eloquent chairman at each railway-meeting. Return-tickets form the main buffer interposed between the grinding exactions of railway companies and the public impatience. Economy of issue is not one penny each, as that charge would amount to over £1,000,000, the whole traffic charges being less than half that sum. Free passes stand self-condemned; they are either discounts upon traffic to favoured customers and so unjust to the non-favoured, or are frauds upon the proprietors. The remedy is a fairly calculated remunerative scale of charges proportioned to the accommodation afforded, supplied regularly, and offering equal terms to all comers, such as 1st class 1d. per mile and 2d. per ticket additional. 2nd jd. 3rd l. 1d. The ticket-charge covering all station-expenses and compensating for the fractional cost extra which may attach to short as compared with long journeys. Luggage, unless in the charge and at the risk of passengers, should be charged: A, plus 100 lb., with luggage of value handled by porters, pays 2s. 6d. ; B, plus 10 lb. in his own hand, pays 2s. 6d. A should pay 3s. and B 2s. Speed is fairly chargeable extra, ordinary trains 30 miles per hour being assumed TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. as a basis; 50 per cent. additional may be charged for 50 miles, and proportionately for 40 miles &c., with reductions for delay. Such charges should yield, the year after their adoption,- s. d. 40,000,000 1st class 18 miles at 1 8 each £ 3,333,333 80,000,000 2nd 200,000,000 3rd 14 10 4,000,000 10 06 5,000,000 Additional one-third passengers, one-fourth 99 3rd one-eighth Luggage not now charged 1st class 1st-class express 555,555 2nd 250,000 156,250 2nd 3rd 200,000 100,000 320,000,000 passengers would pay Whereas at present 280,000,000 pay Against the additional cost of carrying 40,000,000 persons may be set off:- Third, the undoubtedly equitable claim for abolition of railway-duty amounting to £448,000 for last year, but which must be imposed until fares are readjusted. £ Goods-traffic now exceeds the passenger-traffic in income, having been in 1868 :-.11,760,614 Two companies dominating the Lancashire district carried 22 per cent. of the weight 25 per cent. of the distance, and received 29 per cent. of the freight of goods and minerals. The conformation of Lancashire explains this: 2,782,582 persons only growing 41,535 acres of wheat, but although within an average distance of 25 miles from Liverpool, charged as if 75 or 100 miles from the Scheldt, are obliged to pay the increased charge levied upon their food, nearly half the wheat imported into England and Wales in the last cereal year having entered the Mersey; the monopoly reigns unchecked. For example, Bristol to Birmingham is 94 miles, wheat is charged 8s. 10d.; Liverpool to Sheffield, 76 miles, the rate is 158. The monopoly power is argued for upon the ground of enabling railway companies to compensate districts labouring under natural disadvantages; thus, by charging persons near to Burton a higher rate on beer, they are enabled to send it long distances under cost. The terrestrial providence system may go with the paternal government theory. The second argument is that goods are now carried much more cheaply than before railways were made, to which the answer is obvious; so they should, the cost of transport being reduced. Again, the companies do not exceed their tariffs, and it is open to the public, or was, to see they are reasonable. The answer is, the tariffs were formed in ignorance, and although intended to protect the public, signally fail; whilst Parliament has reserved to itself a right of revision, and these quasi corporations have no other raison d'être than public utility: already the courts of law will enforce the concession of uniform charges to all persons, and places should be similarly treated. per The great argument for high rates is that the total capital shares and loans is £425,161,506, gross receipts £35,226,866, and net receipts £18,092,091 is only 4 per cent. To this it may be replied, much of this money is borrowed at 4 Secondly, no such amount of capital has been expended, fictitious shares, issues of stock at 50, 60, and 80 per cent., bonds granted at their face value, but for *In the accounts for 1869 these items are carefully omitted or confounded, so as to withhold the needful information. cent. |